Bill raises Nevada’s minimum liability car insurance

The Nevada Senate on Thursday approved a bill raising the minimum liability insurance a car owner must carry.

SB308 would essentially double the current minimum liability coverage in three different categories.

The minimum coverage for bodily injury or death of one person in a crash would rise from $15,000 to $30,000 and the minimum for bodily injury of more than one person form $30,000 to $50,000.

In addition, the minimum coverage for property damage in any one crash would rise from $10,000 to $20,000.

The coverage mandate would take effect July 1.

The vote was 16-5 with Democrats Mo Denis, Nicole Cannizzaro, Mark Manendo and Kelvin Atkinson opposed along with Republican Don Gustavson.

Denis told fellow members before the vote while he agrees Nevada’s current minimums don’t match up with most of the rest of the nation, he was concerned about the potential impact on his constituents, a significant number of whom are low income. He said he doesn’t have adequate information at this point on how the bill would affect insurance rates.

The bill goes to the Assembly for review but, with 27 members of that body signed on as co-sponsors, its passage was pretty much assured.

– Nevada Appeal Capitol Bureau