Utah Slip and Fall Settlement Calculator
Get a rough estimate of what a Utah slip-and-fall claim might be worth. Enter your medical bills and losses and answer a few plain questions — the tool weighs how provable the owner's fault is and your share of fault. 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.
Slip-and-fall claims turn on proving the property owner was at fault — there is no formula that predicts a settlement. This shows the factors and a wide range to help you understand value. Consult a Utah premises-liability attorney about your case.
Enter the medical bills and losses to see an estimated range
The multiplier method is a rough starting point, not a guarantee. Slip-and-fall value depends most on proving the owner's fault and on the available insurance. 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 slip-and-fall settlement. This calculator applies the multiplier method (pain and suffering as a multiple of your medical bills), then does something the thin online calculators skip: it weighs how provable the owner's fault is. A spill the staff caused or knew about is worth far more than a hazard nobody can show the owner knew about. It then estimates your own comparative fault from a few plain questions and applies Utah's rules.
Proving the Owner Was at Fault
Premises liability has four parts: a dangerous condition existed, the owner knew or should have known about it, they failed to fix it or warn you, and that caused your injury. The middle part — notice — is where most slip-and-fall cases are won or lost. Strong evidence (an incident report, photos of the hazard, surveillance video, cleaning and maintenance logs, prior complaints) is what turns a claim from a token offer into real money. A posted warning sign or cone works against you: it shows the owner did warn, and it makes the hazard "open and obvious," shifting fault onto you.
Utah Premises-Liability Rules
Open-and-obvious hazards. In Utah, an open-and-obvious hazard is unsettled. Utah's open-and-obvious doctrine is a two-track (hybrid) rule, not a clean comparative-fault factor and not an absolute old-style bar. The Utah Supreme Court in Hale v. Beckstead, 2005 UT 24, 116 P.3d 263, adopted the 'open and obvious danger rule' as stated in Restatement (Second) of Torts sections 343 and 343A. Under that rule, a possessor of land owes NO DUTY for a danger that is known or obvious to the invitee UNLESS the possessor should anticipate the harm despite the obviousness (for example, where the invitee's attention may be distracted, or where the advantages of encountering the hazard would outweigh the apparent risk to a reasonable person). If the anticipation exception does not apply, the obviousness of the hazard defeats the duty entirely and the claim fails. The Court reaffirmed this framework in Coburn v. Whitaker Construction Co., 2019 UT 24, where it AFFIRMED summary judgment for the defendant on a no-duty basis because orange construction netting strung across a trail was an open and obvious danger. So obviousness can be outcome-determinative on duty (a complete defense) in the no-anticipation scenario, and only becomes a breach/comparative-fault question once a court finds the harm was anticipatable and duty survives. Because the result turns on which track applies, the doctrine is best described as mixed rather than a pure comparative factor.
Ice and snow. Utah applies an ordinary reasonable-care duty to ice and snow, so a poorly-maintained walkway can support a claim. Utah does NOT follow the no-duty 'natural accumulation rule' that immunizes landowners from naturally accumulated ice and snow (the Illinois/Ohio approach). A Utah possessor of land owes an ordinary reasonable-care duty to invitees under Restatement (Second) of Torts sections 343/343A (adopted in Hale v. Beckstead, 2005 UT 24), which includes keeping premises reasonably safe in winter conditions. Utah courts apply a 'reasonable time' approach: owners are generally allowed a reasonable period after a storm ends to clear or treat ice and snow before liability attaches, judged case-by-case on storm severity and property size/type. Sidewalk snow and ice removal duties are also frequently set by local ordinance (e.g., Salt Lake City and Provo require removal within a set time). Unnatural accumulations (e.g., from defective gutters or grading) more readily support liability.
Public property. If you fell on government property, Utah requires a formal notice of claim — often within about 365 days, much shorter than the normal deadline. Under the Governmental Immunity Act of Utah, a claim against a governmental entity (or against an employee for an act within the scope of duties) is barred unless a notice of claim is filed within one year after the claim arises, regardless of whether the claimant is under any legal disability. See Utah Code section 63G-7-402 (time for filing notice of claim), which incorporates the requirements of section 63G-7-401. Practical sequence: file the written notice of claim within ONE YEAR of the injury; the entity then has 60 days to approve or deny (deemed denied if it does not act), and suit must be commenced within one year after that denial (section 63G-7-403). The controlling pre-suit deadline a slip-and-fall victim must meet is the 1-year (365-day) notice of claim.
Your Fault & the Deadline to File
Utah follows modified comparative negligence (50% bar). Your award is reduced by your share of fault, and you recover nothing once you are 50% or more at fault.
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.
Utah generally requires a slip-and-fall lawsuit to be filed within 4 years of the fall (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. Source: Hale v. Beckstead, 2005 UT 24, 116 P.3d 263; Coburn v. Whitaker Constr. Co., 2019 UT 24 (open-and-obvious danger rule / Restatement (Second) of Torts secs. 343, 343A; reasonable-care duty to invitees including winter conditions); Utah Governmental Immunity Act, Utah Code secs. 63G-7-401 to -403 (1-year notice of claim); comparative-negligence 50% bar, Utah Code sec. 78B-5-818; personal-injury statute of limitations 4 years, Utah Code sec. 78B-2-307..
- Open-and-obvious is a TWO-TRACK rule in Utah: under Hale v. Beckstead (2005 UT 24) and Coburn v. Whitaker Construction (2019 UT 24), the state applies Restatement (Second) of Torts secs. 343/343A, so an open and obvious hazard means the owner owes NO DUTY unless it should have anticipated the harm despite the obviousness. Obviousness can defeat the claim entirely (as it did in Coburn) and only becomes a comparative-fault question when duty survives.
- No natural-accumulation immunity: Utah owners owe an ordinary reasonable-care duty to invitees, including a reasonable time after a storm ends to clear ice and snow. Many cities (e.g., Salt Lake City, Provo) set sidewalk snow-removal deadlines by ordinance.
- Falls on STATE or MUNICIPAL property: you must file a formal NOTICE OF CLAIM within ONE YEAR of the injury under the Governmental Immunity Act (Utah Code sec. 63G-7-402) before you can sue; miss it and the claim is barred.
- Utah is a modified-comparative-negligence (50% bar) state: if you are found 50% or more at fault for your own fall, you recover nothing (Utah Code sec. 78B-5-818).
- The general personal-injury statute of limitations for a slip-and-fall is 4 years (Utah Code sec. 78B-2-307), but the 1-year governmental notice-of-claim deadline controls and comes first when a public entity is the defendant.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is my Utah slip and fall claim worth?
No one can tell you a number in advance, and slip-and-fall is harder than a car accident because you must prove the owner was at fault. A rough estimate adds your economic damages and a pain-and-suffering multiplier, discounts it by how provable the owner's fault is, and reduces it for your share of fault under Utah's modified comparative negligence (50% bar) rule. The available insurance also caps recovery — an attorney is the only way to value your specific case.
Does a "wet floor" sign hurt my Utah claim?
Yes, usually. A posted warning shows the owner satisfied part of their duty to warn and makes the hazard "open and obvious," which shifts fault onto you. In Utah, an open-and-obvious hazard is unsettled. It reduces — and sometimes defeats — a claim, but not always (a hidden or inadequate sign may not help the owner).
Can I sue for a fall on ice or snow in Utah?
Utah applies an ordinary reasonable-care duty to ice and snow, so a poorly-maintained or unaddressed icy walkway can support a claim, subject to your own comparative fault. This is general information, not legal advice — consult a Utah attorney.
How long do I have to file in Utah?
Generally 4 years from the fall. If you fell on public property, a much shorter notice-of-claim deadline (around 365 days) applies first. 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. Slip-and-fall outcomes vary enormously and depend on proving fault and on the available insurance. Treat any number here as a ballpark and consult a Utah 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 slip-and-fall claim can only be assessed by a licensed attorney reviewing your specific facts.