Paul Horton: Car Accident in Utah

There are at least 12 things You Should Do after a Car Accident in Utah:

1. Check for injuries and make sure everyone is ok. Call an ambulance if needed.

2. Stay at the scene. You can be charged with a crime if you leave the scene, especially is someone is injured.

3. Call the police, even if it is a minor accident.

4. Tell The Truth and Don’t Apologize. Everything you say is probably going to be written down in a police report. If it wasn’t your fault then don’t say it was and don’t apologize. Just give an accurate and detailed witness statement. It will likely be used later to help determine liability.

5. Take pictures. If possible to do safely, take pictures of the accident before cars are moved. However, it is important to stay safe and move the vehicles to the side of the road. If you weren’t able before, take pictures once the cars are moved.

6. Exchange Information. It is important to know who all was involved. Don’t rely on the police to preserve the information. They are usually pretty good but mistakes do happen. Write down the names and contact information of witnesses as well.

7. Seek Medical Attention, It won’t cost you anything. All insurance policies have PIP, which covers medical care after an accident. Many people don’t seek care because they are worried about paying for it. For purposes of the case, it is important to document your injuries as well. Seek medical care from a certified injury professional. Not all doctors are the same and know what to do after an accident.

8. Contact Your Insurance. Report the claim at your earliest convenience.

9. Seek Legal Advice. Almost all personal injury attorneys offer free consultations. Seek advice early on. We can steer you away from common pitfalls and tell you if you do or do not have a case. Find a qualified attorney who focuses on personal injury, not your neighbor or church member. Law is specialized and complicated. Insurance companies will try to convince you not to seek an attorney…because they don’t want you to have one. Protect your own rights.

10. Do Not Sign Things Without Reading Them. Many times insurance companies try to get you sign things that are prejudicial to you. For example, sometimes they slip in a full release of your bodily injury claims in the property damage papers. Make sure you are reading everything or hire an attorney before you have to sign anything.

11. Keep a Journal and Accurate Records. Lots of things will happen all at once and you think you’ll remember everything later, but over time you will start to forget things. Keep accurate records and notes in case you need to recall details later.

12. Call Ascent Law. Lawyers who focus their legal practice on helping car accident victims tend to stay up on changing laws that affect their clients’ case outcome as well as compensation.

Dog Bite Lawyer Utah Team

Though dogs are referred to as “man’s best friend”, their bites can cause severe injuries and scarring to their victims. The medical bills incurred from treating serious dog bites can add up quickly, from emergency room visits to cosmetic surgery procedures later.

Does Utah Law Allow Compensation for a Dog Bite?

Utah law allows a dog bite victim to be compensated under the traditional legal doctrines of negligence and intentional tort. However, Utah also has a special statute making dog owners strictly liable for injuries from their dog’s bites.

Traditional Law

A dog owner would be liable under “scienter” or knowingly for harm caused by his dog under the “one bite rule”; that is, every dog could have one free bite–after that, the owner would know that the dog may bite people and needs to prevent his dog from biting. For dog bites, the dog owner or keeper would be liable to a dog bite victim if the dog had previously bit or tried to bite someone and the dog owner knew of this dog’s prior conduct.

Strict Liability

Utah Code adds a strict liability provision to its dog bite statute, making a dog owner liable even when a dog bites a person for the first time:

Utah Code Section 18-1-1. Liability of owners — Scienter — Dogs used in law enforcement. Every person owning or keeping a dog shall be liable in damages for injury committed by such dog, and it shall not be necessary in any action brought therefore to allege or prove that such dog was of a vicious or mischievous disposition or that the owner or keeper thereof knew that it was vicious or mischievous; but neither the state nor any county, city, or town in the state nor any peace officer employed by any of them shall be liable in damages for injury committed by a dog when:

• The dog has been trained to assist in law enforcement

• The injury occurs while the dog is reasonably and carefully being used in the apprehension, arrest, or location of a suspected offender or in maintaining or controlling the public order.

Free Initial Consultation with Lawyer

It’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when. Legal problems come to everyone. Whether it’s your son who gets in a car wreck, your uncle who loses his job and needs to file for bankruptcy, your sister’s brother who’s getting divorced, or a grandparent that passes away without a will -all of us have legal issues and questions that arise. So when you have a law question, call Ascent Law for your free consultation (801) 676-5506. We want to help you!