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Your Brigham City Personal Injury Attorney
Whether it was a crash, a fall, a dog, or a faulty product, an injury in Brigham City 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. The sections below cover the deadlines that apply, the one-year notice rule for government claims, how shared fault is weighed, and the situations people ask about most. Nothing here is specific to Brigham City alone, since the same statutes apply across Utah, but where your case is heard depends on the county.
Utah Injury Deadlines at a Glance
- 4 years is the general limit for most injury claims in Utah, counted from the date you were hurt (Utah Code 78B-2-307).
- Damage to your vehicle: 4 years from the date of the accident (Utah Code 78B-2-307(3)).
- Wrongful death: 2 years from the date of death, under Utah Code 78B-2-304.
- 2 years for product claims, starting once the harm and its cause are discovered or should have been (Utah Code 78B-6-706).
- Claims against a city, county, school district, or the state: written notice of claim within 1 year after the claim arises, then a lawsuit within 2 years (Utah Code 63G-7-402 and 63G-7-403).
The Deadlines Behind an Injury Claim in Utah
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.
Not every claim gets the full four years. Wrongful death is limited to two years from death under Utah Code 78B-2-304, and product liability to two years from discovery of the harm and its cause under 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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Claims Against a City, County, or the State
A pothole, a city bus, a school district vehicle, a county building: when a public entity is behind the injury, the clock is one year for the notice of claim under Utah Code 63G-7-402, not four years for a lawsuit.
The public entity must acknowledge your notice within 60 days, and suit cannot be filed before that 60-day mark. The final filing deadline is two years after the claim arises (Utah Code 63G-7-403).
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.
Utah's 50% Fault Rule
Utah uses a modified comparative fault rule under Utah Code 78B-5-818. Being partly to blame does not automatically end your claim, but you can only recover if your share of fault is less than 50%. At 49%, your recovery is reduced by 49%; at 50% or more, you recover nothing.
In a multi-party case, fault is divided among everyone responsible and each defendant owes only its own share, which makes identifying every responsible party an early priority (Utah Code 78B-5-818(3)).
Where a Brigham City Injury Case Is Heard
Utah divides its district courts into eight judicial districts (Utah Code 78A-1-102). Box Elder County, home to Brigham City, falls in the First Judicial District, and its district court is located in Brigham City, the county seat.
Your Situation and the Utah Rule That Applies
The specifics of what happened change the answer. Here are the situations people ask about most, with the Utah rule for each.
What should I know about a car accident claim in Utah?
Utah is a no-fault state, so your own personal injury protection (PIP) benefits come first. To bring a claim for general damages such as pain and suffering, you generally need one of the following: death, dismemberment, permanent disability or impairment based on objective findings, permanent disfigurement, a bone fracture, or more than $3,000 in medical expenses (Utah Code 31A-22-309). The lawsuit deadline is generally four years.
If the at-fault driver was uninsured, the general-damages threshold above does not apply to your uninsured motorist claim (Utah Code 31A-22-309(1)(b)). If a government vehicle was involved, the one-year notice of claim comes first.
Who is responsible when I fall at a store or apartment in Brigham City?
It depends on who controls the property and whether they knew about the hazard. A store, landlord, or business owner can be responsible when a dangerous condition they knew or should have known about caused the fall. If the property is public, the one-year notice of claim under Utah Code 63G-7-402 comes first.
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.
Who can be responsible when a product injures me in Utah?
Product cases can involve the manufacturer, distributor, or seller, depending on the facts. What is fixed is the timing: two years from discovery of the harm and its cause (Utah Code 78B-6-706).
Because this clock is half as long as the general limit, product cases are one of the situations where early attention pays off.
What can a wrongful death claim in Utah cover?
Utah’s wrongful death statute lets damages be awarded in the amount that, under all the circumstances of the case, may be just (Utah Code 78B-3-106). An attorney can explain what that has meant in practice for a family in your position.
Because the wrongful death deadline is two years and related claims can run on different clocks, families often ask an attorney early to line up every applicable date.
What happens if I was bitten by a dog in Brigham City?
You can pursue the owner or keeper under Utah Code 18-1-1, which makes them liable for injuries their dog causes without proof that the dog was dangerous. Getting medical care, photographing the injury, and identifying the owner are the practical first steps.
Certified police dog teams working under a written agency policy are treated separately: the state, counties, cities, and their peace officers are not liable in damages when the conditions in Utah Code 18-1-1(2) are met.
Your situation may not match any of these exactly. Tell us about it.
What Is Local About a Brigham City Claim
People in Brigham City deal with the same statewide deadlines as everyone in Utah. What is local is the court: Box Elder County’s district court, in the First Judicial District.
For injuries caused by medical care, see medical malpractice help in Brigham City.
Also serving: our coverage in Layton.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do I have to file a personal injury claim in Utah?
Generally 4 years from the date of injury, under Utah’s general limit in Utah Code 78B-2-307. Wrongful death, product, and government claims have shorter clocks.
Who can bring a wrongful death claim in Utah?
The person’s heirs, or a personal representative acting for the heirs’ benefit, under Utah Code 78B-3-106. The deadline is two years from the date of death.
Is there a shorter deadline if a city, county, or the state caused my injury?
Yes. A written notice of claim is due within 1 year after the claim arises (Utah Code 63G-7-402), and the lawsuit within 2 years (Utah Code 63G-7-403).
Is Utah a pure comparative fault state?
No. Utah uses a modified rule: recovery is reduced by your share of fault but barred entirely at 50% or more (Utah Code 78B-5-818).
Does the no-fault threshold apply to uninsured motorist claims?
No. Utah Code 31A-22-309(1)(b) says the general-damages threshold does not apply to a person making an uninsured motorist claim.
How long do I have to sue after a slip and fall in Utah?
Four years on private property (Utah Code 78B-2-307). On public property, a written notice of claim is due within one year (Utah Code 63G-7-402).
Is Utah a strict liability state for dog bites?
Yes. Utah Code 18-1-1 makes an owner or keeper liable for an injury their dog causes, regardless of whether the dog is vicious or the owner knew it was.
What if I did not know a product caused my injury?
The two-year period does not begin until you discovered, or reasonably should have discovered, both the injury and its cause (Utah Code 78B-6-706).
Which Utah court hears a personal injury case?
The district court, Utah’s trial court of general jurisdiction, in the county where the case is filed (Utah Code 78A-5-101 and 78A-5-102).
What if I already talked to the other side’s insurance company?
That is common. An attorney can review what was said and advise you on next steps, and you can reach out at any point while your deadline is still open.
What You Do Next Matters
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. There is no requirement to arrive with a plan. Reaching out costs nothing and commits you to nothing, and it is often the fastest way to learn what is still possible.
