If you are a resident of Utah and drive in that state you need to be aware of the state’s mandatory minimum insurance requirements. Utah is a no-fault state and there are no exceptions to having to take out personal injury protection (PIP) insurance.
You can only sue a driver who caused an accident if your injuries are particularly serious. In most cases, you file a claim with your own insurer for the monetary costs involved in dealing with an injury.
Because the state is a no-fault state, one advantage of having PIP insurance is that it doesn’t matter who has caused the accident, you can still claim injury compensation. The main disadvantage is that you cannot claim as much as if you were able to successfully make a personal injury claim against an at-fault driver.
Also, note that no-fault insurance does not pay for property damage. If you want to claim compensation for your damaged vehicle or other property you can only claim against another driver’s insurance assuming that he / she caused the accident.
Utah Auto Liability Insurance Rules
Registered drivers in Utah as well as out of state registered drivers who stay in Utah for more than 90 days in any 365 days must hold minimum liability insurance in case they hit and injure someone else. This is required despite no-fault insurance provisions which limit other drivers’ rights to sue you if you were at fault in the same way you also have no right to sue someone else at fault. The insurance protects you from property damage claims and claims made because the other driver has stepped outside PIP coverage.
Minimum liability insurance requirements in Utah are:
- $25,000 per person if you injure them in an auto accident;
- $65,000 per accident if you cause the accident;
- $15,000 for property damage if you cause the damage.
PIP Insurance Provisions in Utah
You are required to have $3,000 minimum personal injury protection insurance (PIP). This is no-fault insurance cover so it doesn’t matter who caused the accident. The amount of compensation available isn’t much if you have anything other than minor injuries and doesn’t cover any non-monetary benefits like pain and suffering. It also doesn’t cover damage to your own vehicle.
Basically, you can opt to pay a higher premium and get more personal injury protection coverage or opt to sue an at-fault driver if you meet certain criteria. To be able to file a personal injury claim against an at-fault driver you must have exceeded $3,000 in medical costs or have sustained permanent injuries or suffered permanent disfigurement as a result of the auto accident.
How a PI Lawyer Can Help if Hit in Utah
You may need a personal injury attorney’s help deciding whether you meet the criteria for filing a personal injury claim. If you do, remember that it is a more complicated process and you will need to prove that your injuries and any property damage you claim for was caused by the negligent actions of someone else. Fill out the Free Case Evaluation today to get your claim started!
