On Thursday, January 27th, a guest at Reno’s Grand Sierra Resort was attacked by another patron’s dog, causing severe injuries. Washoe County Regional Animal Services has asked the public’s help in finding those involved in the attack but has identified the dog as being a pitfall. [1] Dog Bites are a serious issue, and while dogs are man’s best friend, an aggressive dog can cause a victim serious injury. The Center for Disease Control Reports that there are 4.5 million dog bites annually, and an average of 1 dog bite per 73 people [2]. Additionally, in 2018, there were 38 dog bite fatalities recorded in Las Vegas. [3] Being aware of facts, as well as the Nevada laws regarding dog bites can help protect you and your loved ones, as well as get the proper compensation if you are injured.
When deciding on what breed of dog to purchase for your family, it might be beneficial to consider the demeanor and likelihood of an accident happening. The following are some dog breeds often involved in dog bite accidents:
If you are a victim of a dog attack, or your dog has attacked someone, it is important to understand who should be held responsible for a dog attack. Unfortunately, Nevada does not have a concrete law which establishes responsibility, so it leaves any clarification to be determined by common law.
In Las Vegas the following steps will occur after an dog bite attack has occurred in the city limits:
In the rest of Nevada, liability is often determined by the previous behavior of the dog, and if it has exhibited similar behaviors in the past. If there has been a history of similar, aggressive behavior or attacks, the owner is held liable for any incidents. This is because, if a dog has previously bitten someone, an owner should assume that the dog can potentially behave similarly again. Thus, they should take preventative measures to stop another attack, and if they fail to do so, they are to be held liable.
Additionally, in Nevada, dog bite accidents use comparative negligence to assign blame. This means that blame is represented in percentages, and just because a dog owner is held liable does not mean that the person attacked cannot be held liable either if they were also being aggressive.
If you plan to file a claim to receive compensation for a dog bite accident, you have two years from the day you were attacked. You should be prepared to prove that the dog was dangerous, the owner did not prevent the accident, and the owner took part in the incident and possibly worsened the situation. A personal injury lawyer can help you better understand how to prove these elements, and help you understand if you qualify for compensation.
[1] https://www.kolotv.com/2023/01/28/authorities-seek-woman-her-dog-attack-gsr/
[2] https://www.avma.org/resources-tools/pet-owners/dog-bite-prevention
[3] https://www.dogsbite.org/dog-bite-statistics-fatalities-2018.php
Benson & Bingham Accident Injury Lawyers
Summerlin Location
11441 Allerton Park Dr #100
Las Vegas, NV 89135
Phone: 702-684-6900
Fax: 702-382-9798
Downtown Location
626 S 10th St
Las Vegas, NV 89101
Phone: 702-382-9797
Fax: 702-382-9798
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9230 S Eastern Ave #155
Las Vegas, NV 89123
Phone: 702-463-2900
Fax: 702-382-9798
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1320 E Plumb Lane Ste A
Reno, NV 89502
Phone: 775-600-6000
Fax: 702-382-9798
Joseph L. Benson II, and Ben J. Bingham, Personal Injury Attorneys
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