Thousands of car crashes happen in Nevada every year, especially in Reno and Las Vegas. And at least 1,070 car crashes left victims seriously injured in 2024, according to the Nevada Office of Traffic Safety. If that happens to you, understand that what you do during the first 48 hours determines both your prognosis and your claim’s outcome. Nevada car accident laws help police determine who’s at fault, accident reporting rules, and minimum insurance policy requirements.
If you’re hurt in a Nevada traffic collision, you may not care so much about what the law says. But you might wonder if it’s worth your time to contact an attorney now… or at all. In many cases, early legal guidance can help you avoid making critical mistakes that could hurt your claim. Attorneys can also tell you what settlement offer amount best reflects the true, lasting cost of your injuries.
Keep reading to learn what the law says, how to get a free consultation on your claim, and more helpful info.
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How Nevada Car Accident Laws Impact Injury Claim Payouts: Key Takeaways
- State law says you should report any crash that injures someone or causes meaningful property damage immediately. To do this, you can call 911 or wave down a nearby officer.
- Local laws also require drivers to exchange ID and car insurance information at the scene. Photos and video of the crash site, witness statements, and notes about the weather and traffic conditions can all help strengthen your car accident claim.
- Nevada is also an at-fault state. What this means is if you’re at least 50% responsible for the crash, then you will receive $0 in compensation.
- Nevada car accident lawyers know how to reduce your share of fault and maximize any payout you’re owed from the liable driver’s insurer. All lawyers in LegalASAP’s nationwide network offer free, no-obligation consultations.
How to Report a Car Accident in Nevada
Nevada law requires you to immediately report car accidents involving personal injury or death to the nearest police officer or Nevada Highway Patrol (NHP), according to Nev. Rev. Stat. 484E.
For crashes with no injuries or property damage less than $750, no officer needs to be present on the scene. If someone’s injured or you suspect more damage from your car wreck, you must send a SR-1 report to the Nevada DMV within 10 days. The only exception to this rule is if the police already completed this step for you.
If you don’t know whether the police sent a report with the correct insurance and contact information, you may a Nevada SR-1 form yourself.
Failure to send a required car accident report may result in a one-year license suspension until the report is made or there is proof that failure to report “was not willful,” according to NRS 484E.080.
Willfully giving false information in a Nevada car accident report may result in a gross misdemeanor punishable by 364 days of jail time or a fine of up to $2,000.
What to Do After a Car Accident in Nevada
During the First 48 Hours
The first few traumatic moments after a car accident are the most important when it comes to establishing fault and ensuring your settlement. Here are the four things to focus on first:
- Seek medical care. Many soft-tissue injuries (like whiplash) only appear hours or days after a motor vehicle accident occurs. It’s better for you to get checked out by a doctor as soon as possible than to wait and have it harm your claim’s compensation.
- Report the crash and exchange driver information. After ensuring everyone’s safety, drivers are legally required under NRS 484E.030 to exchange each other’s information after a crash. You need to share your name, address, VIN, vehicle make and model, and your driver’s license number. Willfully failing to give this information will result in a misdemeanor, resulting in six months jail time or a fine of up to $1,000.
- Document everything. Do you have photos and video of the accident? Take some and back them up to the cloud in case something happens to your phone. If anyone saw it happen, get proper witness contact information, too. Be sure to write down anything else you think is relevant for your claim, like traffic, road, visibility, or weather conditions.
- Consider legal help with your claim. Since attorneys can negotiate a much larger settlement than you would on your own, it may be worthwhile. If you have any medical bills at all, then having a lawyer may be in your best interest.
When Should You Call a Nevada Car Wreck Lawyer?
| If your accident involves… | Call an attorney? |
|---|---|
| any doubt about who’s responsible for causing your car wreck | Yes |
| visible injuries or you’re taken to the hospital in an ambulance | Yes |
| an uninsured or underinsured driver | Yes |
| another driver blames you for the traffic collision | Yes |
| car damage only, but no injuries | No |
| just you and no other people or vehicles (i.e., you struck a deer) | No |
| multiple vehicles, a company car (Uber/Lyft), or an 18-wheeler | Yes |
Pro Tip: Avoid saying anything that remotely implies you accept responsibility for causing the crash. Any type of admission of fault can be used against you to lower your settlement amount.
Is Nevada a No-Fault State?
Nevada is an at-fault state, meaning whoever is liable for causing the wreck must pay everyone’s bills. But if you’re partially at-fault for the car accident, the percentage directly reduces your payout amount by the same percentage.
How Nevada Car Insurance Laws Determine Minimum Coverage Requirements
Every Nevada driver must carry 25/50/20 minimum liability insurance to cover potential damages if they’re responsible for a crash. Minimum liability insurance covers:
- $25,000 paid for bodily injury costs per person
- $50,000 bodily injury per accident (this means no matter how many people are injured, insurance pays $50,000 total and no more)
- $20,000 in property damage (which pays for car repairs and to replace lost or damaged items)
Note that minimum liability insurance does not cover your own damage and injury costs after an accident. However, you can purchase additional coverage options to protect yourself if a crash does happen.
If the police say you’re less than 50% liable for the wreck, then your insurance premiums will not go up. Your monthly insurance premiums may increase, however, if your share of fault is 51% or more.
Additional Insurance Coverage Options
Nevada has additional insurance coverage options to protect yourself in more complex accident situations. From uninsured drivers, to paying for loss of a vehicle to theft, or even hitting a parked car, these options ensure you don’t pay 100% of costs out of your own pocket. Here are some of the different car insurance coverage types you may wish to consider purchasing:
- Collision insurance – This covers damages to your vehicle after a collision, no matter who caused it. Once you pay your deductible, collision coverage handles the remaining costs.
- Comprehensive insurance – If anything else damages your car (i.e., falling tree, hail, flash flooding, vandalism), comprehensive coverage pays for those repairs.
- Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist Coverage – UM/UIM insurance covers crashes with uninsured drivers. UM/UIM insurance also kicks in when the responsible driver’s liability insurance runs out. If it costs $30,000 to replace your vehicle, UM/UIM would cover the $10,000 difference not paid for by the at-fault driver’s liability policy. Note that this type of coverage only applies when another driver besides yourself is at fault for the car accident.
- Med Pay – Nevada state law also allows Med Pay insurance to cover your car accident-related medical expenses.
Nevada Comparative Negligence Laws
Nevada is a modified comparative negligence state, meaning you can get a settlement even if you’re partly responsible for the wreck. However, that only applies if you’re less than 50% at-fault for the car accident. Once you reach 51%, NV’s modified comparative negligence law reduces your payout to nothing.
Here’s an example of what that could look like:
| If Your Share of Fault Equals… | Your Max Settlement Offer From Insurance for Medical Bills and Property Damage Is… |
|---|---|
| 0% | $45,000 (unless you have legal representation) |
| 10% | $40,500, since the insurer can deduct $4.500 from your award based on your share of fault |
| 20% | $36,000 after the insurer deducts your $9,000 share of fault from your settlement |
| 30% | $31,500 after deducting the $13,500 that represents your share of fault |
| 40% | $27,000 after taking $18,000 out of your settlement for your share of liability |
| 50% | $22,500 for both your medical and car repair costs combined |
| 51%-100% | $0; you cannot legally get any money if your share of liability is more than 50% |
Determining fault after a car accident is subjective and determines when insurers pay settlements to victims (and how much). That’s why insurance companies will try to push the lion’s share of fault onto you, if possible.
An attorney’s job is to find as much evidence as possible showing another driver caused the accident to occur, not you. If that’s not possible, they will then work to reduce your share of fault in order to maximize your settlement payout.
Types of Damages in Nevada After a Car Accident
Nevada car accident laws cover three types of damages after a car accident: economic damages, non-economic damages, and punitive damages.
Economic Damages
Economic damages, outlined in NRS 41A.007, are the monetary, measurable losses you suffer after a car accident. Think of it this way: Can you show a receipt for something that you paid for related to your wreck? If so, that’s a monetary damage the insurer owes you money for as long as you didn’t cause the accident. Examples of economic damages can include:
- Medical expenses
- Lost wages (this can include time you already missed work and absences you’ll need in the future for ongoing medical care)
- Vehicle repairs or replacement costs
- Replacing any belongings you lost
There are no caps to economic damages available to victims who file successful Nevada auto accident claims. Nevada car accident law sets the dollar amount of how much insurers can offer to settle based on each driver’s individual policy limits.
Non-Economic Damages
Non-economic damages, outlined in NRS 41A.011, are the non-monetary or “non-pecuniary damages” that can arise from a car accident. Examples of non-economic damages may include:
- Pain and suffering (this is generally calculated at 1.5x-5x the amount you paid out-of-pocket already towards medical bills)
- Loss of consortium (i.e., your accident ruined a romantic relationship)
- Disfigurement
- Physical disability
- Emotional distress
Together, economic and non-economic damages make up the compensatory damages you can receive after a car accident in Nevada.
Punitive Damages
Punitive damages involve special cases where the guilty party’s willfully reckless behavior needlessly endangered people’s lives. Victims may receive extra payout money to punish a guilty driver’s criminal actions (such as drunk driving).
Deadline to File Your Claim Under the Nevada Car Accident Statute of Limitations
Nevada car accident laws use a statute of limitations to set the deadline for filing a claim to receive any compensation. If you’re injured, the deadline to file your claim is two years after the accident date. If you wish to file a wrongful death claim, the statute of limitations is two years after the date on the decedent’s death certificate, per NRS 41A.097.
Important: If the deadline passes before you reach a settlement agreement with the at-fault driver's insurance, then you cannot receive any compensation. You also can't sue the other driver in court to receive money through a personal injury lawsuit.
LegalASAP Can Connect You to a Nevada Auto Accident Attorney
LegalASAP is connected with hundreds of law firms around the United States ready to help you with your Nevada car accident case.
And even better, most Nevada auto attorneys will work for free until your settlement arrives. Why not sign up for a free consultation, even if you’re insured? If you choose to work with an attorney on your case, you’ll likely settle out of court. Just 1.2% of Nevada auto accident claims represented by attorneys in 2024 went to trial, according to state data.
To speak with a nearby attorney for free about your auto accident claim, click on the button below now or get started here.
Lori Polemenakos is Director of Consumer Content and SEO strategist for LeadingResponse, a legal marketing company. An award-winning journalist, writer and editor based in Dallas, Texas, she's edited several published books. Since 2016, she's published hundreds of articles about Social Security disability, workers' compensation, veterans' benefits, personal injury, mass tort, auto accident claims, bankruptcy, employment law and other related legal issues.
