January 4, 2011

Dog Bite Prevention, What Can A Dog Owner Do?

I know she’s cute, I know she’s the fuzziest, cuddliest and sweetest thing you’ve ever seen. But the fact is – no matter how sweet, cute or fuzzy – any dog will bite, given the right circumstance. In fact, most dog bites received by people are from their own dog or one they know. So what can a dog owner do for insurance against dog bites? Here are some helpful tips:

Dog Bite Prevention Tip 1: Select your pet carefully. Many dogs, especially puppies, are selected on emotional impulse. This can be a mistake if you don’t know what behaviors and tendencies to watch for. In fact, before and after you make a selection, a visit to your veterinarian will be valuable for observation of behavior, health and suitability.

Dog Bite Prevention Tip 2: Be aware of socialization. Depending on how your dog or puppy was raised prior to adoption, he or she may have trouble feeling at ease around people and other animals. Gradually expose them to a variety of situations under controlled circumstances; continue that exposure regularly. Avoid any situation where your dog might feel threatened or teased.

Dog Bite Prevention Tip 3: Make training a priority. Basic dog training has proven to build a healthy bond of trust and obedience between dogs and their people. Owners can promote control of aggressive dog behaviors through avoidance of highly excitable games like wrestling or tug-of-war, and through using a leash in public.

Dog Bite Prevention Tip 4: Consider the safety of children. Always know where your dog is when young children are present, and avoid situations where the dog might be eating while young children are around. Because young children are especially vulnerable to serious dog bite injury, it is suggested that parents wait to get a dog until children are 4 years of age or older.

Dog Bite Prevention Tip 5: Make good health a practice. Make sure your dog is properly vaccinated against rabies and preventable infectious diseases. Overall health care has a significant effect on how your dog feels and behaves. Dogs that are frequently left alone have a greater chance of developing behavioral problems. Walk and exercise your dog regularly to provide exercise and mental stimulation.

No matter how much effort you make to protect your dog and other people from situations where a dog bite might occur, there is always the risk that it might happen. There is wisdom on the part of any dog owner in obtaining proper dog bite insurance coverage to aid victims and prevent financial loss in these situations. Click here for more information and to obtain an online dog bite insurance policy quote.

November 8, 2010

“Beware of Dog Liability” – Wisdom in Dog Bite Insurance

Many dog owners are asking themselves if they need dog bite insurance. First, it’s important to note that there are as many as 800,000 dog bites treated every year in the United States. The number of unreported dog bites is estimated to be as high as 3.9 million a year, and children account for more than 60 percent of dog bite victims. Many people own dogs as a method for deterring prowlers or trespassers. But, be advised, a “Beware of Dog” sign does not absolve you of liability for injury caused by your dog. Dog bite insurance could be an important consideration for any dog owner – especially owners of so-called dangerous breeds.

Most courts will hold you liable for the injuries your dog inflicts, depending on the specific circumstances surrounding the bite. In some states, like New Mexico, there are “one bite” laws – even if the bite victim was trespassing on your property. In these states, you are strictly liable for any dog bites that take place after the first occurrence. You can also be held liable on the first dog bite if the courts find you were negligent in some manner.

As the number of dog bite injuries in the U.S. rises, more and more dog owners find themselves receiving cancellations of homeowners or renters insurance, or the policies that they purchase exclude coverage for incidents involving the breed of their dog. Your dog is legally a member of your household, and you can be held personally liable for your dog’s actions. Your policy can be in jeopardy even if your mixed breed dog’s background contains certain breeds. The breeds that insurance companies most often refuse coverage for are American Staffordshire Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers, the mixed breeds commonly called Pit Bulls, and Rottweilers. Because of their powerful jaws, these dogs can cause severe injury.

Whether your dog is considered a dangerous breed or not, it would be worth a phone call to your insurance agent to determine whether or not your dog is covered – before a dog bite incident occurs. You should also consider purchasing supplemental dog bite insurance or animal liability insurance for your dog. This type of coverage is relatively inexpensive, is easy to obtain, and could save you all kinds of expensive legal hassle. Online quotes for supplemental dog bite insurance coverage can be obtained through www.xinsurance.com.

October 6, 2010

Medical Professionals: A Common Target for Opportunists

The simple fact is that we live in an increasingly litigious society. Just like the rest of us, attorneys are out trying to make a living in a tough economy. What 20 years ago might have been passed over as an innocent oversight or a common occurrence, now represents an opportunity to hold somebody personally liable. Frivolous or opportunistic lawsuits are a legitimate concern for most of us, but they are also a significantly growing concern for medical professionals.

Most medical professionals carry malpractice insurance policies with professional liability coverage, or the hospitals and care centers that they work for have policies that cover professional errors or actions while on the job. But what about personal liability claims against medical professionals: sexual harassment and molestation claims, acts that can be construed as off-duty care, or the myriad of frivolous claims that can be made by patients against their caregivers that fall outside of traditional insurance coverage? Here are a few examples to consider:

What happens when a frivolous or opportunistic claim falls categorically into the exclusions in a medical professional’s traditional policies? Worse yet, what happens when the employer decides to hold the employed medical professional personally liable for actions or decisions that have resulted in frivolous claims? In fact, it has become increasingly common for opportunistic attorneys to seek liability and damages from both businesses and individuals as a method of maximizing client benefit from a claim.

XINSURANCE policies are designed to provide supplemental coverage that protects medical professionals from personal and individual professional liability – including coverage for legal defense when claims are ill-conceived or frivolous. The XINSURANCE underwriting process helps medical professionals (including physicians, nurses, therapists, technicians, paramedics and other EMS staff) to identify the specific activities they engage in that could expose them to legal risk. For more information follow this link.

March 19, 2010

Sports Coach Liability Insurance

While being the coach of a sports team is a high-energy, fun and rewarding job, there is a lot of responsibility to take when it comes to your players. You are responsible for training them, helping develop their skills and of course, giving leadership and direction during a game. However, you are also responsible to teaching them ways to prevent injury and keep good health. But in any activity, especially high contact sports, accidents happen. And unfortunately in many cases, the team coach receives the blame.

For this reason, it is important for sports coaches to have custom coach liability insurance plan. Parents of the players may sue for negligence after their child gets injured, and as a coach, you need to be prepared and protected. No matter how many extra steps you take to ensure that none of your players get injured, you can always expect injuries to occur sooner or later. Even if you’ve done nothing wrong and take every precaution possible, you still need to go the extra step and protect yourself with sports coach liability insurance plan.

March 12, 2010

Data Security Liability Insurance

A great deal of responsibility is required for someone in a data management position, such as an IT manager, CIO or a PCI auditor. They are responsible for private and valuable company information, as well as very detailed customer information in some cases. However, with access to highly important and sensitive information they also run the risk to have to defend themselves in a fraud case. For this reason, it is extremely important to have data security liability insurance.

Security fraud is a very serious and dangerous act. Companies, as well as individuals, may be put at stake for informational and identity theft even if they personally didn’t do anything wrong. Since you can’t always control what happens, such as a network breach, it is necessary to have a defense policy in place with a custom data security manager liability plan to stay protected in the event that a civil lawsuit seeking monetary damages is filed against you.

March 5, 2010

Camp Counselor Liability Insurance

With so many people going to summer camp year after year growing up, it’s easy to see why becoming a camp counselor when you’re old enough is so popular. Not only do you get to keep doing the things you love, but you also get to earn money in the process. But while it’s easy to get caught up in all the fun you’re having, you need to keep in mind that as a camp counselor, you’re faced with a world of responsibility, including the well-being and safety all the kids.

This is why it’s so important to have a camp counselor liability insurance plan to protect yourself from civil lawsuits in the event the parents of a child file a claim against you for incidents including: injury to their child, abuse or negligence. While you might do your best to make sure nothing bad ever happens to a camper, you can’t always be there to prevent the unfortunate from happening. This is why you need to protect yourself from such cases, so take the next steps and get yourself covered with a custom camp counselor liability plan.

February 25, 2010

Outdoor Outfitter & Guide Liability Insurance

Engaging in outdoor activities such as rafting, hiking and horseback riding can be thrilling. But if basic safety precautions are not observed, a fun outdoors adventure can quickly turn into a dangerous affair.

The biggest danger while rafting is drowning, as well as injury from the impact on rocks when falling out of the raft. Dangers of hiking include heat exhaustion, falls, and getting lost. While horseback riding, it is important to remember that animals are unpredictable, and exception care is essential.
Injuries from falling off a horse may be fatal, as most riders do not wear a helmet.

It is the responsibility of the guide or outfitter, as the leader of outdoor adventure programs, to be mindful of the risks of each activity, and to teach their clients about necessary safety precautions. However, guides cannot always prevent accidents. Therefore, outfitter and guide liability insurance is an important necessity to their careers. Anything can happen, especially in the wilderness, and guides need to be protected, especially by covering liability insurance gaps left exposed by traditional plans.