Experienced Auto Accident Attorneys in Salt Lake City, Utah

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Lead attorneys at Swenson and Shelly Law

A serious car crash can change the direction of your life in seconds. At Swenson & Shelley, our Salt Lake City car accident lawyers have seen injured people go from an ordinary drive to work, a trip across town, or an afternoon running errands to facing medical treatment, missed paychecks, vehicle repairs, and an insurance company already evaluating how little it may have to pay.

Kevin Swenson, Brian Shelley, and their law firm’s team of attorneys and support staff help people throughout Salt Lake City and Salt Lake County pursue compensation after crashes caused by negligent drivers. Whether a collision happens in heavy traffic on I-15, near the I-80 interchange, along State Street, on Redwood Road, or at a busy intersection on 2100 South, the consequences can follow an injured person long after the damaged vehicles have been cleared away.

Our attorneys understand those consequences. We also understand how insurance companies investigate, evaluate, and defend car accident claims.

If you were injured or lost someone you love in a Utah traffic crash, you do not have to determine what comes next alone. Contact Swenson & Shelley for a free consultation with a Salt Lake City car accident attorney.

Experience That Matters After a Salt Lake City Car Accident

People looking for a lawyer after a serious collision deserve to know who may actually be handling their case.

Co-founding attorney Kevin Swenson has practiced law for more than 30 years and has been involved in thousands of lawsuits, including cases that went to jury verdicts. After graduating from the now-named University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law, Kevin worked as a defense attorney for insurance companies. In 2010, he changed sides and began representing injured people instead.

That experience gives Kevin firsthand knowledge of how insurers approach injury claims, including strategies they may use to challenge liability or minimize payments.

Co-founding attorney Brian Shelley earned his undergraduate degree in Business and Finance from Brigham Young University before graduating cum laude from Pepperdine University School of Law. He is licensed to practice law in Utah and California and has built his career helping injured people level the playing field when dealing with insurance companies.

Together, Kevin and Brian bring decades of legal experience and a personal commitment to representing people whose lives have been disrupted by preventable injuries.

Salt Lake City Drivers Face Serious Risks on Busy Roads

Our attorneys know that Salt Lake City traffic presents challenges that extend well beyond I-15 and I-80. Daily commuters, commercial traffic, tourists, pedestrians, cyclists, and visitors traveling to and from Salt Lake City International Airport all share a transportation network that includes heavily traveled corridors such as State Street, Redwood Road, 2100 South, 700 East, and Foothill Drive.

The numbers show how frequently crashes occur across Utah. According to the Utah Department of Public Safety Highway Safety Office, there were 59,437 traffic crashes statewide in 2024. That works out to approximately one crash every 8.8 minutes.

The same data shows that someone was injured in a Utah crash approximately every 19.4 minutes in 2024.

Speed remains a particular concern. Utah crash data from 2020 through 2024 shows that 32% of the state’s fatal crashes were speed-related, and Salt Lake County was among the urban counties with the highest numbers of speed-related crashes.

Statistics cannot show what happens to an individual family after one of those collisions. For someone suffering a serious injury, the crash becomes much more than a number. It can mean surgery, rehabilitation, lost income, uncertainty about returning to work, and months or years of physical and financial consequences.

What Causes Car Accidents in Salt Lake City?

After handling injury claims for decades, our attorneys know that the cause of a crash is not always as simple as it first appears. A driver may have been speeding, but phone records could also reveal distraction. A motorist may have changed lanes without looking, while road or weather conditions made that maneuver even more dangerous.

Some of the factors we commonly investigate include:

Distracted driving. Texting, using a phone, adjusting navigation, eating, or allowing another activity to divert attention from the road can prevent a driver from responding to changing traffic conditions.
Speeding. Excessive speed reduces reaction time, increases stopping distance, and can dramatically increase the force of a collision.
Impaired driving. Alcohol and drugs can affect judgment, coordination, perception, and reaction time.
Aggressive driving. Tailgating, unsafe passing, weaving through traffic, and disregarding traffic signals can endanger everyone nearby.
Unsafe lane changes. A driver who fails to signal, check mirrors, or account for a blind spot can cause a sideswipe or force another vehicle from its lane.
Fatigued driving. A tired driver may react slowly, struggle to maintain a lane, or fall asleep behind the wheel.
Failure to yield. Left-turn crashes and intersection collisions often occur when drivers fail to yield the right-of-way.
Unsafe driving in bad weather. Salt Lake City drivers encounter snow, ice, rain, and reduced visibility. Motorists who fail to adjust their speed and following distance can cause preventable crashes.

More than one factor can contribute to the same collision. Our attorneys investigate beyond the surface-level explanation to determine what happened and who may be legally responsible.

Why Speeding Crashes Can Cause Devastating Injuries

Kevin Swenson and Brian Shelley have represented people whose injuries demonstrate what can happen when a driver treats a speed limit or changing traffic conditions as optional.

Higher speeds increase the force transferred during a collision. They also give drivers less time to recognize danger and require more stopping distance. A speeding driver approaching congested traffic on I-15 or an intersection on State Street may have far fewer options for avoiding a collision once something goes wrong.

Speed can also affect the performance of vehicle safety systems. Seat belts, airbags, crumple zones, and other safety features reduce injury risks, but they cannot eliminate the enormous forces generated in a high-speed crash.

For vehicle occupants, pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorcyclists, the consequences can include catastrophic injuries or death.

This Infographic shows that What Are the Steps to Take After a Car Accident in Salt Lake City?

Common Injuries After Salt Lake City Car Accidents

Our attorneys have learned that a damaged vehicle does not always tell the full story about the person inside it. Some injuries are immediately obvious. Others become more apparent hours or days later, and some can affect a person for years.

Common car accident injuries include:

Whiplash and Neck Injuries

The sudden back-and-forth movement of a collision can injure muscles, ligaments, joints, and other neck structures. Pain, stiffness, headaches, reduced range of motion, and other symptoms may interfere with work and ordinary activities.

Broken Bones and Fractures

A crash can fracture arms, legs, ribs, wrists, ankles, and other bones. Complex fractures may require surgery, hardware, physical therapy, and substantial recovery time.

Concussions

A person does not necessarily have to strike their head to suffer a concussion. The violent movement of the brain inside the skull during a collision can cause a mild traumatic brain injury, potentially producing headaches, dizziness, memory problems, sensitivity to light, and difficulty concentrating.

Soft Tissue Injuries

Muscles, tendons, and ligaments can be stretched, torn, or otherwise damaged during a collision. These injuries can be painful and may limit mobility even when they do not appear on an X-ray.

Traumatic Brain Injuries

More serious traumatic brain injuries can affect cognition, memory, personality, communication, physical function, and a person’s ability to live independently. Long-term treatment and rehabilitation may be necessary.

Other crashes may cause spinal cord injuries, internal injuries, burns, scarring, or psychological trauma. Understanding the nature and expected progression of an injury is essential when determining the compensation necessary for both current and future needs.

How Do You Prove Negligence After a Salt Lake City Car Accident?

Our attorneys do not assume that an insurance company will accept responsibility simply because the other driver appeared to cause the crash. Building a successful injury claim requires evidence establishing why the other party is legally responsible.

A negligence claim generally requires showing four elements:

Duty of Care

Drivers must operate their vehicles with reasonable care and follow traffic laws intended to protect others on the road.

Breach of Duty

A driver breaches that duty by acting unreasonably under the circumstances. Examples may include speeding, texting while driving, running a red light, following too closely, or driving while impaired.

Causation

It is not enough to show that another driver did something wrong. The evidence must connect that conduct to the collision and the injuries being claimed.

Damages

Finally, the injured person must establish the losses caused by the crash. Medical records, bills, employment information, expert analysis, and other documentation can help demonstrate those damages.

Our Salt Lake City car accident attorneys may investigate police reports, photographs, video footage, witness statements, vehicle damage, medical documentation, phone records, and other available evidence. In complex cases, accident reconstruction specialists or other experts may also be needed.

What If You Are Partially at Fault for the Crash?

Insurance companies sometimes try to shift some blame onto an injured person. That makes Utah’s modified comparative fault rule particularly important.

Under Utah law, partial responsibility does not automatically prevent an injured person from recovering compensation. A person may recover from a defendant or group of defendants whose combined fault exceeds the injured person’s own fault. Any recovery can then be reduced according to the injured person’s percentage of responsibility.

For example, if an injured driver were found 20% responsible for a crash, the compensation awarded could generally be reduced by 20%. If that person’s fault reaches the point where the defendant’s fault does not exceed it, recovery may be barred.

Fault disputes are one reason to be cautious about giving detailed statements to an insurance company before understanding your rights. What sounds like an innocent comment about speed, distraction, or what you saw immediately before impact could later become part of an argument that you share responsibility.

What Should You Do After a Car Accident in Salt Lake City?

Our attorneys know it can be hard to remember a checklist right after a frightening collision. Your health and immediate safety should come first.

When circumstances allow, several steps can also help preserve important information:

Report the collision. Contact law enforcement when appropriate so they can document the crash.
Preserve evidence at the scene. If you can safely do so, photograph the vehicles, roadway, traffic signals, skid marks, debris, weather conditions, and visible injuries.
Get witness information. Independent witnesses may later help establish how the crash occurred.
Get medical attention. Prompt evaluation can identify injuries that may not be immediately apparent and create documentation connecting your condition to the crash.
Save your records. Keep medical bills, repair estimates, receipts, wage information, insurance correspondence, and other crash-related documents.
Be careful when speaking with insurers. Provide required information, but avoid guessing about fault or the extent of your injuries.
Talk with a lawyer. A Salt Lake City car accident attorney can evaluate the circumstances, identify potential sources of compensation, and help protect your claim while you focus on recovery.

Evidence can disappear quickly. Vehicles are repaired, video footage may be overwritten, and witnesses’ memories can fade. Beginning an investigation promptly can make a meaningful difference.

What Compensation May Be Available After a Utah Car Accident?

Our attorneys evaluate compensation based on what the crash has actually taken from the injured person, not simply the amount of the first medical bill.

Utah drivers generally look first to applicable no-fault personal injury protection benefits for certain losses. When an injury satisfies Utah’s requirements for pursuing a claim against the at-fault party, additional compensation may be available.

Depending on the circumstances, recoverable damages may include:

Medical expenses already incurred.
Anticipated future medical treatment.
Lost wages.
Reduced future earning capacity.
Pain and suffering.
Emotional distress.
Loss of enjoyment of life.
Property damage.
Loss of consortium in appropriate cases.

Punitive damages may be available in limited cases involving particularly egregious conduct, but they are not part of an ordinary negligence claim.

No attorney can determine the value of a car accident case from an injury label alone. The severity and duration of the injuries, future treatment needs, effect on employment and daily life, available insurance coverage, disputed fault, and many other factors can affect the outcome.

A $2.75 Million Auto Accident Settlement

Results matter because injured people need more than promises about what a law firm can do.

Swenson & Shelley obtained a $2.75 million auto accident settlement for a woman who suffered a mild traumatic brain injury in a serious car crash. The recovery represented the available policy limits.

Past results cannot guarantee the outcome of another case. Every claim depends on its own facts, injuries, evidence, insurance coverage, and applicable law. They can, however, demonstrate the importance of carefully evaluating the full impact of an injury before resolving a claim.

Why Hire a Local Salt Lake City Car Accident Attorney?

Kevin and Brian know that a car accident claim may begin with an insurance adjuster, but it does not necessarily end there. When a fair settlement cannot be reached, a lawsuit may become necessary.

Civil claims arising in Salt Lake County may proceed through Utah’s Third Judicial District, which serves Salt Lake, Summit, and Tooele counties. Local representation means working with attorneys familiar with Utah law, state court procedures, local roads, and the circumstances that commonly contribute to crashes throughout the Salt Lake Valley.

A lawyer handling your claim should be prepared to:

Investigate how and why the collision occurred.
Identify every potentially responsible party.
Preserve evidence before it disappears.
Review insurance coverage.
Document the full extent of your injuries and losses.
Consult appropriate experts when necessary.
Challenge efforts to unfairly shift blame.
Negotiate for a settlement that reflects your damages.
Prepare the litigation case when an insurer will not offer a fair resolution.

The goal is not simply to process paperwork. It is to build a case that can withstand scrutiny by the insurance company and, when necessary, in court.

Our Client’s Success Story

Our Attorneys Also Focus on the Following Areas:

Talk With a Salt Lake City Car Accident Lawyer About What Happened

After a serious crash, you may be dealing with pain, medical appointments, time away from work, transportation problems, and questions you never expected to have to answer. You should not also have to guess whether an insurance company is treating your claim fairly.

Kevin Swenson, Brian Shelley, and the team at Swenson & Shelley can investigate what happened, explain how Utah law applies to your circumstances, and help you determine the next step.

Call (801) 447-5464 or contact us online to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation with a Salt Lake City car accident lawyer. Our attorneys are available 24/7, and there are no upfront attorney fees. You pay attorney fees only if we recover compensation for you.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Salt Lake City Car Accident Claims

How Long Do I Have to File a Car Accident Claim in Utah?

Utah imposes deadlines on personal injury lawsuits, and waiting too long can eliminate your ability to pursue compensation. Many Utah injury claims are subject to a four-year limitations period, but different deadlines can apply depending on the parties involved, the type of claim, and other circumstances.

Because the applicable deadline is fact-specific, it is safer to have an attorney determine the filing period rather than assume you have four years.

Do I Need a Police Report to Pursue a Car Accident Claim?

A police report can be valuable evidence, but the absence of one does not necessarily mean there is no claim. Other evidence, including photographs, video, witness testimony, medical records, vehicle damage, and admissions by the parties, may help establish what occurred.

When a crash should be reported under Utah law, it is important to follow those reporting requirements. If you are unsure whether your collision was properly documented, an attorney can help determine what evidence remains available.

How Does Utah Determine Who Was at Fault?

Fault is determined by examining the conduct of everyone who may have contributed to the collision. Police reports, traffic laws, witness statements, photographs, video, physical evidence, vehicle data, and expert analysis may all play a role.

Utah’s modified comparative fault law also allows fault to be allocated among multiple parties. That means determining liability may require more than deciding which driver received a citation.

Should I Talk to the Other Driver’s Insurance Company?

You may be contacted quickly after a crash, sometimes before you fully understand your injuries. Insurance adjusters investigate claims for the insurer, and the statements you provide may affect how your claim is evaluated.

Before giving a recorded statement or discussing fault in detail, consider speaking with a Salt Lake City car accident lawyer about your rights and obligations.

What If My Injuries Did Not Appear Until After the Crash?

Delayed symptoms are one reason our attorneys encourage injured people to take changes in their health seriously after a collision. Neck pain, headaches, concussion symptoms, soft tissue injuries, and other problems may not be obvious at the scene.

Seek appropriate medical care and explain when and how the symptoms developed. Medical documentation can become important when an insurer later questions whether the crash caused an injury.

Will My Salt Lake City Car Accident Case Go to Trial?

Many car accident claims resolve without trial, but no lawyer can promise that a particular case will settle. If the insurance company disputes liability, challenges the injuries, or refuses to offer appropriate compensation, litigation may be necessary.

Kevin Swenson has been involved in thousands of lawsuits over more than three decades of practice, including cases that reached jury verdicts. Swenson & Shelley prepares claims with the understanding that meaningful negotiation requires being ready to pursue the case further when necessary.

How can a car accident attorney in Salt Lake City help me?

A car accident attorney can provide crucial assistance by managing communications with insurance companies, gathering and reviewing evidence, and ensuring you receive fair compensation for damages and injuries. They can navigate the legal complexities of your case, negotiate settlements, and represent you in court if necessary.

How long do I have to file a car accident claim in Salt Lake City?

In Utah, the statute of limitations for filing a car accident claim is typically four years from the accident date. However, consult an attorney as soon as possible to ensure you meet all legal deadlines and preserve your right to compensation.

What if the other driver is uninsured or underinsured?

If the other driver is uninsured or underinsured, you may still have options for compensation through your insurance policy, such as uninsured motorist coverage. An attorney can help you explore all available avenues and negotiate with your insurance company to maximize your claim.

Will my auto accident case go to trial?

While many car accident cases are settled out of court, some may proceed to trial if a fair settlement cannot be reached. Your attorney will prepare your case for trial if necessary and guide you through the legal process. They will work to achieve the best possible outcome, whether through settlement or litigation.

How long will it take to resolve my auto accident case?

The duration of an auto accident case can vary based on factors such as the complexity of the case, the severity of injuries, and negotiations with insurance companies. While some cases are resolved in a few months, others may take longer. Your attorney will provide a timeline based on your specific situation and keep you informed throughout the process.

What if I am partially at fault for the car accident?

Utah follows a comparative negligence rule, which means you can still recover damages even if you are partially at fault. However, your compensation may be reduced based on your percentage of fault. An attorney can help determine your level of responsibility and ensure you receive fair compensation despite shared fault.

How do I handle insurance adjusters after an auto accident?

Insurance adjusters may contact you to discuss your claim and may offer a settlement. It’s crucial to be cautious when speaking with them, as their goal is often to minimize the payout. It’s best to consult with your attorney before giving a statement or accepting any offers to ensure your interests are protected.

Can I still pursue a claim if I did not receive immediate medical attention after the accident?

Yes, you can still pursue a claim even if you did not seek immediate medical attention. Some injuries may not become apparent until days or weeks after the accident. Documenting your medical condition and linking it to the accident with the help of your auto accident attorney is key to building a strong case.