Animal Liability Insurance

What is Animal Liability insurance?

Animal Liability insurance provides coverage for liability claims arising from damages or injuries caused by your dog or other pet. This could include damages if your pet bites or injures another person. Exotic animals may also be covered.

Does Homeowners insurance cover Animal Liability?

Some Homeowners policies can cover Animal Liability, but they may charge additional for animal liability coverage. They also may limit coverage for certain breeds or types of animals or may decline coverage if an animal has a history of biting or aggression.

What is an Animal Liability exclusion?

An Animal Liability exclusion is just one of many types of exclusions included in a homeowner insurance policy. It limits the insurer from any liability relating to injuries or property damage caused by an animal, specific breeds of dogs, etc.

Do I need Animal Liability insurance?

Even if your pet has a good temperament, Animal Liability insurance is an important coverage to have due to the significant costs of claim if your pet is responsible for injuries of another.

First, check your Homeowner's insurance and review your exclusions. Is you dog or animal breed excluded in you coverage? Is there a limit of liabilty on the coverage?

Animal Liability insurance can cover the exclusions in your current policy or provide you with additional coverage if your claim exceeds your liability limit.

Are Animal Liability claims common?

According to the Insurance Information Institute (III) “About 4.5 million people are bitten by dogs each year, most of them children.”

Some other statistics cited by the III include:

• Liability claims related to dog bites and other dog-related injuries cost homeowners insurers $882 million in in 2021
• The number of dog bite claims nationwide increased in 2021 to 17,989 from 17,597 in 2020—a 2.2 percent increase/
• The average cost per claim nationally has risen 39 percent from 2012 to 2021, due to increased medical costs as well as the size of settlements, judgments and jury awards given to plaintiffs, which are trending upwards.

Contact an insurance agent for more information

If your current policy does not provide adequate insurance, you should consider a separate Animal Liability policy. Contact insurance agent for coverage options.