A lot of men and women adore dogs. But nobody loves dog-bite liability.


Nonetheless, dog bites are a reality, and so is the risk of lawsuits arising from them. The dilemma is that numerous Americans – renters in certain – are exposed to the danger of being sued simply because of a dog bite. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 885,000 Americans are bitten by a pet each and every year with sufficient severity to require health-related attention.


Dog bites are by far the most common liability claim on home owners 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 nearly 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 enhance of 2.6% over 2003 numbers. But the total dollar quantity paid was up 49.2%, and the typical expense per claim nationwide — $ 27,862 — was up by 45.4% over the exact same time period, according to the institute.


If you personal a property owners insurance policy, possibilities are you have some protection under the liability provisions of your standard policy. Nonetheless, some organizations exclude certain breeds, especially if the breed is illegal to personal in your jurisdiction.


Renters, however, are a lot significantly less most likely to carry insurance than home owners. For these who do have renters insurance, you may properly have enough liability insurance as a part of your policy to cover yourself against the vast majority of potential dog-bite claims. But if you do not have renters insurance coverage, or some other sort of liability insurance coverage (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 bigger than most of us can afford to absorb, specifically for owners of potent and potentially aggressive breeds. According to information compiled by Dogsbite.org, an advocacy organization for victims of dog bites, some severe dog attacks can result in $ 250,000 in medical bills. A lot of of these victims often require costly and painful or time-consuming reconstructive surgeries and treatment options. In 2012, some 27,000 individuals underwent reconstructive surgery as a result of dog attacks, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.


The greatest dog liability insurance coverage 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. Each 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 in the course of the attack, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter simply because he left the couple’s 2 dogs with his wife, whom he need to have recognized could not control them. Whipple’s partner sued the dogs’ owners for $ 1.5 million in damages — and won.


Unsafe breeds


According to study from Dogsbite.org, the molosser breeds represent the most harmful breeds.


Molosser breeds incorporate:


  • 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 harmful attacks

  • 76% of attacks on kids

  • 87% of attacks to adults

  • 72% of dog bite fatalities

  • 81% of maiming attacks.

In addition, among 2005 and 2013, pit bulls and Rottweilers accounted for 74% of dog bite fatalities.


In a lot of cases, dog-bite victims are unable to collect damages essential to spend health-related bills from irresponsible underinsured dog owners.


Breed restrictions


Sometimes, an insurance coverage firm could turn you down entirely, or revoke coverage, simply because of your dog breed. Farmers Insurance in California, for example, announced in 2013 it would cease coverage for dog-bite liability arising from pit bulls, Rottweilers and wolf hybrids. Breed restrictions don’t just affect the molosser breeds listed above. Insurance coverage carriers that impose breed restrictions also commonly exclude these other breeds:


  • Staffordshire terriers

  • Dobermans

  • German Shepherds

  • Chows

  • Akitas

  • Alaskan Malamutes

  • Siberian Huskies

  • Wolf breeds

How significantly coverage do you want?


Both property owners and renters insurance policies typically offer common liability coverage up to a certain dollar amount. Renters policies will usually have a cap of $ 25,000 but you can often buy far more. Homeowners insurance policies are frequently created to cover at least the worth of the residence itself. Verify with your insurance agent if you are not sure what your liability cap is.


If you have a medium-size dog, $ 300,000 is a reasonable amount of coverage that ought to provide enough liquidity to give protection for anybody who should become a target for your dog’s aggression who could press a claim, Kenneth Morgan Phillips, a California attorney specializing in dog-bite law, says on his internet site. This is critical simply because nearly any dog could bite defensively if provoked, say, by a playful child. Guard dogs and specific breeds may become a lot more aggressive, of course.


If you want a lot more coverage than your property owners or renters coverage can give, you can acquire 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?


Definitely. If you personal a dog, and you don’t have coverage in place to safeguard these about you and cover any liability that may possibly arise from your dog biting a person, the victim could sue you and potentially drive you into bankruptcy. Based on your state, you could even be forced to give up your home, involuntarily, along with almost almost everything else you personal. The dog-bite victim’s attorneys will do what they have to do to free up any income needed to spend for reconstructive surgeries, treatment options, missed function or school, and compensate for discomfort and suffering.


You can potentially discharge dog bite liability in bankruptcy, but that might not operate if your dog has bitten an individual prior to, warns Phillips. If your dog is identified to be vicious, or if you deliberately and maliciously caused your dog to bite an individual (or a victim’s lawyer can make that case, even if it didn’t happen), a judge could disallow the bankruptcy discharge of liability arising from the bite.


Landlords


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


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


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