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Dog-Bite Costs Surge to $479 Million as Claims Increase

U.S. insurers’ costs tied to dog bites surged last year to a record as the price of the average claim jumped 12 percent on higher medical fees, legal settlements and jury awards.

Bites cost the industry $478.9 million last year, compared with $412.6 million in 2010, the Insurance Information Institute said in a statement today on its website. The average claim increased to $29,396.