Nevada Statute of Limitations for Personal Injury Claims

The two year rule

For most personal injury claims in Nevada, the deadline to file a lawsuit is two years from the date of the injury. The rule is found in NRS 11.190(4)(e). It covers car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle crashes, pedestrian cases, slip and falls, and most other claims where someone was hurt by another person's carelessness.

Two years sounds like plenty of time. It is not. Witnesses move, video gets erased, and a case that needs medical records, experts and a real investigation takes months to build before anyone files anything. The people who wait are the people who get hurt twice.

When the clock starts

The clock usually starts on the day you were injured. In rare cases it starts later, when the injury could not reasonably have been found right away. Insurance companies fight that exception hard, so do not plan around it.

Deadlines that are different

• Medical malpractice. The window is much shorter. Under NRS 41A.097 you generally have one year from when you discovered, or should have discovered, the injury, and no more than three years from the date of the negligent act, with limited exceptions.
• Wrongful death. The deadline is generally two years from the date of death. Read more on our wrongful death page.
• Claims against a city, county, state agency or school district. Special notice rules and shorter timelines can apply. If a public vehicle or public property was involved, call right away.
• Injured children. The clock may be paused until a child turns 18 in many cases. A parent should still talk to a lawyer early.
• Property damage. A claim for damage to a vehicle or other property generally has three years.

Settlement talks do not stop the clock

This is the mistake we see most. An adjuster says the claim is under review, asks for one more record, then asks for another. Months go by. Nothing in that back and forth protects your deadline. Only a filed lawsuit, or a written agreement that says otherwise, does.

What to do now

See a doctor and follow the treatment plan. Keep every bill, record and photo. Do not sign anything from an insurance company until you understand it. Then talk to a lawyer while there is still time to investigate properly. Our guide on what to do after a car accident in Las Vegas walks through the first days step by step.

This guide is general information and not legal advice for your situation. Deadlines depend on the facts of each case. To talk about yours, call (702) 500-7070 or request a free case review.