Many premises liability claims in Nevada are filed due to dog bites, but the severity of an injury can range significantly. There are actually several types of dog bites that are the basis for these personal injury cases, as some are merely superficial wounds while others are deep puncture wounds that take a long time to heal properly. Of course, some cases can be very serious as well when a dog attacks a victim and does not heal after the initial bite. Other problems can also arise such as potential rabies and other diseases when an irresponsible owner has not had complied with vaccination laws for their animals.
Types of bites
There are essentially six different types of dog bites. Levels 1 and 2 are the most common and happen when a dog feels threatened in some manner by the victim. The first level is an attack where the victim is not actually bitten, but attacked in a manner that will run them off. Level 2 involves being bitten without penetrating the skin. These typically do not result in a personal injury claim, as the victim often does not actually suffer any physical damage. Level 3 is essentially a single puncture bite while upper level attacks involve multiple bites ranging upwards to four different injuries. Level 6 is the highest, and is the category when the victim dies.
Nevada dog bite law
States have different rules when it comes to establishing liability for a dog bite injury. Nevada is actually one of the states that uses the “one bite” rule, and many times the dog owner is not held liable unless there are extenuating circumstances such as developing rabies. Personal injury lawyers are often successful in pursuing even one bite claims when the owner has been negligent regarding vaccinations, but for the most part dogs and their owners are given benefit of the doubt when the attack is a single bite with the exception of medical bill coverage.