The Cost of Dog Bites
By Tom Copeland. Published with permission
Who
pays when a dog bites a child in your family child care home?
Your homeowners insurance policy will not pay because it excludes coverage
for accidents arising out of your business.
Your business liability insurance policy typically excludes coverage for dog
bites. You may be able to get dog bite coverage for an additional fee or for
specific breeds of dogs.
Therefore, since the incident happened in your home, you will probably be
held responsible. Some states have laws that make dog owners automatically
liable for any injury caused by a dog, even without provocation. Other states
will hold the dog owner liable if the injury occurred because the owner was
unreasonably careless in controlling the dog. In a few states the dog owner will
only be held liable after the second bite ("vicious dog").
What can a dog bite cost you?
The average cost of a dog bite paid out by homeowners insurance
policies in 2011 was $29,396 (up 12.3% from 2010). The average cost of
dog bite claims has increased by over 53% between 2003 and 2011, according to
the Insurance Information
Institute.
If a parent sues you after a dog bites her child, you can expect to pay
thousands of dollars in legal fees and medical expenses. Your homeowners
insurance policy won't help you and your business liability insurance may not,
unless you have it specifically included in your coverage.
Therefore, it's vital that you keep all dogs away from day care children. I
have spoken with providers who tell me that their dog mingles with day care
children and would never hurt a child. Maybe. But, if you do this you are taking
on a big financial risk. If it happens once, the cost of a single dog bite can
be huge.
Thanks to Liz Downs of New England Insurance
Services.
Image
credit: elitelawyerproject.com
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