Florida Ranks #7 in Nation
May 16, 2012 - According to recently released claims data, Florida ranks #7 in the nation for dog bite claims. In 2011, State Farm in Florida had 157 dog bite claims and paid an estimated $5.1 million as a result. Each year, almost five million people are bitten or attacked by dogs. Dog bites are a serious public health problem that can cause both physical and emotional damage to victims and considerable cost to communities.
Top 10 States for State Farm Dog Bite Claims in 2011
| State | Number of claims | Claims paid (estimated) |
| California | 527 | $20.3 million |
| Illinois | 309 | $10.0 million |
| Texas | 219 | $5.1 million |
| Ohio | 215 | $5.4 million |
| Pennsylvania | 197 | $4.9 million |
| Michigan | 181 | $7.0 million |
| Florida | 157 | $5.1 million |
| Indiana | 139 | $3.5 million |
| New York | 133 | $6.1 million |
| Minnesota | 117 | $3.5 million |
A dog's tendency to bite depends on such factors as heredity, obedience training, socialization, health, and the victim's behavior. There are good dogs and bad dogs within every breed, just as there can be responsible and irresponsible owners of each breed. State Farm does not refuse insurance based on the breed of dog a customer owns in any U.S. state.
It's not the breed, it's the bite is one of the reasons that State Farm recognizes National Dog Bite Prevention Week May 20-26, 2012.
Children and seniors are frequent victims of dog bites. In fact, more than half of all dog bite victims are children. In addition to stressing responsible pet ownership, State Farm and the American Humane Association encourage responsible behavior and caution around dogs, including family pets. Under the right circumstances, any dog might bite.
For more information about dog bite prevention, visit the American Humane Association.
Michal Connolly State Farm Insurance, 863-318-3088
State Farm and its affiliates are the largest provider of car insurance in the U.S. and is a leading insurer in Canada. In addition to providing auto insurance quotes, their 17,800 agents and more than 65,000 employees serve 81 million policies and accounts - more than 79 million auto, home, life and health policies in the United States and Canada, and nearly 2 million bank accounts. Commercial auto insurance, along with coverage for renters, business owners, boats and motorcycles, is also available. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company is the parent of the State Farm family of companies. State Farm is ranked No. 37 on the Fortune 500 list of largest companies. For more information, please visit http://www.statefarm.com or in Canada http://www.statefarm.ca.
