Insurance in Dog Law – Digging Through Claims

Deborah J. Turner | Dean Insurance Agency, Inc.

Deborah, President of Dean Insurance Agency, Inc. opened in Central Florida in 1994. Deborah graduated in 1980 from Florida State University Insurance and Risk Management program. She continued her education by receiving the prestigious Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter in 1986. Some of Deborah’s notable achievements include National Standard Setter though the CPCU Society, 1st woman Rotary District Governor and Rotarian of the year.
Deborah’s interest in all things dog were peaked when she adopted a personally challenged Schnauzer named Jazz. In an effort to “fix” she began to look at how health, diet, training, lifestyle and breed might increase the possibility of a dog injuring a human or another animal. In 2005 Deborah realized that the insurance industry does not understand how to underwrite the Canine Liability Exposure. She originally began a research paper for the CPCU Society when another industry professional mentioned that people need the coverage, in 2012 the program was launched and continues today.
Deborah was appointed and chaired the Orange County Advisory Board determining classification of Dangerous Dogs and is Past Chairman Orange County Advisory Board of Animal Services. During significant changes were made that have become national models. She has been interviewed by multiple Podcast shows, written chapters pertaining Canine Liability in several books most recently Dogster’s June/July magazine interviewed her.

Anna Morrison-Ricordati | AMR Law Group, LLC

Anna Morrison-Ricordati practices animal law and civil litigation at AMR Law Group, LLC in Chicago, Illinois. Addressing all aspects of dispute resolution, Anna has represented individual and animal business clients in mediations, arbitrations, jury and bench trials, equitable remedies, and appeals. She Chaired the Illinois State Bar Association’s Animal Law Section Council for the 2010-2011 year, the Chicago Bar Association’s Animal Law Committee for the 2012-2013 year, DuPage County Animal Law Committee for the 2014-2015 year, and was awarded the Animal Welfare Leadership Award in 2018 from PAWS® Chicago. Anna has served as a CLE speaker on animal law topics for several organizations and bar associations, including the American Bar Association’s Tort, Trial & Insurance Practice Section in 2018 and the International Animal Law Summit in 2019, among others in 2020.

Animal Insurance (Insurance Professional – Deborah J. Turner)
• Pet Veterinary/Health Insurance | 12:00-12:20

— History
— Types (Accident, Wellness, Membership)
— Typical Policy Coverage (Genetic Conditions, Lifetime Max, Pre-Existing Conditions)
— Typical Policy Payment (Indemnity)
–Other – Unusual Policies

• Liability Insurance (i.e., dog bites & damages) | 12:20-12:40

— History – Four Agencies
— Varied Coverage/Unique Underwriting
— Typical Clients
— Individual, Business, Rescues
— Typical Required
— Landlords, Cities – Dangerous Dog
— Trends – Breed Exclusion

• Other (i.e., perspectives from Insurance Professional re Court treatment of dog cases, etc.) | 12:40-1:00

• Break | 1:00-1:10

Typical Cases Involving Insurance (Attorney Perspective – Anna Morrison-Ricordati)
• Insurance In Animal Law | 1:10-1:22

— Coverage Types (Health/Veterinary and Other Liability)

• Animal Cases Involving Insurance | 1:22-1:34

— Veterinary Mistakes – Malpractice Insurance
— Dog Bite to Person– Homeowners Insurance
— Dog Walker/Vehicle Injury – Auto Insurance
— Dog Boarding/Kenneling – Business Insurance
— Police Shootings/Civil Rights – Insurance Pool

• Animal Cases W/o Insurance | 1:34-1:46

— Intentional Tort Cases (Civil)
— Abuse/Torture/Other Intentional Act
— Ordinance Violations (Quasi-Criminal)

• Settlements (and Other Resolution) | 1:46-1:58

— Trends for Veterinary/Health (no subrogation cases yet)
— Rescues (court overreach – liability post-adoption)
— Homeowners (breed exclusions, policy limits on injured animals)
— Businesses (policy limits and contributions from individual business owners)
— Malpractice (requests for NDA and confidentiality of amounts)
— Police Shootings (requests for NDA and confidentiality)

• Other (i.e., perspective from defending Attorneys of Court tendency to push settlementdespite non-liability, etc.) | 1:58-2:10