Many individuals love dogs. But no one loves dog-bite liability.


Nevertheless, dog bites are a reality, and so is the risk of lawsuits arising from them. The issue is that several Americans – renters in certain – are exposed to the danger of being sued because of a dog bite. According to the Centers for Illness Handle and Prevention, about 885,000 Americans are bitten by a pet every single year with sufficient severity to call for healthcare attention.


Dog bites are by far the most common liability claim on homeowners insurance coverage policies, amounting to far more than a third of all such claims, according to the Insurance coverage Information Institute. In all, insurance carriers paid out almost half a billion dollars — $ 483 million, to be exact — to cover in 2013 alone. Homeowners insurance coverage policyholders filed 17,359 claims in 2013 – an boost of 2.6% more than 2003 numbers. But the total dollar amount paid was up 49.2%, and the average cost per claim nationwide — $ 27,862 — was up by 45.4% over the same time period, according to the institute.


If you personal a homeowners insurance policy, chances are you have some protection below the liability provisions of your standard policy. Even so, some firms exclude particular breeds, specifically if the breed is illegal to own in your jurisdiction.


Renters, however, are a lot significantly less likely to carry insurance than home owners. For these who do have renters insurance, you may possibly well have enough liability insurance as a element of your policy to cover yourself against the vast majority of prospective dog-bite claims. But if you don’t have renters insurance coverage, or some other type of liability insurance (such as umbrella coverage), you are facing potential liability of tens of thousands of dollars and even a lot more with no protection at all.


Worst case scenarios


How big are the prospective bills? Considerably larger than most of us can afford to absorb, particularly for owners of effective and potentially aggressive breeds. According to data compiled by Dogsbite.org, an advocacy organization for victims of dog bites, some extreme dog attacks can result in $ 250,000 in healthcare bills. Numerous of these victims often demand costly and painful or time-consuming reconstructive surgeries and therapies. In 2012, some 27,000 people underwent reconstructive surgery as a outcome of dog attacks, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.


The biggest dog liability insurance judgment on record arose out of a 10-minute attack that killed Diane Whipple, a 33-year-old lacrosse coach who was mauled in a hallway outdoors her San Francisco apartment by a 140-pound Presa Canario. Both of the dog’s owners have been convicted of involuntary manslaughter and one was convicted of 2nd degree murder. The other owner, who wasn’t even present throughout the attack, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter since he left the couple’s 2 dogs with his wife, whom he must have identified could not control them. Whipple’s partner sued the dogs’ owners for $ 1.5 million in damages — and won.


Unsafe breeds


According to investigation from Dogsbite.org, the molosser breeds represent the most hazardous breeds.


Molosser breeds consist of:


  • Pit bulls

  • Curs

  • Rottweilers

  • Presa Canarios

  • Cane Corsos

  • Mastiffs

  • Dogo Argentinos

  • Fila Brasileiros

  • Shar-Peis

  • Boxers

…and mixes of these breeds.


These dogs make up about 9% of the total dog population in the U.S., but they account for an outsized proportion of harm to humans:


  • 81% of dangerous attacks

  • 76% of attacks on children

  • 87% of attacks to adults

  • 72% of dog bite fatalities

  • 81% of maiming attacks.

Furthermore, between 2005 and 2013, pit bulls and Rottweilers accounted for 74% of dog bite fatalities.


In a lot of situations, dog-bite victims are unable to gather damages needed to pay medical bills from irresponsible underinsured dog owners.


Breed restrictions


Sometimes, an insurance organization could turn you down completely, or revoke coverage, since of your dog breed. Farmers Insurance coverage in California, for instance, announced in 2013 it would cease coverage for dog-bite liability arising from pit bulls, Rottweilers and wolf hybrids. Breed restrictions don’t just have an effect on the molosser breeds listed above. Insurance coverage carriers that impose breed restrictions also frequently exclude these other breeds:


  • Staffordshire terriers

  • Dobermans

  • German Shepherds

  • Chows

  • Akitas

  • Alaskan Malamutes

  • Siberian Huskies

  • Wolf breeds

How a lot coverage do you require?


Both homeowners and renters insurance coverage policies generally provide common liability coverage up to a specific dollar amount. Renters policies will generally have a cap of $ 25,000 but you can frequently purchase far more. Homeowners insurance policies are often created to cover at least the worth of the house itself. Verify with your insurance agent if you aren’t certain what your liability cap is.


If you have a medium-size dog, $ 300,000 is a reasonable amount of coverage that need to supply sufficient liquidity to supply protection for any individual who need to grow to be a target for your dog’s aggression who could press a claim, Kenneth Morgan Phillips, a California lawyer specializing in dog-bite law, says on his website. This is essential because practically any dog could bite defensively if provoked, say, by a playful youngster. Guard dogs and specific breeds could turn out to be much more aggressive, of course.


If you want far more coverage than your property owners or renters coverage can offer, you can obtain a dog-bite liability rider, or an umbrella policy with supplies broader protection.


Could you lose your property as a outcome of a dog bite?


Absolutely. If you personal a dog, and you don’t have coverage in place to safeguard these around you and cover any liability that may well arise from your dog biting an individual, the victim could sue you and potentially drive you into bankruptcy. Depending on your state, you could even be forced to give up your house, involuntarily, along with practically everything else you own. The dog-bite victim’s attorneys will do what they have to do to free up any cash required to spend for reconstructive surgeries, remedies, missed function or college, and compensate for pain and suffering.


You can potentially discharge dog bite liability in bankruptcy, but that may not operate if your dog has bitten someone before, warns Phillips. If your dog is recognized to be vicious, or if you deliberately and maliciously brought on your dog to bite someone (or a victim’s lawyer can make that case, even if it didn’t occur), a judge could disallow the bankruptcy discharge of liability arising from the bite.


Landlords


Generally, the legal rule is to hold the dog owner responsible for dog-bite injuries, rather than the landlord. However, landlords could be held accountable for dog bite injuries on their rental properties if they are identified to be negligent in some way.


If you are a landlord, you should monitor your properties and act to take away or evict nuisance or aggressive dogs. Your exposure to liability could be increased, as well, if you had been aware of the presence of a prohibited breed or a pit bull on your rental property, or that a dog on your home was vicious, and you had the legal authority to have the dog confined or removed, and took no action or inadequate action.


Image by way of iStock.