How Long Do I Have to File a Slip and Fall Claim in Nevada? (Statute of Limitations)

The basic rule: two years

Nevada's personal injury statute of limitations, NRS 11.190(4)(e), sets a two-year window to file a lawsuit for injuries caused by negligence. Slip and fall, trip and fall, and other premises liability claims fall under this rule. The clock usually starts on the day of the fall.

Filing means filing a complaint in court — not calling the property, filing an incident report, or opening an insurance claim. Negotiations with an insurer do not pause the deadline.

Exceptions that can change the deadline

A few situations can extend or alter the timeline:

• Minors: the deadline is generally tolled until the injured child turns 18.
• Legal incapacity: a person who is legally incapacitated may have the clock paused.
• Delayed discovery: in limited cases, the clock starts when the injury and its cause were or reasonably should have been discovered.
• Defendant absent from Nevada: time a defendant spends outside the state can, in some circumstances, be excluded.
• Wrongful death: two years from the date of death, not the date of the fall.

Falls on government property

If you fell on a public sidewalk, in a government building, at a public park, or at McCarran/Harry Reid International Airport, the claim is against a government entity. Nevada law (NRS Chapter 41) waives sovereign immunity only within limits — including a cap on damages — and certain discretionary decisions are immune. Identify the correct public entity early; suing the wrong one can cost you the claim.

Why the real deadline is days, not years

Most Las Vegas casinos, hotels, and retail stores record over surveillance video on a rolling basis — often within 7 to 30 days. Floor-cleaning logs, staffing records, and the condition itself (a spill, a broken tile, a burned-out light) can be gone even sooner. Without that evidence, proving the property knew about the hazard is far harder.

• Send a written preservation letter requesting video and records
• Photograph the scene, your shoes, and any warning signs
• Collect witness names and phone numbers
• Get medical treatment promptly and keep every record

How comparative fault interacts with the deadline

Filing on time preserves the claim; it does not guarantee full recovery. Nevada's modified comparative negligence rule (NRS 41.141) reduces your damages by your percentage of fault and bars recovery if you are more than 50% at fault. Early investigation helps answer the defense's usual arguments — that the hazard was open and obvious, or that you were looking at your phone.

Talk to a Las Vegas premises attorney early

Chris Sullivan evaluates premises cases from the property side — how the building was maintained, inspected, and managed. If you were hurt on someone else's property in Nevada, calling early protects both the deadline and the evidence.