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Your Hurricane Personal Injury Attorney
It is normal to feel unsure what to do first after an injury in Hurricane. Utah law gives you fixed deadlines and a defined way of weighing fault, so you can start from facts instead of guesses. This page covers Utah’s filing deadlines, the separate rules for claims involving public entities, the 50% fault rule, and common questions about crashes, falls, products, and dog bites. Deadlines in Utah run on fixed dates, so learning them early usually matters more than trying to catch up later.
The Short Answers: Utah Filing Deadlines
- Most injury claims (car crashes, falls, dog bites): 4 years from the date of injury, under Utah’s general limit in Utah Code 78B-2-307.
- Vehicle damage claims: 4 years from the accident, under 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 claims run 2 years from discovery of both the harm and its cause, under 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?
For most injury claims, Utah Code 78B-2-307 sets a four-year window that starts on the date you were hurt. Utah’s statutes do not list personal injury by name; the four-year rule is the general limit that courts apply to negligence claims.
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).
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).
Notices go to a specific office, such as the city or county clerk for local claims or the attorney general for the state, and must contain a short statement of the facts, the claim, and the damages known so far (Utah Code 63G-7-401).
Does Being Partly to Blame End Your Claim?
Shared blame is common in crashes and falls. Utah Code 78B-5-818 allows recovery only when your fault is less than the fault of those you are seeking recovery from, and it reduces the award by your own percentage.
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).
The Court Behind Your Hurricane Claim
Personal injury cases in Utah are heard in district court. Hurricane sits in Washington County, in the Fifth Judicial District (Utah Code 78A-1-102), and the county’s district court is located in the county seat, St. George (Utah Code 78A-5-101).
Questions People Ask After an Injury in Utah
General deadlines are only the starting point. These are the situations where Utah has something more specific to say.
How does Utah’s no-fault system affect my car accident claim?
In Utah, PIP coverage pays certain benefits regardless of fault, and it limits when you can sue for general damages: only for death, dismemberment, permanent impairment or disfigurement, a bone fracture, or medical expenses above $3,000 (Utah Code 31A-22-309). The threshold does not apply to uninsured motorist claims.
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.
Can I sue if I slipped and fell on someone else’s property in Utah?
Possibly. Slip and fall claims are premises-liability negligence claims: the question is generally whether the owner knew, or reasonably should have known, about the hazard and failed to fix it or warn about it. The general four-year deadline applies, and your own share of fault can reduce or bar recovery under Utah Code 78B-5-818.
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.
What if I did not realize a product caused my injury?
The two-year clock in Utah Code 78B-6-706 does not start until you discovered, or should have discovered, both the harm and its cause. If the connection was not obvious at first, that discovery date is where an attorney will start.
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.
Deaths that happen at work can be handled differently: Utah Code 78B-3-106 applies except as provided in the Workers’ Compensation Act.
What happens if I was bitten by a dog in Hurricane?
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.
There is a narrow exception: an owner is not liable to a trespasser who was violating Utah Code 76-6-206(2) if the injury happened on the owner’s private property while the dog was reasonably secured in a fence or other enclosure (Utah Code 18-1-1(3)).
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Hurricane and Washington County
Injury claims from Hurricane generally go through the Washington 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 Hurricane.
Also serving: personal injury representation from Cedar City.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do insurance negotiations stop the Utah filing deadline?
Not on their own. Settlement talks do not automatically pause the limitations period under Utah Code 78B-2-307, so a claim under discussion can still run out of time.
What is the deadline for a wrongful death claim in Utah?
Two years from the date of death, under Utah Code 78B-2-304.
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).
What happens if I was partly at fault for my injury in Utah?
Your recovery is reduced by your percentage of fault, as long as your fault is less than 50% (Utah Code 78B-5-818).
How long do I have to sue after a car accident in Utah?
Generally four years from the accident under Utah Code 78B-2-307, or a much shorter notice period if a government vehicle or entity was involved.
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).
How long do I have to file a dog bite claim in Utah?
The dog bite statute has no separate deadline, so the general four-year limit (Utah Code 78B-2-307) is the one attorneys plan around.
When does the product liability clock start in Utah?
At discovery of both the harm and what caused it, not necessarily the date of injury (Utah Code 78B-6-706).
How many judicial districts does Utah have?
Eight, each covering several counties (Utah Code 78A-1-102).
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.
Time Is Part of This Decision
Several Utah deadlines are much shorter than the four-year rule people expect, especially the one-year notice for government claims, so it helps to know which one applies before decisions get made. None of that means you need to have everything figured out before reaching out. A conversation does not commit you to anything, and a real person will listen to what happened and help you see where things stand.
