NRS686A.300. Delay in payment of claim for damages to motor vehicle after receipt of statement of charges prohibited; settling claim without providing for repair of vehicle permitted; exception.

      1.  An insurer who issues insurance covering damage to a motor vehicle shall not delay making payment for any claim involving damage to a motor vehicle after receiving a statement of charges, pursuant to the provisions of NRS 487.6893, from any garage or licensed body shop previously authorized by the insured to perform the repairs required by that claim.

      2.  A delay, within the meaning of this section, is failure to issue a check or draft, payable to the garage or licensed body shop or jointly to the insured and the garage or licensed body shop, within 30 days after the insurer’s receipt of the statement of charges for repairs which have been satisfactorily completed.

      3.  If the damaged vehicle is subject to a security interest or the legal owner of the damaged vehicle is different from the registered owner, the vehicle must be repaired by a garage or licensed body shop unless:

      (a) The insurer has declared the vehicle a total loss; or

      (b) The total charge for the repair of the vehicle, as set forth in the statement of charges presented pursuant to NRS 487.6893, is $300 or less.

      4.  Except as otherwise provided in subsection 3, nothing in this section shall be deemed to prohibit an insurer and insured from settling a claim involving damage to a motor vehicle without providing for the repair of the vehicle.

      5.  As used in this section, “licensed body shop” means a body shop for which a license has been issued pursuant to chapter 487 of NRS.

      (Added to NRS by 1973, 977; A 1987, 1098; 1993, 338; 2007, 3421; 2009, 2538, 2732)