Equestrianism - or horseback riding to you and me - is a popular pastime in the UK, with an estimated GB horse population of just under one million horses and 3.5 million people - that's 6% of the GB population - have ridden a horse at least once in the past 12 months, according to the British Equestrian Trade Association (BETA) National Equestrian Survey 2010-11.
As with other sports we’ve looked at, such as snowboarding, water skiing and rugby, there is a certain element of risk of a horse riding accident. Just like when you step on a pitch or head down the slopes, when you climb on a horse you do so accepting the possibility of horse riding injuries. And with the Appeal Court already having refused compensation to three cases so far this year (and we’re only three months in) it seems the message the courts are sending is that riders must accept the risk that goes with their sport.
One case was a woman who was riding a horse that was being offered as “free to a good home”; when the horse bucked, threw her and then stood on her face causing severe injuries requiring surgery. The court decided that she had voluntarily accepted the risk the horse might buck when startled when she agreed to ride it, and therefore was not entitled to compensation.
Another case saw a horse veer through a hedge causing the rider to fall and hit her head on tarmac, sustaining a head injury. The woman was riding the horse for the owner who was pregnant at the time and unable to ride. Handing down judgement, Lord Justice Lewison said:
“An individual who chooses to ride horses no doubt derives enjoyment from being able to control a powerful beast.
But inherent in that activity is the risk that on occasions the horse will not respond to its rider’s instructions, or will respond in a way that the rider did not intend.”
As part of choosing to take part in any pastime that has an element of risk you cannot expect to be compensated when those risks come to fruition. However, there are horse riding injuries caused by other’s negligence to consider and in these cases it is possible to make a successful claim for compensation.
Last year a rider was awarded compensation by a high court judge as compensation for her horse riding injuries which were caused by a riding school employee. The lady sued the riding school after one of their employees overtook her horse (despite her asking him to wait) causing the horse she was riding to rear up and her to fall off, fracturing her pelvis and back.
Another rider made a claim for compensation and won after a motorbike driver lost control of his bike. The bike slid into the rider’s horse causing it to bolt, her to be thrown and resulted in a serious head injury and brain damage. The judge decided the evidence showed the biker was travelling at excess speed and the horse rider can now recover full compensation for her injuries.
We Can Help
We at MayIClaim are only interested in genuine cases. If you, a friend or member of your family, have been injured in a horse riding accident that wasn’t your fault then you may be entitled to make a claim for compensation. Our friendly specialist advisors can talk to you about your situation and see if you have a valid genuine compensation claim. There is no charge for this service and you are under no obligation to claim with us.
If You Have a Genuine Claim, Contact a Genuine Company
May I Claim, is a trading name of R Costings Limited and our CRM number is 25770
If you’ve had an accident that wasn’t your fault and suffered an injury - you can trust us to handle your claim professionally.
Call us now on 0800 756 7774 and talk to us to find out if you have a claim - or fill in our Quick Claim form (on the right of this page).
http://info.mayiclaim.co.uk/personal_injury_compensation_claim_news/bid/339490/Horse-Riding-Injuries-Accepted-Risk-or-Ripe-for-Compensation-Claims
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