Phone: (516) 487-8207
The Insurance Information Institute released a report earlier this month, citing increased payments per dog-bite liability, although the number of claims decreased.
At 5.3%, the increase in dog-bite awards last year was the largest increase since 2007. In 2009 the cost per claim was $25K and rose to $26K in 2010. The value per dog-bite claim also increased by 37% since 2003, despite the total value of claims having risen only 27%.
However, the total nationwide cost remained unchanged at around $412.6 million, because lawsuits declined by 4.9% to 15,770 claims. Still, the New York-based institute claimed that dog bites were impressively more than 1 of every 3 homeowner insurance-liability claims last year.
The Institute's spokeswoman said that the rise in cost per claim “can be attributed to increased medical costs, as well as the size of settlements, judgments and jury awards.”
In a related story, a Long Island woman is suing over the death of her 10-pound Chihuahua, named Grover. In March, Grover was attacked by two Rottweilers, who managed to climb over a flimsy, bowed fence. Grover's owner, Patty Meisoll, could not pry the dogs off. Eventually, the Chihuahua was taken to the hospital. An hour and a half later, Grover died of heart failure: "scared to death," as Meisoll puts it. Meisoll is now suing the owner of the aggressive dogs.
As a practicing wrongful death and accident and attorney in New York, I deal with cases like these every day. The tragedy is avoidable.
If you would like more information about how medical malpractice and accident cases work in the state of New York, I encourage you to explore my educational website. If you have legal questions, I want you to pick up the phone and call me at 516-487-8207 or by e-mail at lawmed10@yahoo.com to answer your questions. That's what I do every day. I welcome your call.
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