Condo Insurance After Dog Bite Claim.

guinness

New Member
1
I had a dog bite claim last year and my insurance dropped my coverage. My insurance agent couldn't find a company to insure me unless I got insurance just for fire but excluded liability. I didn't want to do that.
I went on a site that was able to get my home insurance but unfortunately it's very expensive. It includes dwelling which I don't need because I live in a condo. My rates are now close to $1500 (used to pay $400 a year).

Does anyone have any experience with this type of situation? I know that my options are few but I want to find condo insurance that can cover me that excludes my dog and dwelling.
I understand I'll be paying more for insurance but didn't think it would be almost 4x more.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
G
 
I had a dog bite claim last year and my insurance dropped my coverage.

What kind of dog?

My insurance agent couldn't find a company to insure me

Was that a captive agent at a direct writer or an independent agent? If it wasn't an independent agent I suggest you contact an independent agent that has access to several companies in the high risk market to see if you can get more competitive rates.

It includes dwelling which I don't need because I live in a condo.

Don't think you need property insurance? Well, I've read many tales of woe from condo owners on other sites who thought the same and then suffered tremendous property losses due to water damage, windstorm, fire or theft. You might not think that anything can happen to your personal property but when the storm breaks the windows and the rain comes rushing in or when the upstairs plumbing cuts loose without any fault of the upstairs owner and inundates your unit or a fire destroys your unit and you have no money to live elsewhere or repair the interior damage, you'll think otherwise.

And, with most condos, your "unit" can include structural elements from the floor, ceiling, and wall beams inward. That includes your drywall, paint, cabinets, fixtures, carpet, sometimes the wood flooring. The HOA won't cover any of that.

Does anyone have any experience with this type of situation? I know that my options are few but I want to find condo insurance that can cover me that excludes my dog and dwelling.

You might be able to find a policy that excludes dog liability but you would be foolish to buy one as the dog is your BIGGEST risk for getting sued if the dog bites somebody else. Without liability insurance for that your financial future goes in the toilet if you get sued. Even if, somehow, you are absolved of negligence (though most states have strict liability) you can potentially pay a lawyer tens of thousands of dollars before you are done.

Sorry to have to say this, but you might want to consider giving up the dog.
 
You might be able to find a policy that excludes dog liability but you would be foolish to buy one as the dog is your BIGGEST risk for getting sued if the dog bites somebody else. Without liability insurance for that your financial future goes in the toilet if you get sued. Even if, somehow, you are absolved of negligence (though most states have strict liability) you can potentially pay a lawyer tens of thousands of dollars before you are done.

Sorry to have to say this, but you might want to consider giving up the dog.

I agree with most of what you have said. Although on the last part, the OP's may want to consider a policy with an animal exclusion and then look at a separate policy for the animal liability. It will be important to see what if any gaps will exist and if he or she can live with that.
 
Didn't know a mere dog can pose so many problems :err:
As adjusterjack said, you can search for an independent broker. You can also use an InsurEye tool to compare quotes from different insurance providers. Also, you can read this condo insurance guide [insureye com/condo-insurance] to be aware of all possible risks and, well, try to avoid them in the future... Why did the dog bite in the first place? :err:
 
What kind of dog?

Was that a captive agent at a direct writer or an independent agent? If it wasn't an independent agent I suggest you contact an independent agent that has access to several companies in the high risk market to see if you can get more competitive rates.

Don't think you need property insurance? Well, I've read many tales of woe from condo owners on other sites who thought the same and then suffered tremendous property losses due to water damage, windstorm, fire or theft. You might not think that anything can happen to your personal property but when the storm breaks the windows and the rain comes rushing in or when the upstairs plumbing cuts loose without any fault of the upstairs owner and inundates your unit or a fire destroys your unit and you have no money to live elsewhere or repair the interior damage, you'll think otherwise.

And, with most condos, your "unit" can include structural elements from the floor, ceiling, and wall beams inward. That includes your drywall, paint, cabinets, fixtures, carpet, sometimes the wood flooring. The HOA won't cover any of that.

You might be able to find a policy that excludes dog liability but you would be foolish to buy one as the dog is your BIGGEST risk for getting sued if the dog bites somebody else. Without liability insurance for that your financial future goes in the toilet if you get sued. Even if, somehow, you are absolved of negligence (though most states have strict liability) you can potentially pay a lawyer tens of thousands of dollars before you are done.

Sorry to have to say this, but you might want to consider giving up the dog.

You absolutely need property insurance for the interior. Great points Jack. Additionally, dog bite claims average a minimum 25 to 30k payout these days so you are on the hook if it happens again. Even if you don't have the dog anymore it's still a loss paid on your behalf so you may have to suffer through a few more years until it falls off but don't forgo liability insurance. It's far more expensive not to have it.
 
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