Insurance Claim Costs for Dog Bites

More than 4.7 million people are bitten by dogs in the United States annually, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. An estimated 800,000 dog bite injuries require medical treatment each year. Because the majority of dog bites occur on the dog owner’s property, the issue is a concern for homeowners insurers. According to the Insurance Information Institute (III), dog bites account for more than one third of all homeowners insurance liability claims, costing $412 million in 2009. An III analysis of insurance data found that the national average for a dog bite claim was $24,840 in 2009.