Lindon Car Accident Lawyer

Located just below Mount Timpanogos, Lindon City is about 45 minutes south of Salt Lake. Known for its many outdoor recreation activities and countless trails, Lindon is both a popular place to live, and one of the cities that those who live in Orem or Provo may drive through on a daily basis on their commute to downtown SLC; both State Street and I-15 pass directly through Lindon.

While Lindon may be a gorgeous and wholesome place to call home, it sees its fair share of car accidents, some of which are incredibly serious, or even deadly. At the law offices of Christensen & Hymas, our legal team can help you and your family understand your options if you have been harmed in Lindon or surrounding areas. Call our Lindon, UT car accident lawyers today to schedule your free consultation.

Lindon Car Accidents – Freeway Crashes and Other Common Collision Types

Due to the fact that I-15 passes right through Lindon, as stated above, some of the most common accidents that occur within the city’s boundaries are freeway crashes. And it goes without saying that crashes that happen on the freeway, where speeds can reach 65 miles per hour and above, are the most deadly. Even when traffic is traveling slowly due to congestion, sideswipe crashes and rear-end collisions–two of the most common accident types–can be costly.

But freeway accidents aren’t the only types of motor vehicle collisions that occur in Lindon. Accidents on State Street, particularly at intersections, also occur, as do accidents on the many smaller roads and neighborhood streets throughout the city.

Injuries from a Lindon Car Accident

A car accident can result in a number of different injury types, with severity being based on things like the speed at which vehicles are traveling, the angle of impact (i.e. head on collisions are much more deadly than are rear-end crashes), and the use of seatbelts. The range of injuries is vast, with potential injury types including:

• Traumatic brain injuries (TBI);
• Spinal cord injuries;
• Back and neck injuries;
• Soft tissue injuries;
• Bruises and lacerations;
• Internal injuries;
• Facial injuries; and
• Psychological injuries.

In addition to injuries, the victim of a car accident may also suffer medical expenses, lost wages, and property damage expenses.

Filing a Claim for Damages Incurred in a Car Accident

After a car accident, there are two different types of claims that you may file in order to recover compensation for your car accident: a first-party liability claim and a third-party liability claim. A first-party claim is a claim that is filed with your own car insurance company; a third-party liability claim is a claim that is filed against the insurance company of the other driver involved in the collision.

In some cases, you may very well file both a first-party and third-party claim. This is because Utah law requires drivers to turn to their own insurance company first after an accident, but also requires all drivers to carry liability insurance to help pay for damages they cause to others. To be specific, drivers are required to carry $3,000 in Personal Injury Protection (PIP) benefits – if you are injured, you must file a claim with your insurance company first and exhaust the $3,000 before you can file a claim with the other driver. This is often referred to as a “no-fault” system.

But all drivers must also carry liability insurance in the amounts of $25,000 in bodily injury coverage per person, $65,000 in bodily injury coverage per accident, and $15,000 in property damage coverage, which is often expressed as 25/65/15. After you have exhausted your PIP benefits, you can seek compensation through the at-fault driver’s liability insurance.

Of course, in order to receive compensation from the insurance policy of the other driver, you will have to prove that the other driver was at-fault for your crash and related damages. In order to determine this, the car insurance adjuster of the company against which you’re filing a claim will investigate your case. It is strongly advised that you hire a car accident attorney who can open a separate investigation in your crash in order to determine fault and begin to build your claim.

Comparative Negligence

It’s very possible that fault is disputed in your accident (which is one of the many reasons to hire an experienced car accident attorney), or that it’s determined that fault is shared. If fault is shared, Utah’s law of comparative negligence will apply. This rule holds that an injured party can recover compensation from another party if they are less than 50 percent at fault for the crash, but are barred from recovering compensation from another party if they are 50 percent or more at fault for a collision. What’s more, a claimant’s damages award will be reduced in proportion to their degree of fault. For example, if you are found to be 15 percent at fault for the crash, then the value of the amount of damages that you have suffered will be reduced by 15 percent (i.e. if you suffered $100,000 in damages, you will only be able to recover $85,000 from the other party).

Working with a Skilled Car Accident Lawyer in Lindon

The law surrounding car accidents and the claims process can be confusing, and if you have been seriously injured in a Lindon crash, the last thing that you want to have to worry about is sifting through the complexities in order to figure out how much you’re owed, and how to get it. At the law offices of Christensen & Hymas, our skilled car accident attorneys serving Lindon can help you. We work hard to investigate your case, build your claim, determine the value of your case, and negotiate for a fair settlement amount. We don’t back down when things get tough, and aren’t intimidated by insurance adjusters or the prospect of litigation.

To learn more, please call us today and request your free case review. You can also contact us online at your convenience.