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Under Nevada law, dog bite cases are governed by negligence rules and prior decisions in other dog bite cases. There are also city and county ordinances that may apply to help plaintiffs prove their dog bite injury cases.

Dog Bites and Owner Liability

Dog bite injuries can be quite serious, causing permanent disfigurement and possible disability. If you were injured by a dog, you may be able to hold the dog’s owner liable through a personal injury civil lawsuit. Your Las Vegas injury lawyers can analyze the facts of what happened in your case in order to provide you with an honest assessment of the likelihood that you will win your case and recover damages.

Proving a Dog Bite Case in Nevada

Unlike most other states, Nevada does not have a specific dog bite law codified in the state’s statutes. Instead, dog bite cases are controlled by case law developed from court decisions in earlier cases. Negligence law governs dog bite cases in the state. This means that injured plaintiffs must be able to demonstrate that the dog’s owner failed to use reasonable care to keep the dog from biting, that the dog bite happened because of the owner’s failure, that the person was injured and that he or she suffered damages as a result.

Negligence Per Se in Nevada Dog Bite Cases

Negligence per se does exist for dog bites in some cities and counties in the state. Negligence per se means that the dog’s owner violated a statute or ordinance, making his or her action negligent on its face. For example, in Clark County, there is a leash law. If a dog’s owner violates that law and allows his or her dog to run freely off leash, and the dog then bites someone, the injured victim may argue that the owner’s actions were negligent per se.

Common Defenses Raised in Dog Bite Cases

It is common for defendants to claim that the injured plaintiff was either partly or wholly responsible for the bite. If the plaintiff is found to be more than 50 percent at fault, he or she will be barred from recovering damages. Personal injury attorneys are familiar with the defenses people raise and how to combat them.