You did everything right. You carry insurance, you drive carefully — and then someone with no coverage, or barely any, plows into you. Roughly one in eight Nevada drivers is uninsured, and plenty more carry only the state minimum. So what happens when the person who hurt you can’t come close to covering your losses?
That’s exactly what uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage is for. Here’s how it works in Nevada, and why it might be the most valuable coverage you have.
UM vs. UIM: what’s the difference
They sound similar and often get lumped together, but they cover two different situations:
- Uninsured motorist (UM) coverage pays for your injuries when the at-fault driver has no insurance at all — including hit-and-run drivers who are never identified.
- Underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage kicks in when the at-fault driver has insurance, but their limits are too low to cover your losses. It pays the gap, up to your own UIM limit.
A quick example: you’re rear-ended and your medical bills and lost wages total $60,000. The other driver carries Nevada’s minimum $25,000 per person. That leaves a $35,000 gap — and your UIM coverage can step in to fill it, up to your limits.
You may already have it (and not know)
Here’s something a lot of Nevada drivers miss. Under NRS 687B.145, insurers are required to offer UM/UIM coverage in an amount equal to your bodily injury liability limits. You’re allowed to reject it — but that rejection has to be in writing.
What that means in practice: if you never signed a written rejection, you very likely have this coverage, even if you don’t remember choosing it. And if an insurer failed to properly offer it, Nevada courts have held that the coverage can be implied by law. It’s always worth having an attorney check your policy, because insurers don’t always volunteer that the coverage is there.
Nevada’s minimum liability limits have been 25/50/20 since July 2018 ($25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident for injuries / $20,000 property damage), and UM/UIM must be offered at no less than 25/50.
Stacking: multiplying your available coverage
This is where a good attorney can dramatically increase what’s available to you. If you have multiple vehicles on a policy, or multiple policies in your household, Nevada law may let you “stack” the UM/UIM limits. Three cars with $50,000 in UM each could potentially stack to $150,000 in available coverage.
Insurers dislike stacking and often write anti-stacking clauses into their policies. But under NRS 687B.145, those clauses have to meet strict requirements — clear, prominent language and a corresponding premium reduction — to be valid. Poorly drafted anti-stacking provisions can sometimes be invalidated, which is exactly the kind of thing worth scrutinizing in your policy.
Your coverage follows you, not just your car
A detail many people don’t realize: UM/UIM coverage attaches to you, not only to your vehicle. Depending on your policy, it can protect you if you’re hit by an uninsured driver while walking in a crosswalk on the Strip, riding your bike in Summerlin, or sitting as a passenger in a friend’s car.
Filing against your own insurer isn’t always friendly
You’d think a claim against your own insurance company would go smoothly, since you’re the paying customer. It often doesn’t. Your insurer can still dispute whether the other driver was truly uninsured or underinsured, argue over your coverage limits, and make lowball offers — the same tactics any insurer uses. One protection worth knowing: under NRS 687B.385, your insurer generally can’t raise your premium, cancel, or refuse to renew your policy just because you filed a claim for an accident that wasn’t your fault.
Don’t miss the deadlines
Timing is layered in these cases. Nevada’s general two-year injury deadline (NRS 11.190) is out there, but your policy also imposes its own notice and reporting requirements — sometimes much sooner. Miss an internal reporting window and you can jeopardize the claim even within the two years. The safe move is to notify promptly and get advice early. Our statute of limitations guide covers the tort side; your policy governs the rest.
How Marathon Law Group helps
UM/UIM claims reward attention to detail — reading the policy language, spotting available stacking, invalidating weak anti-stacking clauses, and holding your own insurer to its obligations. We handle these claims throughout Las Vegas and Clark County and treat them as seriously as any car accident case, because for you the losses are just as real.
We work on contingency — no fee unless we recover for you. If you were hit by an uninsured or underinsured driver, contact us for a free consultation before you speak with any adjuster.
Call (702) 522-1808. Se habla español.
Frequently asked questions
Is UM/UIM coverage required in Nevada? It’s not mandatory to buy, but insurers must offer it equal to your liability limits, and any rejection must be in writing (NRS 687B.145). Many drivers have it without realizing.
Can I stack UM/UIM coverage in Nevada? Often yes — across multiple vehicles or household policies — unless the insurer has a valid, clearly written anti-stacking provision.
Will my rates go up if I file a UM/UIM claim? Under NRS 687B.385, your insurer generally can’t raise your premium or cancel your policy for a not-at-fault accident.
This article is general information about Nevada law, not legal advice. Coverage depends on your specific policy — talk to an attorney about yours.