Motorcycling in Southern Nevada offers some of the best riding in the country — Red Rock Canyon, Lake Mead, Valley of Fire, and wide-open desert highways in every direction. But riders know the other side of the equation: on a motorcycle, there is no steel frame, no airbag, and no margin for error when a driver fails to look. Even a low-speed collision that would dent a car’s fender can put a rider in the hospital with broken bones, road rash, or a head injury.
If you’ve been hurt while riding, you should know that motorcycle cases come with their own challenges — including an unfair but very real bias against riders — and that Nevada law is on your side more often than you might think.
Most Motorcycle Crashes Are Not the Rider’s Fault
The most common scenario we see is a car turning left across a rider’s path, or pulling out from a side street or driveway into the rider’s lane. Drivers change lanes on the I-15 or the 215 Beltway without checking their blind spots, open doors into traffic downtown, or simply say afterward, “I never saw the motorcycle.” Failing to see a rider is not a defense — it is usually the very definition of negligence.
Nevada Laws That Affect Your Case
- Helmets are required. Nevada law requires helmets for motorcycle operators and passengers (NRS 486.231). If you were not wearing one, the insurance company will try to use it against you — but it does not excuse the driver who caused the crash, and it matters only to injuries a helmet would have prevented.
- Comparative fault. You can recover compensation as long as you were not more than 50 percent at fault (NRS 41.141), with your recovery reduced by any share of fault assigned to you. Insurers routinely try to paint riders as reckless to push that percentage up; a prompt, thorough investigation is the antidote.
- Insurance minimums are low. Nevada drivers may legally carry as little as $25,000 per person in liability coverage (NRS 485.185) — often nowhere near enough for a rider’s injuries. Your own uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage can be critical, and we examine every policy that might apply.
- Two-year deadline. Most injury lawsuits must be filed within two years of the accident (NRS 11.190).
Overcoming the Bias Against Riders
Insurance adjusters, and sometimes jurors, start with an assumption that motorcyclists take risks. We counter that with facts: scene measurements, witness statements, vehicle damage analysis, the police report, and, when needed, accident reconstruction. Many of our riding clients are experienced, licensed, properly geared motorcyclists who did everything right — and we make sure the evidence shows it.
Consultations are free, and you pay no attorney’s fee unless we recover for you. If you’ve been injured in a motorcycle crash anywhere in Southern Nevada, call 702-737-0000 to discuss your case with our office.