Who pays what in Nevada is contingent on who’s at fault in an auto accident. All drivers in Nevada have an obligation to drive their automobiles safely, to reduce any risks of potential accidents. In Nevada, if you are the driver “At Fault” (the person that caused the accident), then you are responsible to “make whole” the person or thing (car/brick wall, etc.), you hit.
The person that caused the accident, they and their insurance company, may be responsible to pay damages to the victim’s car, other property that got damaged, pay for their lost wages, or pay for that person’s injuries (medical bills). The insurance company of the at fault driver would be responsible for the damages caused, UP TO THE LIMIT of their insurance policy. Once the limits of the policy have been exhausted, the at fault driver could be personally held responsible to pay the rest.
If the driver that caused the accident doesn’t have enough liability insurance, the at fault driver can get sued for what their policy is short, if it’s not enough to cover all these bills. Meaning the 25/50/20, or whatever coverage they’ve purchased, isn’t enough to cover their damages (or whatever they hit). The victim’s medical bills, pain and suffering, their lost wages, etc., then they can get sued. The point is, if there’s not enough coverage for these expenses, you technically still could be made responsible to “make whole” the other person.
If the victim that got hit, has “UM/UIM” on their policy, which is “uninsured motorist”, or “underinsured motorist”, this coverage on the victim’s policy may pick up what the “at fault” person’s policy lacks. That is IF the victim has UM/UIM on their policy. UM/UIM is not required by law to have in Nevada. Underinsured and uninsured motorist means your auto insurance company will cover you for accidents you didn’t cause, but that the other party didn’t have enough coverage, or hit you and took off. A hit and run scenario.
All drivers are required by law in Nevada to stop at the scene of an accident. It’s important to exchange insurance information, call the police or fire and rescue if someone is hurt. We recommend taking pictures of damages, reporting the number of people involved in both auto’s, and reporting to the insurance company as soon as possible all details of the accident.
Uninsured and underinsured motorist in Nevada is NOT required, it’s just smart to have.
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