Payson, UT Personal Injury Lawyer
Siegfried & Jensen
Settled in the 1850s on the banks of Peteetneet Creek, Payson, UT, remains a vibrant area. Most of the 1984 movie Footloose was filmed in Payson, and actor Kevin Bacon announced his plans to return to Payson for the 40th anniversary of the movie’s release.
Payson is also known for its scenery and outdoor activities, rich culture, historical sites and the Payson Utah Temple. The growing population of Payson reached almost 24,000 people by 2024, and many tourists visit the city every year. Unfortunately, where there are people, accidents are bound to happen. If someone else’s negligence causes an accident, a personal injury lawyer in Payson, UT, can assist you in seeking compensation.
What Defines a Personal Injury Case?
When someone willfully or negligently harms another person, Utah considers it to be a personal injury. Although the guilty party may face criminal charges for their actions, you can also seek compensation for your injuries and associated damages through an insurance claim or by filing a personal injury civil lawsuit.
The majority of personal injury claims rest on proving the at-fault party’s negligence. A few cases involve strict liability or intentional wrongs.
Negligence
In legal matters, negligence refers to someone failing to behave as a reasonable person would in the same situation. To substantiate your claim for compensation, you will need evidence to prove that:
- Someone owed you a duty of care.
- That party failed to provide their duty of care.
- You sustained injuries.
- The failure directly led to your injuries and associated damages.
A duty of care is an obligation to use reasonable care to avoid harming others, whether by action or inaction. Examples include following safe driving practices, keeping public premises in good repair and providing medical care that is up to acceptable standards.
If you believe you have a personal injury claim, contact Siegfried & Jensen, a top Payson, UT, personal injury law firm, for a free consultation. We will assess your situation, estimate how much your case is worth and explain how we can assist you with your claim.
What Kinds of Personal Injury Claims Does Siegfried & Jensen Handle?
As a leading Payson, Utah, personal injury law firm, we handle a wide variety of cases. We will discuss a few types of claims here, but your situation may constitute a valid claim even if it’s not listed. Contact us to verify.
Our goal is to protect your best interests while seeking the maximum compensation you deserve. We want to handle your claim so you don’t have to while you’re recovering from your injuries.
Motor Vehicle Accidents
When you think of accidents, you likely imagine car, truck, motorcycle or bicycle crashes. Whether a private party, commercial company, rideshare vehicle or government agency contributed to causing your auto accident, you can often file a claim against them.
According to the Utah Highway Safety Office, there were 313 motor vehicle collisions reported in Payson in 2023. While that might not sound like a lot, 117 people sustained injuries in these crashes, and many people had property damage. Thankfully, there were no fatalities during that year.
Human error causes most motor vehicle collisions. Speeding or driving too fast for conditions, alcohol, drugs, fatigue, distracted driving and a failure to follow traffic laws are top examples of negligence that can lead to accidents.
Defective Products
Consumer products should be safe when properly used for their intended purposes. Unfortunately, design or manufacturing defects, unclear instructions and other kinds of errors can cause injuries, illnesses or deaths. Under strict liability, you can potentially hold various parties accountable for defective products such as faulty brakes, unsafe medications, children’s toys and salmonella-affected foods.
Some items, like chainsaws, are inherently dangerous. However, chainsaw accidents don’t always qualify as personal injury cases because user error can cause some of these injuries.
Your personal injury lawyer in Payson, UT, can determine whether your case is valid and help you decide how to proceed.
Slip and Fall Accidents
Various parties are responsible for maintaining public spaces and promptly addressing hazards to reduce the likelihood of accidents. If it’s not possible to repair hazards immediately, property owners or store managers can restrict access to the dangerous area or place prominent warning signs.
If you slip and fall on someone else’s property, you may have a valid personal injury claim. Common qualifying situations include loose or uneven flooring, uncleared buildups of snow or ice, objects left in walkways, slick floors, missing handrails and cracked pavement.
A critical factor in these premises liability claims is when the responsible party knew or should have known about the safety risk. Sometimes, there isn’t enough time to do anything about the hazard. In ongoing storms, property owners and managers have some leeway because it’s often unsafe to clear ice and snow while storms are still raging.
Your Siegfried & Jensen personal injury lawyer will investigate your accident and search for evidence of negligence.
Wrongful Death
Some accidents caused by negligence or other qualifying factors result in death, unfortunately. Eligible survivors may qualify to seek compensation through a wrongful death claim. If the deceased person could have filed a personal injury claim, survivors can generally qualify.
Are Personal Injury Claims Complicated?
If you choose to handle your claim alone rather than hiring a personal injury lawyer in Payson, UT, you may face some challenges. When you allow Siegfried & Jensen to assist with your claim, we know how to overcome these potential complications successfully.
Government Agency Involvement
Government agencies are responsible for spaces like public sidewalks, offices and parks. They must also maintain roads, traffic signals and roadway lighting.
You can file claims against these agencies if their negligence causes an accident, but this type of claim usually involves strict protocols and a shorter timeframe for filing a claim. If you miss the deadline, your claim is invalid.
Commercial Vehicles
When most passenger vehicles cause an accident, the driver is the only potential at-fault party. With commercial vehicles, such as tractor-trailers, delivery vehicles and rideshare autos, there are multiple parties who might share some of the blame for causing your accident.
Besides the driver, other potentially liable parties include the company or employer, cargo loaders, vehicle maintenance companies and parts manufacturers. Other types of personal injury cases may also involve multiple-party liability. You might find it challenging to investigate your accident to determine which party is to blame, but your legal team can handle it.
Comparative Negligence Laws
In some accidents, the injured person shares a portion of the blame. Utah uses comparative negligence laws in these cases to determine whether you can seek damages and how much you might receive.
In Utah, you can file a claim as long as you are under 50% at fault for causing your accident or injury. However, your assigned percentage of fault also reduces your potential payout amount.
Insurance Company Strategies
Liable insurance companies don’t want to pay you. Many times, they use several strategies to minimize your payout. They might attempt to assign an undeserved degree of fault to you, ask you to sign legally binding documents that relinquish your rights or trick you into admitting fault. They may also deny your claim outright.
These companies evaluate your claim’s value, but they usually offer an intentionally low settlement amount because they hope you’re not aware that you can negotiate for a better offer. Many people who handle their own claims are unprepared to counter these tactics and strategies and may settle for far less than they deserve.
Do You Have To Go to Court for a Personal Injury Claim?
After an injury accident, you can seek compensation for your damages by filing an insurance claim or a civil lawsuit. In many cases, your personal injury lawyer in Payson, UT, can reach a favorable settlement offer through insurance claim negotiations without needing to take your case to trial.
Unfortunately, insurance companies sometimes refuse to be reasonable. If that happens, we will explain your options, and one of them will likely be filing a formal lawsuit. Trials take extra preparation, money and time, and they often add additional stress.
If your case does go to court, a jury or judge will determine whether you receive compensation and how much your payout will be. We will try to avoid this if possible. However, the personal injury lawyers at Siegfried & Jensen have decades of experience litigating lawsuits successfully.
How Can a Personal Injury Lawyer in Saratoga Springs, UT, From Siegfried and Jensen Help You?
If someone else’s negligence injured you, we will work tirelessly to seek fair compensation. Your Siegfried & Jensen legal team will do what we can to make your claims process simple, including filing paperwork, handling communications with insurance companies, investigating your claim, gathering evidence and utilizing our experience and resources to help you seek a favorable outcome.
Since 1990, we have focused on handling personal injury claims, winning more than $1.2 billion for our clients. If you need a personal injury lawyer in Payson, UT, contact Siegfried & Jensen 24/7. We will discuss your case during your free case review and tell you more about how we can help.
