Personal Injury and Car Accident Lawyer in Utah

How to File an Insurance Claim in Utah after an Auto Accident in 2022?

By on Jul 13, 2022 in blog, Car Accidents, Personal Injury |

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How to file an insurance claim in Utah after an auto accident?

To begin discussing the insurance claims process in Utah, lets first discuss the different options you have available. 

After a car accident, the first thing you should do is determine your safety and everyone else’s involved in the accident. After this step, you will most likely call the police and open a claim with either your insurance company or the other driver’s company. If it’s with your own, this is considered a first-party claim. If your claim is filed with the other driver’s insurance, this is considered a third-party claim.

 

What is the difference between the two insurance claims?

In a first-party claim, you file the claim with your own insurance and as a result, your insurance company has a contract with you to fulfill your policy’s conditions. This is the main reason you should choose wisely when it comes to choosing your policy options. The more coverage you have, the more you are protected in an auto accident/ personal injury situation. On the other hand, in a third party claim, the insurance company’s main priority is with their own driver. 

 

What is the minimum auto coverage Utah drivers must have?

According to Utah law, motorists are required to carry minimum coverage for bodily injury and property damage. 

  • For bodily insurance coverage per person, the minimum amount is $25,000.
  • For property damage coverage, the minimum coverage is $15,000.
  • For bodily injury coverage for two or more individuals, the minimum amount is $65,000. 

 

What is PIP?

After an accident, you should always make sure to exchange insurance company information with the other driver. Most of the time, regardless of who is at fault and regardless if you file a claim with the other driver’s insurance company, you should file a claim with your insurance company as well. This is allows you to use your PIP benefits (personal injury protection). For every individual injured, there is a minimum of $3000 in medical costs that will be covered under PIP.  

 

What happens next after a claim is filed with the insurance companies?

Once you decide to file a claim with other driver’s insurance, their company will first investigate the details of the accident and determine who is mostly at fault. If their company determines their driver is mostly at fault, they will likely offer a settlement to help the injured party cover his/her medical expenses and property damages. So you are aware of the time frame, most insurance companies will NOT settle a claim until you receive all the medical treatment necessary for your injuries. Based on the severity of the injuries, this process could take months to years.  Once you have finished your medical treatments, the insurance will compile a final settlement amount and ask you to sign a release for damages. Make sure you are sure of the amount before you sign. 

 

*For more detailed information on everything we discussed check online at the Utah Insurance Department website.

 

How can we help you during the claim’s process?

We, as a personal injury law firm, would take care of of most of the steps we discussed in this blog. 

Firstly, if you are unsure of whether to call your insurance company or the other driver’s company, we can help in this decision based on the circumstances of the accident. Most of the time, we do recommend calling both your insurance company as well as the other drivers. Furthermore, if you hire us, we will take care of further discussions with both insurances from then forward. We can also aid in recommending medical treatment options you may need based on your injuries.

Regarding the monetary aspect, we will negotiate the best settlement possible for both your personal injuries and the property damages caused by the accident. We will also take into consideration time off work and lifestyle changes that you incurred from the accident, and fight for you to receive a fair amount to help ease your suffering. At any time throughout the process, you can always call or text us if you have any questions or concerns and we are happy to help. 

In summary, although the claims process can be tedious and at times difficult to follow, especially if you do suffer injuries as a result of an accident, our goal is to help you entirely throughout the process and diminished the work and stress from your situation. Our clients are our most important focus and priority. One more thing to keep in mind is if we don’t win you a settlement, we also don’t earn any money. We work on a contingency fee so we only collect if we win. 

 

How can you reach us?

If you have suffered from a car accident, don’t hesitate to call us as we are here to help you obtain the best medical treatment and reimbursement you deserve.

Call or text us 24/7 a at (801) 738-9999 or contact us on our page Symco Injury Law Contact