Man’s best friend isn’t always so neighborly. Because of lawsuits, we generally live in a safer environment than earlier generations lived. Lawsuits from car accidents resulted in seat belt laws, crumple zones, highway dividers, and ultimately airbags. When there is a present danger, and there is exposure to being sued, people generally become more cautions saving everyone from injury.
For some reason, dog attacks and dog bites are increasing rather than decreasing. The number of attacks are up not only compared to last year, but are significantly up compared to a decade ago.
” Either dogs are getting feistier or their owners are. Last year, the number of dog bite claims increased almost 6 percent to 17,359, according to the Insurance Information Institute, breaking the record for number of claims set in 2003. With an average cost per claim of $27,862—up 45 percent over the past decade—those dog bites accounted for more than a third of all homeowners insurance liability-claim dollars paid out in 2013.”
The good news is that of the 4.5 million dog bites a year, most dog bites do not result in significant enough injury to warrant making a claim. In California, virtually all homeowners and renters’ insurance policies cover claims for dog bites. Consequently, if you are bitten by a dog, the first inquiry is to determine if the dog’s owner owns a home. If they own a home, the odds are very good that they will have a policy to cover the dog bite. If the owner is a renter, there may also be a rental policy as well.
However, you should NEVER give a statement to the insurance company without the assistance of an experienced dog bit lawyer. You have a right to a dog bite attorney, and you should exercise that right. The number of people that harm their own dog bite cases by saying the wrong thing is very frustrating.
If you, or someone you know has been bitten by a dog, please call our office and speak with one of our Sacramento dog bite lawyers.
