Horse Riding Accident & Injury Solicitors

Soft tissue injury with a full recovery within 3 months:

up to £2,150

Soft tissue injury with full recovery up to a year following the accident:

up to £3,800

Full recovery between one and two years:

£3,800 - £7,000

Where recovery takes more than two years but the on-going effects are moderate:

£6,900 - £11,000

Serious on-going problems with ongoing pain, or recurring pain. Surgery may be needed with the possibility of prolapsed discs:

£11,000 - £24,500

Fractures of ribs causing pain for a few weeks only:

up to £3,500

Collapsed lungs with a full recovery:

£2,000 - £4,700

Simple fracture of the forearm:

£5,800 - £17,000

More serious injury with significant disability and without full recovery:

£17,000 - £34,000

Hairline fracture or non-complex break of bones in the lower leg with complete recovery:

up to £10,500

Simple fracture or break of the femur:

£8,000 - £12,500

More serious fracture or serious soft tissue injury, without full recovery:

£16,000 - £24,500

Very serious brain damage
£245,000 - £350,000

Reasonably severe
£190,000 - £245,000

Moderate
£37,000 - £190,000

Mild head injury (minimal brain damage)
£1,900 - £11,000

Epilepsy
£9,000 - £130,000

Claiming compensation for any injury can feel daunting and overwhelming but we will manage and coordinate everything for you.

After an initial, no-obligation chat, we will advise you on how likely you are to have a successful claim and how much you can expect to receive.

We will need as much information from you as possible to assist with a successful claim including:

• Photographic evidence from the accident scene.
• Statements and contact details from any witnesses.
• Contact and insurance details from the driver.
• A full description of all your injuries and medical care received so far.
• A record of all expenses incurred to date as a result of your injuries.

We understand that detailing the extent of your injuries, the pain you are experiencing and how your day-to-day life has been affected by what has happened may be extremely difficult for you but we will go at your own pace and will never make you feel rushed or under pressure. We can come and speak to you at home or in hospital, if your injuries make it difficult or impossible to travel to one of our offices and we can, in some circumstances, take your initial instruction over the phone so that we can act as quickly as possible to access the care and treatment you need.​​​​​​

Falls from a Horse

One of the most common causes of being injured while horse riding involves instances where the rider is thrown from the horse. Often a horse's likely reaction to something that it doesn't understand is to be frightened or shy. A spook is usually a startled sideways jump or a quick change of direction with the intention to flee.

When a horse flees from danger it may shy, bolt, or buck to unseat its rider. Being thrown in an uncontrolled way from a horse can result in broken bones and all too many of our cases involve serious injury to the head or spine, even when wearing a riding hat or helmet.

Kicks and bites

Horses kick for a number of reasons. A horse may kick at biting flies around its legs and belly or kick out even if suffering from colic. They may also kick or stamp if something like a prickly weed tickles their legs or belly.  Horses also kick to defend themselves, and these kicks are often powerful and targeted.

This defensive instinct is why some horses kick when they become alarmed—such as when a person, dog, or another animal comes into view behind the horse.  A horse’s feet and its teeth are its only means of defence and both can prove dangerous to an innocent bystander if caught in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Road traffic accidents

Riding on the road brings its own particular risks, and there are about 3000 road accidents involving horses each year. A range of different situations exists which lead to horse riding road traffic accidents, as is the same with any road user, but horse riders are obviously particularly vulnerable to injury.

Negligent training or oversight

A person being given a horse that is beyond their riding ability, or not being given enough training to ride a horse can cause accidents and injury. This could be caused by negligence on the part of the instructor or organiser.

Horses should be kept in specified areas and should not be allowed to roam free. If they do they can cause injuries to the public or cause road traffic accidents.

Injuries sustained in horse accidents can range from minor injuries, to serious injuries with long term effects on the rider, to even fatalities.

Horse riding leg injuries

When falling from a horse, or being kicked by one, people can suffer breaks and fractures to the legs. Other common horse riding leg injuries include damage to the ligaments and other soft tissue injuries including sprains and strains.

Horse riding back injuries

Horse riding back injuries can range from the mild to the very serious, Injury types include soft tissue injuries such as sprains, strains, and general pain, damage to the discs, and conditions such as sciatica. This is when the sciatic nerve that runs from your hips to your feet, is exasperated.

Horse riding upper-body injuries

You can suffer a range of different injuries to parts of the upper body, such as the shoulders, arms, wrists, and hands. The injury types might include broken bones, elbow damage, and tendonitis.

Horse-riding injuries to the neck

When falling from a horse, people can suffer neck injuries that cause similar damage to whiplash injuries, such as soft tissue injuries to the neck as well as generalised neck pain, strains, and sprains. Neck injuries can also be extremely serious, which could result in a spinal cord injury that may lead to permanent paralysis.

Crush injuries

A horse can weigh over half a ton, and if a rider and horse were to fall together there is the risk of the horse falling or rolling onto the rider causing a potentially very serious injury. If horses are not properly controlled in stables or other restricted areas where people are moving about there is the risk of being accidentally crushed by a horse against a wall, gate, or fence.

Workplace injuries

People working with horses can be injured by the horse whilst carrying out their duties within their job. Workplace horse riding injuries can be the fault of another member of staff, your employer, or the party responsible for the horse. Those at fault could have been negligent in how they conducted their duties or could have failed to follow appropriate health and safety procedures.

Injuries can also be caused by stable equipment: Neglectful maintenance and up-keep of horse riding equipment can lead to injuries.

Most claims for injuries made in the UK are subject to a time limit. The general rule is that you have 3 years from the date of the accident to make your claim. Speaking to a horse accident solicitor within this timeframe is not sufficient: the claim process for a horse accident injury must be started before the 3 years limit has expired.

There are some exceptions to this rule - most notably for children under 18.

If you’re unsure about what time limit applies to your claim, get the expert support of PSR Solicitors today. We can guide you through the process with simple and tailored legal advice.

Each claim differs from one to another, it is, therefore, very difficult to categorise how much money the claimant could receive in compensation at the very start of the process. There are several influencing factors to be taken into account when our specialised solicitors work to determine the amount of compensation that should be awarded.

The main factor which must be considered as a result of the accident is the severity of the injuries sustained, but other factors will be:

• Any medical treatment and prescriptions including travel expenses
• Loss of current earnings and future earnings which could include any bonuses
• Rehabilitation and physiotherapy needs and costs
• Cost of household support
• Damage to any property incurred

Adjustment of the home environment, e.g. stairlifts if the seriousness of the accident has made the claimant immobile