Even the most cautious homeowner can’t anticipate all possible disasters that could happen on their property. Sometimes, unfortunately, these incidents affect strangers that are just passing by. So what would happen if your neighbor’s dog bit a stranger on your property? Who’s responsible for this mess, anyway?

Fortunately an Illinois independent insurance agent can help you answer this question and get you set up with enough homeowners insurance to protect you from similar incidents. But for starters, here’s a breakdown of how your coverage would protect you in this case.

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

According to insurance expert Paul Martin, it’s the dog’s owner that would be responsible in this situation. Even if their dog wandered onto your property before biting someone, it’s still not your responsibility if there’s an injury.

The stranger might decide to sue for their injuries and medical payments after getting bitten by the dog. It would be your neighbor’s responsibility to use their Illinois homeowners insurance to respond to the lawsuit.

Whose Insurance Would Cover the Dog Bite?

Really, you could file a claim through your own Illinois homeowners insurance policy if you wanted to. In the case of a minor incident that didn’t even cause injury to the stranger, it might be easiest to just go that route.

But if the stranger needed medical treatment for an injury from the dog bite, your neighbor should file a claim through their own policy. Your neighbor’s insurance would need to cover the stranger’s medical costs, and any lawsuit costs if they got sued by the stranger.

Are These Incidents Always Covered by Illinois Homeowners Insurance?

There are a few reasons why a dog bite incident might not be covered by Illinois homeowners insurance. One major factor is the breed of the dog in question. Certain breeds that are known for being more aggressive are often specifically excluded from coverage by insurance companies.

America’s most dangerous dog breeds

The highest number of fatal attacks on humans, a total of 284 incidents during a 12-year period, were caused by Pit bulls. At a distant second, with 45 reported incidents  were Rottweilers. German Shepherds came in third with less than half of that number, for total of 20 reported incidents.

If you own a dog, it’s critical to ensure that your homeowners insurance company doesn’t exclude its breed. Further, it’s helpful to know what kind of dog your neighbor owns in case of potential incidents like this one. They just might find out the hard way they don’t have coverage.

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

If your neighbor’s dog bit a stranger, even on your property, their homeowners policy would respond. The two major ways Illinois homeowners insurance would protect against dog bites to third parties are through:

• Medical payments: Reimburses for medical costs to third parties that get injured on your property or as a result of your actions away from home.
• Liability coverage: Reimburses for legal fees like attorney, court, and settlement costs in the event of a lawsuit.

If for some reason the stranger decided to sue you instead of your neighbor, your Illinois homeowners insurance would still protect you. However, it’s almost guaranteed you wouldn’t be found guilty for the injury in this scenario.

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

No, you shouldn’t ever be held responsible for a neighbor’s dog biting guests or strangers on your property. The dog’s owner is always responsible in this type of situation. Even if your neighbor was an invited guest and brought their dog over and then caused an incident, it still wouldn’t be your fault.

Actually, fault could sometimes fall on the stranger in this scenario. If the stranger was treating the dog unfairly and teasing it or roughhousing while playing, it could be found that it was their responsibility for getting bitten, not your neighbor’s.

Here’s How an Illinois Independent Insurance Agent Can Help

Independent insurance agents are fully equipped to protect homeowners against commonly faced liabilities. Illinois 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.