It is no secret that dog bites are a common issue across the United States. A recent study performed by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) revealed that 4.7 million dog bites occur to victims in the US every year. Of these millions of cases of dog bites, approximately 800,000 victims require medical attention. Moreover, at least 16 dog bite cases every year result in death. If you or someone you care about has been hurt in Nevada due to a dog bite injury, speak with an experienced personal injury attorney right away to learn about your options under the law.
Protecting Yourself
It is important to remain aware of your surroundings, particularly around animals that do not know you, because dog bite injuries can be quite serious. Any time that you are around an animal you do not know, you should take the following precautions to protect yourself from a possible dog bite attack:
- Never approach or come close to a dog that you are not familiar with, and that is not familiar with you;
- Do not bother a dog that is playing with toys or eating because they may feel threatened and fight to protect their belongings or food;
- Do not make direct eye contact with a dog that is aggressive because the may further provoke the animal;
- Stay away from, and do not approach, a dog that is a stray.
While it is true that some dog breeds have a reputation of being more aggressive than other breeds, do not be fooled. All types of dog breeds can and will attack if they feel threatened by someone.
Nevada’s Dog Bite Law
Just like any other injury, a victim of a Nevada dog bite may recover monetary compensation under several legal documents. These include negligence, negligence per se, and scienter. Of note, there is no state law governing dog bites in Nevada–making it a “one bite” state–but individual counties and municipalities within the state may have ordinances creating strict liability.
- Negligence: Simply put, this is the lack of ordinary care. A dog bite victim may recover compensation if the owner did not act as a reasonably prudent and careful person would have in similar circumstances;
- Negligence per se: When an animal control law is violated, liability can automatically be found–even if the violator is not the dog owner–based on the simple fact that the law was broken;
- Scienter: Latin for “knowingly”, a dog bite victim can recover monetary damages if the owner or keeper of the animal if the dog previously bit someone or behaved as if it wanted to, and the owner or keeper was aware of the dog’s propensity for aggression.
Nevada does, however, have a “one bite rule” meaning that liability does not attach until the owner is made aware of the animal’s propensity to be dangerous. In short, an owner gets “one free bite” under the law.
Legal Help in Nevada
An experienced Las Vegas personal injury attorney will be able to provide legal guidance to you if you or someone you care about has been hurt in a dog bite accident. The attorneys at Matt Pfau Law Group are ready to help you through this difficult time and fight for the compensation you deserve. Contact us today to schedule an initial case evaluation with one of our experienced lawyers.
