Accident Settlement Calculator

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Utah Car Accident Settlement Calculator

In Utah, you generally have 4 years to file an injury lawsuit, you recover nothing at 50% fault or more, and drivers must carry at least $30,000/$65,000 in injury liability; it is a no-fault state, so your own PIP pays first. Enter your numbers below to see what a Utah claim may be worth and what you would actually take home.

1

Your accident

How serious is the injury?
2

Your costs so far

That's all you need for a first estimate. Rough numbers are fine.

Optional: make the estimate more accurate fault, insurance, lawyer fee
3

Fault and future costs

4

Insurance

5

What comes out of it

Utah rules in 30 seconds

If you were partly at faultYou get nothing if you are 50% or more at fault
Details & exceptions

Utah uses modified comparative fault with a 50 percent bar: an injured person can recover only from defendants whose combined fault (together with immune persons and nonparties) exceeds the injured person's own fault, so a person who is 50 percent or more at fault recovers nothing. Below that, the fact finder allocates fault percentages and each defendant pays only its own share, which reduces the recovery by the injured person's fault (Utah Code 78B-5-818).

Compare fault rules in all states →
Deadline to file a lawsuit4 years from the accident
Details & exceptions

Personal injury from negligence: 4 years under the catch-all for 'relief not otherwise provided for by law' (Utah Code 78B-2-307(4)). Property damage to a motor vehicle, or personal property damaged in an accident involving a motor vehicle: 4 years (78B-2-307(3)); 78B-2-305(2)(b) carves these out of the general 3-year period for injuring personal property. Wrongful death: 2 years (78B-2-304(2)). Claims against the State, political subdivisions and their employees: a written notice of claim must be filed within 1 year after the claim arises or the claim is barred (Governmental Immunity Act, 63G-7-402), and the Act has its own damages limits. Statute text read from FindLaw mirrors (current as of 2025-01-01).

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Other driver's minimum insurance$30,000 per person, $65,000 per accident
Details & exceptions

Property damage minimum: $25,000. Utah Code 31A-22-304: for policies issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2025, $30,000 bodily injury/death per person, $65,000 for two or more persons, $25,000 property damage, or a $90,000 single limit. Policies issued or renewed on or before December 31, 2024 (and self-insured private rental fleets) used 25/65/15 ($80,000 single limit). SB 199 (2026), which would have extended the per-person death minimum to each heir, failed (enacting clause struck March 6, 2026, per a secondary tracker). No 2026 change to the dollar minimums was found.

Compare minimums in all states →
Who pays your medical billsYour own PIP insurance first (at least $3,000)
Details & exceptions

A person who has (or is required to have) PIP may sue for general damages (pain and suffering) only if the injury caused death, dismemberment, permanent disability or permanent impairment based on objective findings, permanent disfigurement, or a bone fracture, or if reasonable medical expenses exceed $3,000 (Utah Code 31A-22-309(1)). The threshold does not apply to uninsured motorist claims. Minimum PIP (31A-22-307): $3,000 per person medical expenses; lost income at the lesser of $250 per week or 85 percent of gross income, for up to 52 weeks; household services up to $20 per day for up to 365 days; $1,500 funeral; $3,000 survivor benefit. No deductibles are allowed on required PIP.

See all no-fault states →
Cap on pain and sufferingNo cap for typical car accident claims
Details & exceptions

No general cap for typical car accident injury claims. No cap on noneconomic damages in ordinary auto injury cases against private defendants. Utah's noneconomic damages cap applies to medical malpractice actions (Utah Code 78B-3-410), and claims against governmental entities are subject to the Governmental Immunity Act's damages limits; neither applies to an ordinary car-accident claim against a private driver. PIP insureds must meet the 31A-22-309 threshold to recover general damages at all (see no_fault).

Uninsured motorist coverageOptional
Details & exceptions

UM (31A-22-305) and UIM (31A-22-305.3) are included in new policies by default at the lesser of the liability limits or the insurer's maximum offered limits, but the named insured may reject them or choose lower limits by signing a written form. UM cannot be sold below the 31A-22-304 bodily injury minimums, and UIM not below $10,000 per person / $20,000 per accident. HB 307 (2026, signed March 23, 2026) changes attorney fee rules after arbitration of UM/UIM and third-party car accident claims; it does not change coverage requirements (per a secondary tracker).

Worked example: a typical Utah car accident claim

Another driver turned left into you at an intersection in Utah: $15,000 in medical bills, $5,000 in lost wages and a moderate injury that healed in a few months. The insurer says you were 20% at fault for speeding slightly, the other driver has a $100,000 policy, and your lawyer takes 33%. We assume your injury meets the state's serious-injury threshold.

  1. Economic damages$20,000Medical bills + expected future treatment + lost wages.
  2. Left after your own PIP pays$17,000Utah uses no fault insurance. Your own coverage pays up to $3,000 of economic losses, which is not claimed again from the at-fault driver.
  3. Pain and suffering$20,000 – $40,000Multiplier method: economic damages × 2–3 for a moderate injury, minus the economic part itself.
  4. Total claim value$37,000 – $57,000Economic + pain and suffering.
  5. After your share of fault$29,600 – $45,600Utah uses modified comparative negligence (50% bar): you recover nothing if you are 50% or more at fault; otherwise recovery is reduced by your 20%.
  6. Limited by available insurance$29,600 – $45,600At-fault policy limit $100,000 + your UM/UIM $0.
  7. Estimated take-home$18,832 – $29,552Minus attorney fee (33%), case costs and medical liens.

You would take home about $24,192 ($18,832 – $29,552), after the 33% fee and $1,000 in case costs, on top of the $3,000 your own PIP pays.

Typical figures (midpoint of a moderate injury multiplier), no medical liens. Run your own numbersor see the same crash in every state.

How much time do you have to file?

General personal injury deadline only. It can be shorter for claims against a city, county or state agency (often a written notice within months), and longer for minors. Check with a lawyer before relying on it.

Deadline traps in Utah

The 4-year lawsuit deadline is not the only clock. These are the ones people miss:

Crash with a government vehicle or on a public road1 year

A written notice of claim must be filed within 1 year after the claim arises, or the claim is barred. Claims against the State go to the Attorney General; against a city or town to its clerk; against a county to the county clerk.

Utah Code 63G-7-402, Notice of claim, time limit (FindLaw mirror)Utah Code 63G-7-401, Notice of claim, contents and delivery (FindLaw mirror)

If the injured person is a child

The clock does not run while the child is under 18, so the 4-year period usually starts at age 18; this tolling also covers damages a parent may be responsible for.

Utah Code 78B-2-108, Effect of disability (FindLaw mirror)

How fast a Utah insurer must respond

Insurers must acknowledge a notice of loss within 15 days and answer a claimant's request within 15 days. Their own policyholders must get an accept/deny decision within 30 days of a complete proof of loss.

Utah Admin. Code R590-190-6, Failure to acknowledge communication (Cornell LII)Utah Admin. Code R590-190-10, Minimum standards for prompt, fair, and equitable settlement (Cornell LII)

If an insurer misses these deadlines, you can file a complaint with the state insurance department. Compare all states:insurance claim deadlines by state.

Next steps after a Utah crash

How no-fault insurance affects a Utah claim

In Utah, your own personal injury protection (PIP) coverage pays your medical bills and lost wages first, regardless of who caused the crash. You can generally pursue the at-fault driver for pain and suffering only if your injury meets the state's threshold. Tick the threshold box in the calculator if that applies to you.

Frequently asked questions

What is a typical car accident settlement in Utah?
It depends on the bills, the injury and fault. Worked example: with $15,000 in medical bills, $5,000 in lost wages and a moderate injury, 20% of the fault and your own PIP paying first, a Utah claim against the other driver is worth about $37,600, and the injured person takes home about $24,192 after a 33% attorney fee and costs. At 51% fault, the same claim pays nothing in Utah.
Is Utah an at-fault or no-fault state for car accidents?
Utah's car insurance system: No-fault. A person who has (or is required to have) PIP may sue for general damages (pain and suffering) only if the injury caused death, dismemberment, permanent disability or permanent impairment based on objective findings, permanent disfigurement, or a bone fracture, or if reasonable medical expenses exceed $3,000 (Utah Code 31A-22-309(1)). The threshold does not apply to uninsured motorist claims. Minimum PIP (31A-22-307): $3,000 per person medical expenses; lost income at the lesser of $250 per week or 85 percent of gross income, for up to 52 weeks; household services up to $20 per day for up to 365 days; $1,500 funeral; $3,000 survivor benefit. No deductibles are allowed on required PIP.
Is there a cap on pain and suffering in Utah car accident cases?
No general cap for typical car accident injury claims. No cap on noneconomic damages in ordinary auto injury cases against private defendants. Utah's noneconomic damages cap applies to medical malpractice actions (Utah Code 78B-3-410), and claims against governmental entities are subject to the Governmental Immunity Act's damages limits; neither applies to an ordinary car-accident claim against a private driver. PIP insureds must meet the 31A-22-309 threshold to recover general damages at all (see no_fault).
What happens if I was partly at fault for an accident in Utah?
Utah follows modified comparative negligence with a 50% bar: you recover nothing if you are 50% or more at fault, and otherwise your recovery is reduced by your percentage of fault.
How long do I have to file a car accident lawsuit in Utah?
Generally 4 years for personal injury and 4 years for property damage. Personal injury from negligence: 4 years under the catch-all for 'relief not otherwise provided for by law' (Utah Code 78B-2-307(4)). Property damage to a motor vehicle, or personal property damaged in an accident involving a motor vehicle: 4 years (78B-2-307(3)); 78B-2-305(2)(b) carves these out of the general 3-year period for injuring personal property. Wrongful death: 2 years (78B-2-304(2)). Claims against the State, political subdivisions and their employees: a written notice of claim must be filed within 1 year after the claim arises or the claim is barred (Governmental Immunity Act, 63G-7-402), and the Act has its own damages limits. Statute text read from FindLaw mirrors (current as of 2025-01-01).
What is the minimum car insurance in Utah?
$30,000 per person and $65,000 per accident for bodily injury, and $25,000 for property damage. Utah Code 31A-22-304: for policies issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2025, $30,000 bodily injury/death per person, $65,000 for two or more persons, $25,000 property damage, or a $90,000 single limit. Policies issued or renewed on or before December 31, 2024 (and self-insured private rental fleets) used 25/65/15 ($80,000 single limit). SB 199 (2026), which would have extended the per-person death minimum to each heir, failed (enacting clause struck March 6, 2026, per a secondary tracker). No 2026 change to the dollar minimums was found.
What is the deadline to file a claim against the government in Utah?
1 year. A written notice of claim must be filed within 1 year after the claim arises, or the claim is barred. Claims against the State go to the Attorney General; against a city or town to its clerk; against a county to the county clerk.
How long does an insurance company have to respond to a claim in Utah?
Insurers must acknowledge a notice of loss within 15 days and answer a claimant's request within 15 days. Their own policyholders must get an accept/deny decision within 30 days of a complete proof of loss.

Related

Official sources