Most of us spend hours each day in their cars, whether traveling to work, school, appointments, or social events. It is easy to take it for granted that we will arrive at our locations safely, and thankfully, that is often the case. But not always.
The potential for a car accident is an unfortunate reality, and if you have experienced a crash, an Ogden personal injury lawyer from Siegfried & Jensen wants to help.
Our team has been serving Utah residents since 1990, and an Ogden car accident lawyer is ready to partner with you. Siegfried & Jensen believe holding negligent parties accountable for the damage they cause can prevent future devastating accidents–drivers may be more responsible if they know there are steep costs for carelessness. We also believe victims deserve justice and will work diligently to get you substantial compensation for your losses.
Utah Car Accidents Facts
Crash facts from the Utah Highway Safety Office (HSO) present sobering numbers on Utah car accidents over a recent year. Statistics show a crash occurred every 8.9 minutes. Every 20.8 minutes a victim sustained injuries in a car accident, and every 27.5 hours, someone died from a crash.
According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), Utah’s rate of fatal accidents is .93 per 100,000 vehicle miles traveled. Though this rate is lower than the rate in many other states, the HSO crash facts show the translation into actual numbers is harsh. Utah drivers and other road users saw:
- 58,992 crashes
- 25,325 injuries,
- 319 fatalities
Utah has 29 counties. On the list ranking counties for the highest number of motor vehicles, Weber ranked fourth. The county experienced 198.6 crashes for every 100,000 vehicle miles traveled.
For a free legal consultation with a car accident lawyer serving Ogden, call (801) 266-0999
Causes of Car Accidents
The list of potential car accident causes is long. The HSO report reported the following driver-related factors for Utah’s accidents. For accidents overall:
- 20%: failed to yield the right-of-way
- 19%:followed the car in front of them too closely
- 14%: were speeding
- 13%: failed to stay in the appropriate lane
- 8%: made unsafe lane changes
For fatal crashes, driver-related causes included:
- 35%: speeding
- 31%: failure to stay in the appropriate lane
- 17% failure to yield right-of-way
- 12% running off the road
- 8%: over-correcting or over-steering
Drivers are not always the cause of an accident. Vehicle malfunctions, shoddy repair work, or non-working traffic signals can cause an accident, and the related parties may be liable–in fact, our team won a massive $10 million award for a client injured in an accident caused by a defective vehicle.
An experienced Ogden car accident attorney will investigate to determine the cause, identify the negligent entity, and file against the right party.
Ogden Car Accident Lawyer Near Me (801) 266-0999
What to Do After an Accident
Knowing what to do after a car accident can help you protect yourself and your case. The safety of all involved is paramount, so if you cannot move without causing further injury, stay still until help arrives. If you can move safely, get yourself out of the path of traffic and see if others need care.
To the greatest extent possible, evidence from the accident scene must be preserved. Take photos of the cars, the roadway, your injuries, and the environment overall. Get contact information from others involved and from witnesses, and call law enforcement to the scene to create an official report.
Say as little as possible to other parties involved–just exchange the required information. Do not underplay or comment on your injuries other than to say you will be seeking medical care. Avoid saying anything that could be misconstrued as admitting fault–even a polite “I’m so sorry this happened” can be used against you later.
Secure Medical Care and Legal Representation
You must get prompt medical attention even if you do not think you have a serious injury. The adrenaline surge from the accident can hide pain and other symptoms, and you could be in worse shape than you realize. Early diagnosis and treatment are critical for your future well-being.
Delayed care also leaves an opportunity for the negligent party to blame you for your debilitated condition. They can say the postponement in care, not the accident, led to your worsened situation or that your delayed care shows you really were not as injured as you claim. Once your medical situation is in order, contact a car accident lawyer in Ogden.
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What Your Car Accident Attorney in Ogden Will Do
There are important reasons why you need an accident injury lawyer after a motor vehicle crash. First, you need to put your energy into recovering–not into building a case, dealing with insurance companies, and learning Utah’s legal system. When you partner with Siegfried & Jensen, we take care of all those tasks, and we do it at no cost to you.
Our firm offers free case reviews and works on a contingency basis. This means we only get paid when the negligent party pays you compensation. A percentage of your compensation covers our legal fees, so you do not pay anything out-of-pocket.
Your car accident attorney in Ogden will work to compile extensive evidence to support your claim and file your injury claim with the court within Utah’s four-year statute of limitations.
Your lawyer will calculate a fair settlement demand by valuing every loss, including your medical costs, income loss, property loss, pain, emotional suffering, and reduced enjoyment of life.
After presenting the demand to the negligent party’s insurance and legal representatives, your attorney will work to negotiate a fair settlement agreement or fight for you in court if the other side will not cooperate.
How Utah’s Laws Can Affect Your Settlement
Utah is a no-fault car-accident state, which means parties involved in a crash must first seek coverage through their own policies, no matter who caused the incident.
However, Utah Code 31A-22-309 allows victims to sue a third party (the negligent party) if their medical costs exceed $3,000, they sustain particularly serious injuries, and if, according to Utah’s comparative negligence law, they are less than 50% responsible for causing the accident. If victims meet this standard, they can still see a compensation reduction in proportion to whatever lower percentage of liability they bear.
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We Are Here to Protect You
A skilled Ogden car accident lawyer from Siegfried & Jensen will fight to protect you from being assigned unwarranted blame for an accident and seeing your settlement reduced.
Our goal is to get you the highest settlement possible so you can reach maximum recovery and quality of life. Put your case in our experienced hands and put yourself in the best position for a favorable case resolution. We are here to serve you.
Call or text (801) 266-0999 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form
