It Figures

14,500

Dog bites now account for one-third of all homeowners insurance liability claims, costing $356.2 million in 2007, up 10.5 percent from the previous year, according to the Insurance Information Institute (I.I.I.). An analysis of homeowners insurance data by the I.I.I. found that the average cost of dog bite claims increased by 11.5 percent in 2007 (the most recent figures available) to $24,511. Since 2003, the cost of these claims has risen nearly 28 percent. However, the actual number of claims paid by insurers has remained relatively stable over the past three years at about 14,500.

$470 Million

The storms that produced widespread flooding in June caused almost half a billion dollars in damage, the Wisconsin Emergency Management Department says. Preliminary figures add up to more than $470 million in damage. Federal officials are still compiling figures, so it’s likely that number will rise in coming months. The agency says most of the damage was to homes, with damages estimated at $203 million. Agricultural damage is an estimated $147 million, and damage to infrastructure and other public property is about $75 million. Business damage is about $45 million.

$4.5 Million

Davenport, Iowa, city officials estimate that they will be forced to spend nearly $4.5 million on flood damages, clean up and future protection efforts. At press time, the Mississippi River was still swollen at the eastern Iowa city and had yet to reveal all the destruction it’s caused. Public Works Director Dee Bruemmer says damage to public infrastructure is estimated at up to $3 million from flooding that began May 25. She says another $1.5 million is expected to be spent on flood protection and cleanup efforts.

$77 Million

North Dakota’s workers’ compensation board approved giving $77 million in dividends to most of its business customers over the next year, which could reduce their annual insurance bills by 62 percent. The dividend is intended to shrink a Workforce Safety and Insurance (WSI) fund surplus that has been higher than state law allows, thanks to robust returns on the agency’s investment portfolio. The agency had authorized $176.4 million worth of dividends during the previous three years. The dividend will benefit more than 14,000 employers, the agency said.

Topics Flood