Most damages in a dog bite injury case are recovered through the dog owner’s homeowners or renters insurance. Dog bite incidents are on the rise and insurance companies are seeing an increase in dog bite claims. Dogs bite nearly 4.5 million people a year and unfortunately children are vulnerable to the most serious injuries. If you or a loved on has suffered injuries from a dog bite, it is important to have an experienced dog bite attorney investigate whether the dog owner has liability insurance and adequate coverage.
Some insurance companies have certain breed specific canine exclusions, as they believe some breeds are more dangerous and more likely to bite than any other breed. Some of the breeds that insurance companies commonly exclude from homeowners and renters insurance policies are the following:
Pit Bulls
Doberman pinchers
Rottweiler
Chow chows
Great Danes
Akitas
Alaskan Malamutes
German shepherds
Wolf hybrids (wolf dogs)
In 20013, Farmer’s Insurance reportedly changed it’s insureds homeowners coverage to exclude coverage for three of these dog breeds to include“Pitt Bulls, Rottweiler’s and Wolf hybrids” from it’s polices. See story here. Liability waivers are typically used by insurance companies to exclude dog bites. By excluding these breeds from coverage, insurance companies avoid liability.
Another way insurance companies attempt to decrease their exposure to dog bite claims is by limiting the amount and type of coverage for dog bite attacks. The problem with limiting the coverage amount is that a dog bite victim’s medical bills and damages varies from one dog bite victim to another.
The dog bite attorneys at Edward A Smith Law Officeshas been helping dog bite victims in Sacramento and throughout California for over thirty years. If you or your loved one been bitten by a dog, contact our office at 916-921-6400, or if your out of the area call toll free at 1-800-404-5400 for a free case evaluation. www.autoaccident.com. We will thoroughly investigate your claim and get you the compensation you deserve. Reviews can be found on Yelp.