Utah Slip And Fall Damages Explained

slip and fall lawyer Midvale, UT

A slip and fall accident can turn your life upside down in seconds. One moment you’re walking through a store or across a parking lot, and the next you’re on the ground with injuries that might take months to heal. If someone else’s negligence caused your fall, you shouldn’t have to shoulder the financial burden alone. Understanding what you can recover in a Utah slip and fall case helps you know whether pursuing a claim makes sense for your situation.

Economic Damages Cover Your Financial Losses

These are the damages you can actually calculate. They’re the bills piling up on your kitchen table and the paychecks you’ve missed while recovering. Medical expenses form the backbone of most slip and fall claims. Every penny you’ve spent on treatment counts:

  • Emergency room visits
  • Hospital stays and surgeries
  • Doctor appointments and physical therapy
  • Prescription medications
  • Medical equipment like crutches or wheelchairs
  • Future medical care related to your injuries

Your injuries might’ve forced you to miss work. Lost wages cover that income gap. But it goes further than just the days you’ve already missed. If your injuries prevent you from returning to your job, you can recover compensation for future lost earnings. Let’s say you’re a construction worker who broke your hip in a fall. You might never work at the same capacity again. That matters financially, and Utah law recognizes it.

Property damage gets included too. Broke your phone during the fall? Ruined an expensive coat? Those losses add up and belong in your claim.

Non-Economic Damages Address Your Personal Suffering

These damages don’t come with receipts. They’re harder to measure, but they’re just as real as your medical bills. Pain and suffering mean exactly what it sounds like. A broken hip doesn’t just cost money. It hurts. For months. Every movement becomes a challenge, and that physical discomfort deserves compensation. Traumatic brain injuries can leave you with chronic headaches and cognitive problems that affect your daily life in ways that aren’t always visible to others. Emotional distress captures the psychological fallout. Many people who’ve suffered serious slip and fall injuries develop anxiety about walking in public spaces. Some experience depression because they can’t do the things they used to do. These mental health consequences matter. They’re legitimate injuries that deserve recognition in your settlement. What about the activities you’ve lost? If you can’t play with your grandchildren anymore or you’ve had to give up hobbies you loved, that’s called loss of enjoyment of life. You’re entitled to compensation when your injuries steal those experiences from you.

Utah’s Comparative Negligence Rule Changes Everything

Here’s where things get tricky. Utah follows a modified comparative negligence rule under Utah Code § 78B-5-818. If you’re found partially at fault for your fall, your compensation gets reduced by whatever percentage you’re deemed responsible. Let’s say you’re awarded $100,000, but the jury decides you were 20% at fault. You’d receive $80,000. But if you’re found 50% or more responsible? You can’t recover anything at all. Property owners know this. They’ll try to shift the blame onto you. They might claim you were distracted by your phone or weren’t watching where you were going. Don’t let them. A Midvale slip and fall lawyer can counter these arguments and protect your right to full compensation.

Punitive Damages Rarely Apply

In extreme cases, Utah courts award punitive damages. These aren’t meant to compensate you. They’re meant to punish the property owner for especially reckless behavior and send a message to others, but the bar is high. You’d need to prove the defendant’s actions showed willful and malicious intent or gross negligence that demonstrates a reckless disregard for human life. Most slip and fall cases don’t meet this standard. That doesn’t mean yours won’t, though. Your attorney can evaluate whether your situation qualifies.

Don’t Accept The First Offer

Insurance companies undervalue slip and fall claims constantly. They’re betting you don’t know what your case is actually worth. You probably don’t, and that’s okay. Most people haven’t studied Utah personal injury law or negotiated with insurance adjusters before. Document everything. Keep every medical record, save your pay stubs that show missed work, and take photos of whatever caused your fall. This evidence strengthens your position when it’s time to negotiate. That first settlement offer? It’s almost always too low. Insurance companies make initial offers when you’re still being treated for your injuries and dealing with mounting bills. They’re hoping you’ll take quick money because you’re desperate. A Midvale slip and fall lawyer knows how to calculate what your case is really worth and won’t let insurers take advantage of your situation.

Getting Help With Your Claim

Slip and fall injuries aren’t minor inconveniences. They’re serious accidents that can affect every aspect of your life. The team at Acadia Law Group PC has seen how devastating these injuries can be for victims and their families. If you’ve been hurt on someone else’s property because they failed to maintain safe conditions, legal guidance can make the difference between a settlement that barely covers your bills and compensation that actually addresses all your losses.