If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident, you may have questions and concerns about your insurance coverage. People are often unsure what their policy includes, which insurance company to seek compensation from, or who was responsible for the accident.
Some may also be unclear about the specifics of Personal Injury Protection (PIP) insurance, which is mandatory in Utah.
Even after filing a claim, obstacles may arise. The other driver or their insurance adjuster might attempt to place the blame on you.
Additionally, you might question whether the settlement offered by the insurance company is enough to cover all of your losses.
A skilled car accident attorney can provide valuable assistance by addressing your concerns, explaining your legal options, and helping you through the claims process. They can also evaluate any settlement offer to ensure that it fully accounts for your damages.
The first step in pursuing compensation is to obtain a copy of your police accident report and go over it with a car accident lawyer. The team at Valley Law Accident & Injury Lawyers is ready to offer a free consultation to review your report and discuss your car accident claim, so please reach out to us today to learn more.
How Can You Get a West Jordan Police Department Car Accident Report?
The West Jordan Police Department uses an online request form. In the request description box, you should include the following information:
The date, location, and approximate time of the accident.- The case number. The responding officer at an accident scene will give you a piece of paper with the case number.
- Description of the records needed. You can request the accident report on its own or ask for photos (if available) for an additional fee. Reports are $15 and photos are $25.
- Names of the involved parties. Explain your involvement if you don’t believe your name is listed in the report. Car accident records are not public in Utah, but involved parties—such as drivers, passengers, injured parties, or owners of involved vehicles or property—can access them. Parents or legal guardians of minor children involved in a collision can also request a report.
Later on the form, you’ll be asked for your date of birth and standard contact information (name, address, phone number, email address).
When Can You Expect to Receive Your Report?
Utah law allows the police department ten business days to process your request or five days if you can demonstrate the need for an expedited response. If you haven’t received a response after ten business days, please follow up by emailing police.records@westjordan.utah.gov.
How Does the Insurance Claims Process Work?
After you file a claim, it will be assigned to an insurance adjuster who will investigate the accident. They will also be interested in the police report and may want to ask you some additional questions.
We recommend speaking with an attorney before you give a statement to your insurance company. While the adjuster might seem friendly and eager to approve your claim, they will carefully review your statement for any reason to deny it.
With a PIP claim, you don’t have to worry about fault, but sometimes, the adjuster may believe your injuries weren’t caused by the accident. In other cases, they might decline the claim based on a late bill or another clerical issue.
At-fault claims present even more potential obstacles, as the adjuster can reject your claim if they think you are responsible. We’ve seen cases where an adjuster misinterpreted a random remark to imply fault and rejected the injured person’s claim.
For this reason, we encourage you to seek legal advice before speaking with the adjuster.
Another potential complication occurs when the adjuster believes the injured person is partially at fault. In Utah, you can still collect damages if you are less than 50 percent responsible for your accident or injuries.
However, the insurance company can subtract your percentage of fault from your final settlement. As a result, they don’t necessarily have to prove the accident was entirely your fault or that the other driver is blameless to reduce your payout.
If the adjuster overestimates your contributions to the crash by even five or ten percent, that could translate to a loss of thousands of dollars or more for you.
If the insurer does not reject your claim entirely, they will make you an offer. It’s crucial that you review this offer with an attorney before making a decision to ensure all your damages are covered.
Unfortunately, initial offers are frequently too low. Sometimes, the insurance company will overlook or underestimate some damages, leaving the injured person without enough to fund their recovery.
If we review your offer and find it lacking, we can negotiate with the insurance company for a better deal.
How Can You Get Help With Your Car Accident Case or Police Report?
The Valley Law Accident & Injury Lawyers team is here to support you with your car accident or personal injury case, whether in West Jordan, Salt Lake City, or anywhere across Utah. Please get in touch with us for a free consultation, where we’ll review your accident report and address any concerns or questions you might have.
Our experienced attorneys will walk you through the process of seeking compensation. There’s no obligation, and you won’t owe us anything unless we win your case or secure a settlement.
Established by attorney Brigham Richards, Valley Law Accident & Injury Lawyers advocates for injury victims and their families. Mr. Richards is committed to treating every client as a top priority and operates his practice with a strong sense of responsibility.
Fluent in both English and Spanish, he strives to achieve the best settlements possible for his clients. He is licensed to practice in both Nevada and Utah.
With more than $100 million recovered for injured clients, Valley Law Accident & Injury Lawyers is ready to help you, too. Please contact us today at (801) 810-9999 to see how we can assist with your case.
