Dog bite claims increased 16 percent in 2011 compared to 2010 and have grown close to 48 percent since 2003, according to figures released by the insurance industry.
On the eve of National Dog Bite Prevention Week, which ran from May 20 to 26, the Insurance Information Institute (I.I.I.) and State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. indicated that dog bites are costing the insurance industry hundreds of millions of dollars each year.
I.I.I. says that, in 2011, dog bite claims amounted to close to $479 million, with a total of 16,292 claims filed. The organization attributed the increase to "increased medical costs as well as the size of settlements, judgments, and jury awards given to plaintiffs, which have risen well above the rate of inflation in recent years."
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