Knowing If Your Insurance Covers Dog Bites

Here’s a worry many people don’t have…until it’s too late to do any good: do you know if your homeowner’s insurance covers you in case your dog bites someone? Today’s tip from Frank N. Darras, an insurance lawyer: ask your insurance company! According to Darras:

Asking if your dog is covered under your homeowners insurance policy may be a strange question to ask, but according to the Journal of American Medical Association, the number of dog bites in America now tops 4.5 million per year. An overwhelming one-third of all homeowner’s liability claims are now related to dog bites, equaling about $1 billion in damages, according to the Insurance Information Institute.

Darras that one type of policy that has become popular is Umbrella insurance, designed to give you added liability protection above and beyond the limits on your homeowners. With an umbrella policy, depending on the insurance company, you can add an additional $1-5 million in liability protection designed to “kick-in” when the liability on your other current policies has been exhausted.  Decide what your needs are and, if you have pets:

…it would be a good idea to consider getting an umbrella policy, especially if you have guests over and your dog tends to snap at people.  If you don’t regularly have people over and your pooch couldn’t hurt a fly, it may not be that important.

In short, ask your insurance company–don’t wait to have a problem!

About Paris Permenter and John Bigley

DogTipper publishers Paris Permenter and John Bigley are a husband-wife team of full-time writers. The couple has authored over two dozen books and 2,500+ magazine articles.

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