Here are some statistics regarding your dog and your home insurance:
More than 4.7 million dogs bite victims each year in the U.S., which is about 2% of the American population, concludes the CDC. Almost 800,000 people are bitten per year, and one in 6 are enough to seek medical attention. Of those, 368,000 (or 1,000 every day) Americans are treated in emergency rooms and 34 dog bites caused fatalities. Most of the people bitten are children and a staggering half of them are bitten in the face.
Dog bites accounted for more than 1/3 of all home insurance liability claims paid out in 2010, and the losses exceed over $1 billion per year! How does this tie in with your home insurance? Over $300 million was paid out by home insurance companies last year alone.
If you’re having trouble with a dog you already own, the best thing to do is to prove that the dog has successfully completed an obedience program.
If you don’t yet have a dog but are planning to welcome one into your family, be careful when choosing the breed. Although any breed can be guilty of biting, there are a few red flag breeds, which, historically, are the more dangerous. These are Pit Bulls (who were involved in 1/3 of bites), Rottweilers, Chows, German Shepherds, Doberman Pinschers, Akitas, Malamutes, Presa Canarios, Siberian Huskies, wolf hybrids, and Staffordshire Bull Terriers – but the list is consistently growing and changing.
You may want to seriously consider adding a surprisingly inexpensive but completely worthwhile personal umbrella policy to your current home insurance policy. If your canine friend decides to attack someone (or even just a nip in some cases) and that the victim decides to file a claim, an umbrella policy will provide you more protection than just having a regular homeowner’s policy. Many dog owners who have an umbrella policy have been able to save their homes and valuables from these potentially devastating law suits. One more statistic: The vast majority of dogs who had bitten belonged to the victim’s family or friend at a whopping 77%.
For more information on home insurance or umbrella insurance, contact us today at 404-352-0304 with any questions or to get a free and fast home insurance or umbrella insurance quote.