According to a study recently completed by State Farm and the Insurance Information Institute, dog bits accounted for more than one-third of all homeowners insurance liability claim dollars paid out in 2012, costing more than $489 million. While the cost of settling dog bite claims went up by 1.2 percent last year, the overall number of claims fell by 1.4 percent. The average cost paid out for dog bite claims was $29,752 in 2012 compared with $29,396 in 2011. The following are the top 10 states with the most dog bite-related claims, ranked by number of claims.
New York from top of the rock
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10. New York
Number of claims: 116Estimated claims paid: $6.4 million
Push Pin on Atlanta
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9. Georgia
Number of claims: 121Estimated claims paid: $3.3 million
Florida
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8. Florida
Number of claims: 123Estimated claims paid: $7.1 million
Welcome to Indiana road sign against blue sky.
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7. Indiana
Number of claims: 148Estimated claims paid: $2.7 million
Michigan
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6. Michigan
Number of claims: 151Estimated claims paid: $4.6 million
drawing of pennsylvania state on chalkboard, drawn by chalk