State Farm Paid $90 million in Dog Bite Claims in 2010

Insurance mega-company State Farm says it paid $90 million on about 3,500 dog-bite claims last year.

A dog-bite claim costs $26,166 on average in 2010, up from $24,840 in 2009. Insurers received 15,770 dog-bite claims in 2010, down from 16,586 in 2009.

Ohio accounted for 215 claims and $5.7 million paid in 2010. Illinois came in second with 317 claims and $9.7 million. California topped the list at 369 claims and $11.3 million paid out.

Michigan and Pennsylvania have laws forbidding insurers from canceling or denying coverage to owners of particular breeds. These states ranked fifth and sixth in dog-bite claims in 2010 for State Farm.

State Farm released its claims numbers to recognize Dog Bite Prevention Week starting May 15.

Sixty percent of dog-bite victims are children under 12 years old. Dog bites led to 33 deaths in 2010, and 20 of those were young children.

Source: propertycasualty.com