Even the best dogs aren’t immune to get involved in a serious blunder or mix-up. No matter how amicable or mannerly your dog regularly is, dog-bite incidents can transpire in a matter of seconds. Statistics show that approximately 4.5 million people experience dog bites each year. Even when it is an out of nature moment for your pooch, it can result in injury to a child, adult, or even a close family member.
As the dog’s handler, you’re responsible for anything your dog does, even if the attack or bite occurs off of your property. Of course, the question is, if someone is injured by your dog, on or off of your property, who is stuck footing the bill? Can your homeowners insurance cover a dog bite off property? Let’s break it down below.
Dog Bites
Before we tackle off-property dog bites, let’s focus on the basics. Does homeowners insurance cover a dog bite at all? Yes, but it all depends on your liability coverage under your homeowners or renters insurance policy. Liability coverage can help with lost wages, pain, suffering, property fees, and legal fees. They can also cover the quickly accrued expenses that can come up should your dog bite someone, knock over a guest, or scare a stranger. Of course, you’ll need to make sure that the liability policy in place is broad enough to cover dog bites.
Since dog-related injuries almost always fall under the personal liability section of a homeowners policy, you need to ensure you have robust coverage. Generally, coverage ranges from $100,000 to $300,000, with limits between $30,000 to $90,000. The first number is the maximum amount that the policy is willing to pay the injured party. The second number is the maximum it will pay for any one specific incident. If any dog-bite claim exceeds your personal coverage limits, you will be responsible for the rest.
Dog Bite That Occurs Off Property
Liability insurance under your homeowners policy will almost always cover a dog bite that occurs on your property. What happens if a dog bite occurs off property? Are you on the line for the damages? In most states, you’re not held accountable when someone is the casualty of a dog bite while intruding on your land.
When it comes to off-property bites, you may be still be covered even if the event happens off of your property, like in or on a vehicle, at a park, or on a walkway. However, there are occasions in which you can be held liable whether or not a bite occurs on or off the property. You’re typically liable under three kinds of laws:
- Dog bite measure: States that you’re automatically liable for any injury or property damage your dog causes.
- One bite rule: In a few states, you, the owner, is not responsible for the first dog bite.
- Negligence laws: You’re always liable if you were careless in controlling your dog.
Whether or not your homeowners insurance covers dog bites off property depends on those factors, as well as the extent of liability coverage you have. For example, if you let your dog out without a leash and they attacked someone off of your property, you will likely be held liable under negligence laws.
However, if you had control of your animal and a misinterpretation or incident occurs causing your dog to bite, you may be covered even if you were off the property. Another factor that plays a role is the breed of your dog.
Can You Be Denied Insurance Coverage for Specific Dog Breeds?
It may not seem fair to the ordinary dog owner, but some dog breeds are deemed riskier than others by insurers. While your homeowners insurance will cover most dog breeds, many will deny you coverage if the breed of dog you own is felt to be dangerous or has historically been categorized as dubious. Your breed of dog may even affect your ability to file a claim in the event of a dog bite.
You might love your sweet and gentle Pit Bull, but to insurance companies, they are considered high risk. Other high-risk breeds include Rottweilers, German Shepherds, and Akitas. Keep in mind that some insurance companies will outright deny you homeowners or renters insurance if you own these breeds of dogs. Others will offer coverage on a case-by-case basis. If your dog has never bitten anyone or been involved in an injury before, you may still be offered coverage.
Know that you must be forthright with your dog breed when signing up for a policy, otherwise, you may not have the coverage you need in the event of an off-property or on-property dog bite.
