If you are a homeowner or a renter, you need to know the different types of dog breeds that are more likely to bite or attack. These days, companies offering homeowners and renters insurance are pickier than ever about which types of dogs they’ll insure and which they won’t. Insurance companies may deny homeowners and renters insurance coverage to people who own certain breeds of dogs because they don’t want to deal with a potential lawsuit if someone gets bitten or hurt by your dog.
For homeowners and renters, this can mean headaches because the insurance company might deny you homeowners’ or renters’ coverage simply because of the breed of your dog. This means you’ll have to go find a carrier that will cover your dog — and that will likely cost more. Some people try to skirt this issue by not telling their insurance company about a new dog, and this is risky because if something does happen with the dog and you didn’t disclose the information, the insurance company may deny your claim.
Of course, the rules on which dogs an insurance company will cover and which they won’t vary from company to company with some companies providing coverage regardless of the breed of dog.
Insurance companies tend to resist covering the following breeds, including any mixes of those breeds, the most often (as a general rule):
- Pit Bulls & Staffordshire Terriers
- Doberman Pinschers
- Rottweilers
- German Shepherds
- Chows
- Great Danes
- Presa Canarios
- Akitas
- Alaskan Malamutes
- Siberian Huskies
- Wolf-Hybrids
Insurance companies tend to deny coverage for the first four breeds the most often. To avoid problems, ask your insurance agent about the breed you’re considering before you purchase the dog in order to find out whether they will cover the breed and, if not, what it will cost to obtain a policy that does.
Dog Bite Facts:
- Each year, more than 4.7 million people in the U.S. are bitten by dogs.
- Almost 1 in 5 people bitten by dogs require medical attention.
- Every year, more than 800,000 Americans receive medical attention for dog bites; at least half of them are children.
- Two-thirds of injuries to children 4 years and younger are to the head and neck.
- Children ages 5-9 are more likely to be bitten.
- Most dog bites affecting young children occur during everyday activities and while interacting with familiar dogs.
- 36.5% of all U.S. households own at least one dog.
- Adults with two dogs in the households are 5 times more likely to be bitten as an adult with no dogs.
- Dog bite claims account for approximately one-third of all homeowners liability claims.
Steve Kuzmich is a Board Certified – Personal Injury Trial Lawyer by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. The Kuzmich Law Firms’ focus practice areas are auto and trucking accidents, wrongful death and other serious injuries, injuries caused by drunk drivers, child injury cases, (slip and fall accidents) premises liability, and dog bite cases.
For further information about personal injury litigation, call as at 972.434.1555 and ask us why board certification matters.