Property owners have to take care to ensure that people who come onto their property are not injured. This is even more true when a property owner owns a pet like a dog. While most dogs are quite harmless most of the time, any dog can bite under the right circumstances for that particular dog. These bites can result in serious personal injury, or even wrongful death. One particularly vulnerable population when it comes to dog bites includes mail carriers and utility workers. And it appears that the number of mail carriers bitten in our area is on the rise.
The Las Vegas Review Journal reports that the number of mail carriers being bitten by dogs is increasing. Our city is number 33 on the U.S. Postal Service’s annual ranking of cities with the highest number of dog bites suffered by mail carriers. Last year there were 19 attacks in Las Vegas and the number grows to 28 if you include North Las Vegas and Henderson. Of those 28 attacks, 10 were serious enough to require the mail carrier to miss work in order to recover from his or her injuries. Mail carriers are trained to use their satchels as a shield against approaching dogs, and they have pepper spray to use if absolutely necessary. Last year nationwide there were 5,729 bites, while the year before there were only 5,506. An increased use of parcel service due to online shopping has led to more postal workers having to deliver to individual residences, meaning that an increase in bites is likely. To help increase safety, postal customers can make sure they have a fence that contains their pets, and that their mailbox is outside of that fence.
What is Nevada’s Law Regarding Dog Bites?
Nevada does not have a specific dog bite statute. This means that on a state level the “one bite” doctrine applies. Under this doctrine, every dog can get away with one bite as can his or her owners. But once a dog has a history of biting, then his or her owners can be held responsible for their negligence that results in someone being injured by a dog bite. Additionally, in Las Vegas a dog with a history of biting may be declared a dangerous animal. If a dog is declared dangerous there will be restrictions placed on how the dog is maintained by the owner. If a dog that has already been declared dangerous bites again it may be declared vicious. Dogs that have not been declared dangerous but that cause a serious enough injury may also be declared vicious. Vicious dogs are euthanized.
Call Naqvi Injury Law
When you are injured by the negligence of another, you may be entitled to financial compensation. That is true whether your injuries are the result of a slip and fall, a dog bite, or any other negligence. If you have been a victim you should call the Las Vegas personal injury attorneys at Naqvi Injury Law. When you call us at (702)553-1000 we will schedule a free consultation to discuss the details of your case and what we can do to help you.