Dog Bites

You may hear a news report about someone who was bitten or attacked by a dog from time to time. Unfortunately, these stories aren’t as newsworthy or prevalent as car accidents and other personal injuries, so you may not be familiar with how serious they can be.  However, each year, dog-related injuries result in costs of almost $900 million in the U.S. In Ohio alone, the value of dog-related claims was $30.4 million in 2020, making the state eighth when it comes to dog-bite insurance claims.  Potential injuries and consequences of dog-related incidents Dog bites are often much worse than...

There are a couple of reasons why your risk for a dog bite attack could be a little higher in the winter. The most obvious is that you will find yourself traveling to visit family and friends, some of whom may not train their animals as well as they should. You might think that if you already know the animal from previous interactions that it will behave well when it sees you again. Unfortunately, there is a secondary factor caused by cold winter weather that will affect how safe you are when interacting with a dog in someone else's house. The worse the weather gets, the more likely it is...

Have you ever heard the common advice that you should not run from an aggressive dog? As a teaching point, it probably makes sense. You don’t want to get the dog riled up, you know that the animal instinctively wants to chase prey, and it just fits that running from a dog can make an attack more likely.  It’s one thing to say that, however, and quite another to hold your ground when a dog is coming at you. If a dog runs through an open gate and charges toward you as you go by a house, your instinct is to run. You may forget everything you’ve learned and try to sprint in the opposite...

It's a much anticipated autumnal holiday. Who among us does not have memories of our favorite costume and Halloween school parade? Whether you were a princess or a Power Ranger, Halloween was the day you got to be your beloved alter-ego. But is there a down side to the holiday? Dog bites lawsuits are probably the most frequent cases brought under homeowner's insurance. They are also the most easily avoided. Take these tips to heart, and even Fido will have the best Halloween ever: For humans only: As much as you enjoy dressing Spot as a cowboy, most dogs do not enjoy being...