Please note: Triumph Attorney Connect is an attorney matching and referral service, not a law firm. This page is general information, not legal advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Laws change and every situation is different; talk with a licensed Nevada attorney about your specific case. No outcome is guaranteed.
The general rule: two years
For most personal injury claims in Nevada, including car, truck, motorcycle, and pedestrian accidents, slip and falls, and dog bites, a lawsuit generally must be filed within two years from the date of the injury (NRS 11.190(4)(e)). The same two-year period generally applies to wrongful death claims.
Two years sounds like a long time, but cases take time to prepare. Medical treatment needs to be documented, records and video need to be gathered, and insurers often take months to respond. Settlement talks don't pause the deadline. If a claim doesn't settle in time, the lawsuit has to be filed before the deadline runs out.
Common Nevada deadlines at a glance
| Type of claim | General deadline |
|---|---|
| Personal injury (most accidents) | 2 years from the injury (NRS 11.190(4)(e)) |
| Wrongful death | Generally 2 years from the death (NRS 11.190(4)(e)) |
| Damage to a vehicle or other property | Generally 3 years (NRS 11.190(3)(c)) |
| Medical malpractice | Generally 3 years from the injury or 1 year from when it was or should have been discovered, whichever comes first (NRS 41A.097) |
| Claim involving the State of Nevada or a local government | Administrative claim within 2 years (NRS 41.036); other rules may apply |
This table is a simplified summary. Exceptions, special rules, and later changes in the law can apply.
Injured children (minors)
When the injured person is under 18, Nevada law generally doesn't count the time they are a minor toward the deadline (NRS 11.250). In many cases, that means a child's own injury claim can be filed up to two years after they turn 18. But parents may have separate claims, such as for medical bills they paid, that follow different timing, and some claim types have their own rules for minors. Waiting is risky because evidence and witnesses disappear, so it's best to have a minor's case reviewed early.
Claims against a government entity
If a city bus, county vehicle, public employee, or dangerous public road or property was involved, special rules can apply. Under NRS 41.036, a person with a tort claim against the State or a political subdivision, such as a county or city, must file the claim with the appropriate government body within two years. Nevada also caps damages in many claims against government entities. Claims involving federal employees or federal property, such as a postal vehicle, generally require a written administrative claim to the federal agency within two years under federal law before a lawsuit can be filed. These steps are easy to miss, so talk to an attorney quickly if a government vehicle or property was involved.
Other things that can affect timing
- Insurance policy deadlines. Your own insurance policy may require prompt notice of a crash or claim, and uninsured motorist claims may have contract-based time limits.
- Discovery of the injury. In some types of cases, the clock may start when an injury is discovered or reasonably should have been discovered, rather than the date of the incident.
- The defendant leaving Nevada and other unusual circumstances can sometimes affect the calculation.
- Evidence deadlines aren't legal deadlines. Casino and business surveillance video, for example, may be overwritten in days or weeks, long before any statute of limitations.
What happens if you miss the deadline?
If a lawsuit is filed after the statute of limitations has run, the other side can ask the court to dismiss it, and courts usually grant that request unless an exception applies. Once the deadline passes, insurers also have little reason to negotiate. That's why it's important to have a lawyer review your case well before the deadline, not in the last few weeks.
Get your deadline checked for free
If you were hurt in Las Vegas or elsewhere in Nevada, a free case evaluation can help you understand whether you may have a claim and how much time you have. Our form asks when your incident happened, so we can flag time-sensitive cases. For practical next steps, read what to do after a car accident in Las Vegas or how to choose a personal injury lawyer.