Visiting a zoo to see wild animals should be a great day out. In many cases, that’s exactly the case but unfortunately, accidents can happen. Importantly, if you’ve suffered an injury in a zoo because of the operator’s negligence, you may be eligible to make a zoo accident claim for compensation.

We can help with a zoo accident claim by reviewing your case for free. If you contact us, a specially trained advisor will help you to understand your options after listening to what happened. While you’re under no obligation to proceed, we could connect you with one of our personal injury solicitors. If they believe you’ve got a reasonably good chance of being compensated, they’ll offer to work for you on a No Win No Fee basis.

We’re ready to answer any questions you might have if you call us on 0800 6524 881 today. Alternatively, you’ll find more information about zoo accident claims throughout this guide.

Am I Eligible To Make A Zoo Accident Claim?

Generally, to be eligible to make a zoo accident claim you’ll need to prove that:

• The staff or the zoo’s operator were negligent; and
• Their negligence caused an accident/incident at the zoo; and
• You sustained an injury due to that accident/incident.

During your free consultation, we’ll assess if there’s enough evidence available to prove the above and you can find out more about the types of evidence that could help in an accident claim against a zoo later in this guide.

Zoo Operators’ Duty Of Care

Laws and regulations are in place to protect anybody who visits a zoo (including its staff). Laws such as the Zoo Licensing Act 1981, the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Occupiers Liability Act 1984 create a legal duty of care that zoo operators must adhere to.

This duty of care means that zoo operators must:

• Ensure staff are trained properly and know what to do in an emergency.
• Try to make sure animals are kept safe and cannot escape their enclosures.
• Maintain all fencing and barriers properly to avoid the risk of injury.
• Use warning signs where necessary about guidance relating to particular animals.
• Ensure furniture, machinery and fairground rides are properly maintained.

If the zoo operator fails to meet their legal obligations and an accident happens as a result, they could be liable for any subsequent injuries.

Can I Claim Compensation As An Injured Employee At The Zoo?

As well as helping members of the public to claim compensation for an accident at a zoo, we can help staff with personal injury claims as well.

You could be eligible to make a claim if your injuries were caused by inadequate training, damaged workplace equipment, unsuitable protective equipment or accidents caused by tiredness because you weren’t allowed a proper rest break.

Examples Of Zoo Accident Compensation Claims

Based on the fact that any zoo accident you claim compensation for must have been caused by negligence, here are some example scenarios that could potentially lead to zoo accident claims:

• Injuries caused by escaped animals including bites, stings and being knocked over.
• Tripping and falling over because of a damaged handrail or uneven surface.
• If your child was injured because staff let them stroke an aggressive animal.
• Accidents involving faulty or poorly maintained fairground rides.
• Where a child was injured after falling into an animal enclosure because of broken fences.
• If a member of your party suffered food poisoning because of undercooked food.

Whether we’ve listed your type of zoo accident here or not, please feel free to contact us for a free assessment of your chances of being compensated.

Examples Of Injuries At Zoos

Any injury you’ve suffered because of a no-fault accident in a zoo could mean you’re eligible to claim compensation. Some examples of injuries that might happen in an accident at a zoo include:

Fatal accidents at zoos are fortunately rare but they do happen occasionally. If a loved one has died in an accident in a zoo and you’d like us to review your options, please call a member of our team.

How Much Compensation For An Accident At A Zoo Could I Claim?

The reality is that it’s not really possible to suggest a compensation figure for an accident at a zoo until your case has been investigated further. That’s because all zoo accident claims are unique and each claimant is affected differently. However, our compensation calculator will give you some idea about how much your injuries might be worth:

As part of a zoo accident claim, your solicitor will need to book a medical assessment. This will be carried out by an independent expert. After they’ve examined you and worked out how you’ve suffered, they’ll produce a report that your solicitor can use to calculate how much compensation for a zoo accident you could be entitled to.

In addition to your physical injuries, you could receive additional compensation to cover:

• Distress, fear for life, anxiety and other forms of mental harm.
• Medical costs.
• Loss of income due to the zoo accident.
• The cost of a carer (friend, family or professional carer).
• Future lost income for longer-term injuries.
• Replacement costs for any items damaged in the accident.
• Travel expenses.
• Making changes to your home to make it easier to cope with any permanent disability.
• Loss of amenity.

Our solicitors will always ensure to fully understand your suffering so that they can try to secure the maximum compensation for a zoo accident possible.

Evidence To Support A Zoo Accident Compensation Claim

If you or your child is involved in an accident in a zoo, you probably won’t start thinking about gathering evidence right away. However, you can take some important steps that won’t take too long but could secure the evidence needed to support any subsequent personal injury claim. They include:

1. Ensure your injuries are treated. While you might be offered first aid within the zoo, it’s a good idea to have your injuries checked in a hospital. This will also mean medical records exist that could prove your injuries.
2. Tell the staff about your accident. There should be a medical point or guest services desk where you can report the accident at the zoo. Ask for a copy of the accident report form as it could be used as evidence.
3. Take photos. After the accident, try to take pictures of the aftermath as they could make it easier to prove the cause of the incident.
4. Obtain video recordings. If anybody filmed your accident in the zoo on their phone or if it was captured on CCTV cameras, ask for a copy of the footage.
5. Collect witness information. In case witness statements are needed to support your zoo accident claim, ask for the contact details of anybody else who was present when you were injured.
6. Keep a diary. To help prove how you’ve been affected you could keep a diary until your claim has been processed. This could track any expenses or costs you’ve incurred as a result of your injuries which you should also keep receipts for.

Your solicitor will help you to secure any further information needed if your zoo accident claim is accepted but please let us know about any evidence you’ve already got when you call.

Time Limits For Claiming Zoo Accident Compensation

All types of personal injury claims in the UK are subject to a 3-year time limit. For zoo accident claims, that period will typically begin from the date of the zoo accident or from when your injury or illness became apparent.

However, if your child was injured while visiting a zoo, then you may have longer to begin a claim depending on their age. The law states that children can’t take legal action themselves so their time limit starts from their 18^th birthday. Any time before then, though, you could claim compensation on your child’s behalf through the litigation friend process.

To ensure you receive compensation while you need it i.e. while you’re recovering from your injuries, it’s generally a good idea to begin your claim early. This will also give your solicitor the time to find any evidence needed to support a zoo accident claim.

In some cases, if you have any immediate costs like care or medical expenses, you may be able to request interim payments before your claim has been closed.

Starting The Zoo Accident Claims Process

If you call our team on 0800 6524 881, you’ll find out very quickly whether we think you’ve got a reasonable chance of making a successful zoo accident claim. Your case will be reviewed by a specialist advisor who’ll explain your options clearly. There is no obligation to start a claim but if we believe your case is viable, you’ll be referred to one of our personal injury solicitors.

If they agree to manage your claim, they’ll process everything on a No Win No Fee basis. This means that you aren’t asked to pay legal fees in advance and you won’t need to pay for your lawyer’s work if the claim fails.

Our live chat team are on standby if you would like any more information about the zoo accident claims process.