Statewide Utah Representation
Utah Motorcycle Accident LawyerThey Assume the Rider Was Reckless. We Make Them Prove It.
Every motorcycle claim starts the same way: an adjuster deciding the rider must have been speeding, weaving, or asking for it. Utah riders are overrepresented in serious crashes because they are exposed, not because they are reckless, and unlike a car claim, there is no PIP to fall back on while that argument plays out. Proving fault is the whole case. That is the work.
The Difference
Beating the Bias Against Riders
Motorcycle claims are not ordinary injury claims, and the reason is mostly about assumption rather than law.
The Rider Is Blamed First
Adjusters and jurors arrive with a picture already formed: speed, weaving, risk-taking. The Utah Highway Safety Office puts motorcyclists at roughly 16% of road fatalities while making up about 3% of registered vehicles: that is exposure, not recklessness, and the difference is worth real money.
There Is No PIP Safety Net
Utah motorcycle policies are not required to carry personal injury protection. Nothing pays your first medical bills automatically, so establishing another driver's fault is not one part of the claim. It is the claim.
The Injuries Outrun the Policy
Riders take the full force of an impact. Claims routinely exceed the at-fault driver's limits, which turns underinsured motorist coverage and every secondary liable party into a central issue rather than a footnote.
The Motorcycle Exception
Why You Have No PIP, and What That Changes
This is the single biggest structural difference between a motorcycle claim and a car claim in Utah.
Utah is a no-fault state for most vehicles. After an ordinary car crash your own personal injury protection pays the first medical bills regardless of who caused it, and you only step outside that system to sue once you clear a statutory threshold.
Motorcycles are carved out. Utah Code § 31A-22-302 provides that a policy of insurance for a motorcycle is not required to have personal injury protection. Many riders discover this only after a crash.
There is one upside: you are not stuck clearing a no-fault threshold before you can bring a claim. But the trade is steep, and it runs one way in practice.
What it means for you Practical
No automatic pot of money for your first bills. Health insurance, MedPay if you carry it, or your own pocket covers treatment until the claim resolves.
Fault is everything Central
You recover nothing from the other driver unless their fault is established. That is why the bias against riders is not just unfair, it is expensive.
Check your own policy Do this
Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage, and MedPay, are the coverages that actually protect riders. Bring your declarations page to the consultation.
Utah & Local Law
The Utah Motorcycle Laws That Decide Your Case
A handful of statutes shape almost every rider's claim. Two of them changed recently.
No PIP required. A motorcycle policy is not required to carry personal injury protection, which puts riders outside Utah's no-fault system and makes proving fault essential.
Helmets under 21. Riders under 21 must wear headgear meeting the federal standard. There is no helmet requirement for riders 21 and over.
No helmet, no penalty to your claim. Failure to wear headgear is not contributory or comparative negligence and may not be introduced as evidence in civil litigation on negligence, injuries, or mitigation of damages.
Lane filtering, narrowly legal. Permitted only past a stopped vehicle, at 15 mph or less, where the limit is 45 mph or less, on a road with two or more lanes the same way, and only when it can be done safely.
Lane splitting, prohibited. New as of January 1, 2026. Beyond the infraction, a conviction carries a 90-day endorsement or licence suspension, 180 days on a second, revocation on a third, and the bike can be impounded.
Comparative fault. You recover as long as you are less than 50% at fault, reduced by your share. Insurers inflate a rider's percentage precisely because this rule makes it profitable.
Changed This Year
Lane Filtering vs Lane Splitting in Utah
These used to be discussed as one thing. As of 2026 they are legally separate, and only one of them is still allowed.
Filtering: Still Legal, Narrowly
Utah Code § 41-6a-704(6) permits filtering only when every one of these is true:
- You are on a motorcycle
- The road (or off-ramp) has two or more lanes going the same direction
- The speed limit is 45 mph or less, or you are on an off-ramp
- You are not on an on-ramp
- The vehicle you are passing in that lane is stopped
- You are travelling 15 mph or less
- The movement can be made safely
Miss any one of them and the manoeuvre is an infraction.
Splitting: Now Banned Outright New 1/1/2026
Utah Code § 41-6a-704.1 states plainly that an individual may not engage in lane splitting.
The penalties are not trivial Licence
An infraction, plus a 90-day suspension of your motorcycle endorsement (or your driver licence if you have no endorsement) on a first conviction, 180 days on a second, and revocation on a third. An officer may also impound the bike.
Where is the line? Unsettled
The statute does not define "lane splitting." Filtering has seven precise conditions; splitting has none. If an insurer is using the label against you, that ambiguity is arguable, and worth a lawyer's attention rather than a guess.
How Crashes Happen
Where and Why Utah Motorcycle Crashes Happen
The patterns are consistent, and most of them start with a driver who did not register a motorcycle as traffic.
Left-Turn Collisions
The classic and the deadliest: a driver turns across a rider, misjudging speed or never seeing the bike.
Blind-Spot Lane Changes
Merges into an occupied lane on I-15, Bangerter, and other high-speed corridors.
Canyon Roads
Cottonwood, Provo Canyon, the Alpine Loop: blind switchbacks, gravel, and drivers crossing the centreline.
Distracted Driving
A narrow silhouette is the first thing a distracted driver fails to register.
Impaired Driving
Slowed reactions against a vehicle that offers a rider no protection at all.
Tailgating & Rear-Enders
Even a low-speed hit from behind puts a rider on the pavement.
Road Surface Defects
Gravel, potholes, grooved pavement, and debris that a car shrugs off and a bike does not.
Hit-and-Run
Drivers who leave, turning the claim into an uninsured-motorist fight.
Dooring & Parking Manoeuvres
Doors opened into traffic and drivers reversing without checking for a bike.
Accountability
Who Can Be Held Liable After a Motorcycle Crash
Rider injuries routinely exceed one driver's policy limits, so finding every applicable policy matters more here than in almost any other claim.
The At-Fault Driver
Usually a left turn across the rider, or a lane change into an occupied lane.
The Vehicle's Owner
When someone else was driving, the owner's policy is frequently the one that pays.
Employers
Delivery, rideshare, and commercial vehicles carry far larger limits than a personal policy.
Government Entities
Road defects, gravel left on a canyon road, unsafe design. Notice of claim may be due within one year.
Parts Makers & Repair Shops
Defective components or negligent service behind a mechanical failure.
Your Own Insurer
Underinsured and uninsured motorist coverage, which is what closes the gap when limits run out.
What's at Stake
Common Injuries in Utah Motorcycle Crashes
Between 2020 and 2024 Utah recorded 5,887 motorcycle crashes and 229 motorcyclist deaths (Utah Highway Safety Office).
Traumatic Brain Injury
The leading cause of rider death, and survivable injuries can still be permanent.
Spinal Cord Injury & Paralysis
Lifetime care costs that insurers work hard to discount.
Complex Fractures
Legs, pelvis, and wrists, frequently needing hardware and repeat surgeries.
Road Rash & Degloving
Extensive skin loss requiring grafts, with lasting infection and scarring risk.
Amputation
Crush injuries beyond repair, with lifelong prosthetic and adaptation costs.
Internal & Organ Damage
Bleeding that is not obvious at the scene and is sometimes missed initially.
Permanent Disfigurement
When a crash changes how someone looks and lives for good.
Psychological Trauma
PTSD and loss of the riding life: real, compensable, routinely ignored.
Building Your Case
Evidence That Beats the "Reckless Rider" Story
You do not argue a rider out of blame. You measure your way out of it. We move early to collect and preserve:
- The police crash report and any citations issued to the driver
- Scene photographs: gouge marks, debris field, skid and yaw geometry
- Damage patterns on both vehicles, which fix angle and closing speed
- The car's event data recorder: speed, braking, throttle, steering
- Intersection, business, doorbell, and helmet or bike camera footage
- The driver's phone records where distraction is suspected
- Accident reconstruction where fault is genuinely contested
- Every applicable policy, including your own UM/UIM and MedPay
Most of this is gone within weeks. Scene evidence often within days.
Economic Damages Measurable
Emergency and surgical care, rehabilitation, assistive equipment, lost wages, lost earning capacity, future treatment, and the bike itself.
Non-Economic Damages Personal
Pain and suffering, disfigurement, loss of enjoyment of life, and the loss of riding where that is central to who you are.
Punitive Damages Rare
For egregious conduct such as a drunk, racing, or fleeing driver. Utah's comparative negligence rule (§ 78B-5-818) lets you recover as long as you are less than 50% at fault.
Protect Yourself
What to Do After a Motorcycle Crash in Utah
What happens in the first hours shapes the whole claim. If you're able:
Get Medical Care
Go the same day. Adrenaline masks head and internal injuries for hours.
Call the Police
Insist on a report. It fixes the vehicles, the position, and the driver's first account.
Photograph Everything
Both vehicles, the debris field, skid marks, road surface, sightlines, and your gear.
Keep the Bike and Gear
Do not repair or dispose of either. Damage patterns and a scuffed helmet are evidence.
Say Nothing About Fault
Not to the driver, not to their adjuster. Call us before any recorded statement.
Local Help
Motorcycle Accident Lawyers Near You
Statewide representation, with attorneys who know your roads and your courts.
Let Our Lawyers Fight for Your Recovery
The driver's insurer has already decided the rider was at fault. Level the field: talk to us before you talk to them.
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Kurt London
This page was written and reviewed by Kurt London of London Harker Injury Law. Kurt represents injured Utahns in motorcycle, auto, and catastrophic-injury cases statewide, holding negligent drivers and their insurers accountable under Utah law. Read Kurt's full bio →
Common Questions
Utah Motorcycle Accident FAQ
Why doesn't my motorcycle insurance have PIP like my car?
The insurer says I must have been speeding. Can they just assume that?
I wasn't wearing a helmet. Does that hurt my claim?
Is lane filtering still legal in Utah? What about lane splitting?
How long do I have to file a motorcycle accident claim in Utah?
How much does a motorcycle accident lawyer cost?
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