State Farm sees rise in payouts for dog bite claims
Being bitten by a dog or having your dog bite someone else can be a traumatizing and difficult experience. It can also be very expensive if a dog owner is not insured.
Last year State Farm paid a record $118 million as a result of 3,100 dog-related injury claims. The majority of claims were made in California. Over the past decade, the insurer has paid nearly $1 billion for claims resulting from accidents involving a dog.
Madsion Buckley, 11, of Indio was bit by a dog just a few months ago when she was with her family shopping for houses.
“I went to pet him and he came up on me and he went for my face. I was like in shock,” said Buckley.
Buckley managed to escape with a cut and a few scratches. She is still afraid of dogs.
“I saw the homeowners face and his fear,” said Carmen Contreras, Buckley’s mother and a State Farm agent. According to Contreras, many of people don’t think to add their dog to their homeowner’s or renter’s insurance policy.
“They are thinking about fire theft and vandalism and the last thing on their mind is their dog,” said Contreras.
Children make up more than more than 50 percent of all dog bite victims. People who have jobs taking them into other people’s yards and homes are also high on the list of frequent dog bite victims.
For instance, the U.S. Postal Service reported that 6,500 postal carriers were attacked or bitten by dogs in 2015. That is an increase of nearly 14 percent compared to reported attacks in 2014.
The average payout for a dog bite is about $37,000.
“Educating the general public about dog bite prevention is more vital than ever,”says dog trainer Victoria Stilwell. “As a dog behavior expert and someone who also understands the pain and trauma of a serious bite, I fully support the need to raise awareness and stop these incidents from occurring.”
Dog owners who are not sure if they have coverage should contact their insurance company.
