Utah car accident law: no-fault, deadlines and your claim

Filing deadlines in Utah#

Utah's statute of limitationsStatute of limitations. The law that sets the last day to file a lawsuit. After it passes, a court will usually dismiss the case, however strong it is. Glossary for injuries is longer than in most states. The wrongful death deadline is much shorter, so a family has less time to act than an injured person does.

For an injured child, Utah's tollingTolling. Pausing the limitations clock, for example while the injured person is a child. Glossary rule means the deadline does not run while the injured person is under 18. A licensed attorney can confirm the last day to file for a particular child.

If a city, county or state vehicle was involved, the Governmental Immunity Act requires a written notice of claim within one year after the claim arises. Without that notice of claimNotice of claim. A written notice that must be sent to a city, county or state agency before you can sue it, often within a few months. Glossary, the claim is barred, even though the general injury deadline is longer.

How fault is shared in Utah#

Utah's comparative fault statute, section 78B-5-818, lets you recover only if your fault is less than the combined fault of the people you sue. Your damages are reduced by your own share. At 50% or more, you recover nothing.

Fault still matters in a no-fault state. It decides who pays for vehicle damage, and it decides injury lawsuits once the tort threshold is met. The fault-rule explainer compares Utah's rule with other states.

Insurance in Utah#

Every Utah policy must include liability coverage and PIP:

PIP covers medical expenses and, within limits, lost income, household services, and funeral and death benefits. It pays whoever was at fault. Our guide to who pays medical bills explains how PIP fits with health insurance.

Utah has few uninsured drivers by national standards: the Insurance Information Institute estimates 6.2% in 2023, against 15.4% nationally. The Utah Insurance Department takes consumer questions at 800-439-3805 (toll-free); 801-957-9200.

After a crash in Utah#

The Utah Insurance Department suggests these steps after a crash:

1. Call the police.
2. Get everyone's details. Write down the names, addresses, phone numbers and license numbers of all the people involved.
3. Record the scene. Note the time, date, location and road conditions, and the make and year of each vehicle.
4. Call your insurer. Have your policy number ready, and keep notes of every conversation: dates, times, names and topics.
5. Keep receipts. Save bills for a rental car, towing and storage.

Utah's traffic code sets the formal reporting duties, and those sections were updated effective July 1, 2026. The police agency that responded can tell you whether you need to file anything yourself.

For a crash the Utah Highway Patrol worked, you can request the report online through the Department of Public Safety's records portal, after verifying your identity. Start at the Highway Patrol's report page; you get an email when the report is ready. If a city police department or sheriff's office handled the crash, contact that agency. Our police report guide explains what these reports contain.

Special rules in Utah#

The tort threshold. Under Utah Code § 31A-22-309, a person covered by PIP cannot sue for general damages, such as pain and suffering, unless the crash caused death, dismemberment, permanent disability or impairment based on objective findings, permanent disfigurement, or a bone fracture, or medical expenses over $3,000. This kind of rule is called a serious injury thresholdSerious injury threshold. A rule in some no-fault states that lets you sue the at-fault driver for pain and suffering only if your injury meets a legal definition of serious, or a dollar level of medical bills. Glossary.

Vehicle damage disputes. In Utah, claims for property damage to a motor vehicle can be brought in small claims court. A liability finding in that small claims case does not bind a separate injury lawsuit.

The lowest alcohol limit. Utah is the only state where driving with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.05 g/dL or more is illegal; elsewhere the limit is 0.08 g/dL. See drunk driver crashes for how those claims work.

Crashes on Utah roads#

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety counted 277 crash deaths in Utah in 2024, or 7.9 per 100,000 people, well below the national rate of 11.5 per 100,000 people. Speeding played a part in 30% of the deaths, and 49% happened on rural roads. An estimated 30% of the passenger vehicle drivers killed had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 g/dL or higher.

Finding a lawyer in Utah#

The Utah State Bar's Licensed Lawyer directory lists licensed Utah lawyers in good standing. For reduced-rate help, the Bar runs the Modest Means Lawyer Referral Program. Our guide to lawyer referral services explains how referral programs work.

Before you hire anyone, look the lawyer up in the Bar's Licensee Directory. See how to check a lawyer's license for what the listing can tell you.