One of the most traumatizing accidents that can happen to anyone is being bitten or injured by man's best friend. Dog-related injuries result in physical and emotional scars to the victim. For the dog, it can result in abandonment or euthanasia. Last year State Farm paid a record $118 million as a result of 3,100 dog-related injury claims. Over the past decade, the insurer has paid nearly $1 billion for claims resulting from accidents involving a dog. While the number of dog-related injury claims paid by State Farm decreased 9.6% between 2014 and 2015, the amount paid for dog-related injury claims by State Farm increased 3.4%.

While an overwhelming majority of interactions with dogs don't result in injury, most dog bites could be prevented by practicing responsible pet ownership. National Dog Bite Prevention Week®, led by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), is May 15-21, 2016. State Farm and members of the National Dog Bite Prevention Coalition have joined forces to educate adults and children about ways to reduce dog-related injuries.

State Farm: Top 10 States for Dog-Related Injury Claims in 2015

State Dog / Injury Claims / Amount Paid for Dog Injury Claims

1. California / 383 claims / $18.3 million

2. Illinois / 338 claims / $11.2 million

3. Texas / 165 claims / $4.9 million

4. Pennsylvania / 161 claims / $4.8 million

5. Ohio / 149 claims / $4.8 million

6. New York / 147 claims / $6.2 million

7. Michigan / 126 claims / $3.7 million

8. Georgia / 114 claims / $4.2 million

9. Indiana / 110 claims / $4.2 million

10. Minnesota / 101 claims / $3.6 million

23. Tennessee / 50 claims / $1.5 million