Why Dog Owners Need

Umbrella Insurance By
Floyd Arthur
Brought to you by carmoongroup.com and
floyd-arthur.com

If you are a dog owner, you

undoubtedly believe that your pet
would never harm a person or

another animal in any way.

Nevertheless, dog bites are a
serious and growing problem in the

United States. Dog bites are

the fifth most common reason
for emergency room visits

nationwide, and their incidence and

severity is on the rise. Between
1993 and 2008, the number

of people hospitalized due to dog

bites rose 86 percent, from 5,100
in 1993 to 9,500 in 2008.

Additionally, the number of fatal

dog attacks jumped by over 80
percent between 1980 and

2008. In all, an average of 37

people have died each year since
2007 after being attacked by

one or more dogs.

The Cost to You if

Your Dog Bites

If your dog attacks a person or

even another dog, the financial
consequences can be severe. Not

only are you responsible for the

injured partys medical bills and
rehabilitative care, you can

also be sued for damages

and criminally charged.

In a high-profile San Francisco

case in 2001, two attorneys,
Marjorie Knoller and her husband

Robert Noel, were charged with

second degree murder and
involuntary manslaughter when

their two Presa Canarios dogs

attacked and killed a 33 year-old
lacrosse player, Diane Whipple,

in the hallway of the building in

which they all lived. Noel served
2 years on the manslaughter

conviction, and Knollerwho

appealed her conviction several
times is now serving a sentence

of 15 years to life.

In addition, Whipples domestic

partner won a $1.5 million
wrongful death claim against the

two.

Even nonfatal injuries can be

costly if you are uninsured or
underinsured. According to the

Insurance Information Institute,

the average amount paid by
insurers on dog-bite claims was

nearly $28,000 in
2013.

How Umbrella
Insurance Can Help

Typically, homeowners or renters

insurance covers some degree of
liability for dog bites and

dog attacks. However, most of

these policies provide coverage
of between $100,000 and

$500,000, which may not be

enough if the persons injuries are
disfiguring or disabling. Further,

if the injured person sues, the

court can award compensatory
damages if it finds you were

negligent in failing to
control the dog (as it did in
the Knoller case.)

Umbrella insurance provides

coverage in excess of your
homeowners (or automobile)policy

limits typically in increments of

$1 million. This excess liability
kicks in if you are responsible

for a catastrophic injury to

another person, whether due
to a dog bite or other cause.

Umbrella insurance also covers

liability for accidental property
damage caused by you, your pet

or a member of your household,

as well as damages for personal
injury due to:

* Slander

* Libel

* False arrest, detention,

or imprisonment

* Malicious
prosecution

* Intentional infliction
of emotional distress

How Much Does Umbrella

Insurance Cost?

The cost of umbrella insurance

varies, but according to a recent
report by ACE Risk Services, for

a family with one home and

two cars, premiums
average about:

* $380 per year for $1

million in coverage

* $475 for $2 million

in coverage

* $600 for $5 million

in coverage

* $1000 for $10

million in coverage

However, a number of factors

influence how much you pay.
For example, owning more than

one home, owning a boat or

having a driver under the age
of 25 in your home will increase

premiums
considerably.

Other Considerations for

Owners of Specific Dog
Breeds

Although policy terms vary, most

liability insurance policies
specifically exclude injuries caused

by specific dog breeds. The

breeds that are almost
universally blacklisted are:

* Pit bull terriers

* American
Staffordshire terriers

* Rottweilers

* German shepherds

* Presa Canarios

* Chows chows

* Doberman pinschers

* Akitas

* Wolf-hybrids

* Mastiffs

* Cane Corsos

* Great Danes

* Alaskan malamutes

* Siberian huskies

Whether you are a dog owner

concerned about liability for
injuries, or you simply have

questions about how to protect

your assets, contact one of our
insurance experts at 516-292-

3780 today. We are available

Monday through Friday from 9
a.m. to 6 p.m. to take your call.

Or, if you prefer, request a free

consultation online now and we
will get back to you the next

business day.

Tags: Umbrella Insurance, Umbrella

insurance covers, Umbrella
insurance cost, Dog bites, Dog

attacks

Carmoon Group Ltd.

Business Insurance
Hempstead New York

Floyd Arthur
Insurance Expert New
York

http://floydarthur.info *
http://carmoongroup.com *
http://floyd-arthur.com
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