We have read the story or heard the news of someone that has been "mauled" by a dog. It's fairly common. More than 20% of all home owner liability lawsuits are over a dog bite. Let's face it, ANY dog can bite someone.
The problem begins when the homeowner fails to notify the insurance carrier that they have a dog. ** Most breeds are accepted by the standard carriers. Contact www.jmdins.com for the complete list.
There are others dog types, however, that are NOT accepted. Doberman, German Shepherd, Akita, Mastiff, Bull Terrier, are some of the breeds that top the NOT ACCEPTABLE list. There can be more than what I have listed. It's a company decision which dogs are considered OK.
These breeds of dog are different. These dogs have a tendency to bite and hold. They can "clamp" down and not let go. "Lock Jaw" is the term used. That's why they are not highly regarded in the eyes of the insurance company. They make great watch dogs, and have been breed over the years for that quality.
We encourage you to pull out your current Massachusetts home owners insurance policy and read the EXCLUSIONS page. If you come across language like; CANINE EXCLUSION or ANIMAL EXCLUSION, then your policy excludes either DOGS or ALL animals, depending on the specifics.
We are trained to read through the policies. We look for those pitfalls that can just come up and "bite" you. We have seen claims denied for this reason.
It cost's an insurance company an average of $25,000 to defend a lawsuit of this type. That doesn't include any judgenment for injury, should there be one. Many companies will simply EXCLUDE the coverage rather than get in the middle.
We love dogs, and all pets!!
Bring in your policy today. We can read it together and see if you're covered for dog bites or not.
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