National Dog Bite Prevention Week Highlights: Increased Payouts for Dog Bite Claims

    PHOENIX, AZ, June 14, 2012 /24-7PressRelease/ -- In conjunction with National Dog Bite Prevention week, May 19-25, 2012, the Insurance Information Institute (III) released their most recent statistics on dog bite insurance claims. The 2011 data show that dog bites accounted for more than one-third of all paid homeowners' insurance liability claims. These claims totaled over $478 million dollars, a number that underscores the increasing costs of medical care for dog bite victims.

According to III statistics, the average cost for a dog bite claim increased by 53.4% in recent years, with a 12.3% increase from 2010 ($26,166) to 2011 ($29,396) alone. Rising medical costs may be responsible for much of these increases.

Each year, over four million people are bitten by dogs and approximately 880,000 seek medical attention for dog bite injuries. Some dog bite victims experienced serious injury; in 2010, nearly 33,000 people required reconstructive surgery to treat dog bites. This is up 8% from 2009 statistics.

In December 2010, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality reported that young children and seniors were the most likely groups to be hospitalized due to dog bite-related injuries. Their treatment costs averaged $18,200 per patient.

Several organizations, including the American Veterinary Medical Association, have joined forces for National Dog Bite Prevention Week and provide the following tips:

- Be cautious around strange dogs
- Treat your own pet with respect
- Be alert for potentially dangerous situations
- NEVER leave a baby or small child alone with a dog
- Teach children to be careful around pets
- Teach children not to approach strange dogs or try to pet dogs through fences
- Always ask permission from the owner before petting a dog

We encourage you to contact the personal injury lawyers at Goldberg & Osborne today if you or a loved one has been injured by a dog bite. Simply call 1-800-THE-EAGLE (1-800-843-3245) or fill out our online case form on our website for your free, no obligation evaluation.

Website: http://1800theeagle.com/

# # #