Whose insurance pays when a car hits me on my bicycle in Nevada?

Last updated October 7, 2026.

When a car hits you on a bicycle in Nevada, the driver's liability insurance is the first source of payment for your injuries and your bike. If that coverage is missing or too small, uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage and medical payments coverage on your own auto policy may help (NRS 690B.020, 687B.145). Whether your own policy covers you while riding depends on its wording, so read it before you assume either way.

Many cyclists think that because they were not in a car, no insurance of theirs applies. That is often not the case. This page walks through every source that can pay in a Las Vegas bicycle accident claim and what Nevada law says about each.

How does payment work after a bike crash in Las Vegas?

Get the driver's insurance information. A driver in an injury crash must stop and give a name, address and vehicle registration (NRS 484E.010, 484E.030). Photograph the driver's insurance card if you can. If the driver's identity is not otherwise known, or the driver denies being there, the Nevada DMV may disclose that person's identity, insurer and policy number to you or your insurer from the crash reports it receives (NRS 484E.070(6)).
Report the crash to police. In Las Vegas and unincorporated Clark County, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) usually responds; Henderson and North Las Vegas have their own police. A report matters for every claim, and it is required for a hit-and-run claim on your own policy, as explained below. Our guide to getting a Las Vegas crash report covers the request.
Find every policy that might apply. That includes your own auto policy and any policy in your household that may list you as an insured. Ask each insurer for a copy of the full policy, not just the declarations page.
Use the right coverage for medical bills now. Health insurance, Medicaid or medical payments coverage may pay bills while the claim is open, and some of them may expect repayment from a settlement. A hospital can also hold a lien on a settlement for the reasonable value of its care (NRS 108.590), as explained in our page on hospital liens after a crash in Nevada.
Make the liability claim. The driver's insurer pays for your injuries and your bicycle if its driver was at fault, up to its limits.
Turn to your own coverage for the gap. If your losses exceed what the driver's policy pays, an underinsured motorist claim under your own policy may cover the difference, up to your own limits (NRS 687B.145(2)).
Watch the deadlines. An injury lawsuit generally must be filed within 2 years, and a claim for damage to property such as your bike within 3 years (NRS 11.190). Your own policy may set notice and claim deadlines too.

Which insurance can pay a cyclist's claim?

Source	What it can pay	Nevada rule	What to check
At-fault driver's liability insurance	Injuries up to at least $25,000 per person and $50,000 per crash; property damage, such as your bike, up to at least $20,000	NRS 485.185	The policy's actual limits, which may be higher
Car owner's policy when someone else drove with permission	Same as above; the owner's policy covers permitted drivers	NRS 485.3091(1)(b)	Who owns the car and whether the driver had permission
Owner of a car driven by a family member	The owner is jointly liable when an immediate family member drives with permission	NRS 41.440	Family relationship and permission
Driver's employer	An employer responsible for the driver's conduct is also liable	NRS 41.130	Whether the driver was working at the time
Rideshare coverage	At least $1,000,000 during a trip; at least $50,000 per person and $100,000 per crash while the driver is logged in and waiting	NRS 690B.470	Whether the app was on, and the driver's trip status
Your uninsured motorist coverage	Your injuries when the at-fault driver has no insurance or is an unidentified hit-and-run driver	NRS 690B.020	Whether your policy defines you as insured while riding; any written rejection
Your underinsured motorist coverage	Your injury damages above the driver's bodily injury limits, up to your own limits	NRS 687B.145(2)	Whether you bought it, and the policy's definition of an insured
Your medical payments coverage	Reasonable and necessary medical expenses from a crash, if you bought it	NRS 687B.145(3)	Whether the policy covers injuries while not in a vehicle
Government vehicle	Damages capped at $200,000 per claimant; no punitive damages	NRS 41.035	Which agency owned the vehicle

What changes the answer

Your policy's definition of who is insured. Nevada requires uninsured motorist coverage in auto liability policies "for the protection of persons insured thereunder" who are legally entitled to recover from an uninsured or hit-and-run driver (NRS 690B.020(1)). The statute does not say an insured must be inside a car when hurt. Who counts as an insured, and whether coverage follows you onto a bicycle, is set by your policy's own definitions and exclusions. The same is true of medical payments coverage. Read the "persons insured" and "exclusions" sections, or have someone read them with you.

Whether you rejected or skipped coverage. Uninsured motorist coverage is included unless a named insured rejected it in writing on the insurer's form (NRS 690B.020(1)). Underinsured motorist coverage and medical payments coverage must be offered, but you may have declined them (NRS 687B.145(2), (3)). Your declarations page shows what you actually have.

A hit-and-run driver. An unknown driver counts as uninsured only if the injury resulted from physical contact of the vehicle with you, or with a vehicle you were occupying, and the crash was reported within the time the law requires to the city police or, in an unincorporated area, the county sheriff or the Nevada Highway Patrol (NRS 690B.020(3)(f)). The wording covers contact with the insured person, not only with a car. A close pass that runs you off the road with no contact can fail this test. Our page on hit-and-run claims for riders in Nevada covers the same rule from a motorcyclist's side.

A driver with too little insurance. A vehicle whose bodily injury coverage is below the required amount is treated as uninsured to the extent of the shortfall (NRS 690B.020(3)(b)). A vehicle in an injury crash is presumed uninsured if no proof of insurance reaches the DMV within 60 days (NRS 690B.020(6)). For what the minimum limits really cover, see what Nevada's 25/50/20 minimum insurance pays.

More than one policy. If you are covered under more than one policy, a policy may limit your recovery to the highest single applicable limit, prorated among the policies, but only if that limit is stated in clear, prominent language, and it is void if you bought separate coverage and paid full premium for it (NRS 687B.145(1)).

Your share of fault. Every payment that depends on the driver's fault is reduced by your own share, and you recover nothing if your share is greater than the driver's (NRS 41.141). Passing and bike lane rules often decide that question; see Nevada's 3-foot passing law.

Who gets repaid. If your uninsured motorist insurer pays you, it is entitled to proceeds you later recover from the person responsible, to the extent of its payment (NRS 690B.020(5)). An underinsured motorist insurer cannot seek repayment from the underinsured driver (NRS 687B.145(4)).

For example: a minimum policy and a serious injury

Imagine a hypothetical rider named Priya who is struck by a car making a right turn across her lane on a weekday morning. She breaks her leg and misses two months of work. In this hypothetical, her medical bills, lost wages and other losses come to $90,000, and her bike is destroyed.

The driver carries only the minimum: $25,000 per person for injuries and $20,000 for property. The driver's insurer accepts fault and pays $25,000 for Priya's injuries plus the value of her bike from the property damage coverage.

Priya owns a car and carries $100,000 of underinsured motorist coverage. She reads her policy and finds that it defines an insured to include her when struck by a motor vehicle as a pedestrian or cyclist. Policies differ, and hers happens to include that language. Under NRS 687B.145(2), her coverage can pay the damages above the driver's $25,000 limit, up to her own $100,000 limit. In this hypothetical, that is up to $65,000 more, subject to the policy's terms and her insurer's review of the claim.

If Priya's policy had excluded injuries while riding a bicycle, or if she had declined underinsured coverage, the gap would remain. That is why reading the policy comes before deciding a settlement offer is all that is available.

Common mistakes about coverage after a bike crash

Assuming your car insurance cannot apply because you were on a bike. Read the policy's definition of an insured before deciding.
Not reporting a hit-and-run to police right away. Your own uninsured motorist coverage depends on a timely report and physical contact (NRS 690B.020(3)(f)).
Settling with the driver's insurer without telling your own. Your policy may require notice to your insurer, or its consent, before you settle with the at-fault driver if you plan to make an underinsured claim. Check the policy first.
Forgetting household policies. A policy held by someone you live with may list you as an insured. Ask.
Ignoring liens and repayment rights. Hospitals, Medicaid and some insurers may be repaid from a settlement. Our page on Medicaid repayment from a Nevada settlement explains one of them.
Waiting on the bike damage claim. The 3-year property deadline is longer than the 2-year injury deadline, but the bike itself is evidence. Photograph it and get a written repair or replacement estimate early.

What to do this week

Get the driver's name, insurer and policy number from the police report or the driver.
Request a full copy of your own auto policy, including endorsements, from your insurer or agent.
Look for your uninsured, underinsured and medical payments limits on the declarations page.
Ask anyone you live with whether their auto policy covers household members, and get a copy if so.
Give written notice of the crash to every insurer that may owe you coverage.
Keep a folder of medical bills, wage records and the bike's purchase information.
If the driver had no insurance, read what to do when the driver who hit you has no insurance.

Frequently asked questions

Does Nevada require cyclists to carry insurance?

No. Nevada's minimum liability requirement applies to owners of motor vehicles (NRS 485.185), and the insurance chapter defines a motor vehicle as a self-propelled vehicle and expressly leaves out electric bicycles (NRS 485.050). The requirement does not reach an ordinary bicycle or an e-bike.

Can I use my underinsured motorist coverage if I do not own a car?

Only if some policy treats you as an insured, such as a policy held by a family member you live with that covers household members. The statute requires the coverage to be offered with policies covering a passenger car or motorcycle (NRS 687B.145(2)); who is covered is set by the policy. For how the claim itself works, see how an underinsured motorist claim works in Nevada.

Will my rates go up if I claim on my own policy after a crash I did not cause?

The statutes reviewed for this page do not address rate changes. Ask your insurer in writing how it treats a claim where another driver was at fault.

Who pays for my bicycle?

The at-fault driver's property damage coverage, which must be at least $20,000 per crash (NRS 485.185). If several people's property was damaged, they share that limit. A claim for property damage generally must be filed in court within 3 years (NRS 11.190).

Does it matter if the driver was working for Uber or Lyft?

Yes. Rideshare insurance must be at least $1,000,000 while the driver is on a trip, and lower minimums apply while the driver is logged in and waiting for a request (NRS 690B.470). The driver must tell police and the other party whether they were logged in or on a trip (NRS 690B.495). For crashes before October 1, 2025, the earlier, higher on-trip minimum applied.

What if a government vehicle hit me?

Claims against the state or a local government are capped at $200,000 per claimant, with no punitive damages (NRS 41.035). If your damages are higher, underinsured coverage must cover the excess caused by that cap, up to your limits (NRS 687B.145(2)).

Where can I read more about uninsured motorist claims?

Our post on understanding uninsured motorist claims covers the general process. The coverage rules for pedestrians are similar in many ways, as discussed in our post on pedestrian injury compensation.

If a car hit you while you were riding in the Las Vegas Valley and you are not sure which insurance applies, attorney Maysoun Fletcher can review your policies and the driver's coverage with you. Call 702-333-6339 for a free consultation.