USA: INSURANCE, DOG BITES MORE EXPENSIVE THAN EVER

US insurance companies spend find dog bites increasingly more expensive. In 2009, their cost increased +6,4% vs. the prior year, reaching 412 million vs. 387,2 million dollars in 2008. That was the fifth year in a row that the cost went up, some a +25% since 2003. The single most important cause is the related health care costs. Claims have increased 4,8% and were 16.586 in total, according to the Insurance Information Institute. Each year, 4,7 million Americans are bitten by a dog and at least 900000 require medical attention.