Will an Insurance Company Insure a Home Where Pit Bull Dogs Live?
Many homeowners choose to purchase homeowner's insurance. This insurance covers them from a number of different potential losses, including damage sustained to the home and to claims resulting from actions of the home's residents or by visitors on the property. However, some insurance companies will not extend coverage to homes that contain pit bull dogs.
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Types
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There are two main sections of homeowner's insurance policies: damage and liability. The liability section is itself broken into two parts: medical payments and personal liability. The medical payments sections covers the cost of medical injuries sustained by visitors to a property, while the personal liability section covers claims or lawsuits that are made against the homeowner because of actions that took place on his property or elsewhere.
Features
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Most insurance companies price their policies according to the perceived likelihood that a person being covered will file a claim for damages. Those who are deemed more likely to file a claim are charged more, while those less likely will be charged less. Many insurance companies believe that homes with pit bulls in them are far more likely to file claims under both the medical and personal liability sections of their policies.
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Effects
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Many insurance companies believe that pit bulls are more likely than other dogs to attack visitors, leading to a claim being filed. According to a 2000 study conducted by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 25 breeds of dogs were involved in 238 fatal dog bites over a 20-year period. Of these deaths, more than half were sustained by dog bites originating from rottweilers and pit bulls.
Significance
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In an attempt to pay out fewer claims, many insurance companies have refused to extend coverage to households with pit bulls in them. According to the Insurance Information Institute, insurance companies paid $310 million in dog-bite liability claims in 2001, an increase of $60 million from 1996. This increase has led to a number of actions meant to cut down the number of claims being filed.
Solution
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According to the pit bull advocacy website SaveABull.com, a number of insurance companies did not have any breed specific restrictions on issuing homeowner's policies as of 2009. These include the insurers State Farm, Fireman's Fund, Kemper, Chubb Group, Farmers Insurance and the California-based company Einhorn.
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