Accident Settlement Calculator

Home › States › Nebraska

Nebraska Car Accident Settlement Calculator

In Nebraska, you generally have 4 years to file an injury lawsuit, you recover nothing at 50% fault or more, and drivers must carry at least $25,000/$50,000 in injury liability. Enter your numbers below to see what a Nebraska claim may be worth and what you would actually take home.

1

Your accident

How serious is the injury?
2

Your costs so far

That's all you need for a first estimate. Rough numbers are fine.

Optional: make the estimate more accurate fault, insurance, lawyer fee
3

Fault and future costs

4

Insurance

5

What comes out of it

Nebraska rules in 30 seconds

If you were partly at faultYou get nothing if you are 50% or more at fault
Details & exceptions

Nebraska uses modified comparative negligence: an injured person's damages are reduced in proportion to their own negligence, but if their negligence is equal to or greater than the total negligence of all persons they are suing (so 50 percent or more), they recover nothing. The jury must be told the effect of its allocation of negligence.

Compare fault rules in all states →
Deadline to file a lawsuit4 years from the accident
Details & exceptions

Neb. Rev. Stat. 25-207: 4 years for an action for 'taking, detaining or injuring personal property' (25-207(2)) and for 'an injury to the rights of the plaintiff, not arising on contract' (25-207(3)), which covers negligence-based bodily injury. Wrongful death: 2 years after the death (Neb. Rev. Stat. 30-810). Claims against political subdivisions (cities, counties, etc.) under the Political Subdivisions Tort Claims Act: a written claim must be made to the governing body within 1 year after the claim accrued, or it is forever barred (Neb. Rev. Stat. 13-919(1)). Claims against the State under the State Tort Claims Act: a written claim must be made to the Risk Manager within 2 years after accrual, with the suit deadline extended 6 months after notice of final disposition or withdrawal of the claim (Neb. Rev. Stat. 81-8,227(1)). Statute text read from FindLaw mirrors (current as of 2024-01-01).

Compare deadlines in all states →
Other driver's minimum insurance$25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident
Details & exceptions

Property damage minimum: $25,000. Neb. Rev. Stat. 60-310 (definition of automobile liability policy) and 60-534 (proof of financial responsibility) both set $25,000 for bodily injury or death of one person, $50,000 for two or more persons, and $25,000 for property damage per accident. LB 793 (109th Legislature, 2026) would have raised the minimums effective 2027-01-01, but it was indefinitely postponed on 2026-04-17 and was not enacted (per secondary bill trackers).

Compare minimums in all states →
Who pays your medical billsThe at-fault driver's insuranceSee all no-fault states →
Cap on pain and sufferingNo cap for typical car accident claims
Details & exceptions

No general cap for typical car accident injury claims. No statutory cap on noneconomic damages in ordinary auto injury cases against private defendants. Nebraska's damages caps are limited to: (a) medical malpractice under the Nebraska Hospital-Medical Liability Act, a cap on total damages (economic and noneconomic) of $2,250,000 for occurrences after 2014 (Neb. Rev. Stat. 44-2825); and (b) the Political Subdivisions Tort Claims Act, which limits total recovery to $1,000,000 per person and $5,000,000 per occurrence (Neb. Rev. Stat. 13-926, per FindLaw text). Proposed 2025-2026 bills that would have capped noneconomic damages in commercial-motor-vehicle cases (LB 205) or changed related trucking litigation rules (LB 79, LB 1100) were all indefinitely postponed on 2026-04-17 (per secondary bill trackers).

Uninsured motorist coverageRequired
Details & exceptions

Neb. Rev. Stat. 44-6408(1): every auto liability policy must include uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage of at least $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for bodily injury, sickness, disease, or death. At the named insured's written request the insurer must provide higher limits, but it need not exceed $100,000 per person / $300,000 per accident (44-6408(2)). The section as read contains no rejection or waiver provision for the minimum coverage.

Worked example: a typical Nebraska car accident claim

Another driver turned left into you at an intersection in Nebraska: $15,000 in medical bills, $5,000 in lost wages and a moderate injury that healed in a few months. The insurer says you were 20% at fault for speeding slightly, the other driver has a $100,000 policy, and your lawyer takes 33%.

  1. Economic damages$20,000Medical bills + expected future treatment + lost wages.
  2. Pain and suffering$20,000 – $40,000Multiplier method: economic damages × 2–3 for a moderate injury, minus the economic part itself.
  3. Total claim value$40,000 – $60,000Economic + pain and suffering.
  4. After your share of fault$32,000 – $48,000Nebraska uses modified comparative negligence (50% bar): you recover nothing if you are 50% or more at fault; otherwise recovery is reduced by your 20%.
  5. Limited by available insurance$32,000 – $48,000At-fault policy limit $100,000 + your UM/UIM $0.
  6. Estimated take-home$20,440 – $31,160Minus attorney fee (33%), case costs and medical liens.

You would take home about $25,800 ($20,440 – $31,160), after the 33% fee and $1,000 in case costs.

Typical figures (midpoint of a moderate injury multiplier), no medical liens. Run your own numbersor see the same crash in every state.

How much time do you have to file?

General personal injury deadline only. It can be shorter for claims against a city, county or state agency (often a written notice within months), and longer for minors. Check with a lawyer before relying on it.

Deadline traps in Nebraska

The 4-year lawsuit deadline is not the only clock. These are the ones people miss:

Crash with a government vehicle or on a public road1 year (local) / 2 years (State)

For a city, county or other local government, file a written claim with its governing body within 1 year. For the State, file a written claim with the Risk Manager within 2 years. Suit can follow denial, with 6 extra months if needed.

Neb. Rev. Stat. 13-919, Political Subdivisions Tort Claims Act (FindLaw mirror)Neb. Rev. Stat. 81-8,227, State Tort Claims Act (FindLaw mirror)

If the injured person is a child

Courts read Nebraska's tolling law as pausing the clock until age 21, so a child usually has until age 25 to sue. This also applies to claims against local governments and the State.

Neb. Rev. Stat. 25-213, tolling of statutes of limitation (FindLaw mirror)

How fast a Nebraska insurer must respond

Nebraska's Unfair Property and Casualty Settlement Practices Rule covers first- and third-party claimants: acknowledge within 15 working days, accept or deny within 15 working days of proof of loss, and pay within 15 working days of acceptance.

210 Neb. Admin. Code ch. 60, sec. 003 (definitions; 'days' means working days) (Cornell LII)210 Neb. Admin. Code ch. 60, sec. 006 (acknowledgment) (Cornell LII)210 Neb. Admin. Code ch. 60, sec. 008 (settlement standards) (Cornell LII)

If an insurer misses these deadlines, you can file a complaint with the state insurance department. Compare all states:insurance claim deadlines by state.

Next steps after a Nebraska crash

Frequently asked questions

What is a typical car accident settlement in Nebraska?
It depends on the bills, the injury and fault. Worked example: with $15,000 in medical bills, $5,000 in lost wages and a moderate injury, 20% of the fault, a Nebraska claim against the other driver is worth about $40,000, and the injured person takes home about $25,800 after a 33% attorney fee and costs. At 51% fault, the same claim pays nothing in Nebraska.
Is Nebraska an at-fault or no-fault state for car accidents?
Nebraska's car insurance system: At-fault (tort).
Is there a cap on pain and suffering in Nebraska car accident cases?
No general cap for typical car accident injury claims. No statutory cap on noneconomic damages in ordinary auto injury cases against private defendants. Nebraska's damages caps are limited to: (a) medical malpractice under the Nebraska Hospital-Medical Liability Act, a cap on total damages (economic and noneconomic) of $2,250,000 for occurrences after 2014 (Neb. Rev. Stat. 44-2825); and (b) the Political Subdivisions Tort Claims Act, which limits total recovery to $1,000,000 per person and $5,000,000 per occurrence (Neb. Rev. Stat. 13-926, per FindLaw text). Proposed 2025-2026 bills that would have capped noneconomic damages in commercial-motor-vehicle cases (LB 205) or changed related trucking litigation rules (LB 79, LB 1100) were all indefinitely postponed on 2026-04-17 (per secondary bill trackers).
What happens if I was partly at fault for an accident in Nebraska?
Nebraska follows modified comparative negligence with a 50% bar: you recover nothing if you are 50% or more at fault, and otherwise your recovery is reduced by your percentage of fault.
How long do I have to file a car accident lawsuit in Nebraska?
Generally 4 years for personal injury and 4 years for property damage. Neb. Rev. Stat. 25-207: 4 years for an action for 'taking, detaining or injuring personal property' (25-207(2)) and for 'an injury to the rights of the plaintiff, not arising on contract' (25-207(3)), which covers negligence-based bodily injury. Wrongful death: 2 years after the death (Neb. Rev. Stat. 30-810). Claims against political subdivisions (cities, counties, etc.) under the Political Subdivisions Tort Claims Act: a written claim must be made to the governing body within 1 year after the claim accrued, or it is forever barred (Neb. Rev. Stat. 13-919(1)). Claims against the State under the State Tort Claims Act: a written claim must be made to the Risk Manager within 2 years after accrual, with the suit deadline extended 6 months after notice of final disposition or withdrawal of the claim (Neb. Rev. Stat. 81-8,227(1)). Statute text read from FindLaw mirrors (current as of 2024-01-01).
What is the minimum car insurance in Nebraska?
$25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for bodily injury, and $25,000 for property damage. Neb. Rev. Stat. 60-310 (definition of automobile liability policy) and 60-534 (proof of financial responsibility) both set $25,000 for bodily injury or death of one person, $50,000 for two or more persons, and $25,000 for property damage per accident. LB 793 (109th Legislature, 2026) would have raised the minimums effective 2027-01-01, but it was indefinitely postponed on 2026-04-17 and was not enacted (per secondary bill trackers).
What is the deadline to file a claim against the government in Nebraska?
1 year (local) / 2 years (State). For a city, county or other local government, file a written claim with its governing body within 1 year. For the State, file a written claim with the Risk Manager within 2 years. Suit can follow denial, with 6 extra months if needed.
How long does an insurance company have to respond to a claim in Nebraska?
Nebraska's Unfair Property and Casualty Settlement Practices Rule covers first- and third-party claimants: acknowledge within 15 working days, accept or deny within 15 working days of proof of loss, and pay within 15 working days of acceptance.

Related

Official sources