Personal Injury Law

Dog Bite Cases Made Up $412 Million in Homeowners' Insurance Liability Claims Paid in 2009, Says Insurance Information Institute

According to a recent Insurance Information Institute study, dog-bite insurance claims cost $412 million last year?a definite jump from the $387.2 million in homeowners' insurance liability claims that were paid in 2008. The average dog bite claim cost $24,840.

Institute vice president Loreta Worters says that the increase in dog bite claims over the past seven years can be credited to high medical costs, and larger judgments, jury awards, and settlements. While the number of dog bite claims since 2003 has gone down 2% to 16,586, the cost of the claims has gone up 30%. Most standard renters and homeowners? policies cover dog-bite liability with about $100,000 - $300,000 in coverage.

Chicago Dog Bite Cases
Chicago dog bite injuries can cause serious and permanent physical, psychological, and emotional injuries. Not only can a dog?s bite be incredibly painful, but also an injured person may have to undergo extensive surgery to repair the damage and even this may not be enough to eliminate permanent disfigurement and scarring.

In Illinois, if the dog bite victim does not provoke the animal that attacked, the injured party is entitled to damages. You can also seek Chicago personal injury compensation if you got hurt while running away from an aggressive dog. Even if you are the dog?s first bite victim and the animal does not have a prior history of violence, you can still file a Chicago dog attack claim.

Dog-Bite Claims Exceeded $400 Million in 2009 on Higher Medical Costs, Insurancenews.net, August 23, 2010

Fido puts bite on homeowners claims, Chicago Tribune, August 17, 2010

Related Web Resources:
Dog Bites: When Is an Owner Liable?, Nolo

West's Smith-Hurd Illinois Compiled Statutes Annotated Currentness. Chapter 510. Animals. Act 5. Animal Control Act. 5/13. Dog or other animal bites; observation of animal, Animal Legal and Historical Center

Full post as published by Chicago Injury Attorney Blog on August 24, 2010 (boomark / email).