Pet Tales: The high price of dog bites

'Dog bite fatalities on the wane'

Mr. Phillips said "each claim is looked at individually." An important factor is determining whether the dog bite was provoked or unprovoked. If your dog has a history of multiple bites, you might have a problem, he concedes. The Postal Service reports 5,879 mail carriers were bitten or attacked by dogs in 2012 (274 more than in 2011), but Pittsburgh did not make the "top 14" list. Philadelphia was fifth with 34 attacks, and Los Angeles was No.
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Dogs have also been known to attack out of maternal instinct. Even the most well trained dog can become a biter when she has puppies. Use caution when handling puppies and make sure all members of the litter have a safe place to lay with minimal distraction. If a dog approaches to sniff you, stay still. In most cases, a dog will leave with it determines that you are not a threat. If a dog begins to growl or show teeth, remain calm.
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Dog Bite Attorneys Encourage Review of Dog Safety Tips during National Dog Bite Safety Week

But the amount of money paid out in claims has soared, and last year dog bites accounted for more than one-third of all dollars paid out in homeowners insurance liability claims. Data from the Insurance Information Institute (III) released in honor of something called National Dog Bite Prevention Week indicates that over the past decade, the number of dog bite claims has drifted from the low 14,000s to the high 16,000s. In 2012, the total stood at 16,459, down from the 2011 tally of 16,695, and also lower than the 2003′s total of 16,919. The low over the past decade occurred in 2005, when 14,295 dog bite claims were recorded. While the number of dog bite claims has fluctuated a bit up and down, the value of claims has gone in one direction : upward. In the 2012, dog bite claims accounted for $489.7 million, which is more than one-third of all homeowners liability claims paid in the year, according to the III. Compare that to 2003, when there were a few hundred more dog bite claims, and yet the claim payouts totaled $324.2 million. From 2003 to 2012, the value of dog bite claims increased 51%, a rate that far outpaces inflation.
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Dog Bites: Painful and pricey

Have a dog? Your insurance company is asking.   "Insurance companies today are becoming increasingly sophisticated about these cases," said Jonathan Rosenfeld, a personal injury lawyer in Chicago.   Dog bites produced more than $108 million in insurance claims last year, 10 percent of which came from Illinois, according to State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co., in Bloomington, Ill. And as a result, premiums change and in some cases, insurance companies drop dog owners from their coverage altogether.   "A lot of people think that people get bit by stray dogs," said Missy Dundov of State Farm Insurance. "It's actually more your neighbor's or family's dog."   Dog-related injuries are usually covered by homeowners or rental insurance, which provide between $100,000 to $300,000 in liability of dog bites, according to the Insurance Information Institute.
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State Farm dog bite claims reach $3.3 million

Speaking at 'Clean India 2013', organised by Sukuki Exnora on World Environment Day, Ms. Amala cited the records of the Institute of Preventive Medicine (IPM) to state that there were http://dogbitealternatives.com/dog-bites-man-it-happens-in-illinois-more-than-48-other-states/ no deaths due to stray dog bites in the last few years. But there might be instances of deaths in cases where people come to the city for treatment from other places. "Even dog bites reported in the city have come down by nearly 15,000 due to the sincere and coordinated effort of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC)," she said. Ms. Amala underscored the link between garbage and stray dogs and called upon residents to keep their colonies free of garbage heaps. "For stray dogs, garbage heaps are like the 'biryani' invitation," she quipped. The high plastic usage, which ends up in streets and garbage piles, causes severe problems for cattle.
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Dog Bites Insurance Companies: Man's Best Friend Behind One-Third of All Homeowner Claims

There are many different dog safety tips that people can enforce in their lives if they are in frequent contact with dogs. Young children are more likely to be attacked by dogs because of their small size and their lack of speed and agility. There are many tips that parents can teach their children to prevent serious injury from dog attacks. 10 Important Dog Safety Tips for Children Stay away from dogs who don't know you and whom you've never seen before When a frightening dog approaches you, remain calm and don't move If a dog has just delivered puppies, stay away from the dog and its puppies Let sleeping dogs lie. Don't bother a sleeping dog Do not hit or throw anything at a dog or try to evoke its anger Let a dog smell you first before approaching or petting it Don't interact with dogs especially those that are larger than you unless an adult is nearby Tell an adult if you think a dog nearby is being bothersome or is dangerous Don't look a dog in the eye, it will think you are daring or threatening it If you are bitten, find an adult right away Attorneys are encouraging people to take notice of these tips and many others that are available. Many dog attacks that occur can easily be prevented if safety tips are taken into account.
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