When Dogs Bite Into a Home Insurance Claim

As Lassie and Shiloh have proven, a dog is a man's best friend. They're there when we need somebody to have fun with and they're there when we need somebody to talk to. When it comes down to it, however, a dog is an animal that engages in unusual behavior from time to time, particularly biting. If your dog bites somebody on your property, you can find yourself in a big financial hole if you don't own an adequate amount of homeowners insurance.

If you are currently seeking affordable homeowners insurance, turn to the Internet and start comparing homeowners insurance quotes today. If your current policy does not contain an adequate amount of liability coverage, play it safe by upgrading to one that does.

As a dog owner, it's easy to become oblivious of your dog's aggressive antics. Unfortunately, dog bites occur more often than not and homeowners insurance claims are filed frequently because of them. Here are some statistics regarding dog bites:

• One third of all homeowners insurance liability claims in 2008 resulted from dog bites
• Dog bites cost insurance companies $387.2 million in 2008 which was an 8.7 percent increase from 2007
• In 2008, dog bite claims rose 9 percent
• More than 4.5 million Americans are bitten by dogs each year with 900,000 requiring medical attention as a result

Be sure to include your dog in your homeowners insurance policy to make sure you will be covered if your dog attacks somebody. Unfortunately, your insurance company might flag you as a high-risk policyholder as a result of doing so, meaning you will have to pay a more expensive premium.

Avoid Filing a Home Insurance Claim

As much as you might love your dog, you never really know what it's thinking. If you have friends or family over, isolate your dog to prevent anything from occurring. It's always better to be safe than sorry, and the last thing any dog owner wants to do is file a homeowners insurance claim as a result of a dog bite. Contact your home insurance agent to discuss ways you can keep your best friend from lashing out on others.