Utah Car Accident Lawyer

Yes, it is.

Which is why, if you want to work with us, we will take care of all the hard work.

Forms, paperwork and waiting on hold? We’ll take care of that.

Fighting with adjusters and trained negotiators? That’s what we do best!

Your main job is to get better and heal from the car accident.

Let us do the heavy lifting so that you can heal and start getting back to how life was before the accident.

You will have an important role to play in this process: getting better. Your health is the most important part of this journey. While we’re doing most of the hard work it is just as important for you to get some rest and recover.

We’ll keep you updated throughout the process and when everything is resolved, we’ll come back to you with the settlement money you deserve.

Don’t want to go to court?

No problem. 9 times out of 10 we can get you money without having to go to court.

When the insurance company picks up the phone and we’re on the other end they get serious real fast. They want to avoid going to court almost as much as you do.

Going to court is expensive, time-consuming and there’s no guarantee that they’ll win.

It is often much better for them to offer a fair settlement without going to court than it is for them to lose the case in court and have to pay the claim anyway.

You are not suing a person, you are suing the insurance company.

People pay car insurance premiums for their entire life to provide protection for themselves and others from the results of an automobile accident.

However, once that accident happens many insurance companies make it difficult for you to get even a fraction of what you need to put your life back together.

You are not ruining someone’s life so you can get rich. You are holding the insurance company accountable for promises they made to you.

You just want what’s fair. It’s our job to help make that happen.

To get your FREE consultation simply give us a call at (801) 266-0999 or click on the button below to schedule a time that’s convenient for you. The consultation should only take 7-10 minutes of your time.

Once you get on the phone, our friendly, Utah-based, English speaking staff will ask you a few questions about your car accident to figure out if you have a case. If so we’ll invite you to schedule a time to meet with your attorney for a FREE no-obligation consultation.

Motor vehicle collisions can injure you whether you’re in a vehicle, a motorcyclist, pedestrian, bicyclist, or scooter rider. There are several things you should do immediately after a crash to protect your health and legal situation as well.

Help Other Accident Victims

If your injuries permit, try to provide assistance to others involved in the accident. Even if you can’t actively help them, you’ll have details to give to the emergency dispatcher that might save lives.

Dial 911

You have a legal duty to report the accident. Give the 911 operator details about the number of people involved and the types of injuries they have. These details allow dispatchers to send appropriate first responders to the scene.

Take Photos and Videos

You have a unique opportunity to gather potentially crucial evidence. Use your phone to record the accident scene:

• Vehicle placement and damage
• Injuries
• Skid marks
• Witness statements and contact information
• Your description of the events leading up to the collision
• Conversations you have with other drivers, witnesses, and emergency personnel

Accept a Medical Assessment

Accepting medical treatment is critical even if you believe your injuries aren’t severe. Some injuries develop over time, and an initial assessment can catch them early. In addition, you’ll need these reports to use as evidence in your personal injury claim.

Consult a Car Accident Lawyer

Accident victims can unknowingly damage their cases. Hiring an attorney immediately after your accident can save you from making potentially costly mistakes. The earlier you obtain legal representation, the faster we can get to work gathering evidence and helping you in other ways.

Many things go into determining the amount of compensation you might receive for injuries you sustain in a car accident, including the types of injuries you have and how significantly they impact your life. There are also things you might do that can affect your assigned percentage of blame for the accident and the perception of how severe your injuries are. Insurance companies may try to exploit these mistakes, so be aware that you shouldn’t:

• Admit any degree of fault to anyone
• Speak to insurance company investigators or representatives without your attorney present
• Stop medical treatments before your doctors release you
• Make social media posts about your accident or injuries
• Falsify or attempt to hide or destroy evidence

Your car accident lawyer may give you advice specific to your case.

Like every state, Utah has several laws and statutes that govern handling car accident claims. Even though you may not even be aware of these laws, insurance companies are. They can and do use their knowledge to pay those injured in car accidents less than they deserve.

Don’t let that happen to you. Consult Siegfried & Jensen to find out how we can assist you if you’ve been hurt in a car accident, or if a family member lost their life.

Personal Injury Protection Statute

Utah requires drivers to have 25/65/15 minimum liability insurance coverage:

• $25,000 bodily injury, per person
• $65,000 bodily injury, per accident
• $15,000 property damage

You must also have $3,000 in personal injury protection insurance.

Regardless of who causes a car accident, your own PIP coverage pays for medical and injury-related expenses. However, you can seek compensation from another responsible driver if you have specific kinds of injuries, if the expenses exceed certain limits, and in other circumstances.

Your car accident lawyer from Siegfried & Jensen will tell you the legal options you have to recover damages. We will also help you file insurance claims and negotiate to get maximum compensation for you.

Modified Comparative Negligence

There is more than one person responsible for causing many car accidents. Utah is one of many states that uses modified comparative negligence to determine each person’s eligibility to recover compensation for damages.

In Utah:

• If the accident is at least 50% your fault, you aren’t eligible to recover damages.
• Your degree of assigned fault must be lower than other drivers’ to seek compensation.
• Your percentage of fault reduces the amount of compensation you can receive by that same percentage.

Let’s say that parties or the court decide that you are 25% at fault for the accident, and total damages are $100,000. The most you can receive is $75,000 ($100,000 – 25%).

One of the more essential duties your car accident lawyer has is to prove that your responsibility for causing your accident is minimal.

Statutes of Limitations for Lawsuits

You’ll need to file insurance claims within a few days of your auto accident. State laws allow specific timeframes if you need to file an additional personal injury or wrongful death claim. If you don’t file your suit within the allotted time, the courts will likely dismiss it, and you’ll lose the opportunity of receiving compensation.

• Any claim against government agencies — only one year after the accident or death date
• Personal injury cases — four years from the accident date in most situations
• Wrongful death — two years after the death date

Your car accident lawyer from Siegfried & Jensen knows how to file your lawsuit properly, and we will do so before the statute of limitations for your particular case expires. Preparing a claim takes time, so be sure not to wait too long to hire an attorney to represent you.

No Caps for Damages

Car crashes can cause many kinds of harm to victims. Insurance, personal injury, and wrongful death claims seek financial compensation for those damages. Some states put a maximum limit, or cap, on the amount of damages you can recover in car accidents. Utah doesn’t have damage caps for these claims.

Ask your car accident lawyer which of these categories applies to your specific claim.

Economic Damages

Car accident victims often face many expenses directly caused by the crash. Economic damages intend to reimburse you for things like:

• Medical bills, including transportation costs, prescriptions, rehab, and necessary medical equipment
• Caregiver expenses
• Lost wages
• Property damage repair or replacement

Keep your receipts for all expenses related to your accident and injuries. You’ll need to prove what you’ve paid or how much you owe. Ask your auto accident attorney if you’re unsure that a specific expense qualifies.

Non-Economic Damages

Many injuries sustained in motor vehicle collisions qualify the victim for non-economic damages. This category typically doesn’t have directly related dollar amounts:

• Pain and suffering — physical, emotional, and mental
• Permanent disfigurement or disability
• Inconvenience
• Damage to personal relationships
• Loss of the capacity to enjoy life
• PTSD
• Diminished earning capacity
• Future medical expenses

Generally speaking, the worse your injuries and their impact, the more money you’ll get.

Punitive Damages

Punitive damages seek to punish the guilty party for willful misconduct or extreme negligence. Another aim of punitive damages is to deter people from engaging in these behaviors in the future. Not all car accident claims qualify for punitive damages, so ask your attorney if you’re eligible.

People pay monthly premiums to your car insurance company to cover them against losses if there’s an accident. You’d think that these carriers would pay claims fairly without someone having to force them, right? Unfortunately, that’s not the case.

Insurance is big business; companies care more about keeping their profits than paying injured accident victims or their families. They often use underhanded strategies and lowball offers to keep from paying any more than they have to.

A competent car accident lawyer will prevent insurance companies from taking advantage of you. When you hire an attorney from Siegfried & Jensen, we will:

• File all paperwork for you.
• Gather evidence to prove your claim.
• Serve as your representative with insurance company investigators and attorneys.
• Negotiate with insurance carriers to get the compensation you deserve or take your case to court if necessary.
• Focus on business so you can focus on recovering from your injuries and the adverse effects they have on your life.

Don’t feel guilty for expecting insurance companies to pay a reasonable amount for the damages their policyholder caused. You’re not trying to take advantage of the situation, only collect on what’s owed.

The law does not require you to hire an attorney when pursuing compensation after a car wreck. Some car accident victims, though, choose to seek legal counsel so that they can focus on their health and recovery while also pursuing legal action.

Not everyone who has been involved in a collision will need legal representation. However, if your car wreck was severe or complex, it is definitely in your best interest to call an attorney as soon as possible.

When to call a car wreck attorney

Determining when you should hire a lawyer after a car accident can be confusing and stressful. In general, it would be wise to consult with a car wreck attorney if any of the following factors apply to your collision:

• It resulted in serious injuries to you or someone else
• It resulted in significant vehicle or property damage
• Fault has not been clearly established
• It involved another motorist, pedestrian, or cyclist
• It took place in a construction zone, or work zone
• It took place in a school zone
• It involved an underinsured or uninsured driver
• You disagree with the police report
• The insurance companies involved are sending mixed messages or not clearly answering your questions

You have the right to hire legal representation at any time throughout the process of making an insurance claim or pursuing a personal injury lawsuit.

Benefits of hiring a car wreck attorney after an accident

In the aftermath of a serious accident, your car wreck attorney will focus on protecting your legal rights so you can focus on your treatment and recovery.

A car wreck attorney can assist you in several key ways:

• Explaining your rights: A personal injury lawyer knows the laws and how these pertain to your particular situation. He or she can determine who was at fault and whether negligence led to your accident. After establishing such facts, your attorney can clarify what kind of compensation you are entitled to by law.

• Navigating the legal system: Car accident claims typically involve filing a significant amount of paperwork. Your attorney will help you to do this in an organized and timely manner, ensuring that no important deadlines are missed.

• Assessing damages: Your attorney can assess your past and current damages as well as evaluate what your future expenses may be. This is critical in pursuing rightful and fair compensation for car accident victims.

• Negotiating with insurance companies on your behalf: Insurance companies do not always play fair. A skilled attorney knows how to talk to insurance adjusters. By negotiating on your behalf, he or she can help you achieve a settlement amount that will actually meet your long-term needs.

• Representing you in court if necessary: Although most auto accident cases are settled out of court, having a car wreck attorney familiar with your case is invaluable in the event your case goes to trial. Experienced court representation can ensure a more favorable outcome for victims.

You do not always need a car wreck attorney after an auto accident. However, hiring a lawyer can make your life and your recovery process easier. Further, skilled legal representation often results in obtaining maximum compensation for your pain and suffering after a car wreck.

The vast majority of personal injury cases, including car accident claims, rest on negligence. Let’s examine what negligence means from a legal standpoint. In this example, assume that you sustained injuries in a car crash that a driver named John caused. To show negligence, you must prove several things:

• John owed you a duty of care (all drivers owe a duty of care to operate their vehicles safely).
• John failed to provide the duty of care.
• You suffered injuries and accompanying losses.
• You would not have sustained these injuries if John hadn’t failed in his duty.
• John’s failure directly caused your injuries.

If you think that sounds confusing, you’re not alone. If you don’t have a personal injury attorney on your side, you may not understand how important it is to prove John’s negligence — and your innocence.

Your car accident lawyer knows what evidence to use and how to gather it; we have resources that you probably don’t. Our investigators can:

• Speak to witnesses.
• Request driver cell phone records to determine if usage contributed to causing the collision.
• Obtain surveillance camera footage.
• Watch social media accounts to see what the driver posts about the accident or their activities before it happened, such as drinking at a party.

Many factors can contribute to causing a car accident, such as the driver’s age and length of time driving, the time of day, weather and road conditions, and mechanical failure. However, human error is typically the most significant reason for car accidents:

• Speeding
• Weaving between lanes of traffic or other types of reckless behavior
• Failing to follow traffic laws
• Not yielding the right of way
• Fatigued driving
• Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol

Distracted Driving

Many behaviors are considered distracted driving. In this case, a distraction is anything that takes a driver’s attention away from focusing on driving and paying attention to traffic and general road conditions:

• Texting, talking on the phone, watching videos, scrolling — most kinds of cell phone usage
• Applying makeup, fixing hair, or other types of grooming activities
• Searching for something in your car
• Interacting with passengers
• Daydreaming or looking at the scenery or things other than traffic
• Eating or drinking

It only takes a moment for dangerous situations to arise when driving. Taking your attention away from the road to do any of these things may mean you won’t have the time to address sudden changes and avoid an accident.

Aggressive Driving

Aggressive drivers are a hazard to anyone near them on the road. A driver’s blatant disregard for traffic laws, as well as his or her personal safety and that of others, often leads to tragic results. Sadly, aggressive driving is a leading cause of serious car accidents every year.

Common forms of aggressive driving

Aggressive driving is engaging in risky behavior on the road that ignores the safety of others. The most common forms of aggressive driving include:

• Excessive speeding
• Racing
• Tailgating
• Failure to obey traffic signs and signals
• Weaving in and out of traffic
• Driving on the shoulder, sidewalk, or median
• Passing where prohibited
• Sudden acceleration and deceleration next to another driver
• Cutting off other drivers
• Yelling at other drivers
• Offensive hand gestures

No one deserves to be the victim of an aggressive driver. If you have been hurt in an aggressive driving accident, you likely have legal recourse and can pursue damages for your pain and suffering.

Proving fault in an aggressive driving accident

If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in an accident due to another driver’s aggressive, reckless, or negligent behavior, you may be legally entitled to compensation for your losses. In order to obtain restitution, you will need to prove the other driver was at fault for the crash.

Evidence to prove aggressive driving includes:

• Video footage of the accident
• Photos of the accident scene
• Eyewitness statements
• Police reports
• Insurance reports
• Medical records

Contact an aggressive driving accident lawyer for help

An attorney experienced in handling aggressive driving accidents will be able to assist you in assessing just how deeply the accident has impacted your life and then calculate a fair and accurate settlement amount.

Whether it be by negotiating with an insurance company on your behalf or arguing your case in court, a lawyer is the advocate you need when facing the fallout from an accident. Having a skilled attorney on your side in the aftermath of an aggressive driving accident can bring you peace of mind and let you focus on your recovery.

A wrong-way driving accident is a collision between two vehicles in which one of them is traveling against the legal flow of traffic. Such accidents are often head-on collisions and can result in devastating injuries.

Why a driver goes the wrong way

Common causes of wrong-way driving accidents include:

• Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs
• Drivers suffering from senility or memory loss
• Driver inexperience
• Distracted driving
• Heavy traffic
• Reckless driving
• Missing or inadequate road signs
• Improperly marked construction areas
• Inadvertently entering a one-way road
• Passing when it is not safe to do so
• Falling asleep at the wheel

When a vehicle is driving the wrong way down the road, it is almost always due, at least in part, to the driver’s negligence. Even when signs are missing or traffic patterns are confusing, being attentive can prevent wrong-way driving accidents.

If you encounter a wrong-way driver

If you encounter a wrong-way driver, slow down and get into the right-hand lane. Instead of focusing only on the vehicles immediately in front of you, try to also see what is ahead of you further down the road. By remaining alert and driving defensively, you may be able to avoid a collision with a wrong-way driver.

Negotiating insurance settlements in a wrong-way driver accident

Most wrong-way driver claims and lawsuits involve insurance companies. Every accident victim should be aware that an insurance adjuster has a pre-approved settlement offer “range.” Insurance companies almost always start negotiations at the low end of that range when offering accident compensation. It is often to your benefit to hold out for a higher amount when seeking damages.

Getting help after a wrong-way accident

A lawyer who is experienced in handling wrong-way driving accidents can help you navigate the legal system and successfully resolve your claim. He or she can fully investigate the circumstances of the accident and help you to establish a valid and fair settlement amount. This will ensure that any compensation awarded for the accident will fully meet both your current and long-term needs.