Does My Homeowners’ Insurance Policy Cover My Dog?
If you’re looking for attorneys for dog bites then we can help. People often have questions like these “Does my Utah homeowners’ insurance policy cover my dog. Here at McMullin legal group we try to answer common questions like these.
And the answer is, most likely yes. Most Utah homeowners insurance policies sold today will cover harm caused to other by your dog. But, like with any other type of insurance, it is extremely important to discuss your policy with an experienced Utah insurance agent prior to buying your insurance. Homeowners insurance for homeowners, renters insurance for renters, covers a variety of damage that could occur in or around your residence. This insurance may cover property damage to your own property such a flood or fire. It may cover harm to others on your property such as a neighbor falling down your icy front porch in the winter. It will usually also cover harm caused by your dog biting either people, or other dogs, even if the attack occurs off of your property.
Attorneys For Dog Bites
There is a growing trend among homeowners’ insurance providers today to attempt to list dog bites as an exclusion in the personal liability section of their homeowners’ insurance policies. In Utah, a general exclusion of all dog bites would leave the dog owner entirely open to any and all liability for any harm caused by his or her dog. Carefully select your homeowners’ insurance policy. Confer with your agent to make sure that your dog will be covered. Also increasing in popularity are policies that specifically exclude only certain types of breeds of dogs that are considered “high risk” for dog bites. These dogs are considered high risk because they are statistically shown to be vicious. Pit-Bull terriers and their cousins, Chows, Rottweilers, German Shepherds, Doberman Pinchers, and Wolf mixes commonly headline these lists. Not only are these dogs more commonly biting people and other dogs, but statistics also show that attacks from these breeds of dogs lead to more serious and more expensive injuries. If you have a dangerous dog, or your insurance provider will not offer coverage for dogs, you can consider dog owner specific insurance. There are many private insurance companies that offer insurance specifically for pets. This type of insurance could cover both the veterinary costs of keeping your animal healthy, as well as a liability policy for damage caused by your dog. In fact, for only a few hundred dollars per year, a dog owner may be able to insure his dog for several hundred thousand dollars.
Dog Bite Attorneys in Utah
Many homeowners’ insurance policies in the State of Utah have personal injury liability limits of $100,000. That means that any harm in excess of that policy limit would need to be paid out of pocket by the dog owner, or supplemented by a secondary insurance policy. Most insurance agents will correctly suggest that if you own a medium sized or large dog, you should up your liability limits to $300,000. The reason for this is that if your dog bites someone, statistics show that the victim will be someone who is very close to you. This could be a friend or family member. You do not want to leave the people that you love hanging out to dry after your dog attacks them. It could tarnish the relationship and could leave them with a permanent injury. By upping your limits to at least $300,000, you are taking responsibility and making sure that you have enough coverage for even a serious attack by your dog.
An experienced Utah dog bite lawyer knows how to work with the dog owners homeowners’ insurance provider to maximize a settlement and help get an injured victim the maximum amount available to them under the policy limits. Don’t go it alone. If you are the victim of a dog bite, don’t be a victim twice. Contact a Utah dog bite lawyer today.
This article is offered only for general information and educational purposes. It is not offered as and does not constitute legal advice or legal opinion. You should not act or rely on any information contained in this article without first seeking the advice of an attorney.