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Your Millcreek Personal Injury Attorney
An injury in Millcreek can leave you sorting out bills, pain, and paperwork before you have had a chance to catch your breath. The rules that decide how long you have and what you can recover are written down, and they are clearer than most people expect. Keep reading for the time limits, the government-claim notice that catches people off guard, the way Utah weighs fault, and where a case is actually heard. Deadlines in Utah run on fixed dates, so learning them early usually matters more than trying to catch up later.
How Long Do You Have? The Short Version
- Standard injury claims get 4 years from the date of injury, per Utah Code 78B-2-307.
- Vehicle damage claims: 4 years from the accident, under Utah Code 78B-2-307(3).
- Wrongful death claims: 2 years, running from the death itself rather than the earlier injury (Utah Code 78B-2-304).
- Defective products: 2 years from when you discovered, or should have discovered, both the harm and its cause (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).
Time Limits on a Millcreek Injury Claim
Utah does not have a separate deadline for most personal injury lawsuits. They fall under the general four-year limit in Utah Code 78B-2-307, which runs from the date of injury. A crash in Millcreek and a fall at a store in Salt Lake County are handled the same way on timing.
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.
If the person hurt is a child, the limitations period is generally paused until they turn 18 (Utah Code 78B-2-108). A claim against a public entity has its own rules, so that is the situation to plan around.
Injured in Millcreek? Get matched with an attorney now.
Utah's One-Year Notice Rule for Government Claims
If a city, county, school district, or state agency (or one of its employees) caused your injury, Utah’s Governmental Immunity Act requires a written notice of claim within one year after the claim arises (Utah Code 63G-7-402). Miss it and the claim is barred, even though the general limit is four years.
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).
Can You Still Recover If You Share the Blame?
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.
Each defendant answers only for the percentage of fault attributed to it, so how fault is divided among everyone involved can change what you are able to collect (Utah Code 78B-5-818).
Salt Lake County and the Third Judicial District
Personal injury cases in Utah are heard in district court. Millcreek sits in Salt Lake County, in the Third Judicial District (Utah Code 78A-1-102), and the county’s district court is located in the county seat, Salt Lake City (Utah Code 78A-5-101).
Your Situation and the Utah Rule That Applies
Each situation below has its own Utah answer, and a few carry rules of their own on top of the general deadlines above.
Can I sue after a car accident in Utah?
Yes, once you meet Utah’s no-fault threshold: a fracture, permanent impairment or disfigurement, dismemberment, death, or more than $3,000 in medical expenses opens the door to general damages (Utah Code 31A-22-309). Short of that, your own insurance benefits are the main route. The general filing deadline is four years.
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.
A product injury to a child follows the same discovery rule, with the clock paused during minority (Utah Code 78B-2-108).
Who can file a wrongful death claim in Utah?
The person’s heirs, or a personal representative acting for the benefit of the heirs, may bring the action (Utah Code 78B-3-106). The deadline is two years from the date of death (Utah Code 78B-2-304).
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.
Do I have to prove the dog had bitten before to have a dog bite case in Utah?
No. Under Utah Code 18-1-1, the owner or keeper is liable regardless of whether the dog is vicious or mischievous or the owner knew it. There is a narrow exception for a trespasser injured on fenced private property, and shared fault can still reduce damages under Utah Code 78B-5-818.
The statute covers an individual who owns or keeps the dog, so the responsible person is identified by who owned or kept the dog, not only by whose name is on a license.
Your situation may not match any of these exactly. Tell us about it.
For Millcreek Residents
Injury claims from Millcreek generally go through the Salt Lake County district court, and the deadlines and fault rules on this page apply to them exactly as written.
If a medical mistake was involved, see our Millcreek medical malpractice resources.
Other Utah cities nearby: West Jordan personal injury attorneys, the Salt Lake City personal injury resource.
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).
How long do we have to file a wrongful death lawsuit after losing a family member?
Two years from the date of death (Utah Code 78B-2-304), which is shorter than the four-year limit for most injury claims.
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).
What is Utah’s 50% rule?
If your fault is 50% or more, Utah Code 78B-5-818 bars you from recovering anything. Below 50%, your damages are reduced by your share.
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.
Do I need a lawyer for a slip and fall in Utah?
You are not required to have one, but early legal advice helps preserve evidence and clarify deadlines, and a consultation typically costs nothing.
Is there an exception to Utah’s dog bite liability rule?
Yes. An owner is not liable for injury to a trespasser who violated Utah Code 76-6-206(2) if the injury happened on the owner’s private property while the dog was reasonably secured within a fence or enclosure (Utah Code 18-1-1(3)).
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).
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).
How soon should I contact an attorney after an injury in Utah?
As soon as you can. Some deadlines, like the one-year notice for government claims, are short, and evidence fades quickly.
What You Do Next Matters
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. 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.
