Nevada minimum car insurance is 25/50/20: $25,000 in bodily injury coverage per person, $50,000 in bodily injury per accident, and $20,000 for property damage. That is the least a driver can legally carry — not what a serious injury actually costs. Understanding the gap between those two things is what protects you when a driver carrying bare minimums hits you.
What 25/50/20 actually means
Those three numbers are limits on the at-fault driver's liability policy, and each one does a different job:
- $25,000 bodily injury per person — the most the policy pays for any one injured person's medical bills, lost income, and pain and suffering
- $50,000 bodily injury per accident — the total available for everyone hurt in the same crash, no matter how many people were involved
- $20,000 property damage — repair or replacement of your vehicle and other damaged property
Two details catch people off guard. The per-person limit caps each individual, so a crash that injures three people still divides one $50,000 pool. And liability coverage pays other people — it does nothing for the policyholder's own injuries.
Why minimum limits run out fast
Minimum coverage was written with fender benders in mind, not the crashes that send people to the hospital. An ambulance ride, an emergency room workup, imaging, surgery, physical therapy, and weeks away from work stack up quickly. A single hospital stay can absorb the entire per-person limit before anyone has accounted for the income you lost or the pain you lived through.
When your damages exceed the policy, the insurer pays its limit and stops. You can pursue the at-fault driver personally, but a driver who buys the minimum often has little to collect from. That is the real risk built into Nevada's minimum: it is a legal floor, not a measure of what recovery costs.
UM/UIM is the coverage that protects you
Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage is the part of your own policy that steps in when the other driver's insurance cannot cover your losses. Nevada insurers are required to offer it, and buying it is your choice. It matters in three common situations:
- The at-fault driver has no insurance at all
- The at-fault driver carries minimums that fall far short of your injuries
- The driver flees the scene and is never identified
UM/UIM follows you rather than a single car, so it can apply whether you were driving, riding as a passenger, or struck while walking. If you have never checked whether your policy includes it, and at what limits, your declarations page will tell you — and that is worth looking up long before you need it.
Fault still shapes what you collect
Nevada is an at-fault state: the driver who caused the crash, through their insurance, is responsible for the harm. Under Nevada's modified comparative negligence rule (NRS 41.141), you can still recover when you were partly to blame, as long as your share of fault is not greater than 50 percent, and your award is reduced by your percentage. Insurers know this, which is why adjusters look for reasons to move blame onto you. Deadlines matter too: Nevada personal injury claims generally must be filed within two years of the date of injury under NRS 11.190(4)(e).
Our Las Vegas car accident lawyers can identify every policy that applies to your crash, including coverage you did not realize you had. Not every injury claim runs through auto insurance, though — if an animal caused the injury, see our guide to dog bite injury claims in Nevada.
Frequently asked questions
Is Nevada's minimum coverage enough?
It satisfies the law, but it is rarely enough for a crash with real injuries. Higher liability limits and UM/UIM coverage protect you far better than the minimum, and both are worth pricing out before you ever need them.
What happens if my damages exceed the at-fault driver's limits?
The liability insurer pays up to its limit and no further. From there, your own UM/UIM coverage, your health insurance, and in some cases a claim against the driver personally are the remaining paths.
Should I accept an offer that equals the policy limit?
Not before you know whether other coverage exists. Once you sign a release the claim closes for good, so it is worth having a lawyer look for additional policies first. Our consultation is free, 24/7, in English, Korean, Spanish, and Chinese, and there is no fee unless we win.
This article is general information, not legal advice about your specific situation.