Posted on March 1, 2010.
At the owner's home insurance will cover a dog attack? My friend owns a house. His friend, who lives with him and pays rent, owns a pit bull who also lives in the House. Today, the pit bull is out of the back door and attacked a bystander and another dog. How it works? Could my friend, who owns the house, be prosecuted? If so, its owners insurance cover anything? The roommate, who technically owns the dog at all responsible?
I have little trial.
The dog may be seized by animal control if it is reported. Laws vary by state and municipality.
The owner may be liable if he lives there, even if it is not the owner of the dog. The dog's owner will probably be continued.
Concerning coverage for homeowners' insurance. It will depend on the policy.
The problem here is that the friend of your friend is technically a tenant! In most of the NY home insurance policies do not cover liability or personal property of a tenant. If your friend should be prosecuted, but his policies would pay for the defense, and would probably not end up paying as it is not her dog, first.
Unfortunately, many home insurance policies do not cover a house if there is a particular breed of dog (pit bull restrictions are common) so if his insurance company has this restriction, your friend will probably not renewed because of this.
This is the way policies are in New York, your state may be different.
Both are responsible, both will be pursued. Unless the roommate is a tenants policy, he must pay his own lawyer to represent him because the owners of your political friend will not cover it.
owners policy cover your friend until it is an animal or a dog disclaimer and if the dog was not there at the time of initial application or underwriting questionnaires later. If the dog was there and your friend does not tell the insurance that is misrepresentation, the policy will probably be canceled and there will be no coverage, your friend should hire its own lawyer and pay their pocket any judgments rendered against him.
One of my insured had a tenant who had a dog that came out, was miles away and someone soon. My insurance policy pursued me and the owners paid the liability policy limits. The reason the policy is paid because he allowed the dog to be on the property, then he was responsible. Fortunately, the company did not cancel its policy (it was about 20 years ago and that the tenant had left shortly after the incident). The incident today would even have caused a non-renewal.
Your friend must immediately notify his insurance and let the chips fall where they may. Dog bite claims are expensive. His political future owners will be at high risk and expensive, and a disclaimer dog. This will be the case for many years to come. It will be much cheaper than paying the claim out of pocket dog bite!
Your friend needs a local lawyer.
because in many states, a pit bull is considered a known danger to others, both your friend and the dog owner may be prosecuted.
On homeowners' insurance may or may not cover this - your friend needs to read the policy or call your agent ASAP.
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Note: Many insurance policies make it clear that if you fail to report a loss or a potential demand for over 30 days, the insurance company has no liability whatsoever. This means that if your friend does not tell the insurance company and was later sued - the company can deny all coverage, no matter what the policy says otherwise and does not have to defend your friend to everyone, or to pay anything.
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It's a great opportunity for your friend to go bankrupt because of lawsuits. Thus the prosecutor.
Oh, man. Your friend who owns the house most likely be prosecuted. Roommates, of course, he is responsible, also.
