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Your Provo Personal Injury Attorney
Whether it was a crash, a fall, a dog, or a faulty product, an injury in Provo raises the same practical questions: how long do I have, who is responsible, and does my own share of blame matter? Utah has specific answers to each. You will find the deadlines first, then the rules on government claims and shared fault, then straight answers to the questions people most often bring after an injury. The details of your situation decide which rule controls, and an attorney who knows Utah practice can sort that out quickly.
Your Utah Deadlines in One Place
- General personal injury deadline: 4 years from the day you were injured (Utah Code 78B-2-307).
- Car damage from a crash: 4 years to file a claim for the vehicle itself (Utah Code 78B-2-307(3)).
- Losing a family member: 2 years from the date of death to file a wrongful death claim (Utah Code 78B-2-304).
- Product liability: 2 years from discovery of the harm and what caused it (Utah Code 78B-6-706).
- Public-entity claims: notice within 1 year, lawsuit within 2 years, both measured from when the claim arises (Utah Code 63G-7-402 and 63G-7-403).
When Does the Clock Start on a Utah Injury Claim?
Four years is the baseline: Utah Code 78B-2-307 gives most negligence-based injury claims four years from the date of injury. The shorter deadlines below are the exceptions, and they are the ones most likely to catch someone off guard.
Two claim types run on shorter clocks. A wrongful death claim must be filed within two years of the date of death (Utah Code 78B-2-304), and a product liability claim within two years of when you discovered, or reasonably should have discovered, both the harm and its cause (Utah Code 78B-6-706).
For an injured minor, Utah Code 78B-2-108 stops the limitations period from running until age 18. Claims involving government entities are governed by their own rules and notice requirements, which is a good reason to ask sooner rather than later.
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Injured on Public Property or by a Government Vehicle?
Claims involving public entities are the big exception to Utah’s four-year rule. A written notice of claim must be filed within one year after the claim arises, or the claim is barred (Utah Code 63G-7-402).
So the sequence is: written notice within one year, a 60-day waiting period, then a lawsuit within two years of when the claim arose (Utah Code 63G-7-402 and 63G-7-403), filed in district court.
The notice has to include a brief statement of the facts, the nature of the claim, and the damages known so far, and it has to reach the right office for that entity (Utah Code 63G-7-401). Sending it to the wrong place can create its own problems.
What If You Were Partly at Fault?
Utah’s rule, in Utah Code 78B-5-818, lets you recover as long as the fault of those you are seeking recovery from exceeds your own. A person found 30% at fault recovers 70% of the damages; a person found 50% at fault recovers nothing.
Fault can also be assigned to someone who is immune from suit or who is not a party to the case, which shapes how the percentages are compared (Utah Code 78B-5-818 and 78B-5-819).
Utah's District Courts
Utah injury lawsuits are filed in district court, the state’s trial court of general jurisdiction, with a district court in the county seat of every county (Utah Code 78A-5-101). Provo is in Utah County, part of Utah’s Fourth Judicial District, and the Utah County seat is Provo.
What Kind of Injury Was It? What Utah Law Says
Below are direct answers for the most common kinds of injury claims, each tied to the Utah law that governs it.
I was hurt in a car crash in Provo, what happens next?
Start by knowing that Utah’s no-fault rules apply. Your PIP benefits come first, and a lawsuit for general damages needs one of the listed injuries or more than $3,000 in medical expenses (Utah Code 31A-22-309). Fault still matters: at 50% or more, Utah Code 78B-5-818 bars recovery.
Your own fault matters even in a no-fault system: the injury lawsuit is measured under Utah Code 78B-5-818, so at 50% fault or more, general damages are barred.
Do I need a lawyer for a slip and fall in Utah?
You are not required to have one, but many people talk with an attorney early because the property owner’s insurer will already be building its side, and photos, video, and witnesses are easiest to gather right away. Slip and fall cases are ordinary negligence claims with a four-year deadline, and the 50% fault rule applies to your own share.
If the property belongs to a city, county, school district, or the state, this becomes a government claim: written notice within one year (Utah Code 63G-7-402), then suit within two years.
Is there a special deadline for product injury claims in Utah?
Yes. Product claims are governed by Utah Code 78B-6-706, which gives two years from discovery of both the harm and its cause, rather than the four years that apply to most injury claims.
Product claims can involve more than one party in the chain from manufacturer to seller, and Utah’s fault rules divide responsibility among them (Utah Code 78B-5-818(3)).
My family member died because of someone’s negligence in Utah, what are our options?
Utah allows a wrongful death action by the heirs or a personal representative for the heirs’ benefit (Utah Code 78B-3-106), and it must be filed within two years of the date of death (Utah Code 78B-2-304). Talking with an attorney early helps protect that window.
If a government entity was involved in the death, a written notice of claim is due within one year (Utah Code 63G-7-402), which is shorter than the two-year wrongful death deadline.
How long do I have to file a dog bite claim in Utah?
Utah’s dog bite statute does not set its own filing deadline, so the general four-year limit is the one to plan around. If a public entity was involved, such as a police dog or a city-run animal program, different rules can apply.
Getting medical care promptly matters for your health and your claim, and reporting the bite creates an official record of what happened.
Ready to talk it through? Get matched with an attorney in Provo.
Injury Claims in Provo
Injury claims from Provo generally go through the Utah County district court, and the deadlines and fault rules on this page apply to them exactly as written.
For injuries caused by medical care, see medical malpractice help in Provo.
Also serving: Springville personal injury attorneys.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the clock start on a Utah injury claim?
Usually on the date you were injured. Product claims start when you discovered, or should have discovered, the harm and its cause, and an injured child’s clock is paused until age 18 (Utah Code 78B-6-706 and 78B-2-108).
Can a wrongful death case still be filed if the injury happened years ago?
The clock for a wrongful death claim runs from the date of death (Utah Code 78B-2-304), so timing depends on when the person died. An attorney can confirm the exact dates.
What is the notice of claim deadline for Utah government claims?
One year after the claim arises. A claim is barred if the notice is not filed in that time (Utah Code 63G-7-402).
If several people caused my injury, does each pay everything?
No. Each defendant is liable only for the percentage of fault assigned to it (Utah Code 78B-5-818(3)).
Is Utah a no-fault state for car accidents?
Yes. Personal injury protection benefits come first, and a claim for general damages requires meeting the threshold in Utah Code 31A-22-309.
What should I do right after a slip and fall in Utah?
Get medical care, photograph the spot, report the fall in writing to the owner or manager, and collect witness names. Then consider talking to an attorney before giving a recorded statement.
Do I have to prove a dog had bitten before in Utah?
No. Utah Code 18-1-1 applies regardless of the dog’s history or the owner’s knowledge.
Can I sue the maker of a defective product in Utah?
A product liability claim can be brought under Utah’s product liability law within two years of discovery (Utah Code 78B-6-706); an attorney can identify the right defendants.
What happens if a city sits in two counties?
The county where the injury happened, or where a defendant lives, decides where the case may be filed (Utah Code 78B-3a-201).
What should I bring to a first conversation about my injury?
Anything you have: photos, medical records or bills, insurance letters, and notes on what happened and when. It is fine to come with only a few of these.
Don't Wait to Get Started
The insurance company on the other side typically starts building its position right away, while evidence is still fresh, and the same early window benefits your own claim too. You do not have to know exactly what to ask. A short conversation with a real person, at no cost and with no obligation, is usually the clearest way to find out where things stand.
