Hurt in Utah but Live Somewhere Else? How We Handle Your Case Remotely

Short answer: If you were hurt in Utah, your claim is usually handled in Utah, under Utah's deadlines, even after you go home. You do not have to move here or keep flying back to pursue it. We handle out-of-state clients by phone and video, send documents for e-signature, keep you updated by text and phone at least monthly, and collect records from the doctors who treat you where you live.

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Why a Utah injury stays a Utah claim

People are injured in Utah every day who do not live here: skiers, national park visitors, people driving through on I-15 or I-80, students, and workers on temporary jobs. When you get home, it is natural to assume you should hire someone local. But the claim is tied to where it happened.

In most cases, a claim over a crash or fall in Utah is decided under Utah's rules on fault and damages, and if a lawsuit becomes necessary, it is generally filed in a Utah court, where the defendant and the evidence usually are. That is a general rule, not an absolute one. Which state's law governs a particular issue can depend on the facts, and your own insurance policy may be read under the law of the state where it was issued. We sort that out at the start. If the person who injured you was the visitor instead of you, our separate guide on crashes with out-of-state drivers covers that angle.

The Utah deadlines that apply to you

Living elsewhere does not pause the clock.

Some claims, such as wrongful death and product claims, have shorter limits. See our Utah statute of limitations guide. The one-year government notice is the deadline out-of-state clients most often miss, because it is easy to assume you have plenty of time.

How we work with you from another state

The consultation

Your first conversation can be by phone or video. It is free, and an attorney reviews every case at intake. You can send photos, the crash report number and insurance letters by text or email before we talk. See Free Consultations by Phone, Video or In Person.

Signing

If you hire us, the agreement and medical authorizations can be signed electronically. No printer, no scanner, no trip to Utah.

Staying in touch across time zones

• You will hear from us at least once a month, every month.
• Calls are returned within 24 hours, usually the same day.
• You can text us: we have a general text line, and the people working on your file have individual lines. Texting helps when you are an hour or two off Mountain Time.
• Every client can reach someone who speaks Spanish.

We record our calls. We tell every client that plainly. It means the details you give us from a thousand miles away get summarized into your file accurately and acted on quickly, without you having to repeat them.

The insurance companies

Once you sign, we handle all communication with the insurance companies, including the Utah adjusters. You stop fielding calls from a carrier in another state.

Getting medical care back home

Treat where you live. You do not need a Utah doctor to have a Utah claim. What matters is that you get care, follow it through, and that the records connect your symptoms to the injury.

• Tell every provider how you were hurt. "Car crash in Utah on [date]" in the chart does a lot of work later.
• Keep a list. Every clinic, hospital, therapist and pharmacy, in both states. We use it to request records and itemized bills from each one.
• Do not leave gaps. A break in treatment is often read by adjusters as recovery. If travel, cost or scheduling is getting in the way, tell us.
• Keep receipts for travel to treatment and for anything else the injury cost you. See damages in Utah injury cases.

Who pays the bills in the meantime

That depends on your coverage. If you have a Utah auto policy, Personal Injury Protection pays first, with at least $3,000 in medical benefits (Utah Code 31A-22-307). If your policy was issued in another state, it may carry its own medical payments or no-fault benefits under that state's rules. Your health insurance may also pay and then seek repayment from the settlement. Whether Utah's no-fault threshold for pain-and-suffering claims (Utah Code 31A-22-309(1)) applies to you depends on the coverage you have, which is one of the first things we check. Our guides on Utah's no-fault rules and medical liens go further.

Will I ever have to come back to Utah?

Most claims settle without a lawsuit, and a settled claim can usually be handled entirely from where you live. If a case is filed, there may be events where your presence matters, such as a deposition or trial. When that happens, we plan it with you well in advance. We are a boutique firm, battle-ready: we build every file so the insurer knows we are prepared to file if it will not be reasonable, and that preparation includes thinking early about what a lawsuit would ask of you.

If you live outside the United States

Visitors from Canada, Europe, Asia and Australia are hurt in Utah every year, often in a rental car, on a guided tour or near a national park. Living in another country does not change the basics on this page. What happened in Utah is usually decided under Utah law and Utah's deadlines, and you do not need to be a U.S. citizen or resident to bring a claim.

Your travel insurance or health plan at home

A Utah emergency room bills in U.S. dollars, and the bills often reach you after you are home. If your travel insurance, a credit card's travel coverage or your home country's health plan paid any of them, it may expect to be repaid from your settlement, the same way a U.S. health insurer does. Send us the policy and every letter the insurer sends you, so those claims are counted from the start. See medical liens.

Rental cars

Most international visitors are driving a rental. Keep the rental agreement and the receipt. If you bought liability or personal accident coverage at the counter, that coverage may be part of your claim, and the agreement shows us what you have. Our guide to rental car accidents in Utah explains whose insurance pays.

Tours, waivers and the national parks

Jeep tours, ATV rentals, horseback rides and river trips usually start with a signed release. Utah courts often enforce those releases for ordinary negligence. In 2025 a federal court in Utah held that a release signed for the Easter Jeep Safari in Moab barred the injured person's negligence claims (Neumann v. Red Rock 4-Wheelers).

A release still has limits. In a horseback case at Sundance, the rider's release barred her ordinary negligence claims, but her gross negligence claim went forward (Penunuri v. Sundance Partners, 2013 UT 22). A release also protects only the businesses it clearly covers, so it does not protect another driver who hits your tour vehicle on the highway. Keep a copy of anything you signed. Our guides to ATV and UTV accidents and Moab car accidents go further.

If a National Park Service employee or a federal vehicle caused the injury, the claim is against the United States under the Federal Tort Claims Act, and a written claim must be presented to the agency within two years (28 U.S.C. 2401(b)). Tour companies and other private businesses in and around the parks are not the federal government, so the Utah deadlines above apply to them.

Working with us from abroad

The consultation can be by video, documents are signed electronically, and email works across any time difference. We work in English and Spanish. The short summaries in German, French and Chinese at the end of this page are for orientation only; consultations are in English or Spanish.

What to do now if you have already gone home

1. Write down what you remember about the incident, while it is fresh.
2. Gather what you have: photos, the police or incident report number, the other party's insurance, and any letters from insurers.
3. Keep treating, and keep a provider list.
4. Do not give a recorded statement to the other side's insurer before getting advice. See recorded statements in Utah.
5. Do not sign a release or cash a settlement check without knowing what it ends.
6. Call us.

Common questions

Can a Utah lawyer represent me if I live in another state?

Yes. The claim is about what happened in Utah. Your home address does not change that, and we work with clients remotely from start to finish.

How long do I have to file?

Four years for most Utah injury claims, and a one-year notice of claim if a government entity is involved. Some claims are shorter, so do not wait.

Can I bring a claim if I am not a U.S. citizen?

Yes. A visitor hurt in Utah can bring a claim the same way a resident can, under the same deadlines. We work with clients abroad by video, email and e-signature.

What does it cost?

Our fee is one-third of the recovery. We advance the case costs, and they are repaid from the recovery. You pay nothing up front, and no attorney fees unless we win.

Who will handle my case?

An attorney reviews every case at intake and approves every demand and settlement. See Who Works on Your Case.

Hurt in Utah and back home now? Call (801) 921-5134 or contact our legal team for a phone or video consultation. Free consultation. No attorney fees unless we win. Hablamos Español.

Short summaries in other languages