Do I Need a Dog Bite Attorney?
Dogs are commonly referred to as a man’s best friend, providing an endless amount of love and companionship. Unfortunately, even the most harmless dogs can cause severe injuries. If your dog bites someone, or you and your pet were injured by someone else’s dog, make sure to contact an experienced Las Vegas dog bite attorney to learn what legal actions you can take!
Dog Bite Facts
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, about 4.5 million dog bites occur each year in the United States. Of those 4.5 million dog bites about 1 million become infected.
Dog Bite Law In Las Vegas, Nevada
The State of Nevada doesn’t have any specific statutes governing dog bite cases. Because of this, a dog bite victim seeking damages from a dog’s owner must rely on traditional rules of negligence. When someone is negligent, they fail to use reasonable care under the circumstances. In other words, being careless or having a disregard for other people’s safety.
A dog owner is negligent if their dog bites a human and they failed to take reasonable steps to protect people from being bitten. For example, letting a dog roam around the streets without a leash.
Can The Dog’s Owner Be Held Liable For A Bite?
Once there is an accusation stating that a dog’s owner acted negligently, a dog bite victim must prove that the owner’s negligence was a contributing factor to the bite and the injuries sustained.
The fault is established by providing proof in the form of testimony from eyewitnesses, video, photographs, admissions by the defendant, medical records, and physical evidence.
Nevada Dog Laws
The State of Nevada has laws that require dogs to be on a leash when they are not on the owner’s premises, with certain exceptions such as certain rural areas in Clark County or when they are at a specially designated dog park where animals are specifically allowed to be off-leash. If a person violates such a law, and another person is injured as a result, the responsible party can be held negligent per se, meaning it wouldn’t need further other evidence.
Leash laws are an example of laws passed to keep people safe from dog bites, so when a person is bitten by a dog off-leash, the owner may be held negligent per se.
How Modified Comparative Negligence Works in Dog Bite Cases?
Nevada uses the rule of modified comparative negligence. Modified comparative negligence states that an injured victim can collect compensation from other at-fault parties as long as the victim was less than 50 percent responsible for the accident or incident that led to the injuries.
What Types Of Evidence Are Needed When Evaluating A Las Vegas Dog Bite Case?
A Las Vegas personal injury lawyer will need to check the nature of the attack and aggression history of the dog to evaluate a potential case. The lawyer will look at the number of injuries caused by the attack and if the dog showed an unwillingness to end the attack at all.
It is also important to determine whether the dog was provoked or acted on its own. A lawyer will discuss the facts thoroughly while evaluating your case.
How Long Do I Have To File A Las Vegas Dog Bite Claim For Damages?
You have two weeks from the date of the injury to file a lawsuit for damages against the dog owner in the State of Nevada. If you wait longer than that, your case may not be taken. It is important to not wait to contact an attorney.
Generally, if you are bitten by a dog, you have a legal claim for money damages against the owner of the dog.
How Harris & Harris Injury Lawyers Can Get You Compensation
Harris & Harris Injury Lawyers has over 15 years of experience handling all types of personal injury cases throughout Nevada. At Harris & Harris Injury Lawyers, our attorneys treat every client with the utmost compassion and understanding. Our lawyers handle these cases with professionalism and passion, giving our clients the best chance at winning their case.
If you or a loved one has been bitten by a dog, give us a call at (702) 384-1414 or contact us online. We can help you determine who is responsible and how much compensation you can recover under Nevada’s dog bite laws.