Nevada Revised Statutes Section 484.229 - Public Safety - Vehicles - Watercraft

Written report of accident to Department by driver or owner; exceptions; confidentiality; use as evidence at trial.

1. Except as otherwise provided in subsections 2, 3 and 4, the driver of a vehicle which is in any manner involved in an accident on a highway or on premises to which the public has access, if the accident results in bodily injury to or the death of any person or total damage to any vehicle or item of property to an apparent extent of $750 or more, shall, within 10 days after the accident, forward a written report of the accident to the Department. Whenever damage occurs to a motor vehicle, the operator shall attach to the accident report an estimate of repairs or a statement of the total loss from an established repair garage, an insurance adjuster employed by an insurer licensed to do business in this State, an adjuster licensed pursuant to chapter 684A of NRS or an appraiser licensed pursuant to chapter 684B of NRS. The Department may require the driver or owner of the vehicle to file supplemental written reports whenever the original report is insufficient in the opinion of the Department.

2. A report is not required from any person if the accident was investigated by a law enforcement agency and the report of the investigating officer contains:

(a) The name and address of the insurance company providing coverage to each person involved in the accident;

(b) The number of each policy; and

(c) The dates on which the coverage begins and ends.

3. The driver of a vehicle subject to the jurisdiction of the Surface Transportation Board or the Transportation Services Authority need not submit in his report the information requested pursuant to subsection 3 of NRS 484.247 until the 10th day of the month following the month in which the accident occurred.

4. A written accident report is not required pursuant to this chapter from any person who is physically incapable of making a report, during the period of his incapacity. Whenever the driver is physically incapable of making a written report of an accident as required in this section and he is not the owner of the vehicle, the owner shall within 10 days after knowledge of the accident make the report not made by the driver.

5. All written reports required in this section to be forwarded to the Department by drivers or owners of vehicles involved in accidents are without prejudice to the person so reporting and are for the confidential use of the Department or other state agencies having use of the records for accident prevention, except that the Department may disclose to a person involved in an accident or to his insurer the identity of another person involved in the accident when his identity is not otherwise known or when he denies his presence at the accident. The Department may also disclose the name of his insurer and the number of his policy.

6. A written report forwarded pursuant to the provisions of this section may not be used as evidence in any trial, civil or criminal, arising out of an accident except that the Department shall furnish upon demand of any party to such a trial, or upon demand of any court, a certificate showing that a specified accident report has or has not been made to the Department in compliance with law, and, if the report has been made, the date, time and location of the accident, the names and addresses of the drivers, the owners of the vehicles involved and the investigating officers. The report may be used as evidence when necessary to prosecute charges filed in connection with a violation of NRS 484.236.

Last modified: February 25, 2006