Dog bite liability: who’s responsible and what’s covered?
Owning a pet can bring so much joy and happiness to your life – not to mention, there’s always someone who’s happy to see you when you come home.
According to the 2013/2014 American Pet Products Association survey, sixty-eight percent of U.S. households, or 83.3 million homes, own a pet.
However, with being a pet-parent, also comes responsibility. Sure, your pet depends on you to nourish and maintain their health and prevent them from harm; but what about if your pet causes harm to someone else, or another animal?
It’s a scary situation that’s more common than you think. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, dogs bite around 4.5 million people each year and 885,000 require medical attention for these injuries; about half of these are children.
It’s absolutely essential for every pet owner to have homeowner’s insurance or renters insurance policies that do not exclude accidents caused by your pets as more than 50 percent of dog bites occur on dog owner’s property and they account for 1/3 of all homeowner’s insurance liability claims.
Who’s responsible?
In the instance that you find yourself in a situation where you, or your dog is attacked, here is some helpful information on dog bite liability and owner liability rules in Florida:
- FLSA 767.04 states that a dog owner is liable for injuries if
- The dog bites another person, and
- The person is in a public place, or lawfully in a private place (not trespassing on private property).
Though this statue only covers dog bites, a person who is injured by a pet in another way may be able to prove the owner liable if the injured can show owner’s negligence.
A dog owner who is legally responsible for an injury to a person or property may be also responsible for reimbursing the injured for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering and property damage.
- Florida is a “strict liability” dog bite state: A dog owner in Florida may be held liable if his/her dog bites someone, even if the owner had no prior knowledge or warning that the dog might bite or attack. The injured doesn’t have to prove the lack of reasonable care caused the bite.
Am I covered?
Generally, most homeowner’s insurance policies include pet liability insurance anywhere from $100,000 to $300,000 in liability coverage. However, once your pet has bitten someone, costs can go up, or dependent on your provider, you could lose coverage all together.
You may also want to consider purchasing excess liability coverage or umbrella liability policy, but it’s best to speak with your agent about your individual policy coverage’s and discuss what’s best for your family – pet’s included.
For more information on pet liability insurance, homeowners insurance or insurance in South Florida, visit the Pettineo Insurance Agency website at www.pettineo.com or give us a call at 954.493.9424
Pettineo Insurance Agency Inc. provides homeowners insurance in Fort Lauderdale, Lauderdale-By-The-Sea, Pompano Beach, Oakland Park, Boca Raton, Deerfield Beach, Hollywood, and all of South Florida.
