Is Nevada a strict liability state for dog bites?
No. Nevada's statutes do not make a dog owner pay just because the dog bit someone. A civil claim instead rests on ordinary negligence, the duty everyone has to use reasonable care so others are not exposed to an unreasonable risk of harm.
The Nevada Supreme Court applied that duty in Wright v. Schum. An escaped pit bull mauled an 11-year-old boy walking home. The owners were found liable and the court revived the claim against their landlord too.
Being a landlord alone was not enough. What mattered was that the landlord knew of earlier attacks on neighbors' dogs, promised to deal with it and threatened eviction unless the dog was secured. A jury could find he took on part of that job and handled it carelessly. Our one bite rule guide explains why this kind of prior notice matters.
Nevada dog bite statute of limitations
The deadline is two years. NRS 11.190 sets two years for an action to recover damages for injuries to a person caused by the wrongful act or neglect of another.
For children, NRS 11.250 says the time a person is under 18 is not counted. A bitten child's two years usually begin at 18. Waiting that long still risks losing witnesses and records.
A bite by a dog belonging to a public agency follows NRS 41.036. A tort claim against the state must be filed with the Attorney General within two years. A claim against a county or city is filed with its governing body in the same period.
Nevada dangerous and vicious dog law
NRS 202.500 is a criminal law, but it shapes civil cases. A dog is vicious if, without being provoked, it killed or caused substantial bodily harm to a person. It is also vicious if it keeps menacing people after police told the owner it was dangerous.
Knowingly keeping a vicious dog more than 7 days after actual notice is a misdemeanor. If a dog known to be vicious causes substantial bodily harm, the owner or keeper faces a category D felony and the judge may order the dog destroyed.
Breed alone cannot make a dog dangerous or vicious under this law. Neither can a defensive act against someone committing a crime or provoking the dog.
How fault is split in Nevada
Nevada follows modified comparative negligence. Under NRS 41.141, you cannot recover if your own negligence is greater than that of the defendants combined. Otherwise the jury lowers your award by your percentage.
Because negligence is the whole case here, the owner's insurer will look closely at your conduct too.
Reporting a dog bite in Nevada
The Southern Nevada Health District rabies page says to identify the dog, its owner and its rabies vaccine status and to contact animal control right away. The dog should be quarantined for observation. If it is alive and healthy ten days after the bite, it could not have passed on rabies.
Wash the wound with soap and water and see a doctor. Then talk to a Nevada dog bite lawyer about who knew what about the dog before the attack.
How to report a dog bite in Nevada
Report the bite to your local animal control office. The Southern Nevada Health District, Rabies page sets out the next steps.
Before you sign with anyone, check that the attorney is licensed: use the State Bar of Nevada find a lawyer.
