Encouraging Judgment For Bovine Farmers

BLM partner and equestrian specialist, Clare Garnett, has successfully defended civil proceedings brought against a bovine farmer under Section 2(2) Animals Act and in negligence - providing a much needed and encouraging decision for farmers and defendant insurers.

A claim for personal injuries was intimated against the defendant farmer after the claimant was trampled by the defendant's cow whilst walking her dog through a local nature reserve, accessible to the public via permissive paths. The defendant's herd of British Beef Shorthorns were grazed on the reserve under a license agreement with the local authority.

On the day in question, the claimant entered the field where the herd were grazing and walked along the permissive path. As the field levelled off, the claimant saw a cow to the right of the path, which she estimated was about 14 feet away from her, and immediately turned around to retrace her route. The sequence of events that followed were a matter