Illinois was second in State Farm’s data, with 309 dog bites with total payouts of $10 million; followed by Texas with 219 claims, Ohio with 215, and Pennsylvania had 197 insurance claims for dog bites.
When looking at the bite and payout counts, keep in mind that California has a population of 37.6 million people. Texas has a population of 25.7 million people. Illinois has a population of 12.9 million people. Pennsylvania has a population of 12.7 million and Ohio has a population of 11.5 million. This makes Illinois the standout in State Farm dog bite numbers and payouts.
State Farm says it’s not about the breed, it’s the bite. They say a dog’s tendency to bite depends on various factors, including obedience training, health and the victim’s behavior before the dog attacks.
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Fox40 Sacramento
On the same day State Farm's dog bite data report was released, a commenter on a local Illinois pit bull attack story said this:
LooselipsI've come across some wonderful pit bulls that were sweet and loving... however in my profession I review homeowner liability claims and I can tell you OVERWHELMINGLY most bites to humans and other animals comes from pits. This isn't a scientific observation, I don't keep track but it's an everyday thing... I don't know if it's the breed but I can tell you I would never own one and never let my children around one. Almost every day I pay claims to people injured or had their pets injured by pits. Sometimes it's other dogs but I'm sorry to say, most are pits.
State Farm did not release bite counts or payouts ranked by breed. And given State Farm's pandering statement of willful ignorance about breed not mattering statistically, one wonders if non-pit bull owners insured by State Farm are, in fact, sharing the costs of higher payouts for pit bull attacks.
What would Flo say?
TIME TO RE-EVALUATE INSURANCE CARRIERS
