Gallagher & Lipshutz represents people injured in Las Vegas car accidents, including drivers, passengers, pedestrians, bicyclists, and families after fatal crashes. Our car accident attorneys handle the crashes this city actually produces: rear-end collisions in stop-and-go traffic on I-15 and US-95, left-turn and red-light crashes at the valley's wide intersections, parking lot crashes at casinos and shopping centers, and crashes caused by drivers who turn out to have no insurance or too little of it. Local crashes often involve tourists, rental cars, rideshare vehicles, casino traffic, construction zones, and high speed roads like I-15, US-95/I-515, Summerlin Parkway, and the Spaghetti Bowl.
A car accident claim is not just a form sent to an insurance company. You have to prove who caused the crash, prove the crash caused your injuries, prove what your losses cost, and identify the insurance coverage that applies. Nevada's comparative fault rule affects the money recovered because the insurance company may try to shift blame onto you to reduce what it pays. See Nevada's comparative fault rule, NRS 41.141.
We offer free consultations for Nevada crash victims. Call (702) 381-3770 or contact Gallagher & Lipshutz before giving a recorded statement or accepting an early settlement offer. A recorded statement about your version of what happened and your injuries can be used later, and an early offer may not account for future care, missed work, or injuries that become clearer over time. Nevada gives most injury victims two years to file — see our Nevada injury claim deadlines page.
If the Crash Was Not Your Fault
Many people search for what to do after a car accident that was not their fault. The answer depends on proof. A police report, scene photos, vehicle damage, traffic signal timing, witness testimony, dash camera video, and medical records can all help show what happened. Do not assume the claim is secure just because the other driver got a ticket. Our guides cover how to get your Las Vegas crash report from each police department and whose insurance to call when someone hit your car.
Even when the other driver caused the crash, the insurance company may still look for ways to reduce the claim. It may say you stopped too fast, changed lanes, failed to avoid the crash, had a pre-existing medical condition, waited too long to get care, or are blaming the crash for pain that came from something else. These are fault and medical cause arguments. Nevada's comparative fault rule can lower the money recovered if you share blame, and it can prevent recovery if your fault is greater than the other side's fault.
Who Is Legally Responsible for a Las Vegas Car Accident?
The driver who caused the crash is usually the first person or party to review, but not always the only one. A claim may also involve the vehicle owner, an employer if the driver was working, a rideshare insurance policy, a delivery company, a drunk driver, a city or county if a public road condition played a role, or your own uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage. In a car crash, the central question is who acted carelessly and which insurance policy must pay for that carelessness. If the other vehicle was a FedEx, UPS or Amazon van or a commercial truck, our Las Vegas delivery truck accident lawyers page explains who the real employer is and what coverage sits behind the driver.
If the crash involved driving while intoxicated, see our Las Vegas drunk driving accident lawyers page. Nevada has a special statute that may allow punitive damages, which are additional damages meant to punish and deter especially dangerous conduct, in certain driving while intoxicated injury cases. See Nevada's drunk driving punitive damages statute, NRS 42.010.
If the crash involved a government vehicle, public employee, public bus, or dangerous public road condition, special Nevada public entity rules should be reviewed early. A public entity includes the State, a city, a county, or another local government. Nevada law has a claim filing step for claims against the State or a local government, and that step is separate from filing a lawsuit in court. See Nevada's public entity claim statute, NRS 41.036.
Crashes at Las Vegas Intersections and on I-15 and US-95
Serious Las Vegas crashes cluster in two places: the wide, fast intersections on the valley's main streets, and the freeways. Intersection crashes on Flamingo Road, Charleston Boulevard, Sahara Avenue, Tropicana Avenue, Boulder Highway and Rainbow Boulevard usually come down to a right-of-way rule. A driver turning left must yield to oncoming traffic that is close enough to be a hazard, under NRS 484B.253. A driver facing a stop or yield sign must stop or yield before entering the intersection, under NRS 484B.257. A driver facing a red light must stop, under NRS 484B.307. When the police report shows which driver had the green light or the right of way, fault is usually settled; when it does not, the case turns on signal timing records, the damage to each car, witnesses and video.
Freeway crashes on I-15, US-95, I-515 and the 215 Beltway are usually investigated by the Nevada Highway Patrol rather than the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, and they often involve more than two cars. A chain of rear-end impacts through the Spaghetti Bowl, a merge crash at a Strip exit, or a lane-change crash near the airport connector can leave three or four insurance companies pointing at each other. The traffic cameras on those roads are not recorded by the state, but a private archive keeps about 90 days of the public feeds; our guide to getting traffic camera footage after a Las Vegas crash explains what exists and how fast it disappears. Our Las Vegas car accident attorneys identify the cameras pointing to where the crash happened and contact their owners in the first days after a freeway crash.
Rear-End Collisions: Who Is at Fault?
Rear-end collisions are the most common crash on Las Vegas streets, and the driver in back is usually at fault. Nevada law requires every driver to leave enough room to stop, under NRS 484B.127, so a driver who hits the car in front has almost always followed too closely, looked at a phone, or misjudged stopping traffic. Usually is not always. The rear driver may not be fully at fault when the front driver stopped suddenly for no reason, backed up, cut in without room, or had brake lights that did not work, and in a chain-reaction crash the driver who started the chain can be responsible for the cars in the middle.
The fight in a rear-end case is rarely about fault. It is about the injury. Rear-end crashes cause neck, back and shoulder injuries that do not show on an X-ray, and insurance companies argue that a crash with little visible damage to the bumper could not have hurt anyone. A lawyer for a rear-end collision answers that argument with the medical records, the timeline of symptoms, the doctor's findings, and when needed an expert who can explain what a low-speed impact does to a spine. Do not let a small repair bill set the value of your injury.
Parking Lot Accidents at Casinos and Shopping Centers
Parking lot crashes are a Las Vegas specialty: casino garages, Strip valet areas, Costco and Walmart lots, and the parking fields around Allegiant Stadium and T-Mobile Arena on event nights. Police often will not come to a parking lot crash with no injuries, and the drivers are left to exchange information on their own. Exchange it anyway, photograph both cars and the lot, and note the nearest camera, because the casino or store camera that covers the row is often the only neutral witness, and most systems record over themselves within days.
Fault in a parking lot follows the same rules as the street. A driver backing out of a space must yield to cars already moving in the lane, a driver in a lane must yield to the through lane at the end of a row, and a driver who hits a parked car and leaves must find the owner or leave a note with a name and address under NRS 484E.040. Insurance covers parking lot crashes the same way it covers any crash: the at-fault driver's liability policy pays for your injuries, and your own collision coverage repairs the car. When the other driver left without a note, the claim becomes a hit-and-run; our guide on reporting a hit and run in Las Vegas covers the steps, and your uninsured motorist coverage applies only if the other car actually made contact and you reported the crash to the police.
Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Claims
Nevada drivers must carry at least $25,000 of injury coverage for each person hurt in a crash, up to a total of $50,000 per accident, plus $20,000 for property damage, under NRS 485.185. If three people are injured in one crash, they share the $50,000, with no more than $25,000 going to any one person, which is often far too little for a serious injury. The Nevada Division of Insurance summary of the minimum coverage law explains the limits. Many Las Vegas drivers carry only those minimums, and some carry nothing at all.
Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage carries more weight here than almost anywhere. Uninsured motorist coverage pays for your injuries when the driver who hit you has no insurance; underinsured motorist coverage pays when that driver's policy runs out before your medical bills and pain and suffering are covered. Both come from your own policy. Nevada does not require you to buy them, but your insurance company had to offer them to you in an amount equal to your own injury limits, under NRS 687B.145, and under NRS 690B.020 an unidentified hit-and-run driver counts as uninsured when the other car made physical contact and the crash was reported to the police. Our Las Vegas hit and run accident lawyers page covers the claim when the driver is never found.
An uninsured motorist claim is a claim against your own insurance company, and your company handles it like any other claim: it questions fault, the injury and the treatment, and it pays only what it has to. A Las Vegas uninsured motorist lawyer proves the other driver's fault and your damages the same way as in a claim against a stranger, and then makes sure your insurer honors the coverage you paid for. After a serious crash we also check whether another policy applies: the car's owner, an employer if the driver was working, Uber or Lyft if the driver was on the app, any umbrella policy, medical payments coverage, and a household policy that may cover you as a resident relative.
Common Causes of Las Vegas Car Accidents
Common causes include speeding, texting, driving while intoxicated, unsafe lane changes, red light violations, failure to yield, following too closely, driving while too tired, and unfamiliar tourist driving near the Strip. Construction zones, casino entrances, parking garages, and freeway merges can make these cases harder because traffic patterns change quickly. A crash near a casino driveway, a freeway ramp, or the Spaghetti Bowl may need video, lane markings, signal timing, and witness testimony to explain what happened.
Damages in a Las Vegas Car Accident Claim
Recoverable damages may include medical bills, future medical care, missed wages, the money you can no longer earn in the future, property damage, pain, physical limits, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life. These damages must be supported by records and proof, not just general statements about pain. Medical records, bills, wage documents, work restrictions, photos, and testimony from family or coworkers can all help show the full effect of the crash.
For a broader damages overview, see our Nevada personal injury practice page. It is usually risky to settle while the medical picture is still changing. Once a release is signed, the claim usually ends, even if later treatment costs more than expected. If the crash took a life, our Las Vegas wrongful death lawyers page explains who can bring the claim and what a family can recover.
How We Build a Car Accident Claim
A strong car accident claim is built in layers. The first layer is fault: who broke a traffic rule, who had the right of way, who had time to avoid the crash, and what the physical evidence shows. The second layer is proof that the crash caused the injury, including how the crash happened, what symptoms started afterward, what the doctors found, and why the treatment fits the injury. The third layer is damages: what the injury cost, how it affected work, and how it changed daily life.
Insurance companies often review those layers separately. They may admit their driver caused the crash but dispute the treatment, or admit you were hurt but argue you had a pre-existing medical condition. A demand package (a detailed letter to the insurance company that lays out who was at fault, what your injuries are, and what your losses cost) should address those points directly. It should not just send bills and hope the insurance company makes a fair offer.
If a lawsuit is needed, the case may involve written discovery, which is written questions and document requests, depositions, which are sworn question and answer sessions, subpoenas, which are court backed requests for records or witnesses, expert review, and trial preparation. Expert review may involve doctors, crash experts, or other qualified people explaining technical issues in a way a jury can understand. The decision to file suit depends on fault disputes, medical proof, damages, policy limits, and whether the insurance company is valuing the claim reasonably before the deadline runs.
How Medical Treatment Affects a Car Accident Claim
Get care for your injuries first. The emergency room has imaging, testing and specialists in one place, which no other setting offers on the day you are hurt, and the follow-up your doctors recommend is how an injury gets treated. The insurance company then reads the records of that care, and the issue is not only how high the bills are. The insurance company looks at whether the records show steady symptoms, reasonable care, objective findings like imaging or exam results, and a clear link between the crash and the injury. Gaps in treatment can create predictable arguments that the injury healed, was not serious, or came from something else.
A gap in treatment does not defeat a claim; there are ordinary reasons for one, and we explain them. Common reasons include delayed referrals, health insurance problems, work obligations, transportation problems, or waiting for imaging or specialist appointments. Future treatment counts as well. If a doctor recommends surgery, injections, therapy, work limits, or long term follow up, the claim should not be valued as though treatment ended at the last paid bill.
What to Do After a Car Accident in Las Vegas
If you have been in a car accident in Las Vegas, the steps you take right after the crash can have a real effect on your medical care, your insurance claim, and any later lawsuit. Here is what to do after a car crash in Nevada.
Step 1: Check for Injuries
Check yourself, your passengers, and anyone else involved. If anyone may be hurt, treat it as serious and call for help.
Step 2: Call 9-1-1
Call the police if anyone is injured, a driver leaves, driving while intoxicated is suspected, or traffic is blocked. Follow the responding officers' instructions.
Step 3: Take Pictures
Photograph the vehicles, license plates, road, traffic signs, lights, debris, skid marks, visible injuries, and nearby businesses that may have cameras.
Step 4: Move Cars Safely
If the crash is minor and the cars can move, get out of traffic when it is safe. If anyone is hurt or the cars cannot move, wait for police and emergency help.
Step 5: Find Witnesses
Get names and phone numbers from witnesses before they leave. A neutral witness can decide the case when the other driver later changes the story.
Step 6: Exchange Information
Take pictures of the other driver's driver's license, insurance, and registration. Get the driver's phone number and vehicle information. Do not argue about fault at the scene.
Step 7: Report the Crash
Report the claim to the insurance company and, if required, the Nevada DMV. Keep the report short and factual until you understand your injuries. Our guide explains how to get your Las Vegas crash report once the police have written it.
Step 8: Go to the Doctor
Get checked even if you think you can tough it out. Some injuries, including concussions, neck injuries, back injuries, and shoulder injuries, get worse after the shock wears off.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I do after a car accident that was not my fault?
Get medical care, call the police when needed, photograph the scene, identify witnesses, notify insurance, and avoid broad recorded statements until you understand your injuries and the fault issues. Even when the crash was not your fault, the insurance company may still look for facts it can use to blame you or reduce the claim.
How long do I have to file a car accident lawsuit in Nevada?
Most Nevada car accident injury lawsuits must be filed within two years of the crash. That deadline comes from Nevada's general injury filing deadline, NRS 11.190(4)(e). Special facts, such as a government vehicle, a child, a death, or an insurance policy deadline, can change the analysis, so confirm the deadline early. See our Nevada car accident statute of limitations page for more detail.
Can I recover if I was partly at fault?
Yes, if your share of fault is not greater than the fault of the person or people you are suing. Your recovery is reduced by your fault percentage. If your share of fault is more than 50 percent, Nevada's comparative fault rule can prevent recovery. See Nevada's comparative fault rule, NRS 41.141.
What if the driver who was at fault had no insurance?
Your own uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage may apply if you bought it. Other policies may also exist depending on who owned the car, whether the driver was working, whether a rideshare app was involved, or whether a household policy applies. The Nevada Division of Insurance's guide to uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage explains how the coverage works.
Should I accept the first settlement offer?
Usually not until you understand your diagnosis, future care, missed income, insurance limits, and what rights you are giving up. A release is usually final. If you sign too early, you may be stuck even if later care costs more than expected.
What if I was a passenger?
A passenger may have claims against one or more drivers depending on who caused the crash. Passenger claims often focus less on whether the passenger can recover and more on which insurance policy pays. If you were a rideshare passenger, see our Las Vegas Uber and Lyft accident lawyers page.
Who is at fault in a rear-end collision in Nevada?
Usually the driver in back, because Nevada requires every driver to leave enough room to stop under NRS 484B.127. The rear driver is not automatically at fault, though: a front driver who stopped for no reason, backed up, cut in without room, or drove with dead brake lights can share the blame, and in a chain-reaction crash the driver who started the chain can be responsible for the cars in the middle.
What happens if an uninsured driver hits you in Nevada?
Your own uninsured motorist coverage pays for your injuries if you bought it, and your collision coverage repairs the car. You can still sue the uninsured driver, but most have no money to collect. If you did not buy uninsured motorist coverage, look for other policies that may apply, including a household member's policy, the car owner's policy, or an employer's policy if the driver was working.
Do insurance companies cover parking lot accidents?
Yes. A parking lot crash is treated like any other crash: the at-fault driver's liability insurance pays for injuries, and collision coverage pays for the car. The problem is proof, because police often do not respond and there is no crash report, so exchange information, take photos and ask the property for its camera footage the same day.
Gallagher & Lipshutz's car accident attorneys represent crash victims throughout Las Vegas, Henderson, North Las Vegas, Summerlin, and Clark County; our Henderson car accident lawyers and Summerlin car accident lawyers pages cover what is different about a crash in those areas. For a free consultation, call (702) 381-3770 or contact Gallagher & Lipshutz. A short call can help identify the deadline, the insurance, and the evidence that needs to be gathered and saved.
