Injury · Utah
the short answer
You have four years from the day of the crash to file, and no amount of talking to an insurer extends it. Being partly to blame reduces what you collect, and being half to blame or more ends the claim. Your own insurer pays the medical bills first, and there is a threshold to clear before you can sue the other driver for pain and suffering at all.
source ↗Not yet checked against the statute.
governing statute
Utah Code § 78B-2-307(3)
source ↗Not yet checked against the statute.
who pays first
Utah is a no-fault state. Your own policy pays the medical bills whoever caused the crash, and you may sue the other driver for pain and suffering only if medical expenses come to $3,000 or more, or the injury is dismemberment, permanent disability, permanent impairment, permanent disfigurement, or death. Under that line the claim against them is barred however plainly they were at fault. (Utah Code § 31A-22-309)
source ↗Not yet checked against the statute.
Across the country. 9 of the 51 states written up answer this the same way as Utah. Compare every state →
your share of the fault
You recover only while your share of the fault stays under half. At fifty percent you are barred outright; below it, the award is cut by your percentage. (Utah Code § 78B-5-818)
source ↗Not yet checked against the statute.
Across the country. 10 of the 51 states written up answer this the same way as Utah. Compare every state →
limit
4 years
source ↗Not yet checked against the statute.
Across the country. 3 of the 51 states written up answer this the same way as Utah. The shortest is 1 year, as in Tennessee; the longest is 6 years, as in Maine. Compare every state →
small claims limit
$20,000
source ↗Not yet checked against the statute.
exceptions: The limit counts attorney's fees but not court costs or interest. It rises to $25,000 on 1 January 2030.
source ↗Not yet checked against the statute.
also
Four years to file, which is generous, in front of a no-fault threshold that is not.
source ↗Not yet checked against the statute.
your situation
Everything above is the law as it reaches everyone in Utah. What it means for you turns on facts only you have. Tell us what happened and we'll ask the same questions a lawyer would — about 90 seconds, free, and anonymous.
This is legal information, not legal advice. Written by an AI model, which can be wrong. Not a lawyer, and not a prediction about your case. Terms · Privacy
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