Who pays if I am hurt in an Uber or Lyft crash in Las Vegas?

Last updated October 18, 2026.

It depends mostly on what the driver's app showed at the moment of the crash, and on who caused it. If the driver had accepted a ride or had a passenger aboard, Nevada requires at least $1,000,000 of rideshare insurance; if the driver was logged in and waiting, the minimum drops to $50,000 per person. With the app off, only the driver's own policy applies. A Las Vegas car accident claim after a rideshare crash often involves two or three insurers at once.

Nevada calls Uber, Lyft and similar services "transportation network companies," and the rules for their insurance sit in NRS 690B.470 and chapter 706A. Those rules changed in 2025. Many pages still quote a $1,500,000 trip minimum; that figure is out of date for most crashes today, and this page shows when each number applies.

How does a rideshare injury claim work in Las Vegas, step by step?

Report the crash and get the event number. Every driver must stop, exchange names, addresses and registration, and help anyone hurt; if no officer is present and someone is injured, the crash must be reported to the nearest police office or the Nevada Highway Patrol (NRS 484E.010, 484E.030). Our guide to which agency handles a Las Vegas crash and how to get the report covers each one.
Ask the rideshare driver for proof of rideshare coverage and app status. Nevada requires the driver to carry proof of rideshare insurance whenever logged in, and to tell police and anyone in the crash, on request, whether he was logged in, available or on a trip (NRS 690B.495).
Save your own trip record. Riders get a photo of the driver and the license plate before getting in, and an electronic receipt afterward showing the start point, destination, time and distance (NRS 706A.200, 706A.210). Screenshot both.
Get the police report. LVMPD says to allow at least 10 business days for a report to become available. A traffic collision report costs $13.00, and most can be delivered by a secure email link.
Open claims with each insurer that may owe you. That can include the rideshare policy, the other driver's insurer and your own insurer. Nevada requires everyone involved, including the rideshare company and its insurer, to cooperate and share the driver's log-in and log-out times for the 12 hours before and after the crash, plus a clear description of the coverage and limits (NRS 690B.490).
Send a proof of loss once you have records. The Nevada claim-handling deadlines then apply to licensed insurers; see how long an insurer has to respond in Nevada.
Watch the lawsuit deadlines. Generally 2 years for injuries and 3 years for vehicle damage (NRS 11.190(4)(e), (3)(c)). A Clark County case over $15,000 is filed in district court (NRS 4.370).

How much rideshare insurance applies at each moment?

The question an adjuster will ask first is where the driver was in the app. The statute ties each amount to a specific period.

Driver's status at the crash	Nevada minimum coverage	Rule
App off (personal driving)	No rideshare insurance required; the driver's own policy must meet $25,000 per person, $50,000 per crash and $20,000 property	NRS 485.185
Logged in and available, no ride accepted	$50,000 per person, $100,000 per crash for bodily injury, $25,000 for property	NRS 690B.470(1)(b) to (d)
Ride accepted, driving to the pickup	$1,000,000 for bodily injury, death and property damage in any one crash	NRS 690B.470(1)(a); NRS 706A.060
Passenger in the car, until the last passenger fully gets out	$1,000,000, same as above	NRS 690B.470(1)(a); NRS 706A.060
Any trip-period crash whose cause of action arose before October 1, 2025	The earlier minimum of $1,500,000 applied	2025 Statutes of Nevada, ch. 5 (AB 523), sections 1 and 4

Two details matter here. First, the "trip" starts when the driver accepts the request, not when you get in (NRS 706A.060). A crash on the way to pick you up is a trip-period crash. Second, the coverage can come from the company, the driver or both, and if the driver's insurance lapses or falls short during a trip, the company must provide it as primary insurance (NRS 690B.470(3), (4)).

What did AB 523 change in 2025?

Assembly Bill 523, approved May 19, 2025, made two changes that matter to injured people. It lowered the trip-period minimum from $1,500,000 to $1,000,000 (section 1). And it added NRS 706A.155: a rideshare company "is not vicariously liable" for any act or omission of a driver or passenger that harms a person or property. The same section says it does not preclude any other theory of liability against the company to the extent available and proven under law.

The bill's section 4 says these changes do not apply to a cause of action that arises before October 1, 2025. So for a crash on or after that date, the $1,000,000 minimum and the vicarious liability bar apply. For an older crash, the earlier law governs.

In practice, most rideshare injury claims are paid through the insurance, not by a judgment against the company itself. The rideshare insurer has a duty to defend and indemnify both the driver and the company (NRS 690B.470(8)), and the company is not treated as the owner of the car just because it provides the insurance (NRS 690B.470(10)).

Who pays depends on who you are in the crash

You were	Main sources of payment	What to check
The rider	Rideshare policy for the driver's share of fault; the other driver's policy for that driver's share; possibly your own UM/UIM or med pay	Both drivers' fault shares; whether the rideshare policy includes UM/UIM
Another driver hit by the rideshare car	The rideshare policy at the level matching the app status; your own collision, UM/UIM or med pay	The driver's app status and the 12-hour log-in records
A pedestrian or cyclist hit by the rideshare car	The rideshare policy; your own auto policy if it covers you outside a car	Your policy's definition of who is insured
The rideshare driver	The at-fault driver's liability insurance; any UM/UIM included in the rideshare policy; your own coverage only if it does not exclude rideshare use	The written coverage disclosure the company gave you

Riders

A rider is rarely at fault, so the question is which driver caused the crash. If the rideshare driver did, the trip-period coverage applies. If another driver did, that driver's insurer is responsible, and the minimum there may be only $25,000 per person; see what Nevada's 25/50/20 minimum pays. When both drivers share the blame, Nevada generally makes each one pay only his own percentage of fault (NRS 41.141(4)). Our page on claiming against both drivers as a passenger walks through that split.

Other drivers, pedestrians and cyclists

If a rideshare car hits you, the amount available turns on the app status. A driver who was simply logged in and waiting may have only $50,000 per person behind him. Nevada does not require rideshare insurance to include uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage, medical payments or collision coverage; it says the policy "may" include them (NRS 690B.470(6)). Your own policy may matter more than you expect. People hit while walking can read who is at fault and who pays when a car hits a pedestrian. Cyclists can read whose insurance pays after a bicycle crash.

The rideshare driver

Before a driver can take rides, the company must disclose in writing the coverage it provides and warn that the driver's personal policy may not cover rideshare use, and that personal comprehensive or collision coverage may not apply while logged in (NRS 690B.460). A personal policy is allowed to exclude rideshare periods (NRS 690B.480(1)). If another driver caused your crash, your claim against that driver works like any other; if that driver had little or no insurance, whether you have UM or UIM coverage depends on what the rideshare policy and your own policy actually include. See being hit by a driver with no insurance in Nevada.

What is the "app-off gap," and why does it cause fights?

When the app is off, no rideshare insurance is required at all. The driver is just a driver, and his personal policy pays at its own limits, which may be the $25,000 minimum. When the app is on but no ride is accepted, the lower $50,000 / $100,000 / $25,000 tier applies. Only once a ride is accepted does the $1,000,000 tier start.

That invites arguments about timing. A personal insurer may say the driver was logged in, so the rideshare policy should pay; the rideshare insurer may say the app was off. Nevada handles this in two ways. The rideshare insurer may not require the driver's personal insurer to deny the claim first (NRS 690B.470(7)). And the parties and insurers must share the log-in and log-out times around the crash (NRS 690B.490). Ask for those records in writing early. The company must also keep trip records and records of reported crashes for at least 3 years (NRS 706A.230).

What changes the answer

The crash date. For a cause of action arising before October 1, 2025, the $1,500,000 trip minimum and the earlier liability rules apply (AB 523, section 4).
The app status, minute by minute. The tiers in NRS 690B.470(1) follow the driver's status, and "transportation services" runs from acceptance of a ride until the last passenger fully gets out (NRS 706A.060).
Your share of fault. A rider rarely has any. A driver or pedestrian may. Your recovery is reduced by your share and barred only if it is greater than the defendants' combined negligence (NRS 41.141).
Whether both drivers were careless. In a negligence case, each defendant is generally liable only for his own share (NRS 41.141(4)). Joint and several liability survives only in the listed exceptions, such as intentional torts or concerted acts (NRS 41.141(5)).
A claim against the company itself. For newer crashes the company is not vicariously liable for the driver (NRS 706A.155(1)), but a claim based on the company's own conduct is not ruled out to the extent available and proven under law (NRS 706A.155(2)).
A driver who was impaired. Rideshare drivers may not drink or use controlled substances while logged in or on a trip, and a rider's complaint must lead the company to suspend the driver's access and investigate (NRS 706A.290). A drunk driving crash also raises punitive damages questions; see punitive damages against a drunk driver in Nevada.
Your own policy. Uninsured motorist coverage is part of every Nevada auto policy unless rejected in writing (NRS 690B.020(1)), and insurers must offer underinsured coverage (NRS 687B.145(2)). Whether it covers you as a rider depends on your policy's wording.

For example: a red light on Flamingo Road

Imagine a rider named Dana. She is leaving a Strip resort in a Lyft heading east on Flamingo Road when a pickup truck runs the red light at Paradise Road and hits the side of the car. Dana breaks her wrist. All figures and fault shares here are hypothetical.

At the scene, Dana asks the Lyft driver for his rideshare insurance card and app status, and he confirms he was on her trip (NRS 690B.495). She screenshots her receipt. LVMPD investigates, and she requests the report online about two weeks later.

Dana's damages come to $90,000. The pickup driver's insurer accepts most of the blame but argues the Lyft driver was speeding. Suppose a jury would split fault 80 percent to the pickup driver and 20 percent to the Lyft driver. Under NRS 41.141(4), the Lyft driver's share, $18,000, would come from the $1,000,000 trip coverage. The pickup driver's share, $72,000, runs into his $25,000 policy limit. The remaining $47,000 is where Dana's own underinsured motorist coverage, if she has it and it covers her as a passenger, could matter (NRS 687B.145(2)).

If the same crash had happened on the way to pick her up, nothing would change: the trip began when the driver accepted her request (NRS 706A.060).

Common mistakes after an Uber or Lyft crash

Relying on the $1,500,000 figure. It applies only to claims arising before October 1, 2025.
Deleting the app or the receipt. The receipt and in-app trip history show the trip status. Screenshot them the same day.
Assuming the company will pay for everything. The insurance pays for the driver's share of fault. Another driver's share comes from that driver's coverage.
Giving a recorded statement before you know the coverage picture. Several insurers may call. Read whether you have to give the other insurer a recorded statement first.
Ignoring your own policy. Your UM, UIM or medical payments coverage may be the piece that closes the gap.

What to do this week

Screenshot your trip receipt, the driver's photo and plate, and the in-app trip history.
Write down the time of the crash and what the driver said about his app status.
Request the crash report from the agency that responded.
Ask the rideshare insurer, in writing, for a description of the coverage, exclusions and limits, and for the driver's log-in and log-out times around the crash (NRS 690B.490).
Pull your own declarations page and look for UM, UIM and medical payments coverage.
Keep every medical record, bill and work note in one folder.
Mark 2 years from the crash date on your calendar.

Frequently asked questions

Can I sue Uber or Lyft directly?

For a cause of action arising on or after October 1, 2025, the company is not vicariously liable for the driver's acts (NRS 706A.155(1)). A claim based on the company's own conduct is not barred if it is available and proven under law (NRS 706A.155(2)). The rideshare insurer must still defend and indemnify both the driver and the company (NRS 690B.470(8)).

My crash happened before October 1, 2025. Which rules apply?

AB 523's changes do not apply to a cause of action that arose before October 1, 2025 (section 4). For a trip-period crash before that date, the $1,500,000 minimum applied. Keep in mind the 2-year injury deadline (NRS 11.190(4)(e)), which may already be close.

Will the rideshare insurance pay my medical bills right away?

Not automatically. Nevada allows a rideshare policy to include medical payments coverage but does not require it (NRS 690B.470(6)). The required coverage is liability coverage, which pays for the driver's fault. Your own medical payments coverage, if you bought it, may pay sooner (NRS 687B.145(3)).

I was hit by someone delivering food, not driving passengers. Is that the same?

No. AB 523 also created separate rules for delivery network companies, including that they are not vicariously liable for a delivery driver's acts if they kept at least $1,000,000 of qualifying insurance for the delivery period (section 2.9). See who is responsible when a delivery vehicle hits you.

I visited Las Vegas and flew home after the crash. Can I still claim?

Usually, yes. Most of the claim can be handled by phone and mail, but Nevada law and deadlines apply. Our page for visitors hurt in a Las Vegas crash covers the long-distance steps.

Where do I complain about a rideshare company or its insurer?

The Nevada Transportation Authority regulates rideshare companies (NRS 706A.110(3)) and has a Transportation Network Company complaint form; it says an investigator will acknowledge a complaint within 15 days. Complaints about how an insurer handles your claim go to the Nevada Division of Insurance; see how to file an insurance complaint in Nevada.

Does it matter where in Las Vegas the crash happened?

It decides which police agency writes the report and, if a lawsuit is filed, which court hears it. Our Las Vegas accident page lists the city agencies and courts. The insurance rules above are the same across Nevada.

If you were hurt in an Uber or Lyft and the insurers are pointing at each other, attorney Maysoun Fletcher can help you sort out which coverage applies. Call 702-333-6339 for a free consultation; we answer 24/7.