Utah Personal Injury Settlement Calculator
Get a rough estimate of what a Utah personal injury or dog-bite claim might be worth, based on your medical bills and losses. This is an estimate to understand the factors — not a prediction or an offer.
This is a rough estimate, not a prediction or an offer.
There is no formula that predicts a settlement. This tool uses the common "multiplier method" to show the factors that drive value and a wide range — actual outcomes depend on the facts, insurance limits, the venue, and negotiation. Consult a Utah personal-injury attorney about your case.
Enter your medical bills and losses to see an estimated range
The multiplier method (pain-and-suffering as a multiple of your medical bills) is a common starting point, not a guarantee. Most personal-injury cases settle out of court; most attorneys work on a contingency fee (commonly around a third, but the rate is set by your agreement and some states regulate or cap it), and an attorney is the only way to value your specific claim. This tool is not legal advice and RecordingLaw.com is not a law firm.
How the Estimate Works
No tool can predict a settlement — every case is different and the number depends on the facts, the available insurance, the venue, and negotiation. What this calculator does is apply the multiplier method, the rough starting point insurers and attorneys use: it adds up your economic damages (medical bills, lost wages, property damage), then estimates pain and suffering as a multiple of those damages (about 1.5× for minor injuries up to 5× or more for catastrophic ones), and shows a wide range. It is a way to understand value, not a guarantee.
It then applies Utah's fault rule, because how fault is shared directly changes what you can recover.
Utah's Fault Rule: modified comparative negligence (50% bar)
Utah Code 78B-5-818 provides that a plaintiff's own fault does not alone bar recovery, but the plaintiff may recover only from defendants whose combined fault (including immune persons/nonparties to whom fault is allocated) EXCEEDS the plaintiff's fault. Because recovery requires the defendants' fault to be greater than the plaintiff's, a plaintiff who is 50% or more at fault is barred — i.e., modified comparative negligence with a 50% bar (barred at 50%+). Damages otherwise reduce in proportion to the plaintiff's percentage of fault, and each defendant is liable only for its own proportion of fault (78B-5-818(3), 78B-5-819) — Utah uses several (not joint-and-several) liability.
Damage Caps in Utah
No cap on general personal-injury damages — ordinary negligence/PI awards (economic and noneconomic) are uncapped in Utah. Exception: medical malpractice noneconomic (pain-and-suffering) damages are capped under Utah Code § 78B-3-410 ($450,000 for causes of action arising on or after May 15, 2010; still $450,000 in 2025/2026); constitutionality of the cap as applied to wrongful death was limited by the Utah Supreme Court. Utah has no statutory punitive-damages cap, but punitive awards are subject to a statutory split (78B-8-201): amounts over $50,000 are shared 50% with the state.
Dog-Bite Liability in Utah
Utah Code 18-1-1 (Liability and damages for dog injury — Exceptions; amended Ch. 311, 2025 General Session) imposes strict liability: an individual who owns or keeps a dog "is liable for an injury caused by the dog, regardless of whether (i) the dog is vicious or mischievous; or (ii) the owner knows the dog is vicious or mischievous." No prior-bite/scienter knowledge is required. Narrow exceptions: (1) certified law-enforcement K-9s used within policy; (2) injury/death to another animal that entered the owner's fenced private property without consent; and (3) injury/death to a trespasser violating 76-6-206(2) while the dog is reasonably secured within a fence/enclosure (the 2025 amendment added/clarified the trespasser exception). Damages are determined under the comparative-fault rules of 78B-5-818.
Deadline to File a Claim in Utah
Utah generally requires a personal-injury lawsuit to be filed within 4 years of the injury (the statute of limitations). Ordinary personal-injury claims have a 4-year deadline (§ 78B-2-307(4)); wrongful death is shorter at 2 years (§ 78B-2-304). A minor's deadline is tolled during the disability. Miss it and your claim is usually barred no matter how strong it is, so do not wait to talk to an attorney.
- Negligence: modified comparative fault under § 78B-5-818 — plaintiff recovers only if the combined fault of defendants exceeds the plaintiff's fault, so a plaintiff 50% or more at fault recovers nothing; otherwise the award is reduced by the plaintiff's fault percentage.
- Utah uses proportionate (several) liability — each defendant pays only its own share of fault (§§ 78B-5-818(3), 78B-5-819); there is no joint-and-several liability among defendants.
- Personal-injury statute of limitations is 4 years for ordinary negligence/bodily-injury claims (catch-all § 78B-2-307(4), 'relief not otherwise provided for by law'). Wrongful death is shorter — 2 years under § 78B-2-304.
- Dog bites: strict liability under § 18-1-1 — the owner is liable regardless of the dog's prior viciousness or the owner's knowledge of it (no one-bite rule). Limited exceptions for police K-9s, animal-on-animal on secured property, and certain trespassers.
- Damages: general PI is uncapped; only medical-malpractice noneconomic damages are capped at $450,000 (§ 78B-3-410). Minors'/incompetents' SOL is tolled during the disability (§ 78B-2-108).
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is my Utah injury claim worth?
No one can tell you a number in advance. A rough estimate adds your economic damages (medical bills, lost wages) and applies a pain-and-suffering multiplier, then adjusts for fault under Utah's modified comparative negligence (50% bar) rule. The real value depends on the facts, the insurance available, and negotiation — an attorney is the only way to value your specific case.
Does my own fault reduce my Utah settlement?
Yes. Utah Code 78B-5-818 provides that a plaintiff's own fault does not alone bar recovery, but the plaintiff may recover only from defendants whose combined fault (including immune persons/nonparties to whom fault is allocated) EXCEEDS the plaintiff's fault. Because recovery requires the defendants' fault to be greater than the plaintiff's, a plaintiff who is 50% or more at fault is barred — i.e., modified comparative negligence with a 50% bar (barred at 50%+). Damages otherwise reduce in proportion to the plaintiff's percentage of fault, and each defendant is liable only for its own proportion of fault (78B-5-818(3), 78B-5-819) — Utah uses several (not joint-and-several) liability.
How long do I have to file in Utah?
Generally 4 years from the injury. Ordinary personal-injury claims have a 4-year deadline (§ 78B-2-307(4)); wrongful death is shorter at 2 years (§ 78B-2-304). A minor's deadline is tolled during the disability.
Is this calculator accurate?
It is a rough estimate to show the factors that drive value — not a prediction or an offer. Real settlements vary enormously. Treat any number here as a ballpark and consult a Utah personal-injury attorney.
Disclaimer
This estimator is for general informational purposes only and is not legal advice or a prediction of any outcome. RecordingLaw.com is not a law firm. The value of a personal-injury claim can only be assessed by a licensed attorney reviewing your specific facts.