Taylorsville Pedestrian Accident Lawyer

Much of Taylorsville was built around wide arterial roads, and people on foot have to cross them. Students walk between Salt Lake Community College's Taylorsville Redwood Campus at 4600 South Redwood Road, nearby housing and bus stops. Shoppers cross 5400 South between parking lots. Transit riders walk to Midvalley Express stations along 4700 South. On multi-lane roads built to move cars, a driver scanning for a gap instead of a person can do terrible damage.

Insurers usually open with the same explanation: the pedestrian darted out, was on a phone, or was not in a crosswalk. Utah law protects people on foot more than that story suggests, and on busy commercial roads there is often camera footage that settles what happened, if someone asks for it in time.

Unmarked Crosswalks Count

Utah's traffic code defines a crosswalk to include the part of an intersection between the extended sidewalk lines, painted or not (Utah Code § 41-6a-102). A driver must slow or stop for someone crossing in a crosswalk on the driver's half of the road, must come to a full stop when a school crosswalk is occupied, and may not pass a vehicle that has stopped for a pedestrian (§ 41-6a-1002).

Away from an intersection or marked crossing, the pedestrian has to yield (§ 41-6a-1003(1)), and between two signalized intersections crossing is limited to marked crosswalks. A mid-block crossing still leaves room for a claim against a driver who was speeding or distracted; our pedestrian guide explains how fault gets divided. For statewide crash figures and Utah crosswalk law, see our Utah pedestrian accident lawyer page.

Which Insurance Pays

Several policies can apply to one pedestrian crash:

• The at-fault driver's liability coverage, which pays for losses beyond your early medical bills once Utah's injury threshold is met.
• Your own auto policy's PIP, which can cover early medical bills and part of lost wages even though you were on foot, depending on who the policy covers. The no-fault guide explains how PIP works.

If the driver was uninsured, underinsured or drove away, your own uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage may pay. If the vehicle never touched you, Utah requires clear and convincing proof that it existed, and your own testimony alone is not enough (§ 31A-22-305(6)).

Fault Percentages and Filing Deadlines

Your award is cut by your percentage of fault, and you recover nothing unless the defendants' combined fault is greater than yours (§ 78B-5-818). Most pedestrian injury suits have a four-year deadline, but if a UTA bus, a city or county vehicle, or a road or signal problem played a part, a notice of claim is due within one year. Our deadlines page lists the exceptions.

Taylorsville Streets Where Walkers Are Exposed

Redwood Road (SR-68), a multi-lane state route through the length of the city, lined with businesses, bus stops and SLCC's Redwood campus. 4700 South, where the Midvalley Express runs in dedicated lanes and riders cross to and from stations, including the stop at the Taylorsville State Office Building. 5400 South, a retail corridor full of driveways and wide crossings. The I-215 interchanges at Redwood Road and 4700 South, where drivers coming off the freeway meet crosswalks. The signals with the most recorded pedestrian crashes are ranked on our Taylorsville dangerous intersections page.

Crashes on city streets are investigated by the Taylorsville Police Department, which the city formed in 2021 after leaving Unified Police; the Utah Highway Patrol covers I-215. Our Taylorsville car accident page explains how local crash reports feed into a claim.

How Pedestrian Crashes Happen Here

Left-turning drivers watching oncoming traffic instead of the crosswalk, drivers turning right on red who look only left, drivers crossing sidewalks as they leave parking lots, drivers passing a car that stopped for someone crossing, speed on wide roads, phone use, and poor visibility on winter evenings when the commute happens after dark.

Injuries to People on Foot

Leg and pelvic fractures where the bumper strikes, head injuries from the hood, windshield or pavement, spinal injuries, and broken arms, wrists and shoulders from the fall. Under Utah Code § 31A-22-309, a bone fracture alone is enough to bring a claim for general damages against the driver. Severe injuries from the Taylorsville area are commonly treated at Intermountain Medical Center in Murray, a Level I trauma center.

Damages You Can Claim

• Money losses: past and future medical care, missed wages, and reduced ability to earn.
• Non-economic harm: pain, emotional distress and the everyday activities the injury took from you.
• Permanent-injury care: therapy, equipment and help at home when an injury will not fully heal.
• Wrongful death damages: when a family has lost someone. Our wrongful death guide explains who can bring that claim.

What the Adjuster Will Say

Expect "came out of nowhere," "wasn't in the crosswalk," "dark clothes" or "looking at a phone," often followed by an early offer. Signal timing, crosswalk markings, street lighting and video from nearby businesses can answer those points, but recordings are routinely overwritten, so preservation requests need to go out quickly. For other injuries we handle in the city, see our Taylorsville personal injury page.