In honor of National Dog Bite Prevention Week which takes place from May 15-21, State Farm has released a report regarding dog bites and insurance claims in the year 2010. The basic facts are this: in 2010, 3,500 dog bite claims were made and State Farm shelled out more than $90 million. State Farm also released a chart listing the top ten states that filed for State Farm dog bite claims in 2010. From highest to lowest number of claims, the states are California, Illinois, Ohio, Texas, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Florida, Minnesota, New York and Indiana.
California State Farm received 369 dog bite claims in 2010, resulting in over $11 million being paid out. Thirty-three people died from dog bites in 2010, and seven of those people were from California. It’s not like the minute you cross the California border a wild rabid dog will run at you and attack, but 369 is quite a few claims – most of the other states on the top ten list only had one hundred to two hundred claims in 2010.
In terms of dog bites, California is rather strict. The state has strict liability, which means that no matter what, a dog owner is responsible for injuries caused by his dog. The difference between strict liability and looser liability is that the latter liability only comes into play if the dog owner was negligent or knew that the dog was potentially aggressive and had bitten others in the past. With strict liability however, it doesn’t matter if the owner was not negligent or that the dog had never bitten anyone before or given any indication that it was going to do so in the future.
If you would like to avoid becoming one of the 3,500 people who filed dog bite claims with State Farm in 2010, there are several things you can do. More than 60% of all dog bite victims are children, so start teaching your children early on to be careful around dogs and other pets. Children should never approach or touch a dog they do not know – always ask permission from a dog owner before your kid gets close. Sometimes the owner may tell you to keep your child away as the dog has a bad history with kids. Even with your own dog you should take precautions and never leave babies or little kids alone with dogs.
If you are a dog owner who would like to avoid a dog bite fiasco, you too can act to try to prevent your dog from ever biting anyone. Factors that are in your control include obedience training, socialization and health. In most cases, the breed of your dog is not the primary issue behind the biting – although the state of Ohio begs to differ, as it has legally designated pit bulls and American Staffordshire terrier mixes as “vicious dogs”. In every state except Ohio, State Farm will not refuse to provide insurance based on the type of dog you have, but it will require you to detail your dog’s history while applying for homeowner’s insurance.
Larry Hathers is a writer for the life insurance website LifeCover. For more information about various types of life policies visit LifeCover today.
172 Comments on California ranks #1 for dog bite insurance claims
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