New York Has the Costliest Dog Bite Claims

The dog bite claim numbers reported by U.S. insurers rose 5.5 percent last year to 17,539 breaking the record from 2003. According to a Bloomberg news report, dog bite incidents cost the insurance industry $483.7 million as reported by the Insurance Information Institute. The average cost in New York State was $43,122 per claim compared with $27,862 nationwide. While, New York State had the most expensive attacks among all states and the most number of incidents, California, the most populous U.S. state, had the highest number of dog bite claims last year at 1,919. The attacks cost an average of $33,709 in California.

What Causes Dog Attacks?
A dog attack can occur due to many different reasons. As attorneys who represent dog bite victims in New York, we have found that the most common cause of a dogs attack is owner negligence. In some cases dogs may act out because they are abused, chained or confined for long periods. However, many attacks occur because of careless or irresponsible behavior on the part of the dog’s owner. For example, dogs that are not spayed or neutered are twice as likely to attack. If a dog is known to have a tendency to bite, the owner should muzzle the dog especially when it is in public or keep it in an enclosure or secured on his or her property. Owners should also fix holes or openings in their fences through which a dog may escape.
Injuries and Compensation
Dog attacks often result in major injuries such as puncture wounds, lacerations, permanent scars, disfigurement, broken bones and even nerve injuries. When a dog owner’s negligence leads to such injuries, victims can seek compensation for damages including, but not limited to, medical expenses, lost wages and benefits, hospitalization, surgeries, permanent injuries, disability, past and future pain and suffering, etc.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a dog attack, the experienced New York personal injury attorneys at The Law Offices of Kenneth A. Wilhelm can help you better understand your legal rights and options. Our law firm recovered $750,000 for a girl who was bitten by a dog, which was the most money recovered in New York State in 2010 for a dog bite.
Please contact us TOLL FREE 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-WORK-4-YOU (1-800-967-5496). WE CAN EVEN COME TO YOU. There is no attorneys’ fee unless we recover money for you. We can also help with personal injury cases in New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, or Florida. If you have been seriously injured in any of the 50 U.S. states, please call us and we will try to help you with your case.
Other TOLL FREE phone numbers for us are:
1-800-RADIO-LAW, 1-888-WYPADEK, OR 1-800-LAS-LEYES
Please visit our website: www.WORK4YOULAW.com
Source: Bloomberg News