Personal injury protection, or PIP, pays your own medical bills after a car crash no matter who caused it. In most states that use it, PIP also covers part of your lost income and some other costs like funeral expenses or paying someone to handle tasks you can't. Nevada doesn't use PIP. The state repealed its no-fault law in 1980, and the coverage that does the same basic job here is MedPay, which Nevada insurers must offer and which pays medical bills regardless of fault.
So if you're a Nevada driver wondering what your PIP covers, the real question is what your MedPay, health insurance, and the other driver's liability coverage will pay. Here's how each one works.
What Does PIP Cover?
PIP is first-party coverage, meaning you claim it from your own insurer instead of the other driver's. According to the Insurance Information Institute's background on no-fault insurance, states with the broadest PIP benefits pay for medical care, lost wages, funeral costs, and other out-of-pocket expenses, including the cost of hiring someone to do essential tasks an injured person can't.
The details vary a lot by state, including dollar limits, which expenses count, and how quickly you have to get treatment. PIP also has clear boundaries:
| PIP Usually Covers | PIP Usually Doesn't Cover |
|---|---|
| Medical and hospital bills | Damage to your car or anyone's property |
| A portion of lost income | Injuries you cause to other drivers |
| Funeral and burial costs | Pain and suffering |
| Replacement services (childcare, household help) | Costs above the policy's limits |
How does PIP work?
After a crash, you file with your own insurer and it pays up to your PIP limit, regardless of fault. In the 12 "true" no-fault states, there's a trade-off: you generally can't sue the other driver for pain and suffering unless your injuries cross a threshold set by state law. In "add-on" states, PIP is layered on top of the normal fault system without limiting lawsuits.
Does Nevada Have PIP Insurance?
No. Nevada was once a no-fault state. The Insurance Information Institute notes that Nevada's no-fault law took effect in 1974 and was repealed in 1980. Today Nevada uses a traditional fault-based system, where the driver who caused the crash is responsible for the other driver's losses. Here's how fault is determined in a Nevada car accident.
What Nevada does require is liability insurance. Since 2018, the minimum has been 25/50/20 under NRS 485.185: $25,000 per person and $50,000 per crash for bodily injury, plus $20,000 for property damage. The Nevada Division of Insurance explains that this coverage pays for injuries and damage you cause to others, not your own.
What if you're visiting Las Vegas from a PIP state?
Your home-state PIP may still help. Depending on your policy, PIP bought in a no-fault state can apply to crashes in other states, so check your policy or call your insurer before assuming you're not covered. You can still bring a claim against the at-fault driver under Nevada's rules, which don't limit injury lawsuits the way no-fault states do.
What Is MedPay, and How Is It Different From PIP?
MedPay is Nevada's closest equivalent to PIP. A Nevada Division of Insurance bulletin describes it as coverage for reasonable and necessary medical expenses from bodily injury while driving or riding in an insured vehicle, or when struck as a pedestrian, without regard to legal liability. Under NRS 687B.145, every Nevada auto insurer must offer at least $1,000 of it.
| Feature | PIP | MedPay in Nevada |
|---|---|---|
| Available in Nevada? | Not part of Nevada's system | Yes, insurers must offer it |
| Required? | Required in no-fault states | Optional |
| Pays medical bills regardless of fault | Yes | Yes |
| Pays lost wages | Often | Generally no |
| Covers passengers | Yes | Yes, occupants of the insured vehicle |
| Limits your right to sue | In true no-fault states | No |
| Feature | PIP | MedPay in Nevada |
|---|---|---|
| Part of Nevada's system? | No (repealed in 1980) | Yes, insurers must offer it |
| Required? | In no-fault states | Optional in Nevada |
| Pays medical bills regardless of fault | Yes | Yes |
| Pays lost wages | Often | Generally no |
| Covers passengers | Yes | Yes, occupants of the insured vehicle |
| Limits your right to sue | In true no-fault states | No |
| Minimum offered in Nevada | Not applicable | $1,000 (NRS 687B.145) |
Why does MedPay matter so much in Nevada?
Speed. The Division of Insurance points out that MedPay pays immediate medical bills without waiting on another insurer's fault decision. That matters in an at-fault state, where the other driver's insurer usually pays your injury claim in one settlement at the end.
It's also the only coverage on your own policy for medical costs after a crash involving only you. The Division's motorcycle insurance guidance makes that point directly: without MedPay, a single-vehicle crash leaves your auto policy with nothing to pay toward your medical care.
Who Pays Your Medical Bills After a Crash in Nevada?
Without PIP, Nevada drivers usually piece coverage together. The typical order looks like this:
- MedPay covers early bills fast, up to your limit, regardless of fault.
- Health insurance picks up ongoing treatment, subject to deductibles and copays.
- The at-fault driver's liability coverage pays your full injury claim, usually in one settlement, reduced by any share of fault under NRS 41.141.
- Your uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage fills the gap if the other driver had no insurance or too little.
- 1: MedPay · Pays early medical bills fast, up to your limit, regardless of fault · Days after the crash
- 2: Health insurance · Covers ongoing treatment, subject to deductibles and copays · During treatment
- 3: At-fault driver's liability · Pays the full injury claim, usually in one settlement, reduced by any share of your fault · At settlement
- 4: Your UM/UIM coverage · Fills the gap if the other driver had no insurance or too little · If needed
For a bill-by-bill breakdown, see this guide to the car crash aftermath, including hospital liens and totaled cars. And if the other driver had no insurance at all, here's how uninsured motorist coverage works in Nevada.
Does MedPay replace an injury claim?
No. MedPay covers medical expenses up to your limit, while a claim against the at-fault driver can include lost wages, future care, and pain and suffering. Using MedPay doesn't stop you from pursuing the other driver. Nevada's statute of limitations, NRS 11.190, generally gives you two years from the crash to file an injury lawsuit.
How Do You Check What Coverage You Have?
Pull up your declarations page, the summary your insurer sends with each renewal. Look for:
- Medical payments or "MedPay," and its per-person limit
- Uninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury limits
- Bodily injury liability limits (at least 25/50)
- Collision coverage for your own car
- Anything labeled PIP, which usually signals a policy written in another state
- Medical payments (MedPay): Look for the per-person limit. Nevada insurers must offer at least $1,000.
- Uninsured/underinsured motorist: Bodily injury limits for crashes with drivers who have little or no insurance.
- Bodily injury liability: Must be at least $25,000 per person and $50,000 per crash.
- Property damage liability: Must be at least $20,000 for damage you cause to others.
- Collision: Pays for your own car regardless of fault, minus your deductible.
- Anything labeled PIP: Usually means the policy was written in another state. Ask how it applies here.
If a claim under any of these coverages is being delayed or denied without a good reason, you can file a complaint with the Nevada Division of Insurance.
How Can Meesha Moulton Law Help You Sort Out Coverage After a Crash?
After a crash, the hardest part is often figuring out which policy pays for what and in what order. Meesha Moulton personally reviews every case, and consultations are free for personal injury matters, so you can map out every source of coverage before you talk to an adjuster.
Learn more about working with a Las Vegas car accident lawyer, or request a free consultation to go over your policy and your crash.
Frequently Asked Questions About PIP and Nevada Car Insurance
Is Nevada a no-fault state?
No. Nevada repealed its no-fault law in 1980 and now uses an at-fault system. The driver who causes a crash is responsible for the other driver's injuries and property damage, usually through their liability insurance. You can also sue the at-fault driver without meeting an injury threshold.
Does Nevada require PIP insurance?
No. Nevada doesn't require PIP, and it isn't part of the state's insurance system. Nevada requires 25/50/20 liability coverage and requires insurers to offer MedPay and uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage, which drivers can accept or decline.
What does MedPay cover in Nevada?
MedPay covers reasonable and necessary medical expenses from injuries in a crash, for you and passengers in your insured vehicle, regardless of who was at fault. It can also apply if you're hit as a pedestrian. It generally doesn't cover lost wages or pain and suffering, and it pays only up to the limit you choose.
Does PIP cover lost wages?
In most states that use PIP, yes, up to a set limit or percentage of income. The exact amount depends on state law and your policy. Nevada's MedPay generally doesn't cover lost wages, so in Nevada lost income is usually recovered through a claim against the at-fault driver.
Is MedPay worth it in Nevada?
It depends on your situation. MedPay can pay deductibles and copays quickly, covers your passengers, and is the only coverage on your auto policy for your own medical bills after a single-vehicle crash. Drivers with high health insurance deductibles or frequent passengers tend to get the most out of it.
Does PIP cover the other driver's injuries?
No. PIP covers you, your passengers, and in some states pedestrians, depending on the policy. Injuries you cause to another driver are covered by your bodily injury liability insurance, which Nevada requires at a minimum of $25,000 per person.
