Nevada car accident law in 15 numbers

Last updated October 18, 2026.

A handful of numbers decide most Nevada crash claims: $25,000 of minimum insurance per injured person, a fault bar that applies only when you are more at fault than the other side, 2 years to file an injury lawsuit, and a $200,000 cap when a government vehicle is involved. Each number below comes with the statute it rests on and a plain explanation of what it means for a Las Vegas car accident claim.

Numbers are useful because they are hard to argue with. When an adjuster says "that is all the coverage there is" or "you waited too long," knowing the figure and where it comes from changes the conversation. All of these figures were checked against the Nevada Legislature's current text and the court's own pages on the date at the top of this page. The state's own counts of people killed in crashes, rather than the legal numbers, are collected in Clark County car crash data.

How do these numbers come into play, step by step?

At the scene and in the first days: the 10-day, $750 DMV report rule and the police report fee (numbers 10 and 12).
When you learn about the insurance: the 25/50/20 minimums, the 60-day uninsured presumption, and the rideshare minimum if an Uber or Lyft was involved (numbers 1 to 3).
When the insurer evaluates the claim: the fault rule and the 20- and 30-working-day response rules (numbers 4 and 11).
When the bills are added up: the 55 percent hospital lien limit for patients who may be eligible for public programs (number 5).
In serious cases: the government cap and the punitive damages rules (numbers 6 and 7).
If it does not settle: the 2-year and 3-year filing deadlines, the court limits and the arbitration threshold (numbers 8, 9 and 13 to 15).

The 15 numbers at a glance

#	Number	What it is	Rule
1	$25,000 / $50,000 / $20,000	Minimum liability insurance: per person injured, per crash for two or more people, property damage	NRS 485.185
2	60 days	A vehicle in an injury crash is presumed uninsured if no proof of insurance reaches the DMV in this time	NRS 690B.020(6)
3	$1,000,000	Minimum rideshare insurance while a driver is giving a ride	NRS 690B.470
4	More than 50 percent	Your share of fault bars recovery only if it is greater than the defendants' combined share	NRS 41.141
5	55 percent	Most a hospital can collect through its lien if the patient may be eligible for Medicaid, Medicare or another public program	NRS 108.655
6	$200,000	Cap on damages per claimant against the State, a city, a county or their employees	NRS 41.035
7	3 times, or $300,000	General cap on punitive damages, which does not apply to impaired drivers	NRS 42.005, 42.010
8	2 years	Time to file a lawsuit for injury or wrongful death	NRS 11.190(4)(e)
9	3 years	Time to file a lawsuit for damage to your car or other property	NRS 11.190(3)(c)
10	10 days and $750	DMV crash report deadline, when there is injury, death or $750 or more of apparent damage	NRS 484E.070
11	20 and 30 working days	Time for an insurer to acknowledge a claim, and to accept or deny a first-party claim after proof of loss	NAC 686A.665, 686A.675
12	$13	LVMPD fee for a copy of a traffic collision report	LVMPD Records and Fingerprint Bureau
13	$10,000	Highest amount you can claim in small claims court	NRS 73.010
14	$15,000	Highest injury or property damage claim a justice court can hear	NRS 4.370
15	$100,000	Cases filed on or after January 1, 2026 with a probable value up to this amount per plaintiff go into the court's arbitration program	Eighth Judicial District Court ADR office

Insurance numbers

1. $25,000 / $50,000 / $20,000: the minimum policy

Every owner of a vehicle registered in Nevada must carry at least $25,000 for injury to one person, $50,000 for injury to two or more people in one crash, and $20,000 for property damage (NRS 485.185). These are floors, not typical limits, and a serious injury can pass $25,000 in the first week of hospital care. When it does, the next question is your own underinsured motorist coverage. Our page on what the 25/50/20 minimum pays walks through how the $50,000 per-crash limit is shared when several people are hurt.

2. 60 days: when the other car is treated as uninsured

If no proof of financial responsibility for a vehicle in an injury or death crash is given to the DMV within 60 days, that vehicle is presumed to be uninsured (NRS 690B.020(6)). That presumption matters because your own uninsured motorist coverage is built around it. See what happens when the driver who hit you had no insurance.

3. $1,000,000: rideshare coverage on a trip

While a rideshare driver is providing a ride, the company or driver must carry at least $1,000,000 of coverage per crash; while the driver is logged in and waiting for a request, the minimums are $50,000 per person and $100,000 per crash for injuries (NRS 690B.470). The on-trip figure was $1,500,000 before the 2025 Legislature lowered it in Assembly Bill 523, so older pages online are out of date. Our page on who pays after an Uber or Lyft crash in Las Vegas covers each stage of a trip.

Fault and damages numbers

4. More than 50 percent: Nevada's fault bar

You can still recover if your own negligence "was not greater than" the negligence of the people you are suing; your award is then reduced by your share (NRS 41.141(1), (2)). At exactly 50 percent you can still recover half. Above 50 you recover nothing. With more than one defendant, each one generally pays only its own percentage (NRS 41.141(4)), which is why identifying every responsible party matters.

Bonus: $25 and no negligence for a missing seat belt

Not wearing a seat belt carries a civil penalty of not more than $25, and the violation "may not be considered as negligence or as causation in any civil action" (NRS 484D.495(3), (4)). Insurers still raise it. Our page on whether an insurer can blame you for not wearing a seat belt explains the rule.

5. 55 percent: the hospital lien limit

Nevada hospitals can claim a lien on a settlement for the reasonable value of the hospital care they provided (NRS 108.590), but if the injured person may be eligible for Medicaid, Medicare, the Children's Health Insurance Program or another public program that may pay the bill, the hospital may not receive more than 55 percent of its billed charges through the lien (NRS 108.655). See how hospital liens work after a Nevada crash.

6. $200,000: the government cap

Damages against the State, a city, a county, their employees or an immune contractor for acts within public duties may not exceed $200,000 per claimant, and no punitive damages are allowed (NRS 41.035). If you carry underinsured motorist coverage, it must cover actual damages above the cap, up to your limit (NRS 687B.145(2)). Read claims after a crash with a government vehicle.

7. Three times, or $300,000: punitive damages

Punitive damages require clear and convincing proof of oppression, fraud or malice, and are generally capped at three times compensatory damages of $100,000 or more, or $300,000 when compensatory damages are under $100,000 (NRS 42.005(1)). Those caps do not apply to a claim against a driver who caused the injury while violating the DUI statutes after willfully consuming alcohol or another substance (NRS 42.010). Our page on punitive damages against a drunk driver explains how those claims work.

Time numbers

8 and 9. 2 years and 3 years: the lawsuit deadlines

An action for injury or death caused by another's wrongful act or neglect must be commenced within 2 years, and an action for injuring personal property, such as your car, within 3 years (NRS 11.190(4)(e), (3)(c)). Talking to an insurer does not stop either clock. Our table of every Nevada car accident deadline lists the shorter ones too.

10. 10 days and $750: the DMV report

If a crash causes injury, death or apparent damage of $750 or more to any vehicle or property, the driver must send the DMV a report within 10 days, unless an officer investigated and the officer's report lists the insurance details for everyone involved (NRS 484E.070(2), (3)). A willful failure can lead to a suspension (NRS 484E.080). See when the SR-1 report is required.

11. 20 and 30 working days: the insurer's clock

An insurer must acknowledge a claim within 20 working days, and for claims under your own policy must accept or deny within 30 working days after a properly completed proof of loss, or explain in writing why it needs more time (NAC 686A.665(1), 686A.675(1), (3)). Our page on how long an insurer has to respond explains what to do when it misses them.

12. $13: the price of the LVMPD report

LVMPD charges $13.00 for a copy of a traffic collision report, asks people to allow at least 10 business days after the incident, and delivers most eligible collision reports by secure email link. Henderson, North Las Vegas and the Highway Patrol have their own systems, described in getting your Las Vegas crash report.

Court numbers

13. $10,000: small claims

Small claims in a Nevada justice court handle money claims that do not exceed $10,000 (NRS 73.010). That can fit a property damage dispute. Our page on taking a car damage claim to small claims in Las Vegas covers how it works.

14. $15,000: justice court

Justice courts can hear claims for injury to a person or property where the damage claimed does not exceed $15,000 (NRS 4.370(1)(b)). Larger injury cases go to the Eighth Judicial District Court at the Regional Justice Center, described in what to expect at the Regional Justice Center.

15. $100,000: arbitration and short trials

The court's ADR office states that civil cases with a probable jury award value up to $100,000 per plaintiff, filed on or after January 1, 2026, are subject to court-annexed arbitration, up from $50,000, and the Short Trial Program uses the same figure. Our page on arbitration and short trials in Clark County explains both.

What changes the answer

Higher policy limits. The 25/50/20 figures are minimums. Many policies carry more, and your own underinsured coverage can add to them (NRS 687B.145).
Who the defendant is. A government defendant brings the $200,000 cap (NRS 41.035); an impaired driver removes the punitive cap (NRS 42.010); a rideshare trip brings the $1,000,000 minimum (NRS 690B.470).
A child or an absent defendant. Time while the injured person is under 18 does not count toward the deadline (NRS 11.250), and time the at-fault person is out of the state is not counted either (NRS 11.300).
Several defendants. Each usually pays only its own share of fault, except in cases such as intentional torts, concerted acts or defective products (NRS 41.141(4), (5)).
Public program eligibility. The 55 percent hospital lien limit applies only where the patient may be eligible for a public program (NRS 108.655).

For example: the numbers in one claim

Imagine a driver named Omar, stopped at a light on Rainbow Boulevard, who is rear-ended by a driver carrying the minimum policy. All figures here are hypothetical. Omar's medical bills, lost pay and pain and suffering are valued at $90,000, and the at-fault insurer argues Omar was 10 percent at fault for stopping short.

Even if a jury agreed about the 10 percent, Omar's recovery would be reduced, not barred, because his share is not greater than the other driver's (NRS 41.141). The at-fault policy pays at most $25,000 for his injuries (NRS 485.185), so the rest turns on Omar's own underinsured motorist coverage. His hospital may be capped at 55 percent of its charges if Omar may be eligible for Medicaid (NRS 108.655). If talks fail, the lawsuit must be filed within 2 years (NRS 11.190), and a case valued under $100,000 would likely begin in the court's arbitration program.

Common mistakes with these numbers

Treating $25,000 as the value of the claim. It is the at-fault driver's minimum coverage, not a measure of your losses. Other coverage may apply.
Assuming any fault means no recovery. Nevada bars recovery only when your share is greater than the defendants' (NRS 41.141).
Relying on an old rideshare figure. The on-trip minimum is now $1,000,000, not $1,500,000 (NRS 690B.470).
Mixing up the 2-year and 3-year deadlines. The car's 3 years do not extend the injury's 2.
Accepting a hospital lien amount without checking. If a public program may pay, the 55 percent limit applies (NRS 108.655).

What to do this week

Ask the other driver's insurer for the bodily injury limit in writing.
Find your own declarations page and note your uninsured and underinsured limits.
Mark the 2-year and 3-year deadlines on your calendar.
Request the police report once 10 business days have passed.
File the DMV report within 10 days if no officer investigated.
If you have Medicaid or Medicare, tell your hospital and keep its billing statements.

Frequently asked questions

Is Nevada a no-fault state?

No. Nevada requires liability insurance that pays for the harm a driver causes (NRS 485.185), and fault is shared under NRS 41.141. The at-fault driver's insurer is usually the first place a claim goes.

Does Nevada cap pain and suffering in a car accident case?

None of the statutes on this page sets a general cap on pain and suffering in a crash claim against a private driver. The caps that do exist are the $200,000 government cap (NRS 41.035) and the punitive damages limits in NRS 42.005.

Can the other driver's insurer pay more than the policy limit?

The insurer's contract obligation is usually the limit. Damages above it can be claimed against the driver personally or through your own underinsured coverage. Our page on underinsured motorist claims explains the second route.

Are these numbers the same in Henderson and North Las Vegas?

The statutes apply statewide. What differs is the police department and the justice court, described on our Henderson crash page and our North Las Vegas page.

Where can I check a number myself?

Every statute here is on the Nevada Legislature's website, linked in the Sources below. Court program figures come from the Eighth Judicial District Court's ADR pages, and the report fee from LVMPD's records page.

What do the legal terms in these rules mean?

Words like proof of loss, subrogation and comparative negligence are defined in plain English in our Nevada car accident glossary.

If you want to know which of these numbers apply to your crash, attorney Maysoun Fletcher can go over your policy and the facts with you. Call 702-333-6339 for a free consultation; the phones are answered 24/7.