Central Insurance
Dog ownership is very common in the United States, and a dog is more of a family member than a pet. Dogs also pose a great liability for homeowners and an increasing amount of claims are being seen related to injuries from dog bites.
Every year, about 9,500 U.S. citizens are hospitalized due to dog bite injuries. Each day about 1,000 U.S. citizens require some form of emergency care related to dog bites (dogsbite.org). Below are some statistics related to dog bites in the United States.
- Dog bites and other dog-related injuries accounted for more than one-third of all homeowners insurance liability claim dollars paid out in the year 2016 (more than $600 million).
- Dog attack victims suffer over $1 billion in monetary losses annually (some estimates are as high as $2 billion).
Since 1993, there has been an increase of 86% in hospitalization stays due to dogbite related injuries. - Over 1,000 cities in the United States have adopted breed-specific laws since the mid 1980s. It is important to know the laws of your area and research about how your specific dog breed is governed as it might be different than others depending on your place of residence.
- Adults with two or more dogs in the household are five times more likely to be bitten than those living without dogs in the home.
- In 2016, 6,750 U.S. Postal Service employees were attacked by dogs, an increase of almost 200 from the prior year. The city of Los Angeles had the most reported attacks in 2016 with 80.
These statistics show that dog bites are becoming an increasing burden on the public as well as the insurance industry. It is important to be aware and in control of your dog at all times.
With the increase in dog-bite related injuries and claims, some states have adopted laws to try and govern the liability for dog owners, including Strict Liability laws in some states. It is important to know what laws are in place where you live and the laws that govern the ownership and liability of dog ownership to try and minimize your risk of a serious event.
Source: http://www.dogsbite.org/dog-bite-statistics-quick-statistics.php
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I have a question regarding claims. I found https://www.moneyhub.co.nz/pet-insurance.html on my vet’s facebook page which said that the clinic cannot guarantee treatment costs will be paid by the insurer. Do you have any experience or tips to make sure treatments are covered – makes me nervous about getting treatment if no cover later on. Thank you.
Unfortunately I am not well versed in Pet Insurance as that is a specialty line of insurance my carrier does not write. The above is related to statistics on Homeowner’s liability claims related to dog bite incidents.