Have you, or someone you know, ever been the victim of a dog bite resulting in injury? Turns out you’re not alone. With nearly 70 million dogs living in U.S. households, millions of people are bitten by dogs every year. Postal workers, the elderly and children are the most frequent victims of dog bites, but anyone can fall victim to attack.
According to the Insurance Information Institute, insurers across the country paid over $483 million in dog bite claims in 2013 alone. Dog bites accounted for more than one third of all homeowners insurance liability claims in the same year, posing a major financial burden to the insurance industry. While the average claim costs close to $30,000, some run into the millions. In fact, in one case, a woman was awarded a $2.2 million dollar settlement from a jury after being attacked by her neighbor’s pit bulls.
Because of the costs, a number of insurance companies will not insure certain dog breeds they consider dangerous, which has resulted in the creation of what some call a ‘Bad Dog List”. While there is a certain amount of variability between insurers’ lists, 14 breeds are often prohibited from coverage:
· Pit Bull Terriers
· Staffordshire Terriers
· Rottweilers
· German Shepherds
· Presa Canarios
· Chows Chows
· Doberman Pinschers
· Akitas
· Wolf-hybrids
· Mastiffs
· Cane Corsos
· Great Danes
· Alaskan Malamutes
· Siberian Huskies
Davenport Iowa Dog Bite Lawyers
Decades of Personal Injury Experience in Iowa and Quad Cities
While many feel that it is the dog and their owner, not the breed itself, that determines whether a dog will exhibit aggressive behaviors, insurers are not taking any chances. After all, serious injury, or even death can result from a dog attack, with many injuries causing permanent disfigurement and scarring. If you or a loved one has been a victim of an animal attack, it is important to seek the help of an experienced Iowa dog bite lawyer who can help you to seek the compensation you will need to recover from your injuries or, in the unfortunate event of a fatality, pursue damages on the family’s behalf. Call the Davenport personal injury lawyers of McDonald, Woodward & Carlson PC at 563-355-6478 or contact us online if you have been injured in a dog bite attack.