Homeowners are responsible, not just for the safety of themselves and their families, but also for the guests they invite over, and even for the strangers passing by on their property. Even in weird instances, you have to be prepared with the right protection. So what happens if a neighbor’s dog bites a stranger on your property? Who’s responsible for this mess, anyway?

Fortunately, a South Carolina independent insurance agent can not only answer this question for you, but also help you find the right insurance. They know just which type of protection you need, and they’ll get you set up with it long before you ever need to file a claim. But first, here’s a closer look at which coverage would protect you in this case.

What Does Pet Insurance Cover in South Carolina?

A pet insurance policy is like a special form of health insurance for your furry, feathered, or scaled children. While there are several options for coverage, the three major ones are:

• Basic coverage: Provides reimbursement for medical procedures at the lowest available level. Partially reimburses for certain illnesses, injuries, and poisoning incidents. This is the cheapest coverage option.
• Comprehensive coverage: Provides reimbursement for a broader range of disasters, including emergency illnesses or accidents, severe illnesses, and injuries. Also reimburses for medical procedures like tests and X-rays. Comprehensive coverage is more expensive than basic.
• Well care coverage: Provides reimbursement for exams, vaccinations, and other forms of preventive care.

There’s also a type of pet coverage known as life and theft insurance. It’s meant for pricier animals, like zebras or critters of a rare breed, and is commonly purchased by zoos. Owners of prize-winning animals, such as horses, also buy this coverage, however. Pet life and theft insurance also reimburses the owner if their animal gets stolen, and provides a death benefit if the animal passes away due to a covered cause.

What Doesn't Pet Insurance Cover in South Carolina?

Pet insurance in South Carolina covers many threats to your animals’ health, but there are also certain exclusions. While exclusions may vary by policy, some common examples are:

Your South Carolina independent insurance agent can help you determine which coverage exclusions apply to your specific pet insurance policy.

Who’s Responsible If My Neighbor’s Dog Bites a Stranger While on My Property?

For this scenario, the fault would follow the owner of the dog. Meaning, in this case, your neighbor would be responsible. If the bite was relatively minor, insurance and medical care may not be required. However, if the bite was more severe and the stranger got injured, they could choose to press charges against your neighbor. Your neighbor would have to be equipped with the right liability coverage to protect themselves from potentially high costs.

Am I Responsible for Covering Any Damage Caused by My Neighbor’s Dog?

Fortunately, no, you wouldn’t be. According to insurance expert Paul Martin, you wouldn’t be held responsible in the eyes of any insurance company if your neighbor’s dog happened to be on your property when it bit someone. You still wouldn’t be at fault if you’d invited your neighbor over when their dog bit a stranger or even a guest at your house. If the stranger antagonized your neighbor’s dog, however, your neighbor wouldn’t be responsible for the bite.

What If I Don’t Have Pet Liability Insurance?

Well, it would be your neighbor who needed to have pet liability insurance, or at least adequate liability protection through their South Carolina homeowners insurance. Your neighbor could be reimbursed for legal costs if they were sued by the stranger who got bitten, by their liability coverage under their homeowners insurance. However, pet liability insurance also offers critical protection, including for breeds that are commonly excluded by homeowners insurance.

Pet liability insurance protects against injuries and other mishaps caused by your animal and is commonly purchased for dogs. Coverage only applies to third-party injuries and claims, not injuries to you or your family members, nor for any personal property damage caused by your pet. A South Carolina independent agent can help you (and your neighbor) decide if the liability protection provided by your homeowners policy is adequate, or if you should get pet liability insurance.

Dog Bite Stats

You may not think this hypothetical scenario is one you need to be worried about. However, dog bites happen more frequently than you might expect. Check out some dog bite stats for not only South Carolina, but the US overall, and see for yourself.

If you’re still unsure of whether your specific dog poses a risk to strangers, check out some of the most reportedly dangerous dog breeds. These breeds can be excluded by homeowners insurance companies, so it’s important to look into pet liability insurance if you own any of the following.

America’s Most Dangerous Dog Breeds

Breeds/types of dog involved in fatal attacks on humans in the US from 2005 to 2017

Pit bulls were involved in the highest number of fatal attacks on humans in the observed period, with a total of 284 reported incidents. Rottweilers were a distant second, with 45 reported attacks. German Shepherds were the third-most common attackers, but with less than half the number of attacks by Rottweilers, for a total of 20.

Sadly, dog bites and downright vicious attacks on strangers can and do happen. That’s all the more reason to be equipped with the right liability protection. A South Carolina independent insurance agent can ensure you get set up with all the coverage you need.

Here’s How a South Carolina Independent Insurance Agent Can Help

When it comes to protecting you against incidents of your neighbor’s dog biting a stranger on your property and everything else, no one’s better equipped to help than a South Carolina independent insurance agent. Independent insurance agents search through multiple carriers to find providers who specialize in pet liability insurance, deliver quotes from a number of different sources, and help you walk through them all to find the best blend of coverage and cost.