Hit by a self-driving car or robotaxi in Las Vegas: who is responsible, and who pays?

Last updated November 9, 2026.

Usually the company that runs the vehicle. Nevada's DMV regulations deem a person the "operator" of an autonomous vehicle in autonomous mode when that person causes it to engage, whether or not that person is physically in the vehicle (NAC 482A.020). A company that sells rides in fully driverless vehicles needs a permit from the Nevada Transportation Authority and must carry at least $1,500,000 in coverage for crashes that happen while it is providing rides (NRS 706B.110, 706B.300). So a robotaxi claim usually runs against the operating company and its insurer, as in any other Las Vegas car accident claim, with a possible product claim if the technology itself failed.

The first question is whether the car really was driving itself. Nevada treats a vehicle as "autonomous" only if its automated driving system is designed to work at level 3, 4 or 5 of the SAE J3016 scale (NRS 482A.030). Many cars sold today have driver assistance features below that level. In those cars a human is still the driver, and the claim is an ordinary one. This page explains the different kinds of self-driving vehicles Nevada law recognizes, the insurance each must carry, the records that exist, and what to do first.

How does a claim against a self-driving car work in Nevada, step by step?

Report the crash. Call 911 if anyone is hurt. Our page on which agency handles your Las Vegas crash and how to get the report explains who takes the report on city streets, the Strip and the freeways.
Identify the vehicle and its company. Photograph the plate, any company name or fleet number, and the scene. Vehicles being tested carry special plates: the Nevada DMV issues a certificate of compliance and "red license plates for each vehicle in the fleet" approved for testing.
If you were a rider, save the trip record. A robotaxi company must give you the vehicle's plate number before you get in, and send an electronic receipt showing the origin, destination, time and distance of the trip (NRS 706B.190, 706B.200). Screenshot both.
Work out which set of rules applies. A test vehicle, a driverless ride service, a monitored vehicle with an employee on board, and a privately registered autonomous vehicle each have different insurance rules, shown in the table below.
Open a claim with the company's insurer. Ask in writing for the insurer's name, the claim number and the policy limits that apply to the time of the crash.
Ask that the vehicle's data be kept. Self-driving vehicles record sensor, camera and system data. Send the company a written request to preserve everything from the trip, and keep a copy.
Decide whether there is a product claim. If the evidence points to a failure of the automated driving system rather than an operating decision, the maker or developer may also be responsible. Nevada shields the original maker or developer only where the defect was caused by a third party's conversion of the car, or by an unauthorized third party's modification of the system, and was not present originally (NRS 482A.090).
Watch the deadlines. An injury lawsuit generally must be filed within 2 years, and a property damage claim within 3 years (NRS 11.190(4)(e), (3)(c)).

Which insurance applies to which kind of self-driving vehicle?

Kind of vehicle	Minimum coverage the law requires	Source
Robotaxi with no one at the wheel, run by an autonomous vehicle network company, while giving a ride	$1,500,000 for bodily injury, death and property damage in any one crash, or approved self-insurance	NRS 706B.030, 706B.050, 706B.300
Autonomous vehicle with a company "monitor" on board, taking rides through a rideshare app	$1,000,000 while the provider is operating the vehicle; the provider is liable in tort as if it were a rideshare driver	NRS 706A.045 to 706A.047, 706A.162; NRS 690B.470(2)
Autonomous vehicle being tested on public roads	$5,000,000 in insurance or self-insurance, or a $5,000,000 deposit or bond, before testing begins	NRS 482A.060
Autonomous vehicle registered for regular operation, outside the ride services above	The owner's coverage every Nevada owner needs: $25,000 per person, $50,000 per crash, $20,000 property; an operator's policy does not qualify	NAC 482A.050; NRS 485.185
Car using driver assistance below SAE level 3	Not an autonomous vehicle; the human driver and the car's ordinary policy	NRS 482A.030; NRS 485.185

Two details in that table matter more than they look. First, the robotaxi requirement covers crashes during "transportation services," which runs from the moment the company accepts a ride request until every passenger has fully left the vehicle (NRS 706B.050). A crash with an empty vehicle between rides may fall under the owner's coverage instead, and the claim file should show which policy the insurer is applying. Second, these are minimums. Companies often carry more, so ask for the actual limits in writing.

What other Nevada rules apply to driverless vehicles?

Who is in the driver's seat. A human operator must be seated and able to take immediate control, unless the vehicle is fully autonomous (SAE level 4 or 5) and can reach a "minimal risk condition," such as a safe stop, if its system fails (NRS 482A.036, 482A.070, 482A.080(2)(b)).
Traffic laws. Unless the DMV grants an exemption, an autonomous vehicle must be capable of operating in compliance with Nevada's motor vehicle and traffic laws (NRS 482A.080(2)). When a fully autonomous vehicle's system is engaged, it is deemed to fulfill the physical acts a human driver would perform (NRS 482A.200), so its driving can be measured against the same rules of the road as a person's.
Crash reports to the DMV. Whoever is responsible for testing a vehicle must report a testing crash with personal injury, or property damage estimated to exceed $750, within 10 business days (NRS 482A.095). A testing certificate holder must give the DMV a copy of the police report or, if there is none, a completed SR-1 (NAC 482A.110(3)).
Confidential files. Records submitted to the DMV under the autonomous vehicle rules are not public records and are released only with the company's consent or a court order (NAC 482A.060). Crash reports a robotaxi company gives the Transportation Authority are also confidential (NRS 706B.260(3)).
Who regulates. Only the DMV may regulate the technology itself, and local governments may not impose their own requirements (NRS 482A.110). The Transportation Authority issues the permits for robotaxi ride services (NRS 706B.110).

What federal crash reporting adds

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration requires companies named in its Standing General Order to report certain crashes. For automated driving systems, a crash must be reported if the system was in use at any time within 30 seconds of the crash and it resulted in certain property damage or a fatality, a vulnerable road user being struck, an air bag deployment, a tow-away, or anyone being taken to a hospital. Level 2 driver assistance systems have a narrower trigger.

NHTSA cautions that data recording can vary widely by manufacturer and that its summary data "should not be assumed to be statistically representative of all crashes." For an injury claim the point is practical: a company running driverless vehicles usually holds detailed recordings of what its vehicle saw and did. That is why the preservation letter matters, and why records kept confidential by the state may still be reached through discovery in a lawsuit. Our page on what happens after a car accident lawsuit is filed in Clark County explains how discovery works.

What changes the answer

A driver assistance car, not an autonomous one. If the system was below level 3, the human behind the wheel is the driver (NRS 482A.030). Our page on proving a distracted driver caused your crash covers drivers who were not paying attention.
You were a passenger in the robotaxi. Your claim is against the operating company and, if another vehicle shared the blame, that driver too. Our page on claims by passengers hurt in a Las Vegas crash explains how fault is divided.
A human rideshare driver was involved. A conventional Uber or Lyft trip has its own coverage tiers under NRS 690B.470(1); see who pays after an Uber or Lyft crash in Las Vegas.
A product claim is added. Nevada's rule that each defendant pays only its own share does not affect any joint and several liability in an action based on strict liability or on an injury resulting from a product manufactured, distributed, sold or used in Nevada (NRS 41.141(4), (5)). The usual caps on punitive damages also do not apply to a manufacturer, distributor or seller of a defective product (NRS 42.005(2)(a)).
You share some fault. Nevada reduces your recovery by your percentage and bars it if your share is greater than that of the defendants combined (NRS 41.141(1), (2)).

For example: a robotaxi turn near the Strip

Imagine a driver named Desmond. He is stopped at a side street near Koval Lane waiting to turn when a driverless ride vehicle, carrying two passengers, makes a right turn and clips his front bumper. He has neck pain that evening. Everything here is hypothetical.

Desmond photographs the vehicle, its plate and the company name on its side, and calls police. The passengers tell him they booked the ride through the company's app. The next morning Desmond writes to the company asking it to keep all trip, sensor and camera data.

Because the vehicle was carrying riders, the crash happened during "transportation services" (NRS 706B.050), and the company's insurer confirms coverage of at least $1,500,000 under NRS 706B.300. The insurer first says Desmond's car crept into the turn. The company's own camera footage, produced later, shows he was stopped. The claim is evaluated like any other turn crash, with Nevada's comparative fault rule deciding any split (NRS 41.141). Desmond had bought medical payments coverage, so he also opens a claim with his own insurer for early bills (NRS 687B.145(3)).

Common mistakes after a crash with a driverless vehicle

Assuming nobody is responsible because nobody was driving. Nevada's DMV regulations treat the person who caused the system to engage as the operator (NAC 482A.020).
Leaving without the company's name. The plate, fleet markings and company name are how you find the insurer.
Not asking which policy applies. A ride in progress, a test drive and an empty vehicle between rides can each point to different coverage.
Waiting to ask for the data. Send a written preservation request right away and keep proof you sent it.
Expecting the state to hand over the company's crash file. DMV and Transportation Authority crash records for these vehicles are confidential (NAC 482A.060; NRS 706B.260(3)).
Giving a recorded statement before you see the evidence. Read whether you have to give the insurer a recorded statement first.

What to do this week

Get medical care and tell the provider how you were hurt.
Request the police report, or note the event number until it is ready.
Write down the plate, the company name and any fleet number.
If you were a rider, screenshot the plate notice and your electronic receipt.
Send the company a written request to preserve all trip, sensor and video data.
Ask the company's insurer for the claim number and the limits that apply, in writing.
Notify your own insurer and mark the 2-year injury and 3-year property deadlines (NRS 11.190).

Frequently asked questions

Can I sue the company if no one was in the car?

Usually, yes. Nevada's DMV regulations deem the person who causes an autonomous vehicle to engage to be its operator, whether or not that person is physically present (NAC 482A.020), and a driverless ride company must carry its own insurance for crashes during rides (NRS 706B.300).

How much insurance does a robotaxi company have to carry in Nevada?

At least $1,500,000 per crash for bodily injury, death and property damage while it is providing rides with a fully autonomous vehicle, or self-insurance meeting the Transportation Authority's criteria (NRS 706B.300). Testing and other situations have different minimums, shown in the table above.

Where do I complain about a robotaxi company?

The company must show the Nevada Transportation Authority's contact information on its website or app and run its own complaint system during business hours (NRS 706B.250). The Authority accepts complaint forms electronically, or by mail or hand delivery to its Las Vegas office at 3300 W. Sahara Ave, Suite 200, or its Reno office; a complaint is not a substitute for an injury claim.

Who investigates a crash with an autonomous vehicle?

The police agency for the location takes the report, as with any crash. A company testing the vehicle must also report qualifying crashes to the DMV within 10 business days (NRS 482A.095), and NHTSA requires reports of certain crashes under its Standing General Order.

What if the company's insurance is not enough?

Your underinsured motorist coverage may pay the difference, and your medical payments coverage, if you bought it, can pay early bills (NRS 687B.145(2), (3)). Our page on claiming your own underinsured motorist coverage explains the steps.

Does a driverless car have to follow the same traffic laws?

Yes. Unless the DMV grants an exemption, it must be capable of operating in compliance with Nevada's motor vehicle and traffic laws (NRS 482A.080(2)), and a fully autonomous vehicle's engaged system is deemed to perform the physical acts of a human driver (NRS 482A.200).

If a driverless vehicle hit you in Las Vegas and the company's insurer is slow to answer, attorney Maysoun Fletcher can review the report and the evidence with you. Call 702-333-6339 for a free consultation; the phones are answered 24/7.