Insurance Companies Beginning to Deny Coverage for Dangerous Dog Breeds

Here we go again. It seems that a story of serious dog attacks involving pit bulls appear regularly in the media all over the U.S. A 32-year-old pregnant woman was fatally mauled by a pit bull in the San Francisco area according to media reports.

The woman’s husband came home from work to find his pregnant wife lying on the living room floor with their bloody pit bull hovering over his wife’s body. Pit bulls are one of the few breeds of dog that have a reputation for attacking and mauling their owners. Tragedies like this occur all over the U.S. and have led many cities to ban certain dangerous breeds of dogs.

While a dog owner whose pit bull mauls an innocent victim may be liable for the injuries, a growing number of insurance companies are refusing to insure dangerous breeds of dogs. Both homeowner’s and renter’s insurance policies may provide coverage for a dog mauling. As the occurrences of dog attack claims has risen in volume and seriousness, an increasing number of insurance carriers are refusing to cover dangerous breeds of dogs. This can make it much harder for dog mauling victims to be compensated for their injuries.

Approximately a third of all homeowners’ insurance policy claims involve dog attacks accounting for almost $300 million annually in insurance payouts. A growing number of insurance carriers are insisting that their policyholders sign liability waivers for certain breeds of dogs or are refusing to offer coverage entirely for certain breeds of dogs deemed to be dangerous. While a homeowner or renter may shop around for insurance that will cover mauling incidents or dog attacks, many property owners may choose to obtain insurance coverage that excludes coverage for dog bites and maulings by dangerous dog breeds. With more insurance companies excluding coverage for bites, attacks and mauling by dangerous dog breeds, more dog attack victims may find themselves injured by a dog where the dog owner has no financial means to provide financial compensation for the dog attack victim’s injuries.

A dog attack or dog bite victim may need major reconstructive surgery requiring multiple surgeries to repair disfigurement caused by dog maulings. A dog mauling can also require substantial psychological therapy to overcome the trauma associated with a serious dog attack or mauling incident. If you suffer severe injuries that require this type of intensive therapy, it is important insurance exists to cover your injuries. Hopefully, public entities that do not make certain breeds like pit bulls illegal will start to require that owners of certain dangerous dog breeds carry coverage for a dog bite.

If you or someone you love has been injured in a dog attack, the experienced Atlanta dog bite lawyers at Montlick and Associates have been representing dog mauling victims for over 39 years. Our Atlanta dog bite lawyers are available to assist clients throughout all of Georgia and the Southeast, including but not limited to Albany, Athens, Atlanta, Augusta, Columbus, Gainesville, Macon, Marietta, Rome, Roswell, Savannah, Smyrna, Valdosta, Warner Robins and all smaller cities and rural areas in the state. No matter where you are located our attorneys are just a phone call away, and we will even come to you. Call us 24 hours a day/7 days a week for your Free Consultation at 1-800-LAW-NEED (1-800-529-6333). You can also visit us online at www.montlick.com and use our Free Case Evaluation Form or 24-hour Live Online Chat.