Dog bite claims increased 16 percent in 2011 compared to 2010 and have grown close to 48 percent since 2003, according to figures released by the insurance industry.
On the eve of National Dog Bite Prevention Week, which ran from May 20 to 26, the Insurance Information Institute (I.I.I.) and State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. indicated that dog bites are costing the insurance industry hundreds of millions of dollars each year.
I.I.I. says that, in 2011, dog bite claims amounted to close to $479 million, with a total of 16,292 claims filed. The organization attributed the increase to "increased medical costs as well as the size of settlements, judgments, and jury awards given to plaintiffs, which have risen well above the rate of inflation in recent years."
According to Bloomington, Ill.-based State Farm, the company paid more than $109 million in claims resulting from 3,800 dog bite claims in 2011. California was number one on State Farm's list for dog bite claims and money paid out, with 527 claims for an estimated $20 million. Illinois was second with 309 claims and $10 million.
In conjunction with National Dog Bite Prevention Week, the U.S. Postal Service released its list of the top-25 dog-attack city rankings. Los Angeles was number one with 83 attacks, followed by San Diego with 68 and Houston with 47. The Postal Service says that, nationwide, there were more than 5,577 postal workers attacked in 1,400 cities. The attacks on workers cost the Postal Service close to $1.2 million last year.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are more than 4.7 million people bitten by a dog each year and 800,000 seek medical attention for their bites. Of those bitten, more than half are children.
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