Car

I was in a car accident in Las Vegas — what to do

In order, before anything else: safety, then documentation, then the calls. Nevada law puts duties on every driver at the scene, and the clock on your claim starts the day of the crash.

What to do first

1. Stop, check for injuries, and call 911 if anyone is hurt, or if the vehicles are blocking traffic and can't be moved safely. That call also gets you a police response and report, which matters later. If anyone is hurt, every driver involved must stop and stay at the scene until the information exchange and aid in step 3 are done. Leaving is a category B felony (NRS 484E.010).

2. If nobody is hurt and your car is blocking traffic, move it. In a damage-only crash, a driver whose vehicle is creating a hazard and can be moved safely must move it out of the traffic lanes to a safe spot first, then do the exchange there (NRS 484E.020). Turn on your hazards.

3. Exchange information with the other driver. The law requires your name, your address and the registration number of the vehicle you're driving, your license if asked, and reasonable help getting an injured person to medical care (NRS 484E.030). Also get their phone number, insurance company and policy number, and license plate. Photograph everything: both vehicles, both plates, the other driver's insurance card, the road, any visible damage, before anything is moved if it's safe to do so.

4. If no officer comes, report it yourself. When a crash hurts or kills anyone, or happens on a highway, and no police officer is at the scene, the driver must report it right away to the nearest police office or the Nevada Highway Patrol (NRS 484E.030(2)).

5. Notify your own insurance promptly, even if the other driver was at fault. Reporting late can complicate a claim. Write down the claim number and the name of everyone you speak to.

6. If your car gets towed from the scene, Nevada caps what a nonconsensual tow can legally bill you. Run the bill through the tow bill checker before you pay it.

Deadlines after a crash

What	Deadline	Source
Written report to the Nevada DMV when anyone is hurt or killed, or any vehicle or property has apparent damage of $750 or more	Within 10 days of the crash, with a repair estimate attached. Not required if police investigated and their report lists each driver's insurer, policy number and coverage dates	NRS 484E.070(2)–(3)
You hit a parked car or other unattended property	Immediately: find the owner, or leave a secure written note with your name and address and the owner's. On a highway, also notify police by the quickest means	NRS 484E.040, 484E.050
Lawsuit for injuries to a person	2 years	NRS 11.190(4)(e)
Lawsuit for damage to your car or other personal property	3 years	NRS 11.190(3)(c)
Small claims in Justice Court	Claims up to $10,000; you may file in the township where the crash happened	NRS 73.010

The DMV report is confidential and can't be used as evidence at trial (NRS 484E.070(6)–(7)). Read 2026-10-20 off the Nevada Revised Statutes, 2025 revision.

Insurance: what the other driver has to carry

Every vehicle registered in Nevada must carry at least $25,000 for injury or death of one person, $50,000 for injury or death of two or more people, and $20,000 for damage to other people's property in any one crash (NRS 485.185). A serious injury can run past those limits fast.

That gap is what uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage is for. Every insurer selling car insurance in Nevada must offer it to you in an amount equal to your own bodily injury limits, and must offer at least $1,000 of medical payments coverage (NRS 687B.145). Pull your policy's declarations page today and check whether you bought either one.

Fault can be shared. Under NRS 41.141, your own share of fault does not bar you from recovering as long as it was not greater than the fault of the people you are claiming against. So at the scene, describe what happened and don't guess or argue about who caused it.

No one may sign you up in the first 72 hours

It is unlawful for anyone to solicit you to hire a lawyer at the scene of the crash, at a hospital or clinic, or within 72 hours after the crash. Any contract signed that way is void, and a victim who sues over it can recover twice their actual damages (NRS 7.045). The law has exceptions, including a tow operator offering repair or storage, your own insurer talking to you about a property damage claim, police, fire and EMS doing their jobs, ordinary business advertising, and referrals that follow the lawyer ethics rules (NRS 7.045(3)).

Programs and help that apply

Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada — free help if you qualify and the claim or liability is disputed.

Justice Court small claims — for vehicle damage up to $10,000 when the other driver's insurer won't pay. The statutory filing fee runs $45 to $175 by the amount claimed (NRS 4.060(1)(b)), and it can be waived if you receive public assistance or your household's net income is at or under 150% of the federal poverty guideline (NRS 12.015). If you win, see collect a judgment.

211 — if the accident leaves you without transportation or housing in the short term.

Good to know

Keep one crash folder, paper or phone: the photos, the other driver's details, the officer's name and report or event number, your claim number, the repair estimate (the DMV report needs it), every medical bill, and a log of every call with the date and the name of the person you spoke to. The person with the folder is the person who gets paid.

Before the officer leaves the scene, ask for the report or event number and write it down.