In most cases of Oklahoma dog attacks, the dog owner’s homeowner’s insurance is responsible for paying on injury claims. According to an analysis released by the Insurance Information Institute earlier this year, dog bites accounted for more than one-third of all homeowner’s insurance liability claims paid in 2011, resulting in a cost of nearly $479 …
In most cases of Oklahoma dog attacks, the dog owner’s homeowner’s insurance is responsible for paying on injury claims. According to an analysis released by the Insurance Information Institute earlier this year, dog bites accounted for more than one-third of all homeowner’s insurance liability claims paid in 2011, resulting in a cost of nearly $479 million in the United States. In fact, State Farm, the largest writer of homeowner’s insurance in the country, paid out more than $109 million on nearly 3,800 dog bite claims in 2011 alone. Despite the fact that the incidence of dog bites has remained constant in the U.S., when it comes to liability, the cost of dog bite claims has increased a whopping 48% since 2003, which is good news for dog bite victims pursuing compensation. If you have been attacked by a dangerous dog in Oklahoma, contact our skilled dog bite accident attorneys at Oklahoma Legal Center to seek fair and timely reimbursement for your injuries.
Pursuing Compensation for a Dog Bite Claim
According to the Insurance Information Institute’s analysis of homeowner’s insurance data, the average cost of dog bite claims in the United States was $29,396 in 2011, a 53.4% increase from $19,162 in 2004. Furthermore, the organization reported that medical costs for dog bite injuries, as well as the sizes of settlements, jury awards and judgments given to victims, have all outpaced inflation. As Bob Skow, CEO of the Independent Insurance Agents of Iowa, notes, payouts for dog bite claims are higher today because more people own dogs, people live closer to one another, and parents are more likely to seek advanced medical treatment for their children in the event of a dog bite accident. “Forty years ago, a kid got bit, Mom and Dad didn’t take him to a plastic surgeon,” Skow said. “Nowadays they do.”
Contact Our Dog Bite Accident Attorneys for Legal Help
Estimates reported by the American Pet Products Association put the number of dogs in the United States at 78.2 million – one dog for every four people. And while some states let dog owners off on liability for a dog’s first bite, Oklahoma and other states don’t give dangerous dogs “one free bite.” Under Oklahoma dog bite laws, a dog owner is liable for all damages caused by his dog – including medical bills – unless the injured victim was trespassing or committing a crime at the time of the attack. For victims of dog attacks in Oklahoma, this means that, by filing a dog bite claim against the dog owner, they can pursue full compensation for damages related to the incident, including treatment, ongoing medical care, permanent scarring or disfigurement, physical disability, and more. If you were attacked and injured by a dog in Oklahoma, consult our knowledgeable dog bite accident lawyers at Oklahoma Legal Center to discuss the process of filing a claim for compensation.