Through no fault of your own, sometimes the guests you host at your home or even passersby end up getting hurt. Even worse, sometimes their injuries stem from a source that doesn’t even belong to you. So what happens if your neighbor’s dog bites a stranger on your property? Who’s responsible for this mess, anyway?

Fortunately a Florida independent insurance agent can not only answer this question for you, but also help you find the right homeowners insurance. They know just which type of coverage you need, and they’ll help you find it before you have to file a claim. First, here’s a closer look at how your coverage would protect you in this situation.

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

The owner of the dog is always at fault in this scenario, said insurance expert Paul Martin. So, if the dog belongs to your neighbor, they’d be liable for any damage. If the stranger on your property decided to press charges for the bite or collect money for their medical treatment, it’d be your neighbor who’d need to pay.

Whose Insurance Would Cover the Dog Bite?

Technically, the claim could be filed through your own Florida homeowners insurance. Especially if the bite was so minor that the stranger didn’t require medical treatment, it could be easiest to just go ahead and file through your own insurance.

However, if the stranger got badly injured or wanted to sue the dog’s owner, then your neighbor’s homeowners insurance would likely take over the claim. Your neighbor would need the liability coverage and medical payments sections of their policy to protect themselves.

Could My Neighbor’s Homeowners Insurance Deny Their Claim?

Many homeowners insurance policies have exclusions for certain types of dogs. If a breed is notoriously violent or dangerous, it’s likely that the insurance company won’t cover any damage caused by them. It’s important to review your specific insurance’s rules for dog breeds from the beginning.

America’s most dangerous dog breeds

Pit bulls were responsible for the highest number of fatal attacks on humans, with a total of 284 reported incidents during a 12-year period. Rottweilers fell at a much more distant second, with 45 reported incidents. German Shepherds placed third at 20 incidents, less than half the number of attacks by Rottweilers.

Make sure to have your independent insurance agent review your homeowners policy with you if you have a dog, to make sure you’d be covered from any damage it may cause. If your neighbor has one of these dangerous breeds, their insurance might not cover them if it bit a stranger on your property. Then they’d have to pay for the damage out of their own pocket.

How Would My Neighbor’s Homeowners Insurance Cover Them in This Case?

Your neighbor’s homeowners insurance would protect them in two major ways if their dog bit a stranger, and was a covered breed. Homeowners insurance can protect your neighbor from the costs of their dog’s injury to a stranger through:

• Medical payments: Pays for the costs of medical treatment to an injured third party on your property, or caused by you away from home. Technically your own policy could cover this for the injured stranger as well.
• Liability coverage: Pays for the cost of legal defense, such as attorney, court, and settlement fees, if your neighbor got sued by the stranger. If the bitten stranger chose to press charges against you, your liability coverage would also kick in for your defense.

Would I Be Responsible for Damage Caused by My Neighbor’s Dog?

Martin said that no, you wouldn’t be held responsible by any insurance company if your neighbor’s dog bit a stranger while it just happened to be on your property. Even if your neighbor and their dog were guests at your house when the bite happened, it would still be on your neighbor.

There are a couple of instances in which it could actually be the stranger’s fault for the bite, though. If the stranger was teasing or antagonizing the dog, your neighbor wouldn’t be responsible for the bite.

Here’s How a Florida Independent Insurance Agent Would Help

Florida independent insurance agents are fully equipped to protect homeowners against commonly faced liabilities. Independent insurance agents shop multiple carriers to find providers who specialize in homeowners insurance. 

They can deliver quotes from a number of different sources and help you walk through them all to find the best blend of coverage and cost.