On a Leash: Dog Bite Insurance Claim Trends

May 15, 2013

Dog bites accounted for more than one-third of all homeowners insurance liability claim dollars paid out in 2012, costing more than $489 million, according to the industry’s Insurance Information Institute (III) and insurer State Farm.

While the number of claims fell by 1.4 percent in 2012—the first decline since 2010—the costs of settling dog bite claims continued to rise, by 1.2 percent, last year, according to an analysis of homeowners insurance data by the III.

The average cost paid out for dog bite claims was $29,752 in 2012 compared to $29,396 in 2011.

State Farm identified the top 10 states for dog bite claims paid with California and Illinois leading the pack. (See list below.)

The III said that the decline in the number of claims and increase in claim costs essentially offset one another so that total costs associated with dog bite claims in 2012 were virtually unchanged—down a mere 0.2 percent in 2012, the group said.

The rise in claims costs by even a small amount suggests that medical costs as well as the size of settlements, judgments and jury awards given to plaintiffs are still on the upswing, according to the III.

ESTIMATED NUMBER AND COST OF DOG BITE CLAIMS, 2003-2012

Year Value of claims ($ millions) Number of claims Average cost per claim
2003 $324.2 16,919 $19,162
2004 319.0 15,630 20,406
2005 321.1 14,295 22,464
2006 322.3 14,661 21,987
2007 356.2 14,531 24,511
2008 387.2 15,823 24,461
2009 412.0 16,586 24,840
2010 412.6 15,770 26,166
2011 490.8 16,695 29,396
2012 489.7 16,459 29,752
Percent change, 2011-2012 -0.2% -1.4% 1.2%
Percent change, 2003-2012 51.4% -1.6% 55.3%

Source: Insurance Information Institute and State Farm.

State Farm identified the top 10 states for dog bite claims in 2012.

Top 10 States for State Farm Dog Bite Claims in 2012

State Number of claims Claims paid (estimated)
1. California 451 $17.1 million
2. Illinois 337 $9.0 million
3. Texas 236 $4.3 million
4. Ohio 235 $5.0 million
5. Pennsylvania 165 $4.5 million
6. Michigan 151 $4.6 million
7. Indiana 148 $2.7 million
8. Florida 123 $7.1 million
9. Georgia 121 $3.3 million
10. New York 116 $6.4 million

Topics Trends Claims

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