Salt Lake City CAR ACCIDENT LAWYER

Call to Request A Free Car Case Review

If you were recently involved in a car accident in Utah, you are likely facing a number of challenges. From obtaining the proper medical care for your injuries to getting your vehicle repaired to managing your everyday expenses while out of work, the aftermath of a serious accident can be overwhelming.

The good news is that you could be entitled to financial compensation, regardless of how the accident occurred or who was at fault. With the help of Steele Adams Hosman and our dedicated car accident lawyers in Salt Lake City, you can help ensure maximum compensation.

There is no cost and no risk in speaking to a member of our team about your legal options, and we only collect legal fees if we recover a settlement or verdict for you. So, you can rely on the legal services of our Utah auto accident attorneys for the help you need after a Salt Lake City accident.

Schedule a complimentary case evaluation with our Salt Lake City car accident lawyers today! Call Steele Adams Hosman at (801) 999-1506 or contact us online using our secure submission form.

Types of Car Accident Claims

We encourage you to reach out to our firm right away if you were recently involved in an auto accident. The sooner our Salt Lake City car accident lawyers can review the details of your situation and begin building your case the better. We are prepared to take on even the most complex of cases, including claims involving:

• Multiple at-fault parties
• Distracted drivers
• Drunk drivers
• And more

We have successfully recovered millions of dollars in compensation for victims of all types of motor vehicle accidents, including those involving:

• Passenger cars
• Pickup trucks and SUVs
• Motorcycles
• Commercial vehicles
• Big-rigs
• Semi-trucks
• And more

Common Causes of Utah Car Accidents

Understanding the cause of your car accident is important if liability needs to be proven. This is especially true if you are seriously injured and are filing a claim outside Utah’s no-fault system. In some cases, the complexity of the crash may require the help of a Utah accident lawyer in order to determine exactly what caused the incident. So, seeking the help of a car accident attorney near you may be the first step in figuring out what caused your auto accident.

Our car accident lawyers in Utah are prepared to investigate your crash to figure out its cause and how it correlates to fault and liability. With ample evidence in hand, we can challenge the opposition and work towards a fair settlement faster.

Four of the worst and most common causes of car accidents are:

• Distracted driving: Drivers of all ages distracted themselves with their smartphones these days. Other forms of driver distractions include eating, drinking, talking with passengers, adjusting the music, and so on.
• Drunk driving: After just one alcoholic drink, a driver’s ability to safely drive will be compromised. Drunk drivers usually experience blurred vision, poor vehicle steering control, slow reaction times, and inaccurate estimations of speed and distance.
• Speeding: Reckless driving is a serious problem throughout Utah and the rest of the country. Out of all the forms of reckless driving, speeding is the most common and often causes the most devastating accidents.
• Exhaustion: When a driver is exhausted after a long day of work or a restless night, they will experience side effects as if they were intoxicated. Exhausted driving is an even bigger issue among commercial truck drivers.

Serious Injuries Caused by Car Accidents in Utah

Motor vehicle accidents are among the leading causes of preventable severe injuries in the country. Even when using a seatbelt and airbags, you can be seriously injured in a wreck.

Semi-permanent injuries like whiplash can even occur in low-speed collisions, so don’t let an insurance company push you around and insist that your injuries “can’t be that bad” because your crash happened below highway speeds.

Catastrophic injuries often suffered by victims of intense car accidents include:

• Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
• Spinal cord injuries
• Whiplash
• Amputations
• Permanent scarring
• Broken bones

Do You Need to Prove The Other Party is at Fault To File A Claim

Because Utah follows a no-fault car insurance system, you do not need to prove that someone else was to blame for the crash in order to file a claim; however, you could face a number of difficulties in getting your claim paid.

Click on any of the topics below to jump to that section on the page:

• Is Utah a No-Fault Car Insurance State?
• Going Outside the No-Fault System
• How Long Do I Have to File a Claim?
• Common Causes of Car Accidents
• Serious Injuries Caused by Car Accidents
• Frequently Asked Questions

Is Utah a No-Fault Car Insurance State?

Utah is a no-fault car insurance state. This means that everyone who drives a motor vehicle in the state must carry no-fault, or personal injury protection (PIP), insurance.

The minimum PIP coverage in Utah is $3,000. After an accident, you can file a PIP claim and receive up to this amount in compensation for certain economic damages, such as medical expenses and lost wages. You do not need to prove that the other driver (or another party) was at fault for the accident in order to file a PIP claim; you can be compensated for your damages even if you were partially, mostly, or entirely to blame.

Going Outside the No-Fault System

The downside of no-fault insurance is its limitations. PIP only covers a certain percentage of specified damages, and it does not provide any relief for non-economic losses, such as pain and suffering. If your medical expenses and other covered damages exceed your PIP coverage, you may need to step outside the no-fault system in order to recover fair compensation for your losses.

There are two ways to go outside the no-fault system and bring a claim against an at-fault driver’s insurance company.

1. The first is to prove that you sustained more than the covered amount (i.e., $3,000) in medical bills.
2. The second involves proving that you suffered “serious injuries,” as defined by the state.

In Utah, a “serious injury” is one that results in at least one of the following:

• Dismemberment
• Permanent and significant disfigurement
• Permanent disability
• Permanent and significant impairment

If your injury meets the state’s “serious injury” threshold, you can not only seek no-fault insurance benefits, but you can also bring a third-party injury claim against the at-fault driver’s insurance provider. Additionally, you could have grounds for a personal injury lawsuit against the liable party if the insurance company refuses to settle or disputes your claim.

This also applies when a car accident results in the death of another individual. If your loved one died in an accident, you could have grounds to file a wrongful death claim or lawsuit without having to stay within the confines of the no-fault system.

Get a Free Consultation

What is the Statute of Limitations for Car Accident Claims in Utah?

Car accident lawsuits are subject to the same statute of limitations as standard personal injury cases in Utah. This means that you have four years from the date of the accident (in most cases) to file your lawsuit. Note that this does not apply to PIP or third-party injury claims, which may be subject to different and stricter deadlines.

Passenger Injuries

As a passenger who has been injured in a car accident, you have your options to seek compensation. It depends on the type of insurance you carry, the severity of your injuries, and who was responsible for the accident.

If you have PIP insurance, then it can provide for your medical bills in most cases, even though you weren’t a driver. If you don’t or your injuries are severe, then we can talk about filing a claim against the correct driver, who might be the person who was driving your car. We know how to carefully navigate a claim to avoid causing further frustrations between you and the defendant if you know them personally.

Contact Our Car Accident Lawyers

Utah Car Accident Injury FAQ