How to file a traffic collision report in Las Vegas

— Erick Tyson von Mueller

You need to file a report if you have been involved in an automobile accident. If the Las Vegas police are called to the scene of the accident, a police officer will complete the report for you, and you will need to sign the completed report.

This report is like a police report, and may be called SR-1, “Report of Traffic Accident,” or “Report of Traffic Crash.” The SR-1, Report of Traffic Accident, contains the identifying data of the parties involved in the accident, including driver (operator) data, vehicle data, and vehicle owner data, the date, location and description of the accident, insurance data, and a statement of physical injuries and property damage.

The form is published by Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles. You can download a PDF version of SR-1 Report of Traffic Crash. If the police are not called to the scene, you are responsible for completing and submitting the report on your own. Your signature is required to successfully complete this report.

You can’t be lazy and just call out the police to complete the report for you. In general, the Las Vegas police will only respond to the scene of an auto accident if injuries are reported. However, you should call the Las Vegas police if you discover that:

  • you are injured;
  • the other driver is injured;
  • the other driver is intoxicated, or appears to be under the influence or otherwise impaired;
  • the other driver does not have a driver’s license or cannot produce a registration or insurance card;
  • the other driver is uncooperative or violent; or
  • the other driver flees the scene of the accident.

While you are working on your report, you should consider contacting a Las Vegas car accident attorney. If you are unfamiliar with the accident reporting process, the claim making process with your insurance company, or if there were any injuries, an attorney is likely to improve your prospects for a successful recovery. If there were severe injuries, extensive property damage, of if you believe that you were at fault, then you should contact a lawyer without much further consideration.

How long do I have to file the report?

The State of Nevada provides a strict 10 day limit to file a report following an accident. You should begin completing the report as soon as possible because there are certain attachments required, including

  • a copy of your insurance policy for the insurance that was in effect at the time of the accident;
  • an estimate of the cost of repairs or a statement of total loss if the value was $750 or more in vehicle or property damage for any one person; and
  • a doctor’s statement of injury for each person injured in your vehicle if the crash resulted in injury or death.
Remember the time limit

You must file the report within 10 days following the accident.

Can I file the Las Vegas car accident report online?

You can file the report online with Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. You must provide the following information to successfully file a report:

  • drivers license data;
  • active insurance policy data;
  • detailed description of how the accident happened; and
  • estimated value of damages.

Can I file the report in person?

You can file the report in person. Las Vegas Metropolitan Police only accept reports for accident occurring within its jurisdiction of the Las Vegas metropolitan area. Las Vegas police does not take reports of accidents that occur in Henderson, North Las Vegas, or Boulder City, or accidents that occur on the freeway. The freeway is Nevada Highway Patrol jurisdiction. The freeways in the Las Vegas area are within Nevada Highway Patrol Southern Command.

Can I file the report by phone?

If you do not have access to transportation and/or a computer for in-person or online filing, you can file the report by calling the LVMPD non-emergency number at 702-828-3111. You will have to explain that you want to file a car accident report to a call taker. The call taker will assign an event number to your case and someone will return your call. The return calls are made in order by the date and time they are received. You may have to wait a while depending on call volume.

If you can, you should file the report online, or in-person.

Do I need to file the report if a Las Vegas Police Officer performed an investigation?

Remember to review

You should read through the report before you sign to be certain that the officer’s write-up satisfies the requirements.

You do not need to file a report if an officer responds to the accident scene and completes your SR-1 with the necessary information listed in Nevada Revised Statute NRS 484E.070, 484E.080.

You can request a copy of the report to confirm that the SR-1 is complete if you’ve already signed.

Does filing a Las Vegas car accident report start my insurance claim?

Filing a SR-1 report does not initiate an insurance claim, or begin the process of financial recovery. However, you must file a SR-1 report if you have been involved as a driver in a car accident in Las Vegas. Think of the SR-1 as a first step on the path to restoring your life after the accident. If you have been injured, you should consider contacting a personal injury attorney to successfully recover. There are personal injury law firms that will provide you free consultations on your rights and responsibilities after the accident.

This article has 910 words.

Erick Tyson von Mueller profile image

Erick Tyson von Mueller

Erick is a researcher and life-long student of the arts. He graduated from university after studying intelligence and fell into the deep state. He has surfaced now and again to run a drive-through coffee shop (!), an award-winning live music venue in Austin, Texas (!), and a cement block factory in Uruguay (!), among other adventures in a life otherwise spent performing analysis. His speciality remains state security and the philosophy of the prison world.