Preheader

 

Get A Quote Service Contact Refer About Home Page
 


Auto Home Business Insurance Life Disability
Home > Blog > 3 Things Dog Owners Need to Know About Homeowners Insurance
  • Main Menu
    • Home Page
    • Make a Payment
    • Refer a Friend
    • Join Our Newsletter
    • Important Links
    • Calculators
    • Important Files
    • Insurance Glossary
    • View our Blog (88)
    • Location Map
    • Employee Directory
    • Contact Us
    • About Us
    • Privacy Policy
  • Automobile
    • Automobile Insurance Home
    • Auto Accident Claim
    • Add Auto
    • Delete Auto
    • Add Driver
    • Order Auto ID Card
    • Auto Quote, please!
  • Homeowners
    • Homeowners Insurance Home
    • Property Loss Claim Form
    • Report Change of Address- HOME
    • Request Evidence of Home Insurance
    • Home Quote, please!
  • Renters
    • Renters Insurance Home
    • Renters Property Loss Claim Form
    • Renter's Quote, Please!
  • Motorcycle
    • Motorcycle Insurance Home
    • Motorcyle Quote, please!
  • Business & Commercial
    • Business & Commercial Insurance Home
    • Commercial Auto Insurance Quote
    • General Liability Quote Form
    • Commercial Auto Accident Claim
    • Business Owners (BOP) Quote Form
    • Request Certificate of Liability Insurance
    • Builders Risk Insurance Quote
  • Bonds
    • Bonds Home
    • Bond Order Form
  • Health
    • Health Insurance Home
    • Disability Insurance Quote
    • Long Term Care Insurance Quote
  • Life
    • Life Insurance Home
    • Change of Address - Life Insurance
    • Life Quote Request
  • Workers Compensation
    • Workers Compensation Insurance Home
    • Workers Compensation Quote
  • Rental Property Insurance
    • Rental Property Insurance Insurance Home
    • Rental Property Quote Form
  • Employee Benefits
    • Employee Benefits Insurance Home
    • Employee Benefits Quote
  • Condominium
    • Condominium Insurance Home
    • Condo Quote, please!
  • Commercial Auto Insurance
    • Commercial Auto Insurance Insurance Home
    • Add Auto
    • Order Auto ID Card
    • Delete Auto
  • Liquor Based Business
    • Liquor Based Business Insurance Home
    • Liquor Liability Quote Form
  • Watercraft & Boat
    • Watercraft & Boat Insurance Home
    • Boat Quote, Please!
  • Other
    • Other Insurance Home
    • Exit Survey
    • Claim Survey
    • New Quotes, Please!
FRIDAY, JULY 8, 2016

3 Things Dog Owners Need to Know About Homeowners Insurance

Up to 47% of American households have a dog, and for insurance companies, these households represent a risk. In 2013, homeowners insurance policies paid out some $483 million in dog bite liability claims.

Obviously, insurance companies would rather not be shelling out hundreds of millions of dollars over dog bites. But what are they doing to cut costs and how does this affect dog owners?

Homeowners insurance protects homeowners from liability claims. In the case of dog owners, this means your policy could cover the costs if your furry friend harms someone.

“As much as we love our pets, dogs are unpredictable and can act aggressively with seemingly no warning and despite the fact that they have been our family pets for years,” says Linley Jones, president of the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association and founding partner of the Linley Jones Firm in Atlanta.

How big is the problem?

Every year, dogs bite about 4.5 million people in the United States, and 885,000 of those people require medical attention. About half are children.

“Dog bite claims are a huge source of liability claims against homeowners, if not the No. 1 source of claims,” says Dr. William Warfel, professor of insurance and risk management at Indiana University’s Scott College of Business.

In 2013, these claims accounted for one-third of all paid homeowners insurance liability claims dollars, according to the Insurance Information Institute.

The costs associated with a dog bite can be extensive—potentially encompassing emergency room treatment, reconstructive surgery and even emotional therapy. In 2013, the average cost per claim was $27,862. That number has risen considerably over the last 10 years, from $19,162 in 2003.

Do you own a restricted breed?

Insurance companies mitigate their risks in two ways: by raising costs for those who pose the biggest risk, or by denying coverage altogether. This has largely meant enacting breed-specific policies targeting certain dog breeds that insurance companies believe are implicated in more than their share of dog bite claims. For owners of these breeds, such as pit bulls, Rottweilers and Dobermans, insurance can be costly or difficult to obtain.

Understandably, many pet owners and advocacy groups believe these policies unfairly discriminate against responsible pet owners and their well-trained dogs. For them, insurance companies should be more focused on preventing dog bites from all dogs rather than just those designated, perhaps erroneously, as more dangerous.

Laura Hagen, deputy director of advocacy for the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, says, “The MSPCA’s adoption centers see directly the impacts of insurance company policies targeting specific breeds of dogs, either because dogs are surrendered when a homeowner cannot secure a policy or when adopters do not consider those breeds prohibited by their insurance company.”

Not all insurance companies discriminate against entire breeds. Some judge pets on a case-by-case basis, looking at the animal’s history and proclivity to aggressive behavior.

Read More: Source

Posted 12:42 PM

Tags: home, dog, insurance
Share |


No Comments


Post a Comment
Required
Required (Not Displayed)
Required


All comments are moderated and stripped of HTML.

NOTICE: This blog and website are made available by the publisher for educational and informational purposes only. It is not be used as a substitute for competent insurance, legal, or tax advice from a licensed professional in your state. By using this blog site you understand that there is no broker client relationship between you and the blog and website publisher.
Blog Archive
  • 2017
  • 2016
  • 2015

  • insurance(76)
  • tips(35)
  • home(27)
  • life(24)
  • homeowner(19)
  • auto(14)
  • safety(14)
  • car(10)
  • holiday(7)
  • health(7)
  • business(6)
  • claims(6)
  • house(6)
  • family(4)
  • homeowners(4)
  • rates(4)
  • policy(4)
  • winter(3)
  • money(3)
  • commercial(3)
  • long-term(3)
  • mistakes(3)
  • claim(3)
  • children(3)
  • halloween(3)
  • new year(2)
  • disability(2)
  • accident(2)
  • thanksgiving(2)
  • renters(2)
  • save(2)
  • long-term care(2)
  • value(2)
  • theft(2)
  • dog(2)
  • funny(2)
  • women(1)
  • dental(1)
  • texting(1)
  • permanent(1)
  • financial(1)
  • quote(1)
  • retirement(1)
  • texas(1)
  • valentine(1)
  • traffic(1)
  • inventory(1)
  • weekend(1)
  • employee(1)
  • renter(1)

View Mobile Version
Our Latest Insurance News
more...

Our Clients Say
more...
  • Erie
  • Foremost
  • Grange
  • Hagerty
  • Hartford
  • Progressive
  • Sacefo
  • State Auto
Home
About Us
Refer A Friend
Contact Us
Customer Service
Make a Payment
File a Claim
Contact Us
Auto Insurance
Home Insurance
Business Insurance
Life Insurance
Health Insurance
Other Insurance Types...
Mailing Address
999 N. Plaza Drive
Suite 630
Schaumburg, IL 60173
Contact Us
847.310.0400
nis@nwinsurance.com
Social
How Can We Help You?
or call us at
847.310.0400
Get A Quote My Policy Location Blog RSS Feed Insurance Website Builder Facebook Twitter Linkedin Blog RSS Feed Facebook Twitter Linkedin