In honor of national dog bite prevention week, recently published data from State Farm Insurance’s Insurance Information Institute reveals that dog bites continue to represent one-third of the payout dollars for homeowner liability claims. Homeowners’ liability insurance covers you if your dog bites someone visiting your home or if it bites someone when you take it out for a walk. Insurers paid more than $489 million for such claims last year.
Homeowners’ insurance generally covers dog liability as part of the policy’s standard coverage, with limits of up to $100,000 or $300,000. State Farm paid more than $136 million to cover nearly 4,500 dog bite claims last year. The company said it did not refuse insurance based on the dog’s breed, but it urged owners to be responsible with their pets.
According to the Insurance Information Institute, most insurers don’t ask about dogs when initially writing a homeowner’s policy even though some of them exclude certain breeds of dogs from coverage. Once a dog bite has occurred, however, insurance companies can and do increase your premium.
If you or someone who you love has been injured in an Oregon dog attack and you don’t know what to do next, call the experienced dog attack lawyers at Dwyer Williams Cherkoss PC today for a free consultation at 541-617-0555.