Dog Bites Cost $29K Each

Dog bites are costly things: The nation's insurers paid out about $479 million in claims in 2011, reports AP, which rounds up a hodge-podge of related nuggets:

• State Farm alone paid $109 million to settle 3,800 dog bite claims in 2011, and both figures were up from 2010.
• The average claim nationally is estimated to be $28,799.
• Worst states: California, 527 claims, $20.3 million; Illinois, 309 claims, $10 million; Texas, 219 claims, $5.1 million; and Ohio, 215 claims, $5.4 million.
• Dog bites cost the post office about $1 million a year, though kids in general are far more likely to be bitten than a carrier.

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