What Documents Do I Need for My Injury Claim in Utah?

Short answer: Start with what you already have: the crash report number, your photos, the other driver's information, your own insurance policy, and every medical bill and insurance letter that arrives. You do not need a complete file before you call a lawyer. What matters most in the first weeks is keeping evidence from disappearing, because video gets recorded over, witnesses become hard to reach, and receipts get thrown away. The checklist below explains what each item proves and where to get it.

The crash

The crash report. The officer's report identifies the drivers and vehicles and records what the officer saw, and adjusters usually read it early. Our guide on how to get a Utah crash report explains where to request yours.
Photos and video. Pictures of the vehicles, the scene, traffic signals, debris, and your injuries show what a written description cannot. Keep the original files on your phone, back them up somewhere else, and keep photographing bruises and cuts as they change.
Dashcam and doorbell video. Footage from your own dashcam, a neighbor's doorbell camera, or a nearby store's security system can settle an argument about fault, but many systems record over old footage automatically. Download the original file instead of filming the screen, write down where each camera is, ask the owners right away to save the clip, and tell us about cameras early so a written preservation request can go out.
Witness names and numbers. A name and a phone number are enough. Independent witnesses have no stake in the outcome, and they are much harder to track down months later.
The other driver's information. Name, phone number, address, license plate, vehicle description, driver license number, and insurance company and policy number. A photo of the insurance card and the license plate is the quickest way to capture it.

Insurance

Your policy's declarations page. This short summary lists your coverages and limits: personal injury protection (PIP), uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage (UM/UIM), and medical payments coverage if you bought it. Utah's PIP statute sets a medical minimum of $3,000 per person (Utah Code § 31A-22-307), and your policy may carry more. Download it from your insurer's app or website, or ask your agent for a copy.
Claim numbers. Each insurer opens its own file: your PIP claim, the other driver's liability claim, and often a separate property damage claim. Write down every claim number with the adjuster's name, phone, and email.
Every letter or email from any insurer. Keep denial letters, payment explanations, requests for statements, and the envelopes they came in. These papers show what has been paid, what has been asked of you, and any dates you need to meet. If English is not your first language, read our page on talking to the insurance company with an interpreter.

Under Utah's PIP system, your own auto policy, or the policy on the car you were riding in, usually pays first for medical bills and part of your lost income, whoever was at fault. Our article Is Utah a no-fault state? walks through how that works.

Medical

Medical records. Records from the emergency room, urgent care, your primary doctor, chiropractic care, physical therapy, imaging, and specialists connect your injuries to the crash. Each provider's records office can give you copies, or we can request them for you.
Itemized bills. A balance-due statement is not enough. Ask each billing office for an itemized statement that lists every charge, date of service, and payment. Our page on who pays medical bills after a car accident explains which coverage each bill should go to first.
Prescriptions and receipts. Keep pharmacy printouts and receipts for braces, crutches, over-the-counter medicine, and other out-of-pocket costs.
Mileage to appointments. For each visit, note the date, the place, the round-trip miles, and any parking fee.
A list of treatment dates. One page showing every visit makes your care easy to follow. If there were weeks you could not go, write down why; our article on gaps in medical treatment explains why insurers look for breaks in care.

PIP paperwork and household help

The PIP application. Your PIP insurer will send an application and related forms. Fill them out promptly and keep a copy of everything you send, with the date. Benefits become overdue if the insurer does not pay within 30 days after it receives reasonable proof of the expense (§ 31A-22-309(5)), so your copies show when the clock started.
Household help others did for you. PIP includes an allowance of up to $20 a day, for up to 365 days, for household services you would have done yourself but could not because of the injury (§ 31A-22-307(1)(b)(ii)). Keep a simple log of who helped, with what, and on which days: cooking, cleaning, laundry, yard work, shopping. Our guide on how to file a PIP claim in Utah covers the application and this benefit step by step.

Work and money

Pay stubs. Recent stubs from before the crash show your pay rate and usual hours.
A letter from your employer. A short letter on company letterhead giving your job title, pay rate, normal schedule, and the dates you missed is often the clearest proof of lost time.
Tax returns. Returns from recent years help show what you earn, especially if you are self-employed, paid in cash, or work irregular hours.
PTO and sick days used. If you used paid time off or sick leave to cover missed work, keep the records that show which days. Ask your attorney how that time is counted in your claim.

PIP pays the lesser of $250 a week or 85% of lost gross income, for up to 52 consecutive weeks (§ 31A-22-307(1)(b)(i)). If you do not have a Social Security number, read whether you need one to make an injury claim.

Daily life

A journal of pain and limits. A few lines a day about pain, sleep, and what you could not do, such as lifting your child, finishing a shift, or sitting through a movie, captures details that medical charts leave out. Keep it short, plain, and accurate.
Photos of your recovery. Casts, stitches, bruising, and equipment at home show what the months after the crash looked like.
Missed events. Calendar entries for canceled trips, missed games, or classes you dropped show the effect on your life. Our page on damages in Utah personal injury cases explains how these losses are proven.

Property damage

Repair estimates and the final repair bill, or the total-loss valuation if the car was totaled.
Rental car receipts, plus towing and storage bills.
Damaged personal items such as a child car seat, a phone, or glasses, with receipts or photos.

A claim for damage to your vehicle has four years to be filed under Utah Code § 78B-2-307(3), and most injury claims also have four years under § 78B-2-307(4). Claims against a government entity have a much shorter notice deadline. See the Utah personal injury statute of limitations.

If a family member died

The death certificate. Certified copies are usually ordered through the funeral home or the state vital records office.
Funeral and burial bills. PIP includes funeral, burial, or cremation benefits of up to $1,500 per person and a $3,000 death benefit payable to the heirs (§ 31A-22-307(1)(c) and (d)).

A wrongful death claim has a shorter filing deadline than most injury claims, so do not wait to gather these.

Communications

A call log. For every call with an adjuster, note the date, the person's name, and what was said.
Texts and emails about the crash, including any messages with the other driver.
Requests for a recorded statement. Write down who asked and when. Before agreeing to one with the other driver's insurer, read whether you should give a recorded statement.

What not to do

Don't sign a release or a medical authorization the other driver's insurer sends without advice. A release usually ends the entire claim, including future treatment. A broad authorization can let the insurer collect years of medical history that has nothing to do with the crash.
Don't post about the crash or your injuries. Photos, check-ins, and comments on social media can be taken out of context. Ask friends and family not to post about it or tag you either.
Don't throw papers away. Something that looks unimportant today can matter later. One folder, or one album on your phone, is enough.

Common questions

What if I don't have most of these?

That is normal right after a crash. Many of these records come from providers, employers, and insurers, and your attorney can request them. Call even if your file is thin.

Should I send my documents to the insurance company myself?

Your own PIP insurer needs bills and proof of lost wages to pay benefits. Before you send records or signed forms to the other driver's insurer, talk with your attorney.

Talk with us

Bring what you have to a free consultation, and our legal team will help you work out what is missing. An attorney reviews every case at the start. Call (801) 921-5134 or send us a message.

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