A new study found a surge in insurance claims involving dog attacks.
The total home insurance claims for dog bites increased from 22,658 in 2024 to 28,450 in 2025, according to the Insurance Information Institute’s Spotlight on Dog Bite Liability report that was produced with State Farm.
Meanwhile, CDC WONDER data found that U.S. fatal dog attacks reached an all-time high of 127 deaths.
Over five years, that’s a 165 percent increase.
"In the U.S., there are an estimated 4.5 million dog bite incidents every year, with children affected far more than adults and rising dog ownership may partially explain the dog bite increase," personal injury law firm Sweet James leaders said.
But while California ranks No. 6 in overall total danger due to high urban density and expensive medical bills, Florida ranks lower overall due to stronger state liability protections for victims.
Pet owners in Florida are automatically held liable for injuries their dogs cause, regardless of whether the dog has a prior history of aggressive behavior or previous bites.
The new data derive from the Sweet James law firm Dog Bite Risk Index, which aims to measure overall victim burden, not just attack frequency.
The methodology difference is why smaller or denser states like Connecticut or Massachusetts rank significantly higher in overall danger than rural or larger states that record higher attack numbers.
"By 2025, 71 million U.S. households owned dogs, with the number of households featuring dogs increasing from 51 percent to 53 percent," the law firm stated in their report.
The top four states with the highest financial severity per dog attack are New York, California, Texas, and Illinois.
New York landed in the top spot for the most dangerous state overall due to the highest average claim costs in the United States at $110,488 per incident, while California’s average claims cost is $86,229.
The study further reveals $75,674 in claims cost in Texas and $73,797 in Illinois.
Densely populated Northeastern states, such as Connecticut, Massachusetts and Washington, experienced the highest victim exposure due to pedestrian traffic and contact with dogs as well as tight suburban and urban layouts.
Los Angeles, California, and Dallas, Texas, lead the nation in delivery and utility worker dog attacks.
In a single year, there were more than 5,200 reported USPS postal worker attacks.
Some 673 postal worker attacks happened in California, followed by 358 in Texas, 287 in Ohio, 269 in New York and 267 in Pennsylvania.