Saratoga Springs, UT Personal Injury Lawyer
Siegfried & Jensen
Nestled on the shores of Utah Lake, Saratoga Springs is roughly midway between Salt Lake City and Provo. A hot springs resort established in 1884 drew visitors and tourists for years, but Saratoga Springs wasn’t incorporated until 1997.
Today, Saratoga Springs residents and visitors have many activities to choose from. The area is known for its parks, hiking trails, golf, lake and, of course, its hot springs. Unfortunately, accidents can occur amid these peaceful surroundings. If someone else’s negligence leads to an injury, you can seek compensation for your damages. Hiring a personal injury lawyer in Saratoga Springs, UT, can increase your chance of getting a favorable outcome.
What Is a Personal Injury Claim?
Negligence is the basis for most personal injury claims, and you will need evidence proving negligence to hold at-fault parties accountable for your damages. You need to prove that:
- Someone owed you a duty of care: driving safely, following proper medical standards or maintaining a safe premises, for example
- That party breached their duty of care.
- You sustained injuries in an accident.
- The breach directly caused your injuries and related damages: Your injuries, related expenses and the impact on your life wouldn’t have happened if not for the breach.
If you can prove that all of these statements are true, you probably have a valid personal injury claim. Contact Siegfried & Jensen, a leading Saratoga Springs, UT, personal injury law firm, to request a free case evaluation. We’ll tell you if you qualify and explain how we can help.
What Kinds of Cases Can a Personal Injury Lawyer in Saratoga Springs, UT, Help With?
Many kinds of accidents can cause injuries, and we can’t list all of them here. We’ll discuss a few of the more common kinds of cases, but you may still have a valid claim if your situation isn’t listed.
Motor Vehicle Collisions
Car, truck, bicycle and motorcycle accidents often injure drivers, passengers, cyclists and pedestrians. In 2023, there were 834 collisions reported in Saratoga Springs. In these crashes, 286 people sustained injuries, and three lost their lives.
Common causes of motor vehicle accidents include distracted driving, speeding, following too closely, unsafe lane changes, improper merging and failing to follow traffic signals. All of these human errors are types of negligence.
Slip or Trip and Fall Accidents
This type of accident usually happens in retail stores, public parks, entertainment venues, restaurants, parking lots, sidewalks and other similar areas. In each location, the party responsible for the property should address any hazardous conditions promptly.
Many kinds of hazards can cause slip or trip and fall accidents, such as icy sidewalks, slick floors, broken stairs, missing handrails, uneven flooring, cracked pavement, objects left in walkways and poor lighting. Timing is the key to this type of personal injury claim.
You will need to prove that the responsible party knew or should have known about the hazard but failed to repair it, restrict access to the area or warn people about it. If the person next to you in a grocery store spills a drink and you immediately slip on the liquid, store management has no way of knowing about the spill. If you slip and fall on a pool of liquid that remained on the floor for quite some time, you may have a valid claim.
Your personal injury lawyer in Saratoga Springs, UT, will need to investigate these cases quickly to interview eyewitnesses and obtain copies of any video surveillance recordings.
Dog Attacks and Bites
Regardless of whether a dog makes physical contact, a dog attack can cause injuries. For example, an aggressive dog may bark loudly and chase someone, causing them to experience emotional trauma or sustain injuries in a fall.
Dog bites can cause serious injuries that may become infected, disfigurement and nerve damage. You may be able to hold the pet’s owner and whoever was responsible for the dog at the time of the attack liable for your damages.
Medical Malpractice
Health care providers literally hold lives in their hands, so they must adhere to high standards of care when treating patients. When doctors, hospitals, nurses, midwives and long-term care facilities accept you as a patient, they take on the responsibility of providing the best possible care.
These professionals may make several kinds of errors that worsen the patient’s condition or cause a new injury. Medical malpractice claims might involve surgeries on the wrong body parts, medication errors, failure to explain procedures fully to patients, anesthesia errors, birth injuries or misdiagnosis. Nursing home abuse or neglect also falls under medical malpractice.
How Does a Personal Injury Claim Work?
In most cases, the process begins with filing an insurance claim to seek compensation from the at-fault party or parties. In situations where multiple parties share the blame, each receives an assigned percentage of fault.
In Utah, you can seek compensation from other liable parties as long as you are under 50% responsible for your accident. However, your percentage of fault reduces the damages you might receive.
Liable insurance companies typically make an initial settlement offer that is far less than your case is worth. You don’t have to accept this offer; you can negotiate for a higher payout.
These companies don’t like paying claims, so they may also attempt to minimize your payout by placing an unfair portion of fault onto you, blaming your injuries on another cause, tricking you into admitting fault or denying your claim altogether. Without legal representation, you may not be able to combat these tactics effectively.
If you are unable to reach a reasonable settlement amount that covers all of your damages, you have the option of filing a civil lawsuit. Utah’s statute of limitations for most personal injury cases gives you four years to initiate a lawsuit, but some exceptions apply. If you miss the applicable filing deadline, your suit won’t be legally valid.
If you do file a lawsuit, a judge or jury will decide if you get any compensation. They will also determine the amounts.
Do You Have To Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer?
You can handle your claim alone. However, most people who hire an attorney to represent them receive significantly higher amounts of compensation. We know how to accurately calculate your claim’s worth, and we won’t let insurance companies take advantage of you.
We know the applicable laws intimately and how they apply to your case. We have the resources to investigate your accident thoroughly and find the evidence we need to hold at-fault parties accountable. We have experience negotiating with insurance companies to maximize claims.
Your Siegfried & Jensen personal injury lawyer in Saratoga Springs, UT, will also explain relevant information, offer legal advice and help you decide what to do. Your legal team will complete and submit case-related paperwork, along with substantiating documentation. You can designate us as your personal representative, allowing us to handle communications with insurance companies on your behalf.
We may recommend taking your case to trial if the involved insurance companies refuse to offer a reasonable settlement. We will support you and advocate for your best interests throughout the entire claims process so you can focus on recovering from your injuries.
What Should You Do If You Are In an Accident?
Regardless of the type of accident, there are several things you should do to protect your health and your potential claim for compensation.
Notify the Appropriate Authorities
You may need to call law enforcement for some kinds of accidents, while you might need to notify store managers in others. Whatever the appropriate authority, tell them about your accident. They should document it, and your personal injury attorney can use this documentation as evidence when building your case.
Gather Evidence
You have a unique opportunity to gather invaluable evidence because you are at the accident scene. After an accident, someone will clear away vehicle debris, mop up spills, contain their dogs and otherwise remove evidence.
Almost every American has a cell phone capable of taking pictures and recording videos. Use your phone to record your injuries, the entire scene from various points of view, eyewitnesses, anything that contributed to causing your accident and any other relevant details. With their permission, you can also record witness statements.
The evidence you provide is often instrumental in obtaining a favorable settlement.
Accept or Seek a Medical Assessment
Your health is your top priority. Even if injuries aren’t immediately apparent, a professional medical examination can diagnose them so you can receive proper treatment.
Your provider will also make a record of your condition immediately after the accident. Your personal injury lawyer will use this as evidence.
Why Should You Choose a Personal Injury Lawyer in Saratoga Springs, UT, From Siegfried & Jensen?
Siegfried & Jensen focuses on personal injury law. We have helped our clients win over $1.2 billion since our founding in 1990. We are so confident in our ability to help you that we don’t charge any upfront fees, and we only get paid if we win money for you.
We have several offices in Utah for your convenience, but we can come to you if you prefer. If you need a competent personal injury lawyer in Saratoga Springs, UT, contact Siegfried & Jensen today to request your free consultation. Someone is available to speak with you 24/7.
