Car Accident Lawyers in Salt Lake City

General Information About Car Accidents

Car accidents hurt our lives. After a car accident, you must restore the car, and undergo treatment and rehabilitation. Often this is not cheap and takes a long time. At the same time, care must be taken to obtain compensation for these sufferings. Salt Lake City car accident lawyers can help. They will take care of all legal issues related to the accident and allow you to recover from the accident calmly.

Importance of Hiring Car Accident Lawyers in Salt Lake City

Car accident cases where the damages are beyond the scope of PIP coverage will most often require the assistance of experienced car accident lawyers in Salt Lake City. To obtain sufficient compensation, you will need to prove the negligence of the at-fault party. This may not be easy.

Before filing a claim, lawyers conduct a thorough investigation of the car accident. Various experts may be involved, for example, accident reconstruction experts. They identify the true causes of the accident and the degree of guilt of each party. Salt Lake City car accident lawyers collect evidence, and study the police reports and witness statements. Various medical reports regarding injuries are requested.

Once a claim is filed with the at-fault party’s insurance company, the settlement process begins. Negotiations take place in which lawyers present to the insurance company adjusters facts confirming the legitimacy of the compensation claims. Most cases at this stage end in a successful settlement.

If for some reason the insurance company denies the claim, the case goes to trial. Here, Salt Lake City car accident lawyers will need to present the evidence they have collected to the jury and convince them of the validity of their client’s claims.

Helpful Skills for Salt Lake City Car Accident Lawyers

Ability to analyze
An important step in a road accident case is the preparation of claim materials. When conducting an investigation and collecting evidence, you must be able to find useful evidence and discard questionable evidence. It is with the help of analysis that various facts can be converted into versions.

Persuasion Skills
Salt Lake City car accident lawyers who have well-developed persuasion skills will be very successful. They easily win over clients, can effectively negotiate with insurance companies, and very competently convey their clients’ positions to a jury.

Compassion
Experienced car accident lawyers in Salt Lake City try to maintain contact with clients throughout the entire case, and listen to their needs and experiences. This helps lawyers convey clients’ views, especially when the case goes to trial and needs to convey clients’ emotions and create empathy among jurors.

Tips for Finding Salt Lake City Car Accident Lawyers

First, you need to decide which car accident lawyers in Salt Lake City you need to look for. The following criteria can be selected:

Positive experience in handling car accident cases: a lawyer must be able to investigate accidents, negotiate with insurance companies, and, most importantly, have experience representing clients in court.

Specialization in Personal Injury Law: a lawyer must be familiar with local personal injury laws, collaborate with leading medical professionals, and understand the cost of treatment and rehabilitation for common injuries and their consequences.

Reputation or rating: a lawyer must take care of his reputation, have high rates of cases won and amounts of compensation received, and have positive reviews from clients.

Now you can proceed directly to searching for Salt Lake City car accident lawyers.
You can start with the simplest thing – ask your friends, colleagues, or relatives who have encountered such a situation and hired a car accident lawyer in Salt Lake City. They will be able to give recommendations if they are satisfied with the chosen lawyer.

Next, we go to social networks and go through legal forums and groups. Ask questions and look for recommendations.

We visit the websites of local businesses. They usually present lawyers’ achievements and client reviews. We pay special attention to them.

We search in specialized directories such as Avvo or FindLaw. A convenient search filter system will help you find lawyers in your area.

We attend initial consultations with selected Salt Lake City car accident lawyers. Personal communication will allow you to discuss questions of interest regarding your case and take a closer look at a lawyer.

Recommendations for Actions After a Car Accident

It is necessary to seek medical help and help others involved in the accident obtain medical care. This will help to identify injuries promptly and link them to the accident to receive compensation.

To prevent getting into another accident, move to a safe place. To warn other drivers, mark the location of the accident with hazard lights on the vehicles involved in the accident.

Call the police at the scene of the accident and do not leave the scene of the accident until they arrive. A police report of the accident must be obtained. It can be a useful source of information when investigating the causes of an accident.

Notify your insurance company of the incident. Do not give any written statements to insurance company adjusters without consulting a lawyer.

Document all possible information about the accident. Take photos of the damage to the cars, exchange information with other participants in the accident, and write down the contacts of witnesses.

Consult a car accident lawyer. He can give useful advice on further actions.

What Can I Do Wrong After a Car Accident?

To admit guilt
This is a very bad thing to do after a car accident. Try to avoid admitting fault in any conversations with the police, insurance company, or others involved in the accident. Remember, everything said can be used against you in the future.

Agree to a quick settlement
Very often, a quick settlement implies an insufficient level of compensation. Therefore, it is advisable to consult with a car accident lawyer in Salt Lake City before deciding on a quick settlement. He will evaluate the level of compensation offered and the prospects for receiving greater compensation.

Discuss your case on social networks
Avoid discussing your case with anyone other than your car accident lawyer. Discussion on social networks will not help you improve your position in any way, but it may very well play into the hands of the other party. In discussions, there may be various statements, assessments, or assumptions that may turn against you.

List of Typical Car Accident Compensations

Compensation after a car accident will not make your injuries go away or erase bad memories of the accident. However, this can provide the financial resources to effectively recover from injury.

Most often, compensation for such damage is possible:

• repair or replacement of damaged property
• medical bills
• lost wages
• rehabilitation cost
• pain and suffering
• various psychological disorders, and depression.

Responsible Driving Can Prevent Car Accidents

Follow traffic rules.

Do not drive while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Adapt to weather and road conditions.

Avoid distractions while driving.

Forget about aggressive driving style.

Keep your car in good working order and complete.

Plan your travel route taking into account dangerous intersections and possible traffic jams.

Number of Car Accidents in Salt Lake City

According to the Utah Department of Public Safety for 2023, there were 4,037 car accidents in Salt Lake City:

• Fatal – 19
• Injury – 1,616
• Property Damage Only – 2,402

Those injured in these accidents:

• Fatalities – 21
• Injuries – 2194

Factors in Car Accidents in Salt Lake City

From the Utah Department of Public Safety’s 2023 report, the main factors behind car accidents in Salt Lake City include:

Typical Injuries in Car Accidents

Of the variety of injuries typical for car accidents, the following can be identified as typical:

Whiplash
Injury to the soft tissues of the neck occurs due to overload associated with the sudden movement of the head during a collision. Such an injury may not manifest itself immediately and require long-term rehabilitation.

Head injuries
Most often it occurs due to head impacts on interior objects, such as the steering wheel. This leads to concussions, skull fractures, paralysis, and even death.

Back injuries
During an accident, sudden changes in speed and direction of movement occur, and this can lead to overloads acting on the spine. As a result, you can get displaced discs, pinched nerves, and disc fractures. Such injuries can lead to disability.

Lacerations
Shards of glass and damaged parts of the car as a result of an accident pose a danger. Contact with them creates lacerations. They can range from simple cuts to deep wounds affecting blood vessels.

Limb injuries
Hands and feet are also susceptible to injury. Depending on the type of collision, various limb injuries can occur, such as broken bones, dislocated joints, and even amputations.

Features of Car Accident Insurance

Salt Lake City is located in Utah, which offers no-fault auto insurance. All drivers must have Personal Injury Insurance (PIP). Minimum PIP coverage is $3,000. This coverage provides primary compensation for medical expenses and lost wages. In this case, there is no need to prove the guilt of the other driver.

In addition to PIP insurance, you are required to have the following minimum liability insurance:

• $25,000 personal injury per person
• $65,000 personal injury per accident
• for property damage for $15,000.

Liability for an accident is not limited to PIP alone. You may be able to file a claim against the at-fault party if you suffered a permanent disability, injury, or medical expenses exceeding $3,000.

In this case, the modified comparative negligence system will apply. This means that the degree of fault of each party will be assessed and if the percentage of fault is no more than 50%, the party will have the opportunity to demand compensation. In this case, the amount of compensation will be reduced by the percentage of fault.

Car Accident Lawyers in Salt Lake City FAQ