When a dog becomes aggressive toward a human, people may suffer painful, disfiguring or possibly even debilitating injuries. A single incident might leave someone in the hospital for days and in need of surgery, which might mean that their total medical expenses for the incident add up to tens of thousands of dollars.
Particularly when people do not have health insurance, they may worry that a dog bite incident will leave them with a staggering amount of medical debt. They may also have to take an extended leave of absence from work for treatment or to care for an injured child. Thankfully, those bitten by an aggressive dog in New York may be able to count on homeowners’ insurance to cover their costs.
The owner’s policy might apply
Many people recovering from a dog bite incident can obtain compensation from the dog owner’s insurance policy. Most homeowners’ insurance policies include premises liability coverage. That type of insurance protects the owner against financial responsibility for injuries that occur at the property.
So long as someone reported the dog bite to the appropriate insurance company and there are verifiable financial losses, it may be possible to obtain compensation from a homeowners’ insurance policy for an attack by an aggressive dog. Those with renal insurance may also have coverage that can pay for someone’s expenses after a dog bite incident.
Occasionally, it may be necessary to pursue a personal injury lawsuit against the dog’s owner, at which point certain New York state laws will influence someone’s eligibility for compensation. Reviewing the details of a dog bite incident with an attorney can help someone better establish what options they may have for covering their costs.