Dog Bites, Home Insurance And You
· by Matt Fox · posted April 11, 2008
· filed under Arizona Homeowner Insurance, Homeowner, Personal Insurance, Personal Umbrella category.
I remember skateboarding as a kid down the street. My younger sister was right behind me on her skates. The neighbor a few houses down had his two Dalmatians out while washing his car. The dogs looked scary to my sister so she crossed the road. Being the big brother I had to prove it was okay so I kept skating by. One of the dogs came walking out to me. I ignored it and kept skating. It then came up behind me and bit my leg hard.
Every home insurance company wants to know if you have pets and what type. Why? If your dog decides to eat the neighbor’s kid for lunch, they’re going to be the one defending you in the liability lawsuit.
According to DogBiteLaw.com here are some statistics. In the US:
- Dogs bite more than 4.7 million people annually.
- There are over 30 dog attacks per year that result in death.
- Almost 800,000 bites per year require medical attention.
- 2,851 letter carriers are bitten each year. (had to throw that one in)
While the family pet is generally docile and loving, they do have natural instincts to protect the family and their home. There are some breeds (Pit Bulls and Rottweilers are two common breeds) that are considered dangerous and vicious to some insurance companies. If you own these dangerous breeds they won’t insure you. If they do, there’s an exclusion that completely excludes coverage for animal liability. If you have a dog, you want to make sure you have a Homeowner insurance policy that covers you correctly. You’ll also want to seriously consider an Umbrella Liability policy for extra coverage because these lawsuits can go into the millions of dollars.
What happened to the dog that bit me as a child? My mother told me it was put to sleep. My parents didn’t sue the owner because this was long before the litigious disease spread through society. It wasn’t a vicious dog. It hadn’t bit before. The man said it was a very loving and gentle pet. I was in wrong place and the dog did what it instinctually understood. Bite.
Related posts:
- “How Much Should I Insure My Home For?”
- Home Insurance, Don’t Be Fooled By The Use Of “Replacement Cost”
- A Critical Home Insurance Coverage Option You Want To Have
- ATVs and Boats Not Covered On Your Home Insurance
- Your Home Insurance And The Finer Things In Life
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