Hit And Run Accidents

Under Nevada law, it is a criminal offense for anyone involved in a motorized accident to leave the crash scene without exchanging information with the other parties and police. At a minimum, this information must include the following.

• Name;
• Address;
• Driver’s license, upon request; and
• Vehicle Identification Number (VIN).

Leaving the scene without providing this information is considered a hit and run. Please note, crashing into parked vehicles and fleeing the scene without attempting to contact the car’s owner is also considered a hit and run.

Hit And Run Penalties

Violations can be charged as either misdemeanors or felonies, depending on the severity of the damages. The penalties are as follows.

• If the crash resulted in property damages only — charged as a misdemeanor, punishable up to 6 months in jail, $1,000 in fines, and 6 points deducted from the driver’s license.
• If the crash resulted in bodily injury or death — charged as a category B felony, punishable up to 20 years in prison, $5,000 in fines, and a license suspension or revocation.

Please note, these penalties may increase with previous traffic violations, as well as whether the fleeing driver was driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs (DUI). Depending on the case’s complexity and the number of injured parties, some drivers may also be charged with reckless driving, bodily injury, vehicular homicide, or similar charges.

What If The Police Can’t Find The Driver?

If police are unable to identify the driver, there may still be a few options left for crash victims, including the following.

• Uninsured Motorist Coverage (UIM) — As the name implies, this type of insurance provides coverage for damages caused by a driver without car insurance or, in this case, an unidentified driver. Unfortunately, UIM is not required by Nevada law, so your car insurance policy may not include it.
• Filing a claim against the driver’s employer — If the hit-and-run driver was driving a company vehicle or was on a work assignment at the time of the accident, you could file a lawsuit against that employer or vehicle’s owner.