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Dog Bites Cost Home Insurers $400 Million Last Year

 

Sept. 14, 2010 – Homeowners insurance companies shelled out some $412 million in claims arising from dog bites last year, according to the non-profit Insurance Information Institute. The $412 million in dog bite claims amounted to a third of all homeowners insurance claims payouts in 2009.

The average claim amount from dog bites in 2009 was $24,840 in 2009, a nearly $400 rise from the $24,461 paid per bite in 2008. Dogs biting humans also accounted for about a third of all homeowners insurance claims last year and in 2008. Dog bites cost home insurers about $387 million in 2008 – nearly 9 percent more than in 2007.

“Most dogs are friendly, loving members of the family. But even normally docile dogs may bite when they are frightened or when protecting their puppies, owners or food,” said Loretta Worters, vice president of the Insurance Information Institute. “Ultimately, the responsibility for properly training and controlling a dog rests with the owner.”

On average, dogs bite more than 4.5 million people each year in the United States, with about 900,000 requiring medical attention and 31,000 reconstructive surgery, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Children account for about half of all dog bite victims.

The number of dog bites reported in the United States has increased by about 30 percent over the past six years, according to the Insurance Information Institute. Because studies show more than half of all dog bites occur on property owned by the dog’s owner, liability becomes an issue for homeowners and insurers. The cost of treating dog bites and defending potential liability lawsuits has increased along with the number of bites each year.

Dog bite claims on average cost $24,461 in 2008 – a nearly 28 percent increase during the prior five years. The 15,823 insurance claims filed in 2008 were up by nearly 9 percent over the 14,531 filed in 2007. Although trespassers are not protected against dog bites in most states, when dog owners are liable for injuries to others, they could be held responsible for paying medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering and property damages.

A combination of increased medical costs and liability awards to victims compounded by an increase in the number of people bitten by dogs each year is at least partly responsible for the rise in claims filed each year, according to the Insurance Information Institute.

While property owners generally are liable when their pets injure others, some states have “first bite” laws forgiving a dog for its first bite. But once it has exhibited “vicious behavior” by biting or otherwise acting aggressively, the owner is liable, according to the Insurance Information Institute. Many states have stricken their ”first bite” laws and hold owners liable for any injuries.