How Insurance (or a Lack Thereof) Affects Your Dog Bite Case

dog bite insurance

After a dog bite injury or attack, you may wonder how the defendant’s insurance plays a role in the outcome of your case. What if they don’t have enough coverage? Or, what if the defendant has no insurance coverage? First, your attorney will need to find out if coverage is applicable by requesting the dog owner’s homeowner’s insurance declaration page from insurance company. This page will includes the policy number, name of the insured, address, and amounts of coverage (including liability for dog attacks).

What if There’s No Homeowner’s Policy?

If the dog owner does not have a homeowner insurance policy, you can request information about renter’s insurance (which may also carry liability coverage). If he or she does not have either, your attorney will look for other types of insurance, including dog insurance. If there is no insurance available, your options become very limited. However, unlike other dog bite lawyers, Jeffrey H. Penneys, the dog bite lawyer, has various methods that other attorneys don’t to locate insurance. I have taken-over cases that other attorneys have dropped because they couldn’t find homeowner’s coverage, only to discover that there IS such insurance.

What if Insurance is Inadequate?

Often, dog owners have limited liability insurance, which is minimal and insufficient to cover damages. When insurance is insufficient, the dog owner may have an umbrella policy or excess policy, which is a supplemental policy.

A serious issue for dog owners is exclusions and limitations within their policy. The insurance industry has gotten away with selling policies that are inadequate or full of exclusions. They can exclude dog bite coverage altogether, or severely limit how much the plaintiff will receive. In some cases, if the dog has bitten before, insurance will not cover any injuries.

Filing a Claim Against the Dog Owner Directly

Just because there is too little or no coverage does not mean that you cannot receive compensation. Instead, your dog bite attorney will file the claim against the owner directly. The owner will then have to pay for that claim using his or her own assets. This can include income, investments, property owned, etc. Your attorney will investigate first if the dog owner has insurance coverage and, if not, investigate the assets that may be used to cover your medical costs, pain and suffering, and lost wages.

Speak with a PA Dog Bite Attorney

If you or a loved one was viciously attacked by a dog, hold the owner liable for his or her pet’s actions. Speak with Philadelphia dog bite attorney Jeffrey Harlan Penneys, Esq. today. We offer free consultations – schedule yours by calling or texting 215-771-0430 (cell), 215-987-3550 (office)  or filling out our online contact form with your questions.

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