Can I sue for being shot or stabbed in Nevada?
Often, yes. Nevada property owners owe a duty to take reasonable steps to protect people on their premises from foreseeable crime. When a business or landlord ignores a known danger and someone is shot or stabbed as a result, Nevada law can hold the owner financially responsible — through a negligent-security claim. You are not suing for the crime itself; you are suing the property owner for the security failures that made a foreseeable attack possible. This is separate from any criminal case against the attacker.
How Nevada decides if a crime was “foreseeable”
Nevada uses a totality-of-the-circumstances test (Doud v. Las Vegas Hilton Corp.): a property owner can be held liable for a third party’s violent crime when it was foreseeable based on prior criminal activity, the location, and the nature of the business — not only where an identical crime happened before. For hotels, motels, and other lodging establishments a stricter statute (NRS 651.015) applies, and the judge decides foreseeability as a matter of law — which makes early, experienced evaluation important.
Deadlines in Nevada
- Negligence / personal injury: generally two years from the date of the incident from the date of the incident.
- Wrongful death: generally two years from the date of death.
Evidence like surveillance footage disappears fast, so it’s important to act quickly.
Fault sharing in Nevada
Nevada follows modified comparative negligence with a 51% bar (NRS 41.141): your recovery is reduced by your share of fault, and you recover nothing if you are found more than 50% at fault.
What you can recover
Nevada does not cap compensatory damages — medical costs, lost income, and pain and suffering — in a negligence case. For families, a wrongful-death claim can recover funeral costs and the loss of support and companionship.
Why Nevada victims choose The Haggard Law Firm
The firm has handled nearly 500 negligent-security cases nationwide and secured the largest negligent-security verdict in U.S. history ($102.7 million). We help Nevada crime victims and their families with no fee unless we win.
Negligent security in Nevada cities
We handle Nevada negligent-security cases statewide. If your case happened in one of these cities, start here:
How we handle a Nevada case — working with local counsel
The Haggard Law Firm is based in Coral Gables, Florida, and Michael A. Haggard is licensed to practice law in Florida. Mr. Haggard is not licensed in Nevada. Negligent security and crime-victim litigation is the firm’s core focus, and because of the national reputation the firm has built in this specific area, Mr. Haggard regularly works on Nevada cases as co-counsel with a locally licensed Nevada attorney, seeking admission pro hac vice (for the individual case) where the court’s rules permit. Any Nevada matter would be handled together with local counsel admitted in Nevada.
If you were shot, stabbed, or lost a loved one to a preventable crime in Nevada, you can still reach out to us directly. We will review your case for free and, where appropriate, associate with a qualified Nevada attorney to pursue it.
This page is attorney advertising and general information only; it is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Michael A. Haggard is licensed in Florida. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Frequently asked questions
Can I sue for being shot in Nevada?
Often, yes. If you were shot on a Nevada property that failed to provide reasonable security against a foreseeable risk, you may be able to sue the property owner for negligent security — separately from any criminal case against the shooter. Nevada weighs the totality of the circumstances — prior crime, location, and the nature of the business (Doud) — with a stricter statutory standard for hotels and motels. A free case review will tell you whether you have a claim.
Can I sue if I was stabbed on someone's property in Nevada?
Possibly. A stabbing on a Nevada property with inadequate security is handled the same way as a shooting — if the attack was foreseeable and the owner failed to provide reasonable security, the owner may be liable. The claim is against the property owner, not only the attacker.
How long do I have to file a negligent-security claim in Nevada?
Generally two years from the date of the incident from the date of the incident for a negligence claim, and two years from the date of death for wrongful death. Confirm your specific deadline with a lawyer quickly.
Is Michael Haggard licensed to practice in Nevada?
Mr. Haggard is licensed in Florida, not in Nevada. Because negligent-security litigation is his firm's core focus and the firm has a national profile in these cases, he regularly serves as co-counsel with a locally licensed Nevada attorney and, where the court permits, appears pro hac vice for the individual case. You can contact the firm directly, and where appropriate it will associate with qualified local counsel in Nevada.
How does Nevada decide if a property owner is liable?
Nevada weighs the totality of the circumstances — prior crime, location, and the nature of the business (Doud) — with a stricter statutory standard for hotels and motels. If the crime was foreseeable and the owner failed to provide reasonable security, they can be held responsible.
What does it cost to hire the firm?
Nothing up front. We work on contingency — no attorney's fees unless we recover compensation for you.