Dog Bite Statistics

Dog bite losses exceed $1 billion per year. In 2018, 40 Americans were killed by dogs and 30 of the 40 were killed by pit bulls. Each year, more than 350,000 dog bite victims are seen in emergency rooms, and approximately 750,000 victims receive medical attention. Data that the CDC collected in the USA between 2001 and 2003 indicated there were 4.5 million dog bite victims per year, but that figure appears to be rising.

Despite the number of victims, only 16,000 of them per year (approximately) receive money from homeowners insurance companies and renters insurance companies. The medical bills for about 90% of the other 734,000 victims are paid by Medicare and Medicaid programs, and private health insurance. The nationwide average insurance payment for a dog bite case fluctuates between $32,000 and $40,000.

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