Jacqui was helping a friend when she was savagely attacked by a horse

Our client faces losing her arm after being attacked by a horse.

Jacqui Kent’s life was turned upside down in November last year when she reluctantly agreed to assist a friend whose horse she had been helping to break in at an agistment property along the Mornington Peninsula, south-east of Melbourne.

The friend had been working at the property three days a week in a contra deal that saw her obtain discounted agistment for her own horse.

In what is in the process of becoming a statement of claim lodged by Arnold Thomas & Becker, Ms Kent claimed she felt pressured to help out despite protesting about her broken foot.

The experienced horse handler said she felt a sense of dread as she noticed the horse’s pinned ears and his teeth coming at her.

In a reaction that likely saved her life, Ms Kent draped herself in the rug, but the horse managed to grab her by the neck and pushed her to the ground.

Curled up in the foetal position, she tried to protect her head. The gelding picked her up three more times by her shoulder, smashing her into the ground again and again. 

Arnold Thomas & Becker legal representative Ciara Smith said her client would struggle with the mental and physical trauma of what happened to her for the rest of her life. 

‘The injuries she sustained continued to cause her daily pain and suffering a year later and will be lifelong,’ she said. 

‘While we understand that animals have a mind of their own and can be unpredictable, this incident could have been completely prevented if Jacqui had been aware of the risks involved with entering this horse’s paddock.

‘She was not informed that the horse could be dangerous or volatile and had previously tried to attack people.

‘Incidents like these emphasise the importance of agistment and property owners to ensure they are covered by public liability insurance. People also shouldn’t be engaging in verbal or backdoor agreements – there is no protection in these kind of arrangements and it is almost impossible to mitigate risk.’

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Have you been injured as a result of someone else’s actions or negligence? You may be entitled to compensation. For more information or to talk to a lawyer, call us on 1300 333 300.

 

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Testimonials

I’d been living the dream my entire life and it all came crashing down. When I was faced with a legal issue, I didn’t know where to start as far as making a claim. I saw an ad on TV saying give “Arnold Thomas & Becker a call…” so I did. 

After speaking with Lee Flanagan and listening to his knowledge of law, I felt at ease as he understood my situation and my occupation as a Professional Athlete.  I decided then and there this was the right law firm for me.

The fact that Lee was also a surfer and understood how I earned an income from surfing made all the difference.  

 My lawyers Lee Flanagan and Aki Munir are experts in their field and they certainly proved that.  Their legal assistant Lucy Maher was always on the ball and kept me informed throughout my claim.

 Initially I had approached another well-known law firm (who I was told were the best), but they just didn’t get it.  

I’m so grateful to the Arnold Thomas & Becker team – they achieved an incredible outcome for me.  I’m relieved to put all this behind me and start my life again.

Ross Clarke-Jones – Big Wave Surfer 

Ross Clarke-Jones - Big Wave Surfer