After an accident occurs, there is a limited period of time in which a personal injury lawsuit can be filed — the law that establishes this is known as a statute of limitations. The statute of limitations for auto accidents in Utah is four years if the claim is against a private person and one year if the claim is against a person driving on government business.

A personal injury claim against a person driving for a federal agency must be filed within two years following the accident.

A claim for underinsured or uninsured motorist benefits must be filed within three years from the time the claim arises.  The time the claim arises may be the time of the crash but is usually much later, such as the time that the negligent party’s insurance paid policy limits.