Articles Posted in Dog Bite

Instances of dog bites are on the rise in Illinois and across the country. In 2016, a woman was found dead in Illinois after being attacked by dogs. Last year, a pit bull brutally attacked and killed a 77-year-old woman in Alsip, Illinois. The pit bull was a pet in the woman’s home.  In 2015, 34 dog bite-related fatalities occurred in the United States. In comparison, from a period of 1979 to 1994, 279 dog bite-related fatalities occurred in the United States. That comes down to an average of 18 dog bite-related fatalities occurring annually during that time period. During 1995-1996, at least 25 people died as the result of a dog bite-related injury. Many more dog bites have occurred without a fatality resulting. According to the Centers for Disease Control, studies found that there were approximately 4.5 million dog bite victims per year in the United States. Of these annual dog bites, 885,000 dog bites (1 in 5 bites) are serious enough to require medical attention. In 2001, an estimated 368,245 people were treated by emergency room physicians for dog bite-related injuries. In the United States, Illinois is the 2^nd highest state for Dog Bite Complaints. In 2015, insurance company State Farm paid out over $118 million in dog bite claims. Continue reading