NRS 687B.145 Nevada Uninsured Motorist Law

Nevada Uninsured Motorist Law, NRS 687B.145, requires insurers to offer UM/UIM coverage matching your liability limits unless you decline it. This coverage steps in when the at-fault driver has no insurance or not enough to cover your injuries, allowing you to recover from your own policy up to your coverage limits. Nevada doesn’t require drivers to carry UM/UIM, but insurers must offer it to every policyholder.

You did everything right. You carried insurance, followed the rules of the road, and got hit by someone who didn’t have coverage or didn’t have enough. Now you’re facing medical bills and lost wages, and the driver who caused the crash has nothing to offer you. It feels like the system is designed to leave you covering the cost of someone else’s mistake.

The challenge is that even when you have UM/UIM coverage, your own insurance company doesn’t always make the process easy. Insurers can dispute the value of your claim, delay payment, or treat you like an adversary instead of the policyholder you are, even though you’re the one who paid the premiums for exactly this situation. Without knowing your rights under NRS 687B.145, it’s easy to accept far less than your policy actually owes you.

In this article from our Nevada Law guide, you will discover how Nevada’s uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage works, what to do when the at-fault driver has no insurance, and how a uninsured motorist lawyer at Ladah Injury & Car Accident Lawyers Las Vegas can help you pursue the full compensation your policy provides.

What Is Nevada Uninsured Motorist Law?

Here is what this law requires:

• Mandatory offer: Every auto insurer must offer you uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage equal to your bodily injury limits.
• MedPay offer: Insurers must also offer you at least $1,000 in medical payments coverage.
• Stacking and proration rules: The law controls when you can combine coverage from multiple policies to increase your payout.
• No subrogation on UIM payments: Once your insurer pays you under underinsured motorist coverage, it cannot sue the at-fault driver to get that money back.

Is Uninsured Motorist Coverage Required in Nevada?

No, you are not required to purchase uninsured motorist coverage, but your insurance company is required by law to offer it to you. Nevada requires drivers to carry minimum liability insurance, commonly expressed as 25/50/20.

Those numbers mean:

• $25,000 in bodily injury coverage per person
• $50,000 in bodily injury coverage per crash
• $20,000 for property damage

You can decline uninsured motorist coverage in writing, but if you do, you are responsible for covering your own medical bills when an uninsured driver hits you. If you declined this coverage when you first bought your policy, you can add it back at your next renewal by making a written request to your insurer.

“I was rear-ended when I was pregnant and had to have multiple surgeries. I’m beyond grateful for everybody and I would definitely recommend Ramzy Ladah and his law firm to anyone who’s looking for a great lawyer.” – J.L.

What Is the Difference Between UM and UIM Coverage?

UM stands for uninsured motorist coverage. This pays your bills when the driver who hit you has no insurance at all or when a hit-and-run driver cannot be identified.

UIM stands for underinsured motorist coverage. This pays you when the at-fault driver has insurance, but their policy limits are too low to cover your actual losses.

Both coverages pay for the same types of damages:

• Medical bills including emergency care, surgery, and future treatment
• Lost wages and reduced ability to earn income
• Physical pain and emotional suffering
• Injuries to passengers in your vehicle at the time of the crash

For example, suppose you have $60,000 in medical bills and the at-fault driver only carries a $25,000 policy. Your UIM coverage will step in to pay the remaining $35,000, subject to your policy limits. Without it, that $35,000 comes out of your pocket.

What Does NRS 687B.145 Require Insurers to Offer?

When an insurer sells you a motor vehicle policy in Nevada, it must offer UM and UIM coverage on a form approved by the Insurance Commissioner. The offer must match the bodily injury limits you already chose for your policy.

After your first purchase, the insurer does not need to repeat this offer every renewal. However, every renewal notice must include a copy of the original offer form.

Two important rules to know:

• Equal limits rule: Your UM and UIM coverage must be offered at the exact same dollar amount as your bodily injury liability limits.
• Written request to add later: If you said no when you first bought the policy, you can add this coverage at any time by submitting a written request to your insurer.

There is one exception. Insurers are not required to offer UM or UIM coverage on commercial general liability, excess, or umbrella policies.

How Do Stacking and Proration Work in Nevada?

Stacking means combining UM or UIM coverage from more than one policy or vehicle to increase the total money available to you. Proration means that when two policies cover the same loss, the payout is split between them based on each policy’s limits.

Nevada allows stacking in many situations, but insurers often include anti-stacking clauses in their policies to prevent it.

When Stacking Applies

If your household has two vehicles with UM coverage, stacking can allow you to combine the policies to increase the total coverage available.

When Anti-Stacking Clauses Are Enforceable

An anti-stacking clause is only valid under NRS 687B.145 if all three of the following conditions are met:

1. The language blocking stacking must be completely clear.
2. The clause must be prominently displayed in the policy so you can actually see it.
3. You must not have paid a separate premium for full coverage on the same risk.

If the insurer fails to meet even one of these conditions, the clause is void and stacking may be available to you.

How Proration Works Across Policies

If two policies cover the same loss, the insurers typically divide the payout proportionally according to each policy’s limits, with payments remaining subject to the applicable policy limits.

One pattern we consistently see in uninsured and underinsured motorist claims in Clark County is confusion over how proration actually reduces a payout when a claimant carries coverage through more than one household vehicle. Adjusters will often quote the proration formula correctly but apply it to the lower of the two policy limits instead of the aggregate, which shrinks the payout unless the error is caught early. 

We also see insurers lean on anti-stacking language that was never prominently disclosed in the policy, which under NRS 687B.145 can make the clause void. Catching these issues before the claim is paid out is often the difference between a fair recovery and a shortchanged one.

Can Your Insurer Subrogate After Paying UIM Benefits?

Subrogation is when your insurance company pays you and then tries to recover that money from the person who caused the crash. Under NRS 687B.145(4), your insurer cannot do this after paying you under UIM coverage.

This rule protects you from being pulled into a legal battle between two insurance carriers. Once your UIM claim is paid, the matter is settled between you and your insurer.

Note that this protection applies specifically to UIM claims. For standard UM claims involving a completely uninsured driver, subrogation rights still exist under a separate Nevada statute.

What we see across the UIM claims we handle in Las Vegas and throughout Clark County is that clients are often relieved to learn their own insurer cannot turn around and sue the at-fault driver to recover what it just paid them. That protection under NRS 687B.145(4) removes one layer of legal exposure for our clients, but it does not make the insurer any less aggressive about disputing the value of the claim before payment. We routinely see carriers slow-walk UIM valuation specifically because they know subrogation is off the table once they pay.

What the Law Says About MedPay Offers

Medical payments coverage, commonly called MedPay, pays your medical bills immediately after a crash regardless of who caused the accident. NRS 687B.145(3) requires your insurer to offer you at least $1,000 in this coverage.

MedPay is especially useful because it covers your treatment costs right away while your main injury claim is still being investigated and negotiated.

One important legal detail: Nevada treats the MedPay rejection requirement differently from UM and UIM coverage. A written rejection is required for UM and UIM coverage. We investigate your policy history to determine whether a valid MedPay offer was ever made to you.

How a UM or UIM Claim Works Step by Step

Filing a UM or UIM claim means filing a claim against your own insurance company. Many people are surprised to learn that their own insurer can still delay, undervalue, or deny a valid claim.

Step 1: Get the Claim Open and in Writing

Notify your insurance carrier in writing as soon as possible. Request your official claim number and keep a copy of every document you send or receive.

Step 2: Prove the Other Driver Has No or Not Enough Insurance

Your carrier requires proof before paying. This can include the police report, the at-fault driver’s insurance declaration page, or a written letter from the other insurer confirming their policy limits.

Step 3: Document Your Injuries, Bills, and Lost Income

You need clear evidence to support the full value of your claim. Gather medical records, imaging results, hospital bills, pay stubs, and a letter from your employer confirming missed work days.

Step 4: Do Not Give a Recorded Statement Without Counsel

Insurance adjusters use recorded statements to lock you into early descriptions of your injuries before you know the full extent of the damage. We handle all communication with the carrier so you do not accidentally say something that reduces your payout.

Step 5: Negotiate or File Suit if the Carrier Will Not Pay Fairly

If your insurer offers less than your claim is worth or denies it outright, the next step is filing a lawsuit or a bad faith claim. Ladah Injury & Car Accident Lawyers Las Vegas has successfully resolved insurance bad-faith claims. We are fully prepared to take your case to court when your insurer refuses to do what is right.

“Ramzy is just very thorough, and he explains things very well… If you are hurt, if you’ve been in a car accident, if you have been injured in some way, I would recommend Ladah Law.” – A. Wilson

How Long Do You Have to File a UM or UIM Claim in Nevada?

Nevada allows you two years from the date of the crash to file a personal injury lawsuit. However, UM and UIM claims are contract-based, and your specific policy may set a shorter deadline than the law allows.

You must review your policy carefully and contact an attorney before any deadline passes. Acting early also protects the physical evidence and witness accounts that support your claim.

“Hi, my name is Dina Martinez. My lawyer’s name is Ramzy Ladah… I was so scared because these big, old companies with their big lawyers… Ramzy Ladah does exactly what I want… We won and we got a lot of money and I’m so happy about it.” – Dina Martinez

Get Legal Help from Ladah Injury & Car Accident Lawyers Las Vegas

Facing large medical bills, missed paychecks, and insurance adjusters who refuse to return your calls is an exhausting situation. You should not have to fight your own insurance company alone while you are trying to recover physically and financially.

Ladah Injury & Car Accident Lawyers Las Vegas handles the entire claims process so you can focus on getting better.

Without an Attorney	With Ladah Injury & Car Accident Lawyers Las Vegas
The adjuster controls the timeline	We set the pace and demand timely answers
Recorded statements are used against you	We handle all carrier communication
Settlements are based on what the adjuster wants to pay	Demands are backed by medical, financial, and expert evidence
Anti-stacking clauses are accepted without question	We challenge clauses that fail the NRS 687B.145 test

Our firm has secured significant recoveries for injured clients throughout Nevada. Attorney Ramzy Ladah is a certified personal injury specialist and a former insurance defense attorney. That background means we know exactly how insurers build their defenses and how to dismantle them.

We work on a contingency fee basis, meaning you pay nothing unless we win your case. Call Ladah Injury & Car Accident Lawyers Las Vegas today for a free case review. You get direct access to your attorney throughout the entire process.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Does UM or UIM Coverage Pay You After a Crash?

You file the claim with your own insurer, and the policy pays the difference between what the at-fault driver’s insurance covered and your total documented damages, up to your policy limits.

Do You Need to Sign a Rejection to Decline UM or UIM in Nevada?

Yes, a valid rejection of UM or UIM coverage in Nevada must be made in writing. This is a stricter requirement than MedPay, which does not require a written rejection.

What Do You Need To Prove To Use UM or UIM Coverage?

You must show that you are legally entitled to recover from the at-fault driver, that the driver was uninsured or underinsured, and that your injuries are supported by documented medical evidence.

Can You Stack UM or UIM Policies in Nevada?

You may be able to stack policies if your contract lacks a valid anti-stacking clause or if you paid separate premiums on separate risks. This depends entirely on the specific language in your policy.

Will Filing a UM or MedPay Claim Raise Your Insurance Rates?

Nevada law prohibits insurers from raising your premiums based on a claim where you were not at fault. These coverages exist specifically to protect you.

Are Umbrella or Excess Policies Required To Include UM or UIM in Nevada?

No. NRS 687B.145 specifically exempts commercial general liability, excess, and umbrella policies from the mandatory offer requirement.