Police dogs may look like average dogs. However, these athletic canines aren’t pets. They’re fierce animals trained to assist police officers in various situations, such as drug/weapons inspections, missing person searches, and suspect apprehension. As a result, there have been many cases nationwide where k9s have bitten and injured individuals, including innocent bystanders, criminals, other police officers, and even their handlers.
If you’ve been the target of a police dog attack, you can file a dog bite lawsuit against the handler or the police department. However, you’ll need an experienced personal injury lawyer to navigate the intricacies of this niche police brutality and animal attack case.
In this post, we’ll share a quick guide to filing a dog bit lawsuit in Nevada. However, before we dive right into it, we’ll walk you through the impact of police dog attacks.
The Potential Impact of Police Dog Attacks in Nevada
Many police departments use K9s to:
- Protect people and property
- Pursue and apprehend criminals
- Search and rescue people following natural disasters or criminal activities
- Detect drugs, weapons, explosives, and other dangerous/illegal items.
Therefore, these dogs are bigger, more agile, courageous, protective, and loyal than most domestic breeds. Common examples include the German Shepherd, Dobermann, Belgian Malinois, and Labrador Retriever. Moreover, they undergo specialized training to listen and obey verbal and visual commands.
However, like most animals, they’re highly susceptible to unpredictable behavior and can bite innocent bystanders in public due to:
- Fear
- Aggression
- Protection
- Injury or sickness
- Playfulness
- Misidentification, etc.
Compared to pets and strays, police dogs can inflict severe injuries that require emergency room visits and complex surgical procedures. They’re trained to attack vulnerable areas like the head, neck, and flank. Moreover, unlike ordinary dogs, they bite multiple times and stay on top of their victims until their handler intervenes.
A Quick Guide to Dog Bite Lawsuits
In the state of Nevada, both innocent bystanders and apprehended victims can sue a handler or a police department for injuries sustained from police dog bites due to:
- Negligence
- Excessive force
- Fourth Amendment violations
- Insufficient/improper training, etc.
For a valid claim, you must collect and provide relevant evidence to prove the handler failed to control the K9 or that using a police dog was excessive. Therefore, you need an experienced dog bite attorney well-versed in Nevada’s laws and regulations regarding animal attacks.
Contact a Nevada Police Dog Attack Lawyer Right Away!
A police dog attack can cause more harm than just physical injuries. You can also experience long-term psychological distress that can affect your overall lifestyle. Therefore, you need the right legal representation to help you get maximum compensation for economic and non-economic damages.
The experienced police dog attack attorneys at the Bourassa Law Group are at your service to provide solid legal advice and build a winning case. Feel free to schedule a consultation by calling 800-870-8910 so we can review and discuss your police dog bite case in detail.
1-800-870-8910