Dog Bite Settlements! 

Did you know that an estimated 4.7 million people are bitten by dogs each year? An ad that often runs for a US lawyer recently claimed to have won a settlement of three hundred thousand dollars for a client whose child had been bitten by a dog.

No doubt dog owners who heard this television ad pricked up their ears on hearing this information… getting a case of the “What ifs” as dog owners; firstly, what if someone is ever bitten by your dog and secondly, what if it is so severe as to require going to a lawyer or a court for resolution. No one ever wants to think their pet dog could be involved in biting a person but it appears that “the vast majority of biting dogs (77%) belong to the victim’s family or a friend” according to the information provided on DogBiteLaw.com who also share the following data…

“According to the Insurance Information Institute, dog bites cost insurers $345.5 million in 2002, $321.6 million in 2003, $317.2 million in 2005, and $351.4 in 2006. The number of claims paid by insurers was 20,800 in 2002, but fell to 15,000 in 2005. The insurance payment for the average dog bite claim was $16,600 in 2002, but rose to $21,200 in 2005. Liability claims accounted for approximately 4 percent of homeowners claims. Dog bite claims in 2005 accounted for about 15 percent of liability claims dollars paid under homeowners insurance policies.” - DogBiteLaw.com

Training for your dog is of prime importance. Then, ensuring that your dog does not then become bored, under-exercised, lonely and (as a result) aggressive is an ongoing responsibility for dog owners. Helping friends and family become better acquainted with your dog is just as important as socializing your dog with the friends and family… so that dog and people show one another respect. 

For more excellent information about dog bites and how to prevent them please visit the Stay Dog Bite Free articles on the HSUS website.

Thinking about bringing a new puppy into your family? Then check out this article about
Finding a Healthy Puppy and then cruise on over to Dog Bytes and Ask a Trainer for other articles
on dog training and dog safety.