After a car accident in Utah, call 911 if anyone is injured or the damage looks like $2,500 or more, because state law requires a report at that threshold. Exchange insurance information, photograph both vehicles and the scene, get examined by a doctor the same day, and notify your own insurer to open your PIP claim.
The minutes and days after a crash decide how your claim goes. Utah’s no-fault system, its reporting threshold, and its four year filing deadline all have specific rules, and the mistakes people make are almost always made in the first hour. Here is the order to do things in.
The eight steps to take after a Utah car accident
- Check for injuries and move to safety. If the vehicles are drivable and blocking traffic, move them to the shoulder. If anyone is hurt, leave them where they are unless there is a fire risk.
- Call 911. Utah law requires you to report a crash involving injury, death, or apparent property damage of $2,500 or more. Given what bumper repairs cost, most crashes clear that bar.
- Exchange information. Name, phone number, insurance company, policy number, driver license number and license plate. Photograph their insurance card and license rather than writing it down.
- Photograph everything. Both vehicles from all four corners, the damage close up, the position of the cars before they are moved, skid marks, debris, traffic signals, road conditions and any visible injuries.
- Get witness contact details. Independent witnesses disappear fast and they matter enormously if fault is later disputed. Ask for a name and a cell number.
- Say as little as possible. No apologies, no guesses about speed, no assessment of your own injuries. More on this below.
- See a doctor the same day. Not next week. A gap between the crash and your first medical visit is the single most common reason insurers discount a claim.
- Notify your own insurance company. This opens your Personal Injury Protection claim, which pays your first medical bills regardless of who caused the crash.
When Utah law requires you to call the police
Utah requires a crash to be reported when it involves injury, death, or apparent property damage of $2,500 or more. If an officer does not respond to the scene, you are responsible for filing a written report with the Utah Department of Public Safety within 10 days. The Utah Highway Patrol explains how to request a crash report once it has been filed.
People skip this step when the other driver asks them to handle it privately, and it goes badly almost every time. Without a police report you have no neutral record of what happened, no officer’s observation of the scene, and no case number. If the other driver later tells their insurer a different story, it becomes your word against theirs.
Before you leave the scene, ask the responding officer for the case number and which agency will hold the report.
What you should not say after a car accident
Do not say “I’m sorry,” do not say “I’m fine,” and do not guess at speeds or distances. An apology gets written down as an admission of fault. “I’m fine” gets quoted back at you when whiplash symptoms appear two days later. A guess at speed becomes a fact in the file even though you were never in a position to measure it.
Three more things worth knowing:
- Do not give a recorded statement to the other driver’s insurer. You are not obligated to. Their adjuster is trained to get you to minimize your injuries on tape.
- Do not speculate about cause. “I didn’t see them” is not a confession, but it reads like one in a claim file.
- Do not post about the crash on social media. A photo of you at a family event three weeks later gets used to argue you were not really hurt.
Stick to facts: where you were, what direction you were traveling, what the light was doing. Everything else can wait. Our Utah car accident liability FAQ covers more of the questions people ask in the first week.
Why the same day medical visit matters so much
Adrenaline masks injury. Soft tissue damage, concussion symptoms and disc injuries often do not present for 24 to 72 hours. The Mayo Clinic notes that whiplash symptoms commonly appear within days of the injury rather than immediately. If you wait a week to be seen, the insurance company argues that something else caused your symptoms in the meantime, and that argument is surprisingly effective.
An urgent care or emergency room visit on the day of the crash creates a dated medical record that ties your injuries to the collision. It costs you an afternoon and it is worth more to your claim than almost anything else you can do.
How your PIP coverage works in Utah
Utah is a no-fault state. Every Utah auto policy includes at least $3,000 in Personal Injury Protection, which pays your initial medical bills no matter who caused the crash. PIP also covers a portion of lost wages and certain household services.
To recover anything beyond PIP from the at-fault driver, your claim has to cross Utah’s no-fault threshold under Utah Code 31A-22-309. That means either $3,000 or more in medical expenses, or an injury involving permanent disability, permanent impairment, dismemberment, permanent disfigurement or death.
Fault matters too. Under Utah Code 78B-5-818, your damages are reduced by your share of the blame, and you recover nothing at all if you are found 50 percent or more at fault.
How long you have to act
Four years from the date of the crash for a personal injury claim, under Utah Code 78B-2-307. Wrongful death is two years under Utah Code 78B-2-304, and our Utah wrongful death lawyers can walk a family through what that involves.
The deadline people actually miss is the government one. If a city vehicle, a UTA bus, a state truck or any government entity was involved, you must file a notice of claim within one year under Utah Code 63G-7-402. Miss it and the claim is gone regardless of how strong it was. See our page on crashes involving government vehicles if that applies to you.
For the crash and injury numbers behind all of this, our Utah injury and crash facts guide collects the current UDOT and Utah Highway Safety Office data in one place.
Common questions after a Utah car accident
What should you not say after a car accident?
Do not say “I’m sorry,” “I’m fine,” or guess at speeds and distances. Apologies get recorded as admissions of fault, and “I’m fine” gets quoted back at you when whiplash symptoms surface two days later. Do not give a recorded statement to the other driver’s insurer, and do not speculate about who caused the crash.
Do I have to report a car accident in Utah?
Yes, if the crash involved injury, death, or apparent property damage of $2,500 or more. Call 911 from the scene. If no officer responds, file a written report with the Utah Department of Public Safety within 10 days. Below that threshold, reporting is optional but still advisable.
What if I feel fine after the accident?
Get examined anyway. Adrenaline masks injury, and soft tissue damage, concussions and disc injuries commonly appear 24 to 72 hours later. A same day medical record ties any later symptoms to the crash. Telling anyone at the scene that you are fine can be used against you if symptoms develop.
Should I call my own insurance if the crash was not my fault?
Yes. Utah is a no-fault state, so your own Personal Injury Protection coverage pays your first $3,000 in medical bills regardless of who caused the crash. Reporting to your insurer is also usually a condition of your policy, and failing to do so promptly can jeopardize your coverage.
Do I need a lawyer after a car accident in Utah?
Not for minor property damage with no injuries. You should speak with an attorney if you were injured, if fault is disputed, if the other driver was uninsured, or if an adjuster is pushing you toward a quick settlement. Most Utah personal injury attorneys, including Moxie Law Group, offer a free consultation.
Related guides
- How car accident claims work in Utah
- Car accidents without insurance in Utah
- How long does a car accident settlement take?
- What is the average car accident settlement in Utah?
- Should you accept the first settlement offer?
- All Utah car accident questions, answered
- Utah car accident attorneys
- Crashes caused by a drunk driver
- Distracted driving crashes
- Uber and Lyft accident claims
- Semi truck and commercial vehicle crashes
- Motorcycle accident claims
If you are looking for help near you, we also have local teams in Salt Lake City, Provo and Orem.
Talk to a Utah car accident lawyer
If you were hurt in a crash, Moxie Law Group can deal with the insurance company for you while you focus on treatment. Learn more about our Utah car accident attorneys, or contact us for a free consultation. There is no fee unless we recover for you.
Reviewed by Kara H. North, Managing Partner, Moxie Law Group. This article is general information about Utah law and is not legal advice for your specific situation.