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Tuesday, March 10, 2015
Coming soon: dog exclusions
According to this article in Claimsjournal.com, the American Association of Insurance Services (AAIS), which develops policy forms, has drafted endorsements for homeowners and umbrella policies which exclude coverage for damages caused by dogs owned by the policyholders.
Given the range of lawsuits that are brought against dog owners (I recall a case in which a dog barked from an enclosed lawn, startling the plaintiff and making her fall) and the high damages that can be awarded in dog bite cases, I recommend that dog owners avoid these endorsements even if it means paying higher premiums.
