Unfortunately, this could definitely end up being a problem. As you
may know, "dog bites account for one-third of all liability claims
under homeowners insurance policies. The insurance industry pays out
over $1 billion in dog bite claims a year."
Insurance.com
http://www.insurance.com
Thus, it is definitely in the best interest of the insurance company
to screen out potential claims. However, 40% of American households
own a dog and there are 4 million dog bites each year. So you are
definitely not alone, and insurance companies can't afford to cut out
all of these potential customers. Luckily, your dog is not a high risk
breed, and therefore, many companies may look at the past incident as
a freak occurance. If you have taken steps to prevent a future claim
of this kind then your chances will be much greater of retaining
coverage. Steps such as dog training, installing a fence, or simply
chaining the dog, will all help your cause. Also, a letter from your
vet may help convince the company.
As far as I can tell, insurance companies do not have blanket policies
on the issue, instead, decisions are made on a case by case basis.
Thus, I couldn't find any companies that simply will not exclude you
based on policy. There are, however, companies that are more likely to
insure you with a prior dog bite claim. State Farm is widely
recognized as the most "dog-friendly" insurer, so that would be the
best place to start. I contacted a few major insurance companies and
found that State Farm and Kemper seemed most receptive. All State and
Met Life seemed less interested in insuring someone in your situation.
Here are some quotes that I found researching the subject:
"While having a dog with a history of biting doesn't automatically
disqualify you from getting a homeowners policy, it can make it more
difficult and more expensive. You might end up having to get a policy
that excludes coverage for anything your dog does."
http://www.insure.com/home/faq/dogbite.html
"State Farm does not have a policy that treats dog owners differently
from other policy holders, said Joe Johnson, a spokesman for the
Bloomington, Ill.-based company."
Vet Network
http://www.vetnetwork.com/vetnews/news/dogs_vs_insurance.html
"One-bite limit State Farm will only pay one dog bite claim per dog."
(this may be why they are more accepting of coverage)
Uticaod.com
www.uticaod.com/news/daily/business.html
"If it turns out that the dog has bitten someone, State Farm will want
to know the circumstances surrounding the bite. "We'll want to
ascertain if it's ever likely to happen again -- if precautions have
been taken to prevent it," says Hattaway. Other factors the company
looks at are the seriousness of the injury and whether the attack was
provoked or unprovoked."
MSN
http://moneycentral.msn.com/articles/insure/basics/9069.asp
"According to the institute’s statistics, dog bites account for
one-third of all homeowners insurance liability claims, costing the
industry roughly $310 million a year. In 2000, State Farm – which is
one of the more dog-friendly companies in spite of the McNinches’
difficulties – paid out $74.3 million in dog-bite-related claims."
Some dog owners face denial of home insurance; Victoria Rouch, Staff
Writer, April 3, 2002
http://www.wilmingtonstar.com/news/stories/10688newsstorypage.html
"Others may require the homeowner to sign a policy endorsement that
excludes liability coverage under if the dog bites someone."
CGA
http://www.cga.state.ct.us/2001/rpt/olr/htm/2001-r-0225.htm
Met Life
"If the person can demonstrate that the dog is not inherently
aggressive then we'll consider it." He said a letter from a
veterinarian could serve as that type of assurance."
Vet Network
http://www.vetnetwork.com/vetnews/news/dogs_vs_insurance.html
Additional Links
Insurance.com
www.insurance.com
American Kennel Club
http://www.akc.org/love/dip/legislat/homeins.cfm
Google Search Terms
"homeowners insurance" OR "home insurance" and dog bites
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=%22homeowners+insurance%22+OR+%22home+insurance%22+and+dog+bites
"homeowners insurance" excludes dog
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=%22homeowners+insurance%22+excludes+dog
Hope this helps. Good Luck.
-Anthony |
