Dogs and Personal Liability Insurance

Dogs and Personal Liability Insurance

Did you know 80% of households in the United States are home to a dog? Dogs are full of energy, love, and friendship, and they’re cute to boot. It’s easy to see why we call them man’s best friend!  But as much as we love our little fur balls, they can be more dangerous than they seem. Each year, more than 4.5 million people suffer a dog bite. That’s every 75 seconds on average. Ouch! Insurance protects you from liability in the event of bodily harm — if one of your houseguests trips over your porch steps and gets hurt, your homeowners’/renters’ insurance ensures you’ll avoid a lawsuit. But what if your dog bites someone? 

The Facts

Here are some dog bite statistics to put things in perspective. First, the majority of dog bites occur in the home, inflicted by a pet dog. Secondly, children are much more likely to suffer dog bites — and because dogs are more likely to bite kids on the head or face, they also risk more serious injuries than an adult. Over 800,000 people each year require medical treatment for dog bites in the United States. That’s a lot of insurance claims!

Breeds Matter

Dog lovers know that there’s no such thing as a “bad breed.” However, certain dog breeds are stronger than others, and are capable of doing more damage when they bite. Many insurance carriers consider “bully breeds” to be too much of a liability. “Bully breeds” include Pit Bulls, Staffordshire Terriers, Dobermans, Rottweilers, German Shepherds, and several others. In fact, sometimes landlord don’t even allow tenants to own one of these dogs. To some, it’s tempting to simply avoid telling their insurance about their dog. But this is a very bad idea — if you neglect to inform your carrier that you own an at-risk dog and they hurt somebody, you’re not covered. And not only are you on the hook for liability, you could also face civil and criminal penalties. The law and insurance companies consider concealment of relevant information a form of fraud, and it’s nothing to take lightly. 

Limits and Liability

When it comes to your homeowners’/renters’ policy and canine liability, there may be limits on coverage. For example, let’s say your policy allows $250,000 for injury coverage. In some cases, carriers will place a limit as to how much of this can be allotted to canine injury — say, $20,000, maybe. If this is the case, you can always add an umbrella policy. An umbrella policy fills in gaps of coverage. Similarly, an excess liability policy can provide coverage above the limits of the underlying coverage—this is not as broad as an umbrella policy. 

The Bottom Line

In 2023, American homeowners’ insurers paid out over a billion dollars in claims due to dog bite injuries, each claim an average of $58,000. If you love your furry friend, do them and yourself a favor — work with your insurance agent to beef up your coverage. Hopefully you’ll never have to use it, but if you do, it’s worth it to have that peace of mind.