Homeowners' Policies Canceled
Monday,
May 6, 2002
Wisconsin insurance companies are increasingly canceling
or refusing to write liability policies for dog owners after recent reports of
dog attacks and a state law that provides double damages for some dog-related
injuries.
Eric Englund, president of the Wisconsin Insurance
Alliance, said the trend against insuring dog owners is nationwide but is
exacerbated in Wisconsin by the double damage law. A dog owner is liable for
two times the amount of the damage caused by a dog if the owner knew that the
dog had previously injured a person or a domestic animal, or damaged property.
"Insurance companies are nervous about paying double
damages," Englund said.
The Dog Federation of Wisconsin and other organizations of dog owners are working with the insurance industry to change Wisconsin law to eliminate the double damages provision and narrow the scope of liability.