There are three things that Utah auto insurance policies are required to provide after a car accident ? whether or not it?s your fault. In Utah, this is called Personal Injury Protection, or PIP for short.

First, they are required to pay for the first $3,000 of medical bills. (Your policy may actually pay more than this, but $3,000 is the minimum it must pay.) These medical bills must be for services, prescriptions, and/or medical aids that are related to injuries you experienced in the accident. You should give the medical providers who treat you the name and contact information of your insurance company, including your claim number, so they can bill them directly. Keep in mind that while most auto insurance PIP policies will pay 100 percent of the billed expenses, there are some out there who will not. So you should monitor your bills closely to make sure they paid so that none of your medical accounts get sent to collections for insufficient payment.

Second, your insurance company will pay money for any lost wages you experience, up to a maximum of $250 per week. Yes, this is a small amount, and will only cover a fraction of what we might typically earn in a week?s time. But it is still a benefit that you are entitled to if you have been released from work or put on light duty in a job where no light duty work is available. You insurance carrier will have a form to fill out and will require documentation from your employer as well as your medical providers.

Third, you are entitled to household service benefits. These are benefits that Utah law requires that insurers pay over to the injured when they are unable to carry on their normal household duties and others have to step in and provide substitute labor. This benefit is calculated to pay $20 per day up to one year, or a maximum of $7,300. Keep in mind that under Utah law, as it has developed, that you don?t necessarily need to be out of commission for one year straight to qualify for these services. You also don?t need to be provided services by others for 365 days straight to get at the full value of this benefit.
So if you have been injured in a Utah auto accident, make sure you make a claim for these benefits. Remember: If you don?t use them, you lose them. Rk