Nevada Dog Bite Lawyer

Nevada has not enacted a dog bite statute. However, the Nevada Supreme Court has ruled in Kaplan v. Rivera that common law rules governing negligence cases generally apply to dog bite cases. To establish a negligence claim, the victim must prove that the owner owed a duty to the victim (that is, a duty to exercise reasonable care in keeping the dog under control and/or restrained), the owner breached the duty, and the injuries that the victim sustained were proximately caused by the owner’s breach of duty. The court noted that a finding of negligence is strongly supported if it can be shown that an owner had knowledge that their dog was vicious. Additionally, victims may be able to pursue a “negligence per se” claim, under which an owner’s violation of an animal control law may be sufficient evidence to impose liability.