In Nevada, injuries incurred by dogs are governed by local ordinances and case law. If you are the injured party, you need to at least know how the process works in order to receive proper compensation. As a pet owner, it is important to be knowledgeable about the laws as well as the other rules that pet owners are responsible to follow with regards to their pets.
Lawsuit Deadlines
When it comes to filing personal injury cases brought about by dog bites, Nevada has what is called a “statute of limitations.” This sets the deadline on filing any personal injury case. In this state, a person injured has 2 years to file a personal injury lawsuit. The time starts on the date that the person incurred the injury.
As with other personal injury cases, if you incurred injuries brought about by a dog bite, you should file a lawsuit before the statute of limitations runs. Once the statute of limitations expires, the court will not even hear the matter, which means that you will be deprived of seeking any compensation for your damages.
Dog Bite Law in Nevada
Dog bite cases in Nevada depend heavily on existing case law. This means that the courts will decide based upon prior dog bite cases and less on statutory law.
Dog bite cases are also known as negligence cases. A pet owner can be held liable if the victim can show that the pet owner failed to do their responsibility to avoid the injury. This could be attributed to lack of care or improper monitoring. Also, the past behavior of the dog may be a factor to consider.
The injured party can file a case on the basis of negligence. Like for instance in certain counties, there are local ordinances that would require pet owners to keep their dogs in a fenced yard or using a leash. In the event that a dog bites from a pet owner’s failure to comply with the said ordinances, the injured person can establish a strong argument in court focusing on the negligence of the owner to comply with the ordinances. As the pet owner, you are completely responsible for the behavior and actions of your dog. If a pet owner fails to restrain the animal and it caused injuries to another person, then that owner is considered to be negligent.
Dog Bite Claims Defenses
As a pet owner when you face a lawsuit in court, you would want to come up with a defense. There are various possible defenses that your lawyers can use. One of which is the so-called comparative fault. This refers to a state where the injured person is also responsible for the injury he/she incurred.
An example of such scenario is when there is a person provoking your pet by poking with a stick or throwing things at it. The dog reacts by growling and the person still would not stop. As a result, the dog attacks and bites him. In this case, the pet owner can argue that the injured person is responsible for the injuries he incurred. He would not have been injured if he did not provoke the dog in the first place. Still other states, such as Utah, are called strict liability states. This means that the reason the dog bit is irrelevant. If a dog bites, the owner is responsible. Call us today to discuss your dog bite case and see if we can help (435) 986-2222.
