Horse riding is a popular sport and hobby for many in Scotland, with equestrian centres and private stables located all around the country. Unfortunately, horse riding accidents can and do happen, and the consequences can be severe. At Watermans, our experienced horse riding injury solicitors can help you seek the compensation you deserve.
"They looked out for me through the whole process. Watermans sorted out my physiotherapy and a personal injury settlement that has enabled me to get by life back together. A special thanks to Sam Donaldson and Stacey Moore who handled my claim."
M Mayaka, Personal Injury Claim
If you or a loved one have been injured in a horse riding accident that wasn't your fault,
you may be entitled to compensation.
Injuries from a horse riding accident can occur during a road traffic accident,
as a result of falling from a horse, or from being kicked by a horse.
At Watermans, we employ specialist personal injury solicitors,
who are experienced in handling horse riding accident claims.
Everything we do at Watermans is about getting you the resolution you need
and providing straightforward legal advice. It should be that simple.
Horse Riding Accidents
Working closely with horses will always come with certain dangers. Both the horse rider and horse may be injured if they are involved in a road traffic collision, or someone can fall from or get kicked by a horse when handling them.
If you or a loved one has been involved in a horse riding accident on the road or in an equestrian centre, you can make a claim for compensation if it was not your fault.
The injuries suffered/sustained in a horse riding accident can range from minor to devastating, resulting in permanent disability or in some cases, even proving fatal. In such circumstances, it’s vital you pursue compensation from the negligent party.
If you are unable to fully recover from your injuries, the compensation you can claim for will also take into account your long-term future. This includes what you may need for medical provision, future care such as adjustments at home, and loss of earnings.
At Watermans, we employ specialist personal injury solicitors who are experienced in handling horse riding accidents. Speak to one of our advisors today to start your compensation claims process.
Causes & Types of Horse Riding Injuries
Hors͏e ͏r͏idin͏g ͏is an e͏njoyab͏l͏e͏ ͏but da͏ng͏erous͏ ac͏t͏ivity. By ͏unders͏ta͏nding t͏he͏ ͏ma͏in causes ͏and t͏ype͏s͏ o͏f ͏hors͏e riding injur͏i͏es, horse riders c͏an ͏sta͏y ͏s͏af͏e͏ a͏nd ͏k͏now w͏he͏n͏ t͏o͏ se͏ek͏ l͏e͏ga͏l ͏a͏dvic͏e.
H͏e͏re͏’s͏ an ov͏ervi͏e͏w of w͏h͏a͏t͏ ca͏n͏ lea͏d͏ to ͏a͏ horse riding accident and ͏t͏h͏e r͏esu͏l͏tin͏g inj͏uri͏es,͏ ͏as rec͏og͏nised b͏y ͏o͏rganisations͏ like the British Horse Society.
L͏e͏t’s t͏ak͏e ͏a lo͏o͏k͏ ͏at͏ some o͏f ͏t͏he ma͏i͏n ͏r͏ea͏sons why th͏es͏e acci͏dents ha͏ppe͏n, i͏nc͏l͏u͏ding ͏issu͏es͏ in riding schools, ͏horse racing eve͏nts, a͏n͏d ͏ever͏y͏d͏ay ͏eq͏uestr͏i͏an a͏ct͏ivit͏ies:
T͏he͏se͏ are͏ t͏he vario͏us ͏kin͏ds ͏of i͏nju͏ri͏es ͏t͏h͏at ͏can͏ re͏sul͏t͏ f͏rom͏ ͏accidents involving horses.͏
Everyone͏ in͏vol͏v͏ed͏ in working with horses, from͏ riding instructors to ͏stable owners, shou͏ld͏ ͏b͏e ͏a͏wa͏r͏e͏ of t͏h͏e͏se r͏is͏k͏s and take precautions to prevent these accidents. ͏ ͏ ͏
Making a Claim
If you or a loved one has been involved in a horse riding accident within the last three years that wasn’t your fault, you may be entitled to compensation.
The injuries you can sustain from a horse riding accident can range from minor to life-changing, and you deserve to seek reparations for any loss of earnings sustained as a result of your accident or any adjustments to your home that you may require.
This is where we come in.
He͏re ͏are some of͏ the͏ ͏step͏s you͏ may ͏ne͏e͏d to͏ fo͏l͏low in the ͏claim process:
At Watermans, we are here to offer straightforward legal advice and guide you in seeking the compensation that you deserve. We take the hassle out of the legal stuff so that you and your loved ones can concentrate on recovering from the injuries and emotional suffering you may have experienced.
How Much Compensation?
Compensation for horse riding accidents in Scotland is awarded on a case-by-case basis. The amount you could get depends on the severity of your injuries, as well as other factors, like loss of earnings.
Here are the forms of compensation you may be entitled to.
This covers the cost of treatments, surgeries, and ongoing care related to your injuries. In cases of serious injuries, like brain injury, this can be substantial.
The compensation may also include hospital stays, specialist consultations, prescription medications, and any necessary medical equipment. Plus, it can cover future medical expenses if your injuries require long-term intervention.
If your injury has caused you to miss work or affects your future earning capacity, you can claim for both current and future lost income. This includes your salary and also any bonuses, overtime, or other benefits you’ve missed out on.
Compensation for physical pain and emotional distress is normally calculated based on the extent and duration of your injuries. This might be compensation for chronic pain, psychological trauma, loss of enjoyment of life, and impact on personal relationships.
This includes expenses for physiotherapy, counselling or any other treatments needed to aid your recovery. We ensure that your horse riding accident claim includes all necessary treatments to support your recovery to the fullest.
You can claim travel costs related to medical appointments and treatments. Some examples of these expenses are mileage if you use your own vehicle, public transport fares or taxi costs if your injuries prevent you from driving. We’ll also factor in accommodation expenses if you need to travel long distances for specialist treatments.
If you need help with daily activities due to your injuries, you can claim for these care costs. This may include professional care services and compensation for family members who have had to take time off work to care for you.
Our trusted lawyers will consider short-term care needs during your initial recovery and any long-term care requirements for severe injuries.
You may also be eligible for early payments to cover immediate expenses before your horse riding injury compensation claim is fully settled.
These payments can help with urgent financial needs such as medical bills, living expenses or adapting your home if your injuries require it. We’ll work to secure these payments quickly to ease financial stress during your recovery.
At Watermans, we fully investigate each case we work on to make sure that we get the maximum amount of compensation possible for you.
Why Watermans?
Watermans make legal services look and feel easy so people can move forward in life.
Watermans are your modern personal injury law firm in Scotland. Our expert team are committed to doing everything to make the claims process straightforward for our clients following an accident.
We take the hassle from you and fight each case to secure the maximum level of compensation. We also provide access to a range of additional services, such as physiotherapy and psychological treatment to ensure you recover from your injuries as soon as possible and get your life back on track.
Our expertise in personal injury covers a wide range of areas including,
We represent thousands of clients throughout Scotland each year, securing millions of pounds in compensation for our clients. Our experienced solicitors work on a no-win no-fee basis, which means that if your horse riding injury claim is unsuccessful, you won’t end up out of pocket.
In Scotland, the time limit to make horse riding claims is generally three years from the date of the accident. However, this doesn’t mean you have three years following your accident to start the claims process.
Instead, you must have either settled a claim for personal injury or raised a court action within this three-year timeframe. To ensure you don’t miss out on your right to claim, speak with an equine accident solicitor at Watermans as soon as possible after your injury.
Signing a waiver doesn’t give riding schools or horse owners carte blanche to ignore safety standards. If the injury resulted from their negligence, such as providing faulty equipment or an unsuitable horse, you might still have grounds for a claim.
Additionally, if your injury occurred due to a breach of health and safety regulations, a waiver is unlikely to prevent you from claiming. This is because businesses cannot contract out of their statutory duties. But every case is different, so it’s vital to have an experienced horse accident solicitor review your situation.
You can still make a claim, usually against your friend’s insurance policy. Remember, you’re claiming against the insurance, not your friend directly.
In these situations, it’s important to understand that pursuing a claim doesn’t mean you’re personally suing your friend. Instead, you’re seeking compensation from their insurance provider, which is why horse owners are encouraged to have public liability insurance.
Here are some points to consider:
Yes, your claim can include compensation for damaged personal property such as riding gear. This may cover items like damaged riding hats, boots, or any other equipment that was affected during the accident.
Make sure to keep any receipts or evidence of the value of damaged items to support your claim. If possible, take photographs of the damaged equipment as soon as you can after the accident. In some cases, if the equipment was particularly valuable (like a custom-made saddle), we might even consult with equestrian experts to accurately assess its worth.
The goal of compensation is to put you back in the position you were in before the accident, which includes accounting for damaged property.
Evidence can include medical reports, photographs of injuries and the accident scene, and any witness statements.
Here’s a more detailed breakdown of the evidence that can strengthen your case.
This can include your initial emergency room or GP reports that detail the immediate aftermath of the accident. Ongoing treatment records are also important, showing the progression of your recovery.
Any specialist consultations you’ve had should be documented. This includes X-rays or MRI scans that highlight the extent of your injuries. Also, don’t forget to keep records of prescriptions and medications related to your injury.
Take pictures of your horse riding injuries immediately after the accident and continue to document them during your recovery process. Photos of the accident scene are also valuable, especially if they show any hazards or factors that contributed to the incident.
If any riding equipment or clothing was damaged in the accident, photograph these items as well.
Accounts from people who saw the accident occur can provide important third-party perspectives. This might include other riders, spectators or passersby. Statements from riding instructors or stable staff present at the time of the incident can also offer valuable context.
Any waivers or agreements you signed before the riding activity should be reviewed. While these don’t necessarily prevent a claim, they’re important to consider.
Records of your riding experience or qualifications can also be relevant, especially if there’s a question about whether you were matched with an appropriate horse for your skill level.
Gathering this evidence can seem overwhelming but we’re here to assist in collecting them.
At Watermans, we believe that financial concerns shouldn’t prevent you from seeking justice after a horse riding accident. That’s why we offer some free initial advice to help you understand your options and the potential of your claim.
If you decide to proceed, we operate on a no-win, no-fee basis for horse riding injury claims. This means you don’t have to worry about upfront legal costs or being left out of pocket if your claim is unsuccessful.
Our no-win, no-fee approach allows you to pursue your claim with confidence, knowing that our interests are aligned with yours — we only succeed when you do.
Heal with confidence while we handle your claim.
Contact Watermans, your expert horse riding injury solicitors, for straightforward legal advice.
The figures quoted are a rough guide to show you the amount you could receive as compensation for your injury. Our solicitors will advise you in more detail about your specific claim.
Your claim could be worth...
Claim Worth
The figures quoted are a rough guide to show you the amount you could receive as compensation for your injury. Our solicitors will advise you in more detail about your specific claim.
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Everything we do at Watermans is about getting you the resolution you need and making that process straightforward. Start the process by sending us your details below or calling us on 0131 555 7055
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“Making a claim for compensation can be such a daunting process for people, so I try to make it as straightforward and easy to understand as I can for them.”
Susanne McGraw, Head of Personal Injury
