After getting into a car accident I called Barbara and it was the best decision I ever made. She is amazing! I couldn’t have asked for a better lawyer to represent me. She got me the best settlement to pay back my medi...
The fight with insurance companies is just as hard as fighting for your life after an accident. As long as you dont give up on yourself Barbara will fight for you. The staff at Kidwell and Gallagher were great as well. I...
These two are specialists in two related fields, personal injury and workmen’s comp. Both they and their staff were VERY responsive to me and my questions, and handled my case with patience and competence. I would,...
I feel like kidwell & Gallagher went above and beyond for me. Craig himself and his staff are so nice and helpful. I would highly recommend this law office for your workmans comp/injury needs. You will not be disappo...
The best place to go if you need good hometown lawyers. They are very informative and kept us updated on what was going to happen through out our case.
Was the best experience, we told them the problem and they took over everything, was such a relief. Always there to answer any questions and help is fast is possible.
I was at my job mountain crew changes there in the basement of kidwell and Gallagher
They weren’t able to help with my case, but they directed me to someone who could.
After a car accident in Nevada, people ask themselves, “How long does a car accident stay on your record?” and the answer depends on which record you mean. The DMV and your insurance carrier operate on different timelines, and confusing the two is one of the most common mistakes drivers make after a crash. At Kidwell & Gallagher Injury Lawyers our Reno car accident lawyer works with Reno drivers to untangle both, because what clears from a DMV report and what an insurer actually forgets are rarely the same thing.
For most drivers, the DMV’s standard three-year report is the starting point, but the record it captures does not simply disappear after that window closes. Insurers often look back further, especially after at-fault crashes, and serious offenses like DUI or reckless driving trigger consequences that run well past any three-year mark.
Through the Nevada DMV driving history, the state logs not just the collision but every citation that comes with it. Each conviction adds demerit points to a license, and reaching 12 points within any 12 months triggers an automatic six-month suspension.
Fault plays a central role in how a crash is recorded. An at-fault accident may generate both a record entry and demerit points tied to any cited violation, while a not-at-fault accident still appears in your history, just without the associated points. Either way, the record exists, and both insurers and courts can access it.
Drivers who wonder “How long does a car accident stay on your record in Nevada?” should know that the Nevada DMV offers two driving history report tiers: a three-year history covering recent convictions, and a 10-year history capturing the complete record including suspensions and revocations. For most standard accidents, the three-year report is what insurers and employers typically request. That three-year window is a report tier, not an erasure. According to the Nevada DMV point system, convictions remain part of a driver’s permanent record even after demerit points expire at the 12-month mark.
A car accident aging off your DMV report does not mean your insurer forgets about it. Most carriers look back three to five years when recalculating premiums at renewal, and an at-fault crash sits at the top of that review. Not-at-fault accidents can also affect what you pay, depending on how a carrier weighs prior claims history, so a clean DMV slate does not always translate to a clean insurance slate. That same review process is part of why an insurer’s settlement taking longer than expected is not unusual after a serious claim.
If you switch carriers after a crash, ask the new insurer directly how they treat prior accidents. The DMV window closing does not clear your claims history, and finding that out at renewal, through a higher bill, is the worst way to learn it.
Major offenses including DUI and crashes resulting in death or substantial bodily harm are not assigned demerit points at all. Under the Nevada DMV point system, these offenses instead trigger automatic license revocation or suspension. When a collision involves a DUI allegation or reckless driving charge, the resulting conviction is classified as a serious violation shared with all 50 state DMVs for 10 years from the date of conviction or license reinstatement, whichever comes later.
When reckless driving causes the death of another person or substantial bodily harm, NRS 484B.653 elevates the offense to a category B felony, carrying potential state prison time. Any license suspension or revocation tied to offenses at this level is reported indefinitely if the license is not reinstated. Our related posts on penalties for speeding in Nevada and what felony speeding means under Nevada law detail what drivers face when a crash escalates to that level.
A car accident does not end at the scene, and the record it creates can shape insurance rates, legal exposure, and driving privileges for years. Kidwell & Gallagher Injury Lawyers helps Reno drivers understand exactly where they stand after a crash. Call (775) 323-2667 today for a free consultation with our team.
Craig W. Kidwell is the managing partner of Kidwell & Gallagher, Ltd., and exclusively represents injured workers in Nevada. Mr. Kidwell has been practicing workers’ compensation law in Nevada since 1999 and has acted as lead counsel on over 2,000 contested workers’ compensation claims. Mr. Kidwell represents injured workers in Nevada through all stages of Nevada’s complex worker’s compensation system. Craig regularly appears in all levels of Nevada’s administrative workers’ compensation system and has represented injured workers in Nevada’s districts and Supreme Court.
This page has been written, edited, and reviewed by a team of legal writers following our comprehensive editorial guidelines. This page was approved by Managing Partner, Craig W. Kidwell who has more than 20 years of legal experience as a personal injury attorney.