What does a car accident lawsuit cost in Clark County, and could I owe the other side's costs?

Last updated October 18, 2026.

A Las Vegas car accident claim that becomes a Clark County lawsuit has two kinds of expense: your attorney's fee, often a contingent fee under a written agreement, and case costs such as filing fees, depositions, experts and arbitrator fees. If you lose, Nevada law can make you pay the other side's costs, and sometimes its attorney fees. That is why the site says: A client may be liable for the opposing parties' fees and costs.

Many crash claims settle without a lawsuit, and many lawsuits settle before trial. But once a case is filed in the Eighth Judicial District Court, money starts moving: fees to the clerk, bills from court reporters and experts, and, in the arbitration and short trial programs, fees paid directly to the neutral who hears the case. Knowing which of those you might pay, and which could shift to the other side, helps you make better decisions at each stage.

How do costs build up in a Clark County case, step by step?

Costs track the stages of the case. Here is the usual order.

Filing the complaint. The party who starts the case pays the clerk's filing fee. Nevada sets a base fee in NRS 19.013 and allows additional filing fees for specific programs in NRS 19.030 to 19.0335, and the clerk must post a table of fees on its website (NRS 19.040). Check the clerk's current table before filing; the total is more than any single line.
Serving the defendant. A sheriff or licensed process server charges for delivering the summons. That fee is a recognized cost (NRS 18.005(7)).
Discovery. Each side gathers records and takes depositions. Court reporter fees and one copy of each transcript are costs (NRS 18.005(2)), as are reasonable copying, postage and travel for depositions (NRS 18.005(12), (14), (15)). Our page on what happens after a lawsuit is filed in Clark County walks through discovery.
Experts. Doctors, accident reconstructionists and economists charge for review and testimony. Up to five experts, at up to $15,000 each, are recoverable costs unless the court allows more for necessity (NRS 18.005(5)).
Arbitration, if the case qualifies. For cases filed on or after January 1, 2026, the court's program covers claims with a probable value of up to $100,000 per plaintiff. Arbitrators are paid $150 an hour, up to $2,000 per case unless the commissioner allows more, split equally between the parties, and that fee is not a recoverable cost (NAR 24). Arbitrator costs are capped at $250 and also split equally (NAR 23).
Short trial, if the case goes there. Short trial judges are paid $200 an hour, up to $2,400 per case unless the parties agree otherwise, shared equally (NSTR 28). The prevailing party can recover what it paid the judge (NSTR 27(b)(3)).
Trial and judgment. Juror fees, interpreters and reporters are costs (NRS 18.005(3), (6), (8)). The winning side files a verified memorandum of costs within 5 days after the judgment is entered (NRS 18.110(1)).

Which costs can be shifted to the losing side?

Nevada separates "costs" (the expense items listed in NRS 18.005) from "attorney's fees." Different rules decide when each moves from one side to the other.

Rule	What it shifts	When it applies	Source
Costs to the prevailing party	Costs listed in NRS 18.005	Must be allowed against the adverse party in a money damages case where the plaintiff seeks more than $2,500	NRS 18.020(3)
Attorney's fees, small recovery	Reasonable attorney's fees	The court may award them when the prevailing party recovered not more than $20,000	NRS 18.010(2)(a)
Attorney's fees, groundless claim or defense	Reasonable attorney's fees	The court may award them when the other side's claim or defense was brought or maintained without reasonable ground or to harass	NRS 18.010(2)(b)
Rejected offer of judgment	Post-offer costs, expert expenses, interest and reasonable attorney's fees	The party who rejected the offer fails to obtain a more favorable judgment	NRS 17.117(10); NRCP 68(f)
Trial de novo after arbitration	Attorney fees and costs after the request	Award of $20,000 or less: the requester fails to improve it by at least 20 percent; over $20,000: by at least 10 percent	NAR 20(b)(2)
Removal from the short trial program	Attorney fees and costs after removal	The party who demanded removal fails to improve on the arbitration award by at least 20 percent	NSTR 27(a)(2)

How does a contingency fee fit with case costs?

A contingent fee depends on the outcome. In Nevada the agreement must be in writing, signed by you, and state in boldface type: how the fee is figured, including the percentage at settlement, trial or appeal; whether expenses come out of the recovery and whether before or after the fee is calculated; and whether you owe expenses regardless of outcome (RPC 1.5(c)(1) to (3)).

The agreement must also say that, in the event of a loss, you may be liable for the opposing party's attorney fees and will be liable for the opposing party's costs as required by law (RPC 1.5(c)(4)). That is the same idea behind the notice in Nevada's advertising rule, which requires any advertisement mentioning a contingency fee to carry a disclaimer that the client may be liable for the opposing parties' fees and costs (RPC 7.2(b)(4)). The rules in the table above are the reason that notice exists.

At the end of a contingent fee case, the attorney must give you a written statement of the outcome and, if there is a recovery, showing what you received and how it was calculated (RPC 1.5(c)). Our page on how a Nevada settlement is paid out covers that statement and the liens paid from it.

What changes the answer

The size of the claim. Justice courts hear injury and property damage claims up to $15,000 (NRS 4.370(1)(b)), so larger claims go to district court, and those valued at $100,000 or less per plaintiff are generally sent to arbitration first, where the arbitrator's award cannot exceed $100,000 per plaintiff and attorney fees awarded by the arbitrator cannot exceed $15,000 per party unless an agreement allows more (NAR 16(b), (e)). See arbitration and short trials in Clark County.
Offers of judgment. Either side can serve one more than 21 days before trial, and you have 14 days to accept (NRS 17.117(1), (6); NRCP 68(a), (d)). The rule applies in the arbitration program too (NAR 16(d)). A defense offer can be the biggest cost risk in a case.
Who asks for a new trial. After an arbitration award, either side has 30 days to request a trial de novo, and the requester must certify that its share of the arbitrator's fees and costs is paid or will be (NAR 18(a), (b)). The fee-shifting rule in NAR 20 cuts both ways: it can punish a defendant who requests a new trial and fails to cut the award by enough.
Leaving the short trial program. A party who demands removal must deposit estimated juror fees and court costs, calculated on an eight-member jury with costs estimated at $1,000 unless the parties agree otherwise (NSTR 5(a), (b)).
A small claim. Small claims court handles money claims of $10,000 or less (NRS 73.010), with its own simpler process. See small claims for car damage in Las Vegas.
A child's case. The clerk may not charge a fee for filing or calendaring a petition to approve a minor's settlement (NRS 41.200(7)). Our page on court approval of a child's settlement explains the petition.
An out-of-state defendant. Serving a company in another state, or taking depositions there, adds travel and service costs. In a trucking case, see suing an out-of-state trucking company in Nevada.

For example: an offer of judgment in a hypothetical rear-end case

Imagine a driver named Priya. She is rear-ended on Charleston Boulevard and files suit in district court after the insurer refuses to pay what her doctors' bills support. All figures below are hypothetical.

The case goes to arbitration. Each side pays half of the arbitrator's fee under NAR 24. The arbitrator awards Priya $40,000. The defendant's insurer requests a trial de novo within 30 days and, two months before the short trial, serves an offer of judgment for $45,000. Priya has 14 days to accept (NRCP 68(d)).

Suppose Priya rejects it and the short trial jury returns $38,000. Two rules now work against her. Under NRCP 68(f), because she rejected an offer and did not obtain a more favorable judgment, she cannot recover any costs, expenses or attorney fees, or interest for the period after the offer, and she must pay the defendant's post-offer costs, expert expenses and reasonable attorney fees. (If the defendant's attorney were paid on a contingent fee, any fee awarded to the defendant would be deducted from that fee, NRCP 68(f)(1)(B).) Under NAR 20, though, the defendant asked for the new trial and failed to reduce the award by at least 10 percent ($38,000 is only 5 percent less than $40,000), so Priya is entitled to her fees and costs after the request. The court has to sort out the competing awards.

Now suppose the jury returns $50,000 instead. Priya beat the offer, beat the award, and as the prevailing party in a case seeking more than $2,500 she is allowed her costs (NRS 18.020(3)). The point is not to predict a result; it is that each offer and each request changes the cost risk, so each one deserves a careful look.

Common mistakes about lawsuit costs

Assuming "no recovery" means "no cost." Your agreement says whether you owe expenses regardless of outcome (RPC 1.5(c)(3)), and costs can be awarded to the other side if you lose (NRS 18.020).
Ignoring an offer of judgment. The 14-day window is short, and the penalties run from the earliest rejected offer you fail to beat (NRS 17.117(11)).
Treating arbitration as free. You pay half of the arbitrator's fee and costs, and you cannot recover the fee from the other side (NAR 23, 24).
Not paying the arbitrator on time. A party who fails to pay is deemed to have waived the right to a trial de novo (NAR 18(c)).
Overlooking the before-or-after question. Whether costs are deducted before or after the contingent fee is calculated changes your net. The agreement must say which (RPC 1.5(c)(2)).
Missing the lawsuit deadline while weighing costs. The injury deadline is generally 2 years (NRS 11.190(4)(e)). See every Nevada car accident deadline in one table.

What to do this week

If you have a fee agreement, find the sections on percentage, expenses, and what happens if the case is lost.
Ask your attorney which costs are likely at your case's stage, such as depositions, experts or arbitrator fees.
If an offer of judgment arrives, note the service date and the 14-day deadline at once.
If an arbitration award comes in, note the 30-day trial de novo deadline and whether the arbitrator's bill has been paid.
Keep every receipt for costs you pay yourself, such as records copies.
Mark the 2-year injury deadline if no lawsuit has been filed yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the filing fee for a car accident lawsuit in Clark County?

It is the base clerk's fee in NRS 19.013 plus additional statutory fees, and the clerk must post its current fee table on its website (NRS 19.040). Because the add-ons change the total, check the clerk's current table on the day of filing rather than relying on a single number.

If I win, does the other side pay my attorney's fee?

Usually not in full. Nevada lets the court award attorney's fees to a prevailing party in limited cases, such as a recovery of $20,000 or less or a groundless defense (NRS 18.010(2)), and through offer of judgment and arbitration rules. Your contingent fee is otherwise paid from the recovery under your agreement.

Can the defendant recover its expert fees from me?

Possibly. Expert fees are costs within limits (NRS 18.005(5)), and a rejected offer of judgment can shift a reasonable sum for each necessary expert (NRCP 68(f)(1)(B)).

Are costs the same as attorney fees?

No. "Costs" is a defined list in NRS 18.005, such as clerk's fees, reporters, experts and copies. Attorney fees are shifted only by a specific statute, rule or agreement, such as NRS 18.010 or NRCP 68.

How long does the winner have to claim costs?

The party claiming costs must file and serve a verified memorandum within 5 days after judgment is entered, unless the court allows more time, and the other side may move to retax them within 3 days after service (NRS 18.110).

Where is my case heard?

District court civil cases in Clark County are heard at the Regional Justice Center in Las Vegas. Our page on what to expect at the Regional Justice Center covers security and courtrooms. For crashes outside city limits, our Clark County accident page explains who investigates.

What does a consultation cost?

A consultation with The Fletcher Firm is free. Our article on the cost of hiring an auto accident attorney explains fee arrangements in general terms.

If you are weighing whether a lawsuit is worth the cost, attorney Maysoun Fletcher can go through the numbers and the risks with you. Call 702-333-6339 for a free consultation; we answer 24/7.