Dog Bite Insurance Claims Fall While Costs Rise
The average number of dog bite claims has fallen in the past year but the cost of each case is still rising, up by more than 50% in the last decade. Dog bites have been responsible for more than a third of all home owners insurance liability claim dollars paid out in 2012. In total, these claims cost more than £419 million, coming in at just under £25,000 per claim on average.
It seems strange that the rise in claim costs does not correlate with a matching rise in total claims, and this could be because of a few reasons. Medical costs are on the increase, along with the size of the settlements and an increase in Judgements and Jury awards given to plaintiffs.
What can you do to help reduce these figures? The most dangerous dog cases are due to poor training and ownership along with bad breeding practices. You can help keep your dog away from being aggressive to others by consulting with a professional, spending time with a dog before adopting it, make sure you socialise a lot with the dog so it gets used to other people and discourage your children from disturbing a dog that is in the middle of eating or sleeping.
If you are looking for comprehensive insurance cover, we work with a leading UK insurer and can provide fast, tailored quotes. Feel free to get in touch with our expert customer service team by calling on 0845 838 5195 or sending us a message directly via the Contact Us page on our website.
James Savery, 19 June 2013