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Utah pedestrian accident settlements skew higher than ordinary car claims because a person on foot has no protection from a vehicle. Two Utah features shape these cases: pedestrians are covered by no-fault PIP (your own auto policy pays first, even though you were walking), and the injuries are usually severe enough to clear the $3,000 tort threshold and open a full claim against the driver. Utah has no caps on compensatory damages, but the 50% comparative fault bar is a real risk because insurers argue the pedestrian jaywalked or darted out.
Key facts at a glance
Utah Pedestrian Accident Settlement Values (2026)
Last updated
- Minor injuries
- $10,000 to $75,000 for sprains, soft tissue, and small fractures.
- Moderate to severe
- $75,000 to $750,000 for broken bones, internal injuries, and traumatic brain injury.
- Catastrophic
- Spinal cord injury $1,000,000 to $25,000,000+; severe TBI needing lifelong care $800,000 to $15,000,000+.
- Wrongful death
- $500,000 to $2,000,000+, limited in practice by available insurance, not by any Utah cap.
- Pedestrians get PIP
- Covered by no-fault PIP ($3,000 min); your own auto policy first, the striking vehicle only if you have none (§ 31A-22-308). Sue the driver once bills top $3,000 or a bone breaks (§ 31A-22-309).
- Yield law + 50% bar
- Drivers must yield to pedestrians in crosswalks (§ 41-6a-1002); recovery barred at 50%+ fault (§ 78B-5-818); 4-year deadline (§ 78B-2-307), but 1-year notice against a city or UTA bus.
Source: SetCalc analysis of Utah and national pedestrian injury data, Utah Highway Safety Office and UDOT crash statistics, and Utah statutes, 2020-2026. Settlement ranges reflect national pedestrian data applied within Utah's legal framework. Get your free Utah pedestrian accident settlement estimate →
Typical Pedestrian Accident Settlement Amounts in Utah
Pedestrian settlements span a wide range because the injuries do, but they cluster higher than car-occupant claims. Nationally, the average pedestrian settlement is about $67,500 with a median near $30,000, and the median is the more honest "typical" number because a handful of catastrophic cases pull the average up. In Utah, the more severe the injury, the more the state's no-cap rule works in the victim's favor, since pain and suffering can scale without a statutory ceiling.
The biggest threat to a Utah pedestrian claim is not the injury value, it is the 50% comparative fault bar. Insurers know that if they can pin half the blame on the pedestrian (jaywalking, crossing against a signal, dark clothing at night), the claim collapses entirely. Protecting the liability picture is therefore as important as documenting the injuries. For the national baseline, see our pedestrian accident settlement calculator.
Utah Pedestrian Settlement Ranges by Injury Severity
The severity of your injury is the single biggest factor in your Utah pedestrian accident settlement value. Because there are no damage caps, the recovery is driven by the injury, the clarity of the driver's liability, and the insurance available (the driver's policy plus your own UM/UIM coverage).
| Severity Tier | UT Settlement Range | Typical Injuries & Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Minor | $10,000 - $75,000 | Sprains, soft tissue, small fractures; usually still clears the $3,000 threshold to sue the driver |
| Moderate | $75,000 - $200,000 | Broken bones, lacerations, concussion; the bone-fracture threshold makes these full liability claims |
| Severe | $200,000 - $750,000 | Multiple fractures, internal injuries, moderate to severe TBI; value often exceeds a minimum-limits driver's policy |
| Catastrophic | $500,000 - $25,000,000+ | Spinal cord injury/paralysis $1,000,000 to $25,000,000+; severe TBI needing lifelong care $800,000 to $15,000,000+; amputation $500,000 to $8,000,000+ |
| Wrongful Death | $500,000 - $2,000,000+ | Heirs recover economic support and loss of companionship; no Utah cap, so recovery is usually limited by insurance |
Source: SetCalc analysis of Utah and national pedestrian injury data, 2021-2026. For national ranges, see our pedestrian accident settlement calculator. For brain-injury values, see our TBI settlement calculator, and for Utah car-occupant values see the Utah car accident settlement calculator.
Lower End Factors (Utah)
- • Shared fault (crossing outside a crosswalk, against a signal)
- • At-fault driver carries only minimum 30/65/25 coverage
- • Quick recovery with conservative treatment
- • Rural Utah county with a smaller jury pool
- • No independent witnesses or camera footage
Higher End Factors (Utah)
- • Pedestrian lawfully in a marked crosswalk
- • Driver speeding, turning, distracted, or impaired
- • Permanent injury or disfigurement (no caps in Utah)
- • Strong UM/UIM coverage behind a low-limits driver
- • Salt Lake County or Utah County venue
Get Your Utah Pedestrian Accident Settlement Estimate
Do Pedestrians Get PIP in Utah? (Yes, and Whose Policy Pays)
One of the most useful things to know after being struck on foot in Utah is that no-fault PIP covers you even though you were not in a car. PIP follows the person, so it can pay your first medical bills quickly, regardless of who was at fault.
Whose PIP Pays: Your Own Policy First
Utah Code § 31A-22-308 defines who PIP covers, the named insured, resident relatives, and other people injured as pedestrians, so in practice the coverage applies in this order:
- Your own auto policy's PIP, if you own an insured vehicle, applies to you as a pedestrian
- If you do not own a vehicle, a resident household member's PIP applies next
- Only if neither exists does the striking vehicle's PIP cover you
Utah's PIP minimum is $3,000 per person with no deductible, and it pays regardless of fault. PIP also covers a portion of lost wages and certain household services.
The $3,000 Tort Threshold (Utah Code § 31A-22-309)
PIP is only the first layer. To pursue the at-fault driver for full damages, including pain and suffering, you must cross Utah's tort threshold, which is met by any one of the following: medical expenses over $3,000, a bone fracture, permanent disability, permanent impairment, permanent disfigurement, or death. A pedestrian struck by a vehicle almost always meets this threshold, frequently through a fracture alone, so most Utah pedestrian claims proceed as full liability claims.
If the Driver Is Uninsured or Flees
In a hit-and-run, or when the driver is uninsured, your own uninsured motorist (UM) coverage steps in, and underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage fills the gap when a low-limits driver's policy runs out. Because serious pedestrian injuries routinely exceed Utah's 30/65/25 minimums, UM/UIM coverage is often the difference between a partial and a full recovery, even though only about 6.2 percent of Utah drivers are uninsured.
Check Your Own Auto Policy Even Though You Were Walking
Utah Crosswalk Law and How Fault Is Decided
Fault in a Utah pedestrian case usually turns on the crosswalk and yield rules. Under the 50% bar, the difference between 40% and 50% fault is the difference between a reduced recovery and nothing at all, so these rules matter enormously.
Driver Duty to Yield (Utah Code § 41-6a-1002)
A driver must yield the right-of-way, slowing down or stopping if necessary, to a pedestrian in a crosswalk on the driver's half of the roadway or approaching closely from the other half. At occupied school crosswalks, drivers must come to a complete stop. And no vehicle may overtake and pass another vehicle that is stopped to let a pedestrian cross, a rule that protects against the deadly "multiple threat" crash on multi-lane roads.
Pedestrian Duties (Utah Code § 41-6a-1003 and the Sudden-Dart Rule)
Pedestrians have obligations too. Crossing outside a marked or unmarked crosswalk means yielding the right-of-way to vehicles, and pedestrians may not cross between adjacent signalized intersections except in a marked crosswalk. The sudden-dart rule (§ 41-6a-1002) bars a pedestrian from suddenly leaving a curb into the path of a vehicle that is too close to yield. Insurers lean on these duties to build a comparative-fault argument.
How Insurers Push Your Fault to 50%
Expect the insurer to argue you were jaywalking, crossing against the signal, wearing dark clothing at night, or looking at your phone. Each argument is aimed at the 50% line. Countering it with crosswalk photos, signal timing, witness accounts, and evidence of driver speed, distraction, or impairment is the core of protecting a Utah pedestrian claim. See our Utah comparative negligence explainer.
Being Struck in a Crosswalk Is Not an Automatic Win
Utah Laws That Affect Your Pedestrian Claim
No Caps on Compensatory Damages
Utah does not cap economic or non-economic damages in ordinary injury cases. The only compensatory cap, $450,000 on non-economic damages under Utah Code § 78B-3-410, applies to medical malpractice, not pedestrian crashes. For a severely injured pedestrian, the absence of a pain-and-suffering ceiling is a major advantage; the practical limit is the available insurance.
Statute of Limitations: 4 Years (Utah Code § 78B-2-307)
You have 4 years from the accident to file a personal injury lawsuit, one of the most generous deadlines in the country, and 2 years for wrongful death (§ 78B-2-304). See our Utah statute of limitations page for the full picture.
Government Vehicles: 1-Year Notice of Claim
If the vehicle that struck you was a city car, school bus, or UTA transit bus, the Governmental Immunity Act requires a formal notice of claim within 1 year (Utah Code § 63G-7-402), far shorter than the general 4-year window. UTA's own claims page confirms this deadline. Missing it can bar an otherwise strong claim, so identify any government involvement immediately.
Liability Minimums: 30/65/25 (Effective 2025)
Utah raised its minimum liability limits to $30,000 per person and $65,000 per accident for bodily injury, plus $25,000 property damage, effective January 1, 2025. A serious pedestrian injury exhausts these limits quickly, which is why your own UM/UIM coverage is so often the key to a full recovery.
Utah Pedestrian Crash Data
Pedestrian deaths are a large and rising share of Utah traffic fatalities. These figures come from the Utah Highway Safety Office and UDOT/DPS crash reporting.
43
Pedestrians killed on Utah roads in 2024, up from 40 in 2023
~16%
Share of Utah road deaths that are pedestrians over 2020-2024, though only 1.15% of all crashes
219
Pedestrian fatalities in Utah, 2020-2024, across 4,477 pedestrian-involved crashes
Where and When Crashes Happen
Danger concentrates in the urban Wasatch Front counties (Salt Lake, Utah, Davis, Weber) and on wide, high-speed arterials such as State Street and Redwood Road. UDOT has flagged the State Street and 4500 South intersection in Murray among the worst in the state. Utah pedestrian crashes peak from September through November and cluster between 2 and 7 p.m., and nationally more than 75 percent of pedestrian deaths occur after dark.
Who Is at Risk
From 2020 through 2024, 43 percent of pedestrians involved in Utah crashes were 24 or younger, and 63 percent were male. Alcohol was a factor for a meaningful share of those killed. These patterns matter in a claim because insurers use a pedestrian's own impairment or conduct to argue comparative fault under the 50% bar.
Source: Utah Highway Safety Office 2026 Problem Identification, UDOT/DPS statewide fatality reporting (2024), and GHSA/NHTSA national data. The 2024 figures are preliminary as reported by UDOT and DPS.
How to Maximize Your Utah Pedestrian Accident Settlement
These five steps are tailored to Utah pedestrian claims, where PIP, the tort threshold, and the 50% fault bar all come into play.
Get Emergency Care and Open a PIP Claim
Always get evaluated at the ER after being struck; internal injuries and concussions are easy to miss and their documentation drives value. Open a PIP claim immediately, starting with your own auto policy if you own an insured vehicle, so your first $3,000 in bills is paid regardless of fault.
Key point: A documented bone fracture usually clears the tort threshold by itself, opening a full claim against the driver for pain and suffering.
Call Police and Get the Official Utah Crash Report
Call 911 and make sure an officer responds and documents the scene, the driver's statements, and a fault assessment. In a 50% bar state, an officer's finding that you were lawfully in a crosswalk is powerful evidence.
Key point: If you are transported before the report is complete, follow up to obtain it and confirm your account is reflected accurately.
Preserve Crosswalk and Camera Evidence Fast
Photograph the crosswalk, signals, lighting, and point of impact. Identify witnesses and look for nearby traffic, doorbell, or business cameras before footage is overwritten, often within days.
Key point: Video showing you had the walk signal, or the driver turning without looking, is the strongest possible counter to a comparative-fault argument.
Identify Any Government Vehicle Immediately
If a city vehicle, school bus, or UTA transit bus was involved, the 1-year notice of claim deadline under the Governmental Immunity Act applies. Determine the responsible entity early so the short deadline is not missed.
Key point: Government claims have strict procedural rules; this is a situation where early legal help pays for itself.
Do Not Give a Recorded Statement or Accept a Quick Offer
You are not required to give the driver's insurer a recorded statement. Adjusters ask questions designed to shift fault to you, and early offers are typically far below fair value because pedestrian injuries are severe.
Key point: Check whether your settlement offer is fair before signing anything.
Utah Pedestrian Accident Settlement Examples
These realistic examples reflect Utah-specific factors: PIP coverage for pedestrians, the $3,000 tort threshold, the 50% comparative fault bar, and no damage caps. They are illustrations, not guarantees.
Example 1: Ankle Fracture in a Marked Crosswalk in Salt Lake City
Case Details:
- Turning driver struck a pedestrian in a marked crosswalk with the walk signal
- Displaced ankle fracture requiring surgical fixation
- Medical bills: $34,000 (first $3,000 paid by the pedestrian's own PIP)
- Lost wages: $6,000; clear driver liability
Settlement Breakdown:
- Economic damages: $40,000
- Pain & suffering (2.5x): $100,000
- Fracture clears the tort threshold automatically
Settlement Range:
$110,000 - $150,000
Salt Lake County venue, crosswalk right-of-way, surgical fracture, clear liability
Example 2: TBI with Shared Fault on Redwood Road at Night
Case Details:
- Pedestrian crossing mid-block at night struck by a speeding driver
- Moderate traumatic brain injury with lasting cognitive effects
- Medical bills: $180,000; future care $150,000
- Insurer argued 35% fault (crossing outside a crosswalk)
Settlement Breakdown:
- Economic damages: $330,000
- Pain & suffering (3x): $540,000
- Subtotal: $870,000
- Less 35% comparative fault: -$304,500
Settlement Range:
$500,000 - $600,000
Speeding evidence kept pedestrian fault under 50%; recovery reduced but preserved
Example 3: Catastrophic Injury from a Hit-and-Run in Ogden
Case Details:
- Pedestrian struck by a hit-and-run driver who was never identified
- Incomplete spinal cord injury with partial paralysis
- Medical bills: $400,000; lifetime care in the millions
- Recovery through the pedestrian's own UM coverage
Settlement Breakdown:
- Economic damages plus lifetime care: substantial
- Pain & suffering (no cap in Utah)
- Recovery capped by available UM/UIM limits
Settlement Range:
$1,000,000 - $5,000,000+
Weber County; catastrophic injury; value gated by UM stacking, not by any Utah cap
For more settlement examples across injury types, see our settlement examples guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is a pedestrian accident settlement worth in Utah?
Utah pedestrian accident settlements skew higher than typical car accident claims because a person struck by a vehicle usually suffers serious injuries. National data puts the average pedestrian settlement around $67,500 with a median near $30,000, but Utah cases follow injury severity. Minor injuries settle for roughly $10,000 to $75,000, moderate to severe injuries (broken bones, internal injuries, traumatic brain injury) for $75,000 to $750,000, and catastrophic injuries (spinal cord damage, severe TBI, amputation) from $500,000 into the millions. Utah has no caps on compensatory damages, so the practical ceiling is usually the available insurance, not any statute.
Does Utah no-fault PIP cover pedestrians hit by a car?
Yes. Utah is a no-fault state, and Personal Injury Protection (PIP) follows the person, not just the vehicle. If you are hit by a car while walking and you own an insured vehicle, your own auto policy's PIP (minimum $3,000, no deductible) pays your initial medical bills regardless of fault. If you do not own a vehicle, a resident household member's PIP applies next, and only if neither exists does the striking vehicle's PIP cover you (Utah Code 31A-22-308). PIP pays quickly, and you can then pursue the at-fault driver for full damages once you cross the tort threshold.
When can a Utah pedestrian sue the driver who hit them?
Under Utah's no-fault threshold (Utah Code 31A-22-309), an injured pedestrian can step outside PIP and sue the at-fault driver for full damages, including pain and suffering, once any one of these is met: medical expenses exceed $3,000, or the injury involves a bone fracture, permanent disability, permanent impairment, permanent disfigurement, or death. Because a pedestrian struck by a vehicle very commonly suffers a fracture or serious injury, the threshold is usually met easily, which is why most Utah pedestrian claims proceed as full liability claims against the driver.
What does Utah law say about drivers yielding to pedestrians?
Under Utah Code 41-6a-1002, a driver must yield the right-of-way, slowing down or stopping if necessary, to a pedestrian in a crosswalk on the driver's half of the roadway or approaching closely from the other half. Drivers must come to a complete stop at occupied school crosswalks, and no vehicle may pass another vehicle that is stopped for a pedestrian. Pedestrians also have duties: they must yield when crossing outside a crosswalk (Utah Code 41-6a-1003) and may not suddenly leave a curb into the path of a vehicle that is too close to stop (the sudden-dart rule). Insurers use these pedestrian duties to argue comparative fault.
How does Utah's 50% fault rule affect pedestrian claims?
Utah uses modified comparative negligence with a 50% bar (Utah Code 78B-5-818). If you are less than 50% at fault, your recovery is reduced by your fault percentage; at exactly 50% or more, you recover nothing. In pedestrian cases, insurers routinely argue the pedestrian jaywalked, crossed against a signal, or darted out, trying to push the pedestrian's share of fault to or over the 50% line. Strong evidence that you were lawfully in a crosswalk, or that the driver was distracted, speeding, or impaired, keeps your fault percentage down and protects the claim.
What is the deadline to file a Utah pedestrian accident claim?
Utah gives you 4 years from the date of the accident to file a personal injury lawsuit (Utah Code 78B-2-307), and 2 years for a wrongful death claim (Utah Code 78B-2-304). The critical exception is a crash involving a government entity, such as a city vehicle or a UTA bus: you must file a formal notice of claim within 1 year under the Governmental Immunity Act (Utah Code 63G-7-402), a much shorter deadline that is easy to miss. Serious pedestrian injuries warrant early legal advice to protect these deadlines.
How common are pedestrian accidents in Utah?
Pedestrian deaths are a large and growing share of Utah traffic fatalities. In 2024, 43 pedestrians were killed on Utah roads, up from 40 in 2023, out of 281 total traffic deaths, roughly 15 percent. From 2020 through 2024, Utah recorded 219 pedestrian fatalities across 4,477 pedestrian-involved crashes; pedestrians account for about 16 percent of road deaths but only 1.15 percent of all crashes, reflecting how severe these collisions are. Danger concentrates on wide Wasatch Front arterials such as State Street and Redwood Road, and nationally more than 75 percent of pedestrian deaths occur after dark.
Calculate Your Utah Pedestrian Accident Settlement Value
Every Utah pedestrian case is different. The ranges and examples above give you a starting point, but your value depends on your injury, treatment, county venue, fault percentage, and the insurance layers available, including your own PIP and UM/UIM coverage.
SetCalc's AI-powered calculator analyzes your details against real settlement data and factors in Utah-specific rules:
Utah Law Analysis
- • PIP coverage for pedestrians and the $3,000 threshold
- • Modified comparative negligence (50% bar)
- • Crosswalk and yield-law fault analysis
- • No caps on compensatory damages
Case-Specific Analysis
- • Injury type and severity assessment
- • Treatment type (conservative vs. surgical)
- • County-level jury verdict tendencies
- • Liability limits and UM/UIM coverage
What Is Your Utah Pedestrian Accident Case Really Worth?
Utah pedestrians are covered by PIP and face no damage caps, so the value of your claim turns on liability and the insurance available. Get a Utah-specific, injury-specific estimate based on real settlement data, reviewed by a licensed personal injury attorney.
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