Car accident injury claims in Utah

Utah at a glance

Fault rule

Modified comparative — 50% bar

You can recover only if you were less than 50% at fault; your award is reduced by your share.

No-fault state?

Yes

Your own PIP coverage pays for injuries first, regardless of who caused the crash.

PIP / no-fault coverage

$3,000 medical minimum per person (§ 31A-22-307); layered: funeral $1,500 cap, survivor's loss $3,000 cap, income loss lesser of $250/wk or 85% gross (up to 52 wks), household services $20/day cap × 365 days. Paid regardless of fault.

Threshold to step outside no-fault

Applies

Mandatory (NOT election-based): noneconomic damages from at-fault driver require clearing ONE of — $3,000 reasonable medical/hospital/rehab expenses OR 5 verbal categories (death / dismemberment / permanent disability / permanent disfigurement / bone fracture). NO '60-day disability' prong (phantom — struck per Batch 32c/51). $3,000 figure is symmetric with PIP medical floor (PIP exhaustion ≈ threshold clearance).

Minimum liability coverage

30/65/25 (eff. 1/1/2025 per HB 211, Ch. 51, 2023 Gen. Sess.): $30K BI per person / $65K BI per accident / $25K PD. Per-accident BI floor ($65K) notably higher than the 25/50/X cluster. PIP mandatory $3,000 minimum; UM/UIM offered at liability limits unless rejected in writing.

Time limit for an injury claim

4 years

Generally measured from the date of the accident.

How fault works in Utah

Utah Code § 78B-5-818 codifies modified comparative negligence with a STRICT 49%-bar: the defendant's fault must EXCEED the plaintiff's, so the plaintiff must be LESS THAN 50% at fault to recover; a plaintiff at exactly 50% (or more) recovers $0. Utah joins the 9-state 49%-bar STRICT cluster (AR/CO/GA/KS/ME/ND/OK/TN/UT) — NOT the OH/IL/MA/MN/WV 50%-recovers cluster. The Liability Reform Act (§§ 78B-5-817 to 78B-5-820) imposes modified pro rata several liability — each defendant liable only for its proportional share (no deep-pocket gap-filler).

Paying for injuries in Utah

Utah is one of ~12 mandatory no-fault PIP states. § 31A-22-307 mandates $3,000 minimum medical PIP (plus funeral $1,500, survivor's loss $3,000, income loss lesser of $250/wk or 85% gross up to 52 wks, household services $20/day × 365), paid regardless of fault. § 31A-22-309 imposes a MANDATORY (not election-based) tort threshold gating noneconomic damages: clear $3,000 medical OR one of 5 verbal categories (death / dismemberment / permanent disability / permanent disfigurement / bone fracture). NO '60-day disability' prong — that prong is phantom (struck per Batch 32c/51). The $3,000 figure is symmetric with the PIP medical floor, so PIP exhaustion approximately equals threshold clearance.

Utah injury claims — common questions

Is Utah a no-fault state?

Yes. Utah is a no-fault state, which means your own Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage pays for your medical bills and certain losses first, regardless of who caused the crash. You can step outside the no-fault system to pursue the at-fault driver only if your injuries meet a legal threshold.

What is Utah's fault rule for a car accident?

Utah follows modified comparative — 50% bar. You can recover only if you were less than 50% at fault; your award is reduced by your share.

How long do I have to file an injury claim in Utah?

In Utah the statute of limitations for a personal-injury claim is generally 4 years from the date of the accident. Miss it and the claim is usually barred for good — separate from any deadlines your insurer sets.