I only have liability insurance: what pays for my car and my injuries after a Nevada crash?

Last updated October 7, 2026.

If the other driver caused the crash, their liability insurance is what pays for your car and your injuries, up to their limits. Your own liability-only policy pays other people when you are at fault; it does not pay for your car or your own medical bills. But many "liability only" policies in Nevada also include uninsured motorist coverage for injuries, because the law adds it unless someone rejected it in writing, and that can matter a great deal for a Las Vegas car accident claim.

People with liability-only policies often call after a crash feeling stuck: the car is wrecked, the bills are coming, and their own insurer says it cannot help. Sometimes that is true. Often there is more coverage in play than they think. This page sorts out who pays for what, depending on who was at fault and what the other driver carried.

How does it work after a crash in Las Vegas?

Follow these steps in order. Each one tells you something you need for the next.

Get the other driver's insurance and the crash on record. Photograph their insurance card and get the police report number if an officer came. If no officer investigated, you may owe the DMV an SR-1 report within 10 days (NRS 484E.070); see when the SR-1 report is required.
Open a claim with the other driver's insurer. This is a "third-party" claim. Nevada regulations require the insurer to acknowledge it within 20 working days (NAC 686A.665(1)) and to complete its investigation within 30 days unless that cannot reasonably be done (NAC 686A.670(2)).
Report the crash to your own insurer. Even with liability only, read your policy's rules on giving notice of a crash. The call is also how you learn exactly what you carry.
Ask your insurer for your declarations page. Look for three lines besides liability: uninsured motorist (UM), underinsured motorist (UIM), and medical payments. Ask whether anyone signed a form rejecting UM coverage, and get a copy if so.
Get your car looked at. If the other insurer writes the repair estimate, it must give you a copy, and it may not require you to use a specific repair shop (NAC 686A.680(4), (6)).
Use health insurance for treatment while the claim is open. Keep every bill and statement. Our article on how medical bills get paid after an auto accident covers the order of payment.
Track the deadlines. In Nevada you generally have 3 years to sue over damage to your car (NRS 11.190(3)(c)) and 2 years to sue over an injury (NRS 11.190(4)(e)).

Who pays for what?

The answer turns on fault and on what the other driver carried. Find your row.

What happened	Your car	Your injuries
The other driver was at fault and insured	Their property damage liability, up to their limit (at least $20,000 per crash, shared by everyone)	Their bodily injury liability, up to their limit (at least $25,000 per person)
The other driver was at fault and had no insurance	No coverage under your liability-only policy; a claim or lawsuit against the driver personally	Your UM coverage, if it was not rejected in writing (NRS 690B.020)
Hit and run with contact, reported to police in time	No coverage under your liability-only policy	Your UM coverage can treat the unknown driver as uninsured (NRS 690B.020(3)(f))
The other driver was at fault, but their limit is too low	Their property limit; anything above it from the driver personally	Your UIM coverage, if you bought it (NRS 687B.145(2))
You were at fault	No coverage under your liability-only policy	Your medical payments coverage, if you bought it; your health insurance
Fault is shared	Your claim is reduced by your share, and barred if your share is greater	Same rule (NRS 41.141)

What changes the answer

Whether UM coverage was rejected. Nevada law says no auto liability policy may be issued here without uninsured vehicle coverage, unless a named insured rejects it in writing on the insurer's form, or the coverage was rejected earlier and not requested at renewal (NRS 690B.020(1)). The limit must be at least the state minimum for bodily injury (NRS 690B.020(2)). A quote that says "liability only" does not always mean UM was removed.
What UM covers. The statute requires UM for bodily injury, sickness, disease and death (NRS 690B.020(1)). It does not require coverage for your car, so do not expect UM to pay for repairs unless your policy says so.
Whether you bought UIM or medical payments coverage. Insurers must offer UIM equal to your bodily injury limits, and medical payments coverage of at least $1,000, but both are optional purchases (NRS 687B.145(2), (3)). If you bought UIM, read how an underinsured motorist claim works in Nevada.
Your share of fault. Nevada lets you recover if your fault is not greater than the combined fault of the people you sue, minus your percentage (NRS 41.141(1), (2)). Our article on what happens if you are partly at fault goes deeper.
Who was driving. An owner's policy covers anyone driving the car with the owner's express or implied permission (NRS 485.3091(1)(b)). If you borrowed a car, the owner's policy is usually the first one to check for the other driver's claims against you.
Whether the other insurer is steering you away. When liability and damages are reasonably clear, the at-fault driver's insurer may not tell you to claim on your own policy just to avoid paying under its own (NAC 686A.680(3)).

For example: a red-light crash with a liability-only policy

Imagine a driver named Rosa. She carries a Nevada liability policy at the 25/50/20 minimum. When she bought it, she did not sign anything rejecting uninsured motorist coverage, and she did not buy collision, UIM or medical payments coverage. One evening another car runs a red light and hits her driver's side at an intersection in Henderson. Every figure below is hypothetical.

Rosa's car is declared a total loss at a value of $14,000. She has $9,000 in medical bills and misses two weeks of work. The other driver is insured, and a witness confirms the red light. Rosa's claims go to the other driver's insurer: the car under its property damage limit and her injuries under its bodily injury limit. If that insurer values the car too low, Nevada rules say how a total loss must be valued and what deductions must be itemized (NAC 686A.680(1), (2)).

Now change one fact: the other driver had no insurance. Rosa's own policy will not pay for her car, because she has no collision coverage, and UM in Nevada is required only for bodily injury. But because UM was never rejected, her own UM coverage can pay for her injuries up to its limit. For the car, she can claim against the driver personally, with 3 years to sue (NRS 11.190(3)(c)). If she had signed a UM rejection, her injuries would depend on that same driver, too.

Common mistakes with liability-only coverage

Assuming you have no coverage at all. Many people only learn about their UM coverage when they ask for the declarations page. Ask before deciding there is nothing to claim.
Letting the other insurer push you onto your own policy. If liability and damages are reasonably clear, that is not allowed as a way to avoid paying (NAC 686A.680(3)). Ask for the reason in writing.
Taking the first total loss number. The insurer has to use one of the valuation methods in NAC 686A.680 and itemize deductions. See how Nevada insurers must value a totaled car. Our article on what to do when your car is totaled covers the practical steps.
Skipping medical care to save money. Gaps in treatment make injuries harder to prove. Use health insurance, and keep track of any lien a hospital records; see how hospital liens work in Nevada.
Waiting on the insurer past a deadline. The insurer's timelines do not pause the 2-year and 3-year lawsuit deadlines in NRS 11.190.
Letting coverage lapse while the claim is open. The Nevada DMV warns that even a one-day lapse can lead to registration suspension and reinstatement fees. Cancel the registration first if you truly stop driving the car.

What to do this week

Call your insurer and ask for the full declarations page and any signed UM or UIM rejection form.
Open a claim with the at-fault driver's insurer and write down the claim number and adjuster's name.
Photograph your car, get a written repair estimate, and keep a copy of any estimate the insurer writes.
See a doctor for every symptom, and use your health insurance for the bills.
Keep a simple log of missed work, mileage to appointments, and out-of-pocket costs.
If an insurer has not acknowledged your claim within 20 working days, follow up in writing and keep a copy.
Mark 2 years (injury) and 3 years (car) from the crash date on your calendar.

Frequently asked questions

Will my liability insurance pay for my rental car?

Not by itself. Liability coverage pays other people's losses when you are at fault. When the other driver is at fault, ask their insurer how it handles a replacement vehicle while yours is being repaired or valued.

The other driver's insurer says it is still investigating. How long can that take?

Nevada regulations say an insurer should complete its investigation within 30 days of notice unless it cannot reasonably do so (NAC 686A.670(2)), and it must reply to a claimant's pertinent letters within 20 working days (NAC 686A.665(3)). Our page on how long an insurer has to respond in Nevada lists every timeline.

If I make a UM claim on my own policy, how fast must my insurer decide?

A UM claim is a first-party claim. Your insurer must accept or deny it within 30 working days after it receives a proper proof of loss, give any denial in writing citing the policy provision, and pay within 30 days of accepting it (NAC 686A.675(1)). If it needs more time, it must tell you why and update you every 30 days (NAC 686A.675(3)).

Can I still claim if I was partly at fault?

Yes, as long as your share of fault is not greater than the combined share of the people you claim against. Your recovery is reduced by your percentage (NRS 41.141). With liability only, any damage to your own car that the other side does not pay stays with you.

The other driver only has the minimum. Is that enough?

It may not be. A minimum policy pays at most $25,000 for one injured person and $20,000 for all property damage in the crash (NRS 485.185). See what Nevada's 25/50/20 minimum pays for the gaps and how to fill them.

Who pays if the driver who hit me had no insurance at all?

For injuries, your UM coverage, if it was not rejected. For your car, the driver personally. Our page on being hit by an uninsured driver in Nevada covers the steps, including the DMV's role.

If you carry liability-only insurance and were hurt in a crash someone else caused, attorney Maysoun Fletcher can review your declarations page with you and explain what may be available. Call 702-333-6339 for a free consultation, 24 hours a day.