Wrong-Way Driver Accident Lawyer in Utah
Table of Contents
When two vehicles meet head-on, often at highway speed, the people in them seldom walk away unhurt, and the person who gets hurt is usually someone who was driving legally in the right lane. If a driver going the wrong direction hits you or a family member in Utah, you may be entitled to compensation for your medical care, your lost income, and the way the injuries change your life going forward.
Cockayne Law represents people hurt in these crashes in Utah. We look at how the other driver ended up facing traffic, whether alcohol or drugs were involved, and which insurance policies could pay. There’s no cost to talk with us, and no fee at all unless we get you compensation.
Call For a Free Consultation: (801) 268-2491
Utah Wrong-Way Accident Lawyers Representing Injured Victims
On Utah’s interstates, a lot of wrong-way trips begin at a ramp. A driver gets off at an exit, changes their mind, and turns back onto the road facing traffic. Or they come up an off-ramp thinking it’s the way on, which is easy to do at night when the signs are hard to see.
Two cars going 70 mph each close at 140 mph, so the driver in the right lane may have only a second or two to see headlights where there shouldn’t be any.
Alcohol plays a part in many of these crashes, as do drugs, including some prescription medications. An impaired driver may never register the wrong-way signs. Some signs are just exhausted, looking at their phone, or lost in an interchange they have never driven on, and rain makes a dark ramp worse.
Not all of them happen on a freeway. A car pulls out of a parking garage against the flow or turns the wrong way onto a one-way downtown street. Speeds are lower, but a pedestrian or cyclist still takes the full hit.
Who Is Liable for a Wrong-Way Driver Accident in Utah?
The driver who went the wrong way carries most of the blame, but he may not be the only one who owes you. Depending on what happened, you may have a claim against:
- The wrong-way driver. Driving against traffic is negligent, and in most cases, the driver carries the bulk of the blame.
- The driver’s employer. If the driver was on the job, such as making deliveries or driving a company vehicle, the employer is responsible too. Commercial policies often carry more coverage than personal ones.
- A bar or restaurant. If the driver was served while visibly drunk, Utah’s dram shop law may allow a claim against the business, though the law limits who can bring one and how much can be recovered.
- A government agency. A confusing ramp, missing wrong-way signs, or faded markings can support a claim against the agency in charge of the road. These claims have short notice deadlines, so they need attention early.
- Other drivers. When several vehicles are involved, insurers tend to blame each other. Sorting out who hit whom matters, and our multi-vehicle accident lawyer page covers it in detail.
Injuries Caused by Wrong-Way Driver Accidents
Seat belts and airbags help in a head-on crash, but they only go so far when both cars are moving at speed.
Traumatic Brain Injuries
The brain doesn’t need to hit anything to get hurt. It slams into the inside of the skull when the car stops, and it can happen with no cut or bruise anywhere on the head. A person can feel fine at the scene and start losing words or snapping at their family a few weeks later. Our traumatic brain injury lawyer page explains how we build these claims.
Spinal Cord or Paralysis Injuries
Paralysis, whether partial or complete, is the injury people fear most from a wreck like this. The hospital bill is only the start. Someone has to rebuild the house around a wheelchair, and the job may be gone. We go into more detail on our spinal cord injury lawyer page.
Broken Bones and Internal Injuries
Ribs, pelvis, legs, and arms all break in these crashes. Internal bleeding is the one doctors worry about, because a person can walk around for hours without knowing it. Get checked even if you feel okay.
Catastrophic Injuries and Wrongful Death
Amputations and burns from a fire after the crash fall under catastrophic injuries, which our catastrophic injury lawyer page covers. If someone died, the family can bring a wrongful death claim.
Compensation Available After a Wrong-Way Accident in Utah
Insurance adjusters tend to price a claim off the bills that exist today. That works badly for long-way crash victims because the worst costs often haven’t happened yet when the first offer arrives.
Medical Expenses and Future Treatment
The claim includes everything from the ambulance ride to the last physical therapy session. So does care you have not had yet. If your surgeon expects you’ll need a second operation in two years, that cost belongs in the number now, and we ask the doctor to put it in writing so the insurer can’t wave it away.
Lost Wages and Reduced Earning Capacity
You can claim the paychecks you missed. If the injury means you can’t return to your old job, the claim can reach the income you would have earned for the rest of your career, often a much larger figure than the months you spent recovering.
Pain and Suffering
Utah allows compensation for pain, for the anxiety many people feel in a car afterward, and for the things an injury takes away, like coaching your kids’ team or sleeping through the night. In serious cases, this is usually a large part of the total.
Long-Term Disability and Rehabilitation Costs
A permanent injury keeps costing money after the case is over. Ramps, a van that fits a wheelchair, and a caregiver a few hours a day. If your loved one died in the crash, the family may recover funeral expenses and the financial support that person would have provided.
Utah Laws Affecting Wrong-Way Accident Claims
Utah’s Modified Comparative Fault Rule
If a jury puts part of the blame on you, your compensation goes down by that percentage. If your share reaches 50%, you get nothing. With a wrong-way driver, this usually is not a fight, but the adjuster will sometimes argue you were going too fast or could have steered away, so we watch for it.
Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and Liability Insurance
Utah is a no-fault state. Your own PIP coverage pays your medical bills and part of your lost income first, regardless of who caused the crash. The minimum is $3,000, which a hospital stay can use up fast. After that, or once your injuries meet the state’s threshold for suing, you can bring a claim against the at-fault driver for the remainder, including pain and suffering.
Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Coverage
If the wrong-way driver has no insurance, or not enough, your uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage may pay the difference. Check with your insurer before you settle with the other driver, because some policies require their consent first. We explain how this works on our uninsured motorist lawyer page.
Deadlines for Filing a Wrong-Way Accident Claim
Four years is the usual limit for an injury lawsuit in Utah. For a wrongful death claim, it’s two years from the date of death. If a government agency might be partly responsible, you may have to give notice within as little as one year.
Call For a Free Consultation: (801) 268-2491
How Cockayne Law Investigates Wrong-Way Driver Accident Claims
- The first thing we do is get the crash report, and the second is get out to the road. Reports leave things out. Standing at the ramp tells you whether the wrong-way sign was blocked by a tree or whether the lights were out that night.
- Video is the most urgent. Gas stations, businesses, and highway cameras often record over their footage in a few days, so we send letters right away asking them to keep it. If you have a dashcam, don’t delete anything from it.
- Then there’s the other drive. Was he drinking? Where had he been? Was he on his phone or driving for an employer? The answer can bring in more people who owe you, like a bar or a company, and more insurance to pay.
- Some cases need an expert. A newer car records speed and braking in the seconds before a crash, and a reconstruction specialist can read that when the other side says it happened differently.
- After that, we handle the insurance companies. Don’t give their adjuster a recorded statement before you have talked to us. If the offer is low, we’ll file a lawsuit.
What to Do After a Wrong-Way Driver Accident in Utah
Get first medical care, even if you think you are fine. Adrenaline hides pain and internal injuries, and concussions don’t always show up for hours. The records from that first visit also tie your injuries to the crash, which matters later.
Call 911 so police and paramedics come to the scene. The report they write is one of the first things the insurance companies will ask for. If you are able, take photos of everything: the cars, the road, the ramp signs, and any skid marks. Get names and numbers from anyone who saw it. If the witness says the other driver smelled of alcohol, write that down.
Keep your phone, your dashcam footage, and your medical paperwork. Don’t delete anything, and don’t post about the crash on social media, because insurers do look.
You’ll probably get a call from the other driver’s insurance company within days, sometimes with an offer. Don’t accept it and don’t give a recorded statement. Early offers tend to cover what you have spent so far and nothing about what comes later. Call us before you sign anything.
Why Choose Cockayne Law for a Wrong-Way Accident Claim?
Wrong-way crashes are rarely simple. There’s often more than one insurance policy involved, sometimes a bar or an employer, and occasionally a state agency, and each one has its own rules and deadlines. We have handled serious injuries and wrongful death cases across Utah, and we know how these insurers handle a claim this big.
You’ll deal with the people working on your case, not a call center. We’ll tell you what we think it’s worth and what could go wrong, and you decide what to do.
If a wrong-way driver hurt you or someone in your family, call Cockayne Law or send us a message through the contact form. The consultation is free, and we only charge a fee if we recover money for you.
Call For a Free Consultation: (801) 268-2491
FAQs
The driver who went the wrong way, in nearly every case. Sometimes somebody else shares the blame. If the driver had just been served at a bar while obviously drunk or was on the clock for an employer, those businesses may owe you too.
Not always. Most are, but plenty of people get hurt trying to get out of the way. A driver who swerves can clip the next to them, hit the barrier, or cause a pileup behind them, and none of those cars ever touched the wrong-way vehicle.
You can. The criminal case and your injury claim are separate, so you don’t have to wait for conviction or a plea, though the DUI evidence often helps. If a bar or a restaurant served the driver while he was visibly drunk, it may be responsible too.
Your claim doesn’t die with the driver. It can go against his insurance company and, in some situations, his estate. The deadline can be tighter.
If your share of the blame is under 50 percent, yes, though your compensation is reduced by that percentage. At 50 percent or more, you recover nothing.
I can’t give you a number without seeing your records, and anyone who does is guessing. The amount depends on your injuries, your future care, the income you lose, and how much insurance there is to collect. Utah doesn’t cap pain and suffering in most injury cases, but a policy with low limits can still limit what you actually recover.
[Legal Disclaimer]
This page provides general information about auto wrong-way accident claims in Salt Lake City, West Valley City, West Jordan, Provo, St. George, Orem, Lehi, Sandy, Ogden, South Jordan, Layton, Millcreek, Herriman, Eagle Mountain, Taylorsville, Saratoga Springs, Logan, Murray, Draper, Spanish Fork, American Fork, Holladay, Midvale, Cottonwood Heights, Magna, and the Rose Park neighborhood of Salt Lake City, Utah, and surrounding communities. This information is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Every wrong way accident case is unique. For legal guidance specific to your situation, consult a qualified Utah attorney.
What Our Clients Say About Cockayne Law
Our Locations
6671 S Redwood Rd Ste 110, West Jordan, UT 84084, United States
574 E 1400 S, Orem, UT 84097, United States
2650 Washington Blvd, Ogden, UT 84401, United States
Area of Services
- kearns
- Murray
- magna
- St. George
- Orem Utah
- Cottonwood
- rose park
- West valley city
- Provo Utah
- Lehi Utah
- Millcreek
- Herriman
- taylorsville
- South Jordan
- west jordan
- Ogden
- Sandy
- Holladay
- American Fork
- Saratoga Springs
- Midvale
- Cottonwood
- Logan
- Eagle Mountain
