$4.2 Million Verdict Reflects Rise in Dog Bite Claims

A jury recently awarded $4.2 million to an 82-year-old Georgia woman who suffered significant injuries when she was attacked by a neighbor’s dog. The woman was walking with a friend near her home in Jonesboro when a 130-pound Presa Canario mastiff entered her property, knocked her to the ground, and bit her hand and thigh, according to Property Casualty 360.

The incident, which occurred in 2020, reportedly led to a series of medical problems for the woman, including lacerations, an infection, a six-day hospitalization, hip and thigh injuries, and nerve damage. She eventually developed “drop foot,” a condition that makes it difficult to lift the front part of the foot, which led to a fall that broke her leg.

The size of the $4.2 million settlement “does not necessarily surprise me,” said Anella Niewenhous, Associate Vice President, Consolidation, Regional Practice Leader, Burns & Wilcox, Morehead City, North Carolina. “It seems like juries are awarding more and more these days — not just for dog bite claims but liability claims across the board.”

The case is just one example of how homeowners can be held personally liable for a large judgment, potentially putting their assets at risk if they do not have sufficient limits on their Homeowners Insurance or a separate Personal Umbrella Insurance policy.

“We are seeing these sorts of settlements happen all over the country,” said Lance Peterson, Senior Underwriter, Personal Insurance, Burns & Wilcox, Las Vegas, Nevada. “Many individuals are not aware that you could essentially be financially ruined in seconds if you do not have this policy in place.”

Many individuals are not aware that you could essentially be financially ruined in seconds if you do not have this policy in place.

Liability judgments on the rise

In the Georgia dog bite case, the jury awarded the woman $4.2 million plus more than $89,000 in unliquidated interest. According to Law.com, the dog owner’s insurance company did not accept offers to settle the case before it went to trial and during closing arguments asked the jury to award the woman $150,000 for her pain and suffering and future medical expenses. In 2023, the great-grandmother told WSB-TV that her “whole life” was changed due to the dog attack and that she wanted justice.

In January 2025, a family received a $1 million settlement after their 4-year-old was bitten by his grandmother’s German Shepherd, causing serious injuries, Missouri Lawyers Media reported. In August 2023, an Illinois woman attacked by a neighbor’s Rottweiler while walking her dog in 2021 was awarded $1.5 million after suing the dog’s owner, the Evanston Round Table reported at the time.

“Settlements in general are getting more expensive,” Niewenhous said.

According to the Insurance Information Institute, the cost of dog bite-related injury claims increased 18.3% in 2024 to an average of $69,272 and grew 86.1% between 2015 and 2024. Although multi-million-dollar judgments over dog bite cases may not occur frequently, homeowners should understand how their Homeowners Insurance would respond in the event of an incident. Some breeds that are considered dangerous, including mastiffs, may be excluded on these policies, Niewenhous said.

“It is up to the homeowner to read their policy and understand any exclusions, and it is up to the broker to educate them about that as well,” she said.

It is up to the homeowner to read their policy and understand any exclusions, and it is up to the broker to educate them about that as well.

Homeowners Insurance, which can provide coverage for medical expenses, legal costs, and settlements, often has limits between $300,000 to $500,000, Peterson explained. “Generally, the Personal Umbrella Insurance sits on top of the underlying policies,” including Homeowners Insurance and Auto Liability Insurance, he said. “Once those limits are exhausted, the Personal Umbrella can respond.”

Personal assets at risk

As medical and legal expenses climb in the U.S. and Canada, homeowners should know that standard Homeowners Insurance and Auto Liability Insurance limits are often insufficient for a serious personal liability suit.

“Those limits are going to get exhausted pretty quickly in the event of a lawsuit,” Peterson said. Without Personal Umbrella Insurance to cover the remaining amount of a potential judgment, “it would then go to your personal assets, your house, retirement funds — everything,” he said.

“When there is no Personal Umbrella Insurance to respond, essentially your financial worth is gone or at risk,” he said. “It is a must-have.”

[Personal Umbrella Insurance] is a must-have.

Although pricing has increased on these policies in recent years, “it is still relatively affordable, considering what you are getting in terms of protection,” according to Peterson.

When considering Personal Umbrella Insurance, an insurance broker can help individuals assess their risks by discussing their assets and coverage needs. The cost is “minimal” in comparison to the out-of-pocket expenses that would arise in a lawsuit, Niewenhous said. Those who do not own a home can still obtain coverage for dog bites and other claims by purchasing Comprehensive Personal Liability Insurance.

“You do not know you need it until you need it,” she said. “We cannot predict whether or not something will happen. When we are seeing these payouts and claims on the rise, it makes it even more evident that everyone should have at least another layer of protection, even if it is just a $1 million Umbrella.”

When we are seeing these payouts and claims on the rise, it makes it even more evident that everyone should have at least another layer of protection, even if it is just a $1 million Umbrella.

Teen drivers, trampolines, and other liabilities

Beyond dog bites, personal liability claims can also arise from a variety of everyday situations — many of which homeowners may not associate with the risk of a lawsuit. This includes accidents involving youthful drivers, libel, and slander allegations, slip-and-falls on your property, pool, or trampoline injuries, or damage your child causes to others’ belongings. They can also stem from hosting a party where a guest causes harm after drinking alcohol.

“If you hosted a party and provided liquor and the unthinkable happens on the drive home, you could be held liable in court for over-serving your guest,” Peterson said. “That is one of the hidden exposures that a lot of individuals do not realize is there.”

An individual could even be sued over a social media post or public review of an establishment. “If you are online venting about an experience and the business owner takes that and claims they are losing business because of what you said, that could fall under your Personal Umbrella Insurance,” he said.

Libel and slander are hot topics currently, Niewenhous added, especially as more individuals use social media to speak their mind. “Words matter,” she said, but it is one of several issues homeowners often do not consider as a potential liability. “I do not think the everyday consumer or homebuyer is thinking along those lines.”

Fortunately, the policy “comes with you wherever you go,” Peterson said. “It is not just limited to the premises of your home, which is great.”