Dog Bite Claims Increased 2.2% Nationwide

PR Newswire

NEW YORK, April 5, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Dog bites and other dog-related injuries accounted for more than one third of all homeowners liability claim dollars paid out in 2017, costing almost $700 million, according to the Insurance Information Institute (I.I.I.) and State Farm®, the largest writer of homeowners insurance in the United States.

An analysis of homeowners insurance data by the I.I.I. found that the number of dog bite claims nationwide increased to 18,522 in 2017, compared to 18,122 in 2016 – a 2.2 percent increase. The average cost per claim increased by 11.5 percent. The average cost paid out for dog bite claims was $37,051 in 2017, compared with $33,230 in 2016.

"The increase in the 2017 average cost per claim could be attributed to an increase in severity of injuries," said Kristin Palmer, chief communications officer with the I.I.I. "But the average cost per claim nationally has risen more than 90 percent from 2003 to 2017, due to increased medical costs as well as the size of settlements, judgments and jury awards given to plaintiffs."

Estimated Number and Cost of Dog Bite Claims (And Other Dog-Related Injuries*), 2003-2017

Year	Value of Claims ($ millions)	Number of Claims	Average Cost Per Claim
2003	$324.2	16,919	$19,162
2004	318.9	15,630	20,406
2005	321.1	14,295	22,464
2006	322.4	14,661	21,987
2007	356.2	14,531	24,511
2008	387.0	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
2013	483.7	17,359	27,862
2014	530.8	16,550	32,072
2015	571.3	15,352	37,214
2016	602.2	18,123	33,230
2017	686.3	18,522	37,051
% change, 2016-2017	14.0%	2.2%	11.5%
% change, 2003-2017	111.7%	9.5%	93.4%

Source: Insurance Information Institute, State Farm®.

California continued to have the largest number of claims in the U.S. at 2,228 in 2017, an increase from 1,934 in 2016. California also had the highest value of claims in 2017 at $90.4 million. The state with the second highest number of claims last year was Florida at 1,345. The state with the highest average cost per claim was Florida, at $44,700 per claim in 2017.

Estimated Number and Cost of Dog Bite Claims (And Other Dog-Related Injuries*), 2017 State Results

Rank	State	Number of claims	Average cost per claim	Value of claims ($ millions)
1	CA	2,228	$40,563	$90.4
2	FL	1,345	44,700	60.1
3	PA	1,002	26,486	26.5
4	NY	957	43,479	41.6
5	OH	932	24,795	23.1
6	TX	929	35,562	33.0
7	IL	901	36,844	33.2
8	MI	734	38,798	28.5
9	NJ	686	43,652	29.9
10	MN	486	29,873	14.5
	Top 10	10,200	37,346	380.9
	Other	8,322	36,690	305.3
	Total United States	18,522	37,051	$686.3

Source: Insurance Information Institute, State Farm®.

For more state specific information, go to the I.I.I.'s interactive map.

Be A Responsible Dog Owner

National Dog Bite Prevention Week^®(April 8-14, 2018), is an annual event designed to provide consumers with information on how to be responsible pet owners while increasing awareness of a serious public health issue.

Even dogs that are normally docile may bite when they are frightened or when defending their puppies, owners or food. However, the best way to protect yourself is to prevent your dog from biting anyone in the first place. The most dangerous dogs are those that fall victim to human shortcomings such as poor training, irresponsible ownership and breeding practices that foster viciousness.

For dog bite prevention tips, click here or join the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #preventdogbites.

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