Malman Law
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Wednesday, May 11, 2011

IL Ranks Second

IL Ranks Second for Dog Bite Personal Injury Claims

According to a recent study by popular insurer State Farm, Chicago personal injury attorneys are busy with dog bite claims. The study reports that “dogs in Illinois take the second-biggest bite out of State Farm’s claim expenses nationally, accounting for the most bites and total payouts nationally after California,” according to the Chicago Tribune.

The other eight states in the top ten include Florida, Minnesota, Indiana, Ohio, Texas, Michigan, Pennsylvania and New York. Florida has the highest average claim – $38,356 per incident – while the top two states (California and Illinois) have more claims but lower payouts of $30,600 approximately. It was not reported the percentage of claims that were filed with help from Chicago personal injury attorneys.

Last year there were 317 Illinois dog bite claims filed with State Farm, resulting in compensation awards of $9.7 million. The figure for the previous year, including all U.S. insurers, was $412 million according to the Insurance Information Institute. Of all dog bites in 2010, 33 resulted in death, including two in Illinois.

Chicago Dog Bite Injuries
Chicago dog bite attacks can cause serious emotional, physical, and psychological damage which may be permanent. Not only can an attack be incredibly painful, but the victim may also have to sustain extensive surgery to repair the injury. It is possible that even this may not be enough to prevent permanent scarring and disfigurement.

According to Illinois law, if a dog bite victim does not provoke an attack, they are entitled to damages. You may also seek Chicago personal injury compensation if you were injured while running away from an aggressive dog. Even if you are the dog’s first bite victim and the animal does not have a prior history of violence, you can file a claim with help from a Chicago personal injury attorney.

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