If you have a dog with a history of biting people - you could risk LOSING your home owners insurance policy.
As medical and liability costs for dog bites continue to go up - insurance companies are cracking down.
News Specialist Ed Yeates reports.
Christian Giauque is now one of more than four and a half million people each year bitten by dogs.
He got his wound five weeks ago, but in this case, it wasn't the dog's fault.
MELISSA GIAUQUE, CHRISTIAN'S MOTHER: "HE WAS OUTSIDE PLAYING AND DECIDED TO GRAB OUT A STICK FROM A DUCK'S POOL AND DECIDED TO HIT HIM WITH A STICK."
ED YEATES, EYEWITNESS NEWS: "CHRISTIAN'S DOG BITE WAS UNEXPECTED BECAUSE CALVIN, AS A BLACK LAB, IS REALLY QUITE A FRIENDLY DOG." ))
Melissa is now teaching her children some basics. Don't abuse or play rough even with a family pet. She's also aware of costs. Her son's medical bill was $5-thousand - most of which was paid by insurance. And therein lies the rub with the industry as it adds up bills across the country.
Eric Olsen / State Farm Insurance: "THE INSURANCE COMPANIES THEMSELVES PAID OUT ABOUT A QUARTER BILLION DOLLARS - AND ATTACHED HOSPITAL STAYS AND EVERYTHING ELSE - MISSED TIME OFF WORK - YOU'RE CLOSE TO A BILLION DOLLARS."
So far, State Farm and some other companies DO NOT discriminate against dog ownership - but claims paid out for bites are forcing some changes. For example:
OLSEN: "WE WON'T WRITE A WOLF HYBRID. IF YOU HAVE A WOLF HYBRID, YOU ARE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO GET A HOMEOWNERS POLICY"
NO company will insure owners of pit bulls in Ohio anymore because the state there has declared the breed dangerous. And others are being added to the list. While most companies still look at policy holders - not the dogs - that too is changing.
OLSEN: "WE WRITE A POLICY ON SOMEONE, A DOG BITES SOMEBODY, WE FIND OUT IN THE COURSE OF OUR INVESTIGATION - THIS DOG HAS BITTEN SOMEONE BEFORE - THAT POLICY MOST LIKELY IS GOING TO BE DROPPED ALTOGETHER."
Incidentally, insurers say Labradors pose the biggest risk for bites - not because they're mean - but because there's more of them out there.
May 23, 2002
