Las Vegas Intersection Accident Lawyer: Proving Liability in Red-Light Crashes
Last updated October 15, 2026 · Reflects Nevada law, published crash data and news reports as of this date.
The short answer: In Nevada, the driver who runs a red light is responsible for the crash they cause. The problem is proving it. After a broadside crash at a busy Las Vegas intersection, both drivers often swear they had the green, and the insurance company is happy to call it a draw. Whoever locks down the video, the vehicle data and the witnesses first usually wins the fault fight.
Key takeaways
- A steady red means stop and stay stopped until the light turns green (NRS 484B.307). Running it is strong evidence of fault.
- Nevada has no red-light ticket cameras, so the video that proves your case usually comes from private cameras, and it disappears fast.
- You can still recover if you were partly at fault, as long as your share isn’t greater than the other side’s (NRS 41.141).
- Passengers are rarely at fault and can claim against either driver, including their own.
- You generally have two years to file an injury lawsuit (NRS 11.190).
Why red-light crashes are so dangerous
At an intersection, one mistake turns into an often-violent side impact or t-bone crash.
- Intersections account for roughly a quarter of U.S. traffic deaths and about half of all traffic injuries, according to the Federal Highway Administration.
- Red-light running killed 1,119 people in 2024 and injured more than 141,000, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
- Half of those killed weren’t the red-light runner. They were pedestrians, cyclists and people in other vehicles hit by them (IIHS).
Red-light crashes on Las Vegas surface streets
Wide, fast arterials like Flamingo Road, Spring Mountain Road and Sahara Avenue push heavy traffic through signal after signal. Two recent crashes:
- Sahara Avenue and 6th Street, September 2025. Las Vegas Metro police said an SUV heading west on Sahara ran a red light and hit a southbound car. Vehicles were pushed across the median into stopped cars, a four-car crash. Police said impairment was suspected (KTNV).
- Flamingo Road and Spencer Street, April 2025. Police said a car heading east on Flamingo entered the intersection against a red light at about 8:30 a.m. and was struck by a southbound SUV. The red-light runner died, and the SUV’s driver and passenger reported injuries (KTNV).
Takeaway: These crashes happen in morning traffic and on the valley’s busiest corridors, not just late at night.
Who is at fault in a red-light crash under Nevada law?
The rules are clear:
- Red means stop. Drivers facing a steady red must stop before the crosswalk or stop line and stay stopped until they get a green (NRS 484B.307).
- Yellow is a warning, not an invitation to speed up. It means the green is ending.
- Right on red requires a full stop first, and the driver must still yield to pedestrians and cross traffic.
- Left-turning drivers must yield to oncoming traffic that’s in the intersection or close enough to be an immediate hazard (NRS 484B.253). Insurers love to blame the left-turner, but that duty doesn’t excuse an oncoming driver who blew a red.
- Stop and yield signs require drivers to yield to traffic already in the intersection or approaching closely (NRS 484B.257).
If the at-fault driver was texting, handheld phone use while driving is illegal in Nevada (NRS 484B.165), and phone records can prove it. If they were drunk or high, you may also be able to seek punitive damages without Nevada’s usual cap (NRS 42.010). And if they’re criminally convicted, that conviction is conclusive evidence of the facts needed for civil liability (NRS 41.133).
When both drivers claim they had the green light
The insurer calls it “disputed liability,” offers little or nothing, and waits. Here’s the evidence that breaks the tie:
- Private video from businesses, casinos, gas stations, apartment complexes, doorbell cameras and dashcams. Many systems record over themselves within days.
- Event data recorders (“black boxes”), which in many vehicles store speed, braking and throttle data from the seconds before a crash. That can show who sped up to beat a yellow.
- Signal timing records from the agency that operates the light. Paired with video, they help pin down which light was red at impact.
- Point of impact, crush damage, witnesses and the police report, including any citation.
Takeaway: In a disputed-fault crash, evidence decides the case, and most of it expires.
How a red light accident attorney in NV uses camera footage
Nevada law doesn’t provide for camera-based traffic tickets. Photo or video evidence can only be gathered for a citation with handheld equipment or equipment in a law enforcement vehicle or facility (IIHS summary of NRS 484A.600). And the Regional Transportation Commission, whose FAST system manages more than 1,100 cameras across the valley, says its traffic management center does not record footage from its video detection cameras (RTC).
So no government system is quietly saving a clip of your crash. Your lawyer has to go get the footage: canvass the intersection for cameras, send written preservation demands to the owners right away, and subpoena what they won’t hand over. Then the video is synced to signal timing and vehicle data to show who entered on red.
Can a passenger recover if their own driver ran the red light?
Yes. A passenger is almost never at fault, so you can claim against your own driver’s insurance, the other driver’s insurance, or both if fault is shared. Nevada generally makes each at-fault driver pay only their own share of fault (NRS 41.141), which is why a seriously injured passenger often needs more than one policy.
One trap to watch: if a family member was driving, their policy may exclude or limit coverage for household members unless the policyholder rejected that exclusion (NRS 687B.147).
How comparative negligence works in Nevada intersection crashes
Insurers rarely admit their driver is 100% at fault. They say you were speeding or should have seen them coming. Every percentage they pin on you lowers your check.
Nevada uses modified comparative negligence. You can recover as long as your share of fault isn’t greater than the combined fault of the people you’re suing, and your award is reduced by your percentage (NRS 41.141). Found 20% at fault on a $300,000 claim, you’d still be entitled to $240,000. At 51%, you’d get nothing.
Takeaway: That 51% line is why insurers fight so hard over a few percentage points, and why you shouldn’t argue fault with an adjuster on a recorded call.
What compensation can you recover after an intersection crash?
T-bone crashes often mean head, neck, spine, rib and internal injuries. Nevada law lets you pursue:
- Medical costs, past and future, including surgery, therapy and in-home care.
- Lost wages and lost earning capacity if you can’t go back to the same work.
- Pain, suffering and loss of enjoyment of life.
- Property damage, with a separate three-year deadline (NRS 11.190).
- Wrongful death damages for families who lost someone (NRS 41.085).
- Punitive damages against an impaired driver (NRS 42.010).
Not wearing a seat belt can’t be used against you as negligence or as a cause of your injuries in a Nevada civil case (NRS 484D.495). Our seat belt and compensation guide explains more.
The ceiling is usually insurance, not the injury. Nevada only requires $25,000 in bodily injury coverage per person (NRS 485.185). Your own underinsured motorist coverage, which Nevada insurers must offer (NRS 687B.145), is often what covers the gap.
Do you need a car accident attorney in Las Vegas after a red-light crash?
If anyone was hurt and fault is disputed, yes. A red light crash lawsuit is won or lost on evidence that disappears in days, and insurers know most people won’t chase it. Searching for a “personal injury lawyer near me”? Pick a Las Vegas car accident lawyer who talks about getting the video in the first call.
7 steps to take after a Las Vegas intersection crash
- Call 911 so police respond and create a report. If police don’t investigate and someone is hurt or damage tops $750, you must file an SR-1 report with the Nevada DMV within 10 days. Our police report guide walks through it.
- Get medical care today. Adrenaline hides injuries, and a gap in treatment is an adjuster’s favorite argument.
- Photograph the signals, both cars and where they ended up before anything is moved, if it’s safe.
- Look up. Note every camera on the corners: businesses, gas stations, casinos, apartment buildings.
- Get witness names and numbers, especially drivers stopped at the light.
- Don’t give a recorded statement to the other driver’s insurer, and don’t guess about speed or the color of the light.
- Call a lawyer quickly so preservation letters go out before video is recorded over.
Frequently asked questions
Who is at fault in an intersection accident when both drivers claim they had a green light?
The driver who actually entered on red, and the evidence decides who that was. Private video, vehicle data, signal timing records, the point of impact and independent witnesses usually settle it. If fault is split, Nevada reduces each side’s recovery by their percentage.
How do personal injury lawyers use traffic camera footage to prove a red-light violation?
Nevada has no red-light ticket cameras, and the RTC says its traffic center doesn’t record detection-camera footage. Lawyers find private cameras near the intersection, send preservation demands fast, subpoena footage if needed, and sync it with signal timing and vehicle data to show who entered on red.
What compensation can be recovered for severe injuries suffered in an intersection collision?
Medical costs, lost wages and earning capacity, pain and suffering, and property damage. Families can bring wrongful death claims. If the driver was impaired, punitive damages may also be available. Available insurance often caps what’s collected.
Can a passenger recover medical damages if their driver ran a red light?
Yes. Passengers are rarely at fault and can claim against their own driver’s insurance, the other driver’s insurance, or both. Check whether a family driver’s policy excludes household members.
How do comparative negligence laws apply to intersection crashes in Nevada?
You can recover if your share of fault isn’t greater than the other side’s, and your award is reduced by your percentage. At 20% fault you keep 80% of your damages. If you’re more at fault than the other side, you recover nothing.
How long do you have to file a personal injury claim after a Las Vegas intersection crash?
Generally two years for injury and wrongful death lawsuits and three years for property damage. The deadline is paused for injured children until they turn 18 (NRS 11.250). The video that proves fault can be gone in days.
Hit by a red-light runner? Talk to Las Vegas injury lawyers who chase the evidence.
If you’re searching for a “car crash lawyer near me” or the best car accident lawyer in Las Vegas, ask one thing: how fast will they get the video? Sam & Ash Injury Law is an auto accident law firm that treats every intersection case as a race against the delete button. Whether your case is worth $15,000 or $1.5 million, you get the same fight. The first conversation is free, and you pay nothing unless we win.
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They ran the light. We’ll prove it.
This article is general information, not legal advice, and reflects Nevada law and published data as of October 15, 2026. Every case depends on its own facts. Reading this does not create an attorney-client relationship.
