Can an insurance deny coverage because you hold a pit bull?
Answers:
YES!
Many can. Check the specifics of your policy or telephone call your agent. It is completely within their rights to deny you coverage if you own a unsafe animal. They can also deny you coverage if you have a pool w/o a lockable wall and numerous other things that they feel put them at increased risk of have to pay.
yes...
It would own to depend on the type of insurance. I know some places that decline homeowners insurance because the family owns heaps dogs, especially trained attack dogs. Homeowners insurance also covers general liability, so if one of those dogs be to say, bite the neighbor or the postal worker, consequently they can be sued and the homeowners insurance would cover it.
I can see the legal liability exposure a pitbulls, so I can see that an insurance company would decline this.
If your chitchat about home insurance.. they can deny coverage. This is due to the reality that there is a risk of the dog cause injury to another person. Especially if its a pit bull, German shepherd.. doberman.. etc.. Some companies consider these type of dogs to be dodgy. You might want to talk to your insurance company, and see if they extend some sort of exclusion you can sign, so they will not be liable for any bodily injury your dog causes. Other companies might insure you as long as the dog have gone through some sort of domestic training course.
Yes, also for dobermans & rottweilers
I'm assuming you're discussion about homeowner's insurance. Yes.
Absolutely. In some states, people who hold "dangerous" breeds (pits, rottis, shepherds, dobies, etc.) may have to sign a waiver that their homeowner's insurance won't cover "attacks" by the pet (even if duplicate exact "attack" is covered for - say - a shi tzu). However, if your animal isn't papered (AKC registered) and you register/license him/her near your local authority as a "mixed breed" it could be a way around it.
I've other liked "dangerous" dogs (have a pit mix right now), and own faced this problem myself. Fortunately, my insurance agent (who must remain anonymous) give me the above tips.
This depends on the company's underwriting rules. If they hold a specific rule that states that they will not cover liability losses due to dog bites or dog bites from certain breeds, or if they surcharge for have those types of breeds and they were never informed that you have one, then they can deny a claim base on that. What is and is not covered is spelled out in your policy wordings. If they deny the claim later they should refer you to the specific area surrounded by the policy wording that they are basing their denial on.
Also the loss have to be related to the fact that you ahve a pit bull. If you have a fire loss and they deny your claim because they found out you have a pit bull (which have nothing to do next to the fire loss), then this would be unseemly as the material alteration had nil to do with the loss.
I don't know of ANY insurance companies that will give you personal liability coverage (automatic, on a homeowners or renters policy) if you enjoy a pit bull, except Foremost - and THEY make you exclude dog bite liability.
So yes. They can, and they do.
Yes they can and tons do--but not all. If you obligation to find homeowner's or renters insurance and you own a breed that has be black listed, the article surrounded by this newsletter ("Is Your Homeowner's Insurance Putting You In The Dog House?") may help you. It mentions some companies that do not enjoy a policy of denying or cancelling coverage base on breed (and some that do).
http://www.the-proper-pitbull.com/bully_...
Good Luck
yes, if owning a pit bull is prohibited by statute , or if the insurance company can show that owning the dog is an increase in risk, or if the dog have had prior problems.
unfortunatly, an agressive dog have no defense when the insurer is more concerned about protection of it's assets.
An insurance company will ask on a homeowners application if you hold any pets/wild animals on your premises. If you answer yes it will then ask what description of animal and if it's ever bitten anyone before. If the dog have ever bitten anyone the insurance company can either one exclude dog liability, or two angle your rates due to higher risk. You want to state on the application that you have a pit bull though because if you read out no and then it bites someone the insurance company could technically deny coverage because you neglected to state it on the application.
Homeowners or renters' insurance? Yes. They can also deny you if you hold a Doberman, Rottweiler, or German Sheperd. Their reasoning is that "statistics show" that these dogs bite more than other breeds - even though EVERY dog owner knows that it's REALLY the little yappy rodents on leashes that bite more.
Yes