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A Dog Bite Can Lead to Liability If you or a loved one have suffered a dog bite injury, understanding your legal rights are crucial for seeking fair compensation. Las Vegas dog attorney firms can provide the guidance and representation needed to make your best case.
Who Is Liable for a Dog Bite?
When a dog attacks and injures a person, there are a few parties who may share in the liability. Typically, the dog owner themselves holds the most responsibility and is often strictly liable for injuries and other damages caused by their pet. However, if the owner was negligent in controlling their dog or preventing foreseeable bites, they may share liability with other parties like property owners or landlords. A Las Vegas dog attorney can help determine liability in your specific situation.
What to Do After a Dog Attack
If you or someone you know is bitten by a dog, taking prompt action can impact the outcome of your case. Some key steps include:
- Seek Medical Care – This both treats injuries and documents them. Save all bills and records.
- Report the Incident – File a report with animal control and/or the police detailing what occurred.
- Identify the Dog and Owner – Get contact details and proof of rabies vaccination. Photos of the dog may also help.
- Document Your Injuries – Take photos of bites, scratches, bruises or other injuries, including as they progress through initial treatment.
- Contact a Las Vegas Dog Attorney – An experienced lawyer protects your rights and counsels you through the process.
How Las Vegas Dog Bite Lawyer Can Help
Pursuing compensation after a dog attack can be complex, especially when severe or permanent injuries are involved. An attorney levels the playing field against insurance companies and negligent parties working against you. Benefits include:
- Investigating your case to establish liability and identify all responsible parties
- Dealing with insurance companies so you can focus on recovery
- Determining all current and future costs related to your injuries
- Calculating and seeking fair compensation for all damages
- Negotiating optimal settlement offers
- Taking the case to trial if a satisfactory settlement can’t be reached
An experienced Las Vegas dog attorney has successfully fought cases like yours and won results. They utilize medical experts, animal behaviorists, eyewitness testimony and more to prove your case. Their fees also typically come from a portion of your final settlement amount, not upfront. This means you pay nothing unless they secure you compensation.
Key Laws Governing Dog Bites in Nevada
Nevada uses strict liability statutes and negligence laws to govern dog bite cases:
Strict Liability – If a dog bites someone, the owner is usually liable for any resulting injuries and damages regardless of prior aggressive behavior or if they knew the dog was dangerous. There are few exceptions.
Negligence Laws – These require dog owners to act responsibly in training, supervising and controlling their pets to prevent foreseeable harm. If negligent behavior contributed to the bite, additional parties could share liability depending on the situation.
Statute of Limitations – There is a two year statute of limitations to file a dog bite lawsuit in Nevada from the date of injury. Extensions may be made for minors.
These laws allow dog bite victims to pursue compensation when the responsible owner refuses to pay willingly. An attorney helps utilize them effectively on your behalf.
What Compensation Is Available in a Dog Bite Claim?
Compensation types that may be sought after a dog bite can include:
- Medical expenses from immediate care, surgery, hospitalization, prescriptions, therapy and more
- Rehabilitation costs
- Lost wages and diminished earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Scarring, disfigurement and loss of limb functionality
- Loss of companionship
- Property damage, if clothing, devices, etc. were destroyed
Your lawyer determines the full current and future costs the bite has caused and advocates for adequate compensation under the law. This requires skill assessing complex injuries, navigating litigation, dealing with insurance companies, and negotiating effectively on your behalf.
Key Takeaways on Dog Bite Laws in Las Vegas
If you or someone close to you has suffered a dog bite injury, key takeaways to remember include:
- Dog owners can be held strictly liable for bite damages in Nevada.
- Acting negligently opens dog owners to additional liability if it contributed to the bite.
- Seek medical care, report the bite, identify the dog/owner, document injuries and contact a Las Vegas dog attorney promptly.
- An experienced lawyer levels the playing field against insurance companies.
- There is a two year statute of limitations on dog bites in Nevada.
- You typically pay no upfront fees or anything at all unless your attorney secures compensation.
- Experienced counsel maximizes coverage for all current and future costs related to bite injuries.
Roberts Law – Las Vegas Dog Bite Attorneys
The experienced Las Vegas dog bite lawyers at Roberts Law have an outstanding track record fighting for dog bite victims. Contact them today for a free consultation. Suffering a dog bite injury can be a traumatic, life-changing event. However, understanding your legal rights and responsibilities allows you to seek fair compensation from liable parties. This won’t undo the damage, but it facilitates recovery and stability going forward. With strict liability statutes in Nevada, most dog bite victims have strong grounds to pursue damages. An experienced Las Vegas dog bite lawyer guides you through the laws and complex legal process, while relentlessly advocating securing the maximum compensation you deserve. Don’t navigate this alone – contact Roberts Law for a free consultation and discuss your options with a talented dog bite attorney today. The process begins now.
What should I do if a neighbor’s dog bites me?
If bitten by a neighbor’s dog, first seek prompt medical care and report it to animal control to create a record. Take photos of injuries right away and save related medical bills and documents. Get the neighbor’s contact and insurance details, along with proof of rabies vaccination for the dog. Vet records noting aggressive behavior help too. Whether they offer compensation or not, contact an attorney experienced with dog bites for advice and representation. They’ll investigate liability, push the insurer for fair settlements, and take legal action if needed per Nevada’s strict liability laws. Battling neighbors and insurers alone rarely leads to sufficient compensation.
Is a dog owner still liable if their dog has never shown aggression before?
Yes, in Nevada dog owners face strict liability for any bite injuries and damages caused by their pets. So even without prior incidents or reasons to expect aggression, owners must still fully compensate victims under this statute. However, details of any past aggressive behaviors or incidents can be very pertinent in fighting for a strong settlement. An attorney can help establish a pattern revealing negligence and prevent the owner arguing it was unforeseeable. While an owner can’t evade strict liability, all evidence favoring the victim’s case still aids pursuing maximum compensation in or out of court.
Am I partially liable if I trespassed on property when the dog bit me?
Whether trespassing impacts liability depends on specifics demonstrating the unlawful access was connected to the bite or made you responsible for assuming greater risk. Merely being on private property unlawfully doesn’t automatically establish partial liability when injured by a dog, however. In Nevada, duty of care extends to all lawful entrants and even many trespassers. An attorney can argue insufficient connection between access issues and the attack itself. Establishing the owner still failed controlling their animal avoids reducing compensation. An experienced lawyer knows how to build the strongest case possible in your favor even with complicating factors.
Can I still file claim after accepting the dog owner’s initial settlement offer?
After a dog bite, victims deserve compensation for the total extent of damages incurred. However, this isn’t always immediately known. So while quicker small settlements provide short-term relief, you have two years in Nevada to pursue further compensation if you discover more medical care, therapy, or lost wages resulting from the injury. This is why contacting an attorney immediately is vital – even if you plan accepting an initial offer. Legal expertise evaluates if the amount truly covers projected costs, and lawyers can seek additional damages later when warranted. Don’t trust yourself assessing short and long term impacts alone after trauma.
My landlord refuses responsibility saying he didn’t know the tenant had an aggressive dog. What are my options?
Landlords allowing prohibited dangerous dogs on their Nevada properties can share liability for bites along with the tenants. A skilled dog bite lawyer investigates what the landlord knew beforehand, what the rental policy or agreement states about pets, and gathers evidence demonstrating previous aggressive behavior. If the landlord didn’t conduct reasonable screening and prohibits aggressive breeds, their negligence contributed to the incident. By arguing they failed establishing and enforcing clear policy regarding dogs, it makes them partly liable despite claiming ignorance. Experienced attorneys know how to build the strongest possible case in your favor even against multiple reluctant and evasive parties.