What Happens If You Hit an Uninsured Driver in Nevada?

In the wake of devastating accidents, motorists across the country rely heavily on liability insurance to seek compensation for the extensive financial losses they suffer; Nevada knows this, and as such, has done its best to enact policies to ensure that people won’t have to go without compensation. Nevada’s liability insurance minimums dictate a mandatory level of liability coverage for all motorists in Nevada:

• $25,000 of coverage for bodily injury, per person
• $50,000 of coverage for bodily injury, per accident
• $20,000 of coverage for property damage, per accident

Of course, these are only minimums, and your liability coverage only applies when you yourself are at fault; it’s usually advisable to buy more extensive coverage than strictly necessary, as damages frequently exceed these minimums. However, if you’re not liable for a crash, you might have to rely on the other driver’s insurance coverage, which may be lacking. If you do get into a car accident in Nevada with an uninsured driver, it can make a world of difference to know what to expect in the aftermath.

What Happens to the Uninsured Driver?

The penalties for uninsured drivers in Nevada are harsher than many other states, but serve to get the point across and reinforce the necessity of driving responsibly:

• On their first offense, uninsured drivers face a fine ranging from $250 to $1,000 (based on length of insurance lapse, and only starting after 30 days), alongside a reinstatement fee of ~$250 and potentially needing to file an SR-22 Certificate of Financial Responsibility, which will result in immediate penalties if you ever drop your coverage again.
• On second and third offenses, uninsured drivers face a fine ranging from $500 to $1,000 (growing steeper based on insurance lapse with every offense), and reinstatement fees of ~$500 and ~$750 respectively. The third offense also changes in the fact that an SR-22 certificate will always be mandatory, and drivers will have their license suspended for a minimum of 30 days.

However, while penalties served to uninsured drivers can grant you the satisfaction of justice, they won’t pay your bills; instead, you and your Nevada auto accident attorney will have to figure out how best to seek compensation, which could be either a simple or complex matter depending on your unique circumstances.

How You Can Still Get Compensation

The easiest way to get compensation despite another driver’s lack of coverage is via preparation and the purchase of uninsured/ underinsured motorist coverage; these are specialized insurance policies that exist for these exact scenarios. Uninsured motorist coverage simply allows your insurance company to act as though they were the at-fault driver’s insurance; you’ll file your claim through them, and furthermore, since your business is more important to them, you’ll have a higher likelihood of receiving a fair settlement. Underinsured motorist coverage is similar, and applies in cases where the at-fault driver has coverage which is insufficient for the extent of your damages; your insurance company will then cover the remainder for your sake.

What if you don’t have uninsured/ underinsured motorist coverage though? Even if another driver doesn’t have insurance, that doesn’t absolve them of financial and legal responsibility; as such, you can always file a lawsuit against them to force them to pay out of pocket. Regardless, if you’ve been hurt in an accident only to find that the other driver doesn’t have insurance, it’s vital that you talk to Aaron Law Group’s Las Vegas uninsured motorist attorneys by scheduling a free consultation at (702) 550-1111. We can work with you to achieve maximum compensation, assuring that another motorist’s reckless, illegal decisions won’t get in the way of you and a smooth recovery.