Published by Rose Law
Before you drive
Check the road conditions for your route:
- NDOT posts Nevada road conditions at nvroads.com (opens in a new tab) and on its 511 phone line.
- Caltrans QuickMap at quickmap.dot.ca.gov (opens in a new tab) covers I-80 over Donner Summit on the California side.
Carry chains or approved traction devices, because chain controls can be required on I-80 and on mountain routes.
High winds in Washoe Valley can lead to restrictions for high-profile vehicles, such as trucks and trailers, on I-580/US-395 between Reno and Carson City.
If you crash in snow or ice
- Move your vehicle out of the travel lanes if you safely can.
- If the vehicle cannot be moved and it is safe to stay inside, keep your seat belt on and your hazard lights flashing while you wait for help.
- Call 911.
- Photograph the road surface, the snow and ice, any chain-control signs, plows, and every vehicle involved, including whether each one had chains on.
- Get the names of witnesses and of any tow truck or snowplow operators at the scene.
- Seek medical attention immediately. Any gap in treatment gives insurers ammunition.
What to do after a car accident in Reno has the rest of the steps for the first days, including medical bills and property damage.
What the evidence needs to show
Snow and ice do not decide who is responsible for a crash, even though insurers sometimes treat bad weather as a reason to reduce or deny a claim.
The question is usually how each driver handled the conditions:
- Speed for the conditions on that stretch of road
- Following distance
- Chains or traction devices when they were required
- How a commercial truck driver responded to chain controls or wind restrictions
Conditions on a mountain highway can change by the hour. Photographs with time stamps, the crash report, and road-condition records from that day show what each driver was facing when the crash happened.
Chain-reaction crashes
A chain-reaction crash on a snowy highway can involve several vehicles and several insurers, and each insurer may point at another driver.
Keep every claim number separate, along with the name of the insurer and the adjuster for each one. Do not give a recorded statement to any of them before you have talked to a lawyer.
Talking to the insurance adjuster after a crash covers what you can say when those calls come in.
This guide is general information about how claims usually work in Nevada, not legal advice about your situation. Every matter turns on its own facts. A free consultation is the way to get an answer specific to yours.