Animal attacks

For many families throughout the city of Las Vegas, dogs bring companionship, fun, affection, and protection. However, even trusted pets can cause serious injuries. The saying goes “there are no bad dogs, just bad dog owners.” Dog owners are often responsible for the actions of their pets. Whether a dog owner fails to properly train, properly control, or properly keep their dogs confined, when people are hurt, a dog owner may be the one to blame. Unfortunately, dog bites and attacks are a regular occurrence in Las Vegas. If you are injured by a dog and it has caused you serious injury, it is important to discuss your situation with an attorney with experience. Lawrence Hill & Associates has the experience and legal skill to protect your rights and fight zealously for maximum compensation.

Dog bite accidents often cause serious injury to the victim. Sadly, children are some of the most common victims as they are unaware of the dangers that can come with an unruly, dangerous dog. A dog’s jaw can inflict numerous serious injuries on a victim, including broken bones, permanent, severe, disfiguring scars, psychological trauma, brain injury, or even death. These cases are serious. The aftermath can be devastating.

If an accident occurs and passengers become injured, they often wish to take legal action against the party that caused the accident. Both the Las Vegas Monorail and the three different tram services are owned by private companies. This is beneficial to the injured party due to the fact that they will be able to deal directly with the company and not have to go through a public entity, such as the city of Las Vegas. When an individual becomes injured on one of Las Vegas’ transportation systems, it is important that they speak with an experienced attorney as soon as possible.

Nevada is a “one bite” state, meaning that every dog gets one “free” bite. That said, if a person is found to be negligent and it leads to a dog bite, even the first time, there can be a case for liability. After the first bite, the dog is considered “dangerous” or vicious, depending on the situation and the owner could be held liable if the dog injures someone again.

According to the laws of Las Vegas, a dog may be considered dangerous if it was involved in two separate occasions within 18 months where it either behaved menacingly to the point when a person would believe they were in danger or it bite a person but did not cause bodily harm. An animal can also be “dangerous” with no previously known behavior if it was used in the commission of a crime, caused serious injury or death to another animal not at large or exhibits behavior that would cause the Animal Regulation Officer to declare it a threat to public safety.

A dog can be considered “vicious” if it poses a threat to other animals or human beings and it has inflicted death or substantial bodily harm on an animal or human or it continues to exhibit behavior that constituted the declaration of it being dangerous and the owner is aware of that establishment.

The distinction between the two is important for a liability case. Owning a dangerous dog is not illegal, but it does burden the owner by requiring them to comply with state and local laws. Some requirements may include, but are not limited to:

  • Keeping the dog muzzled in public places
  • Keeping the dog securely enclosed on one’s property
  • Posting signs on one’s property warning against the dog and providing contact information
  • Obtaining a microchip
  • Maintaining a higher liability insurance policy

These are just some of the possible requirements. If a dog owner was found to be negligent of satisfying state and local requirements, they could be liable for the aftermath of a dog bite.

It is illegal to own, sell, or give away a vicious dog. If a vicious dog was harbored and the owner was caught, he or she could face criminal charges. If a harbored vicious dog was to injure someone, the dog owner could face a liability lawsuit and criminal charges.

If you or your loved one got attacked by a dog, evidence should be preserved as soon as possible. You should obtain medical care, call for law enforcement and animal control, seek legal advice from a dog bite attorney, and demand investigation in the accident. You need to collect the contact information of the dog owner and some information about the dog itself. If possible, take pictures. If you are not able to act for yourself, contact our firm to send someone to the scene to preserve evidence for you.