According to the Insurance Information Institute (Triple-I) and State Farm, insurers will pay more than $1 billion in dog-related claims in 2022, up 28% from 2021.
There were 17,597 dog-related injury claims in the U.S. in 2022, down from 17,989 in 2021, according to a Triple-I analysis of homeowners insurance claims data. While the number of claims fell 2.2 percent, the total value of claims increased significantly — from $882 million in 2021 to $1.13 billion in 2022.
The average cost of a claim was $64,555 in 2022, up 31.7% from $49,025 in 2021. Across the US, the average cost of a claim rose 131.7% from 2013-2022. Jury awards for plaintiffs on the rise.
In the year In 2022, more than a third of dog-related injuries were filed in five states: California (1,954 claims), Florida (1,331), Texas (1,017), New York (969) and Michigan (905). California had the highest average cost for the same claim at $78,818, while Florida had an average cost of $78,203.
In 29 states, dog owners are liable for injuries caused by pets, with some exceptions if the dog is aggressive, according to an analysis of dog bite laws compiled by the Property Casualty Insurance Association of America (APCIA) through March 2021. Four states have no dog bite laws — Arkansas , Kansas, Mississippi and North Dakota.
Homeowners and renters insurance policies cover dog bite liability legal expenses with limits of up to $100,000 and $300,000, respectively. Some insurance companies will not insure homeowners whose dogs are classified as dangerous. Others will decide on a case-by-case basis, according to Triple-I. Pennsylvania and Michigan have laws that prevent insurers from canceling or denying coverage to owners of certain breeds of dogs in certain policies.
Like meInformation compiled by Triple-I, about 69 million American households own a dog. 4.5 million people are bitten by dogs every year – most of them children.
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