There are still a few insurance companies that do not have breed-specific exclusions in their liability policies.
According to the Humane Society of the United States, approximately 39 percent of Americans have one or more dog. Some breeds, such as the pit bull, account for more attacks on humans and other animals than others. Many insurance companies have excluded these breeds from their liability coverage due to the high costs of medical care for the victims and the potential lawsuits. The Insurance Information Institute estimates that one-third of all homeowners liability claims are the result of dog bites. Fortunately, some insurers have not excluded these breeds from coverage.
Instructions
1. Select an insurance company that does not have breed-specific exclusions in their home owner's or renter's insurance policies. As of July 2011, these companies include: Fireman's Fund, Chubb Group, Farmer's Insurance, State Farm, United Services Automobile Association and Einhorn. Einhorn insurance is only available in California.
State Farm does ask questions about the history of the dog. If the dog has bitten before (no matter what breed the dog is) State Farm will consider the circumstances of the bite before excluding the dog from liability coverage. Some companies deny coverage for a single bite, regardless of the circumstances.
2. Contact the insurance company or one of their agents. Discuss your dog, the local laws and regulations and the company's specific policies regarding pit bulls. Set up an appointment to fill out a homeowner's or renter's policy application.
3. Answer the questions on the insurance policy application honestly. Dishonest answers on the application can be grounds for the insurance company to deny a claim or cancel your policy.
4. Read the policy fully and understand what exclusions are stated or implied. Ask the company or your agent specific questions if you do not understand your coverage.
5. Purchase personal liability umbrella insurance in addition to your homeowner's insurance. Umbrella insurance covers many situations not covered by homeowner's liability policies. In some cases, umbrella policies cover dog bites that occur off of your property.
6. Look for pending Breed Specific Legislation (BSL) in your state. BSL bans ownership of all dogs of a specific breed, such as pit bulls. If such laws are pending in your state, contact your lawmakers and voice your opinion. If your breed is outlawed in your state, it gives insurance companies more reasons to exclude these breeds from their policy coverages.
7. Describe your dog in a non-threatening way. Owners of mixed breed dogs can avoid some problems by identifying the dog by the other breed in the mix. For example, if you own a pit-lab mix, you may describe the dog as a "lab mix" instead of a "pit mix".
8. In Michigan and Pennsylvania it is illegal for insurance companies to deny coverage to specific breeds. Other states have similar laws pending.
9. In some states, such as California, the owner of the dog is responsible for the dog's actions regardless of his ability to pay for the damages or the extent of their insurance coverage. If you or your dog are uninsured, you can lose your current assets as well as future assets to pay for the damages. Some companies do exclude pit bulls with a history of bites or attacks.
10. In states and municipalities where pit bulls are banned, insurance companies do not provide coverage for them, even if the company does not have a policy against insuring the breed. For example, State Farm does not insure pit bulls in Ohio.
Tags: insurance companies, State Farm, breeds from, insurance company, these breeds