Dog Bite Attorney Statistics

Dog Bite Liability
THE TOPIC

MARCH 2004

Dog bites now account for almost one quarter of all homeowner’s insurance liability claims costing roughly $345.5 million. Since the late 1990s, approximately 4.5 million people are bitten by dogs annually, resulting in an estimated 800,000 injuries. With 70 percent of the bites occurring on the dog owner’s property, the issue is a major source of concern for insurers and indicates a need for greater awareness.

Lawsuits filed by victims of dog bites against pet owners appear to be on the rise.

KEY FACTS

There were 4.5 million bites reported to authorities in 1996 and 4.7 million reported in 1999 (latest data available).

According to the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, the number of dog bites requiring medical attention increased from 585,000 in 1986 to 800,000 in 1994, an increase of 37 percent (latest data available).

In 2002 the property/casualty insurance industry paid out $345.5 million in dog bite liability claims, up from $250 million seven years earlier. These numbers only account for liability claims from homeowners or renters policies. They do not include uninsured losses or other medical costs that are not part of a liability claim.

CURRENT DEVELOPMENTS

A Landmark Case: On January 26, 2001, two Presa Canario dogs attacked and killed Diane Whipple in the doorway of her Los Angeles, California, apartment. The owner of the dogs, Marjorie Knoller, a San Francisco lawyer, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter and keeping a mischievous dog that killed a person — she was sentenced to four years in prison for involuntary manslaughter and was ordered to pay $6,800 in restitution. Her husband, Robert Noel, was convicted of two lesser charges but also received a four year prison sentence. Knoller became the first Californian convicted of murder for a dog’s actions. This was only the third time such charges have been upheld in the United States, the first coming in Kansas in 1997.

Since the incident took place in an apartment complex, landlords and apartment managers are concerned about potential civil liability stemming from this and future cases. Civil legal action is underway against the owners and managers of the apartment building where the attack took place. They are being charged with negligence in permitting the dog owners to keep two 120-pound dogs in their small one-bedroom apartment.

Here's how dog bites rank among other common causes of childhood emergency-room injuries:

Cause of injury Emergency room incidents anually
Baseball/softball 404,364
Dog bites 333,687
Playground accidents 268,810
All-terrain vehicles, mopeds, etc 125,136
Volleyball 97,523
Inline skating 75,994
Horseback riding 71,162
Baby walkers 28,000
Skateboards 25,486

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