How this estimate is built
Your medical expenses and lost wages are your economic damages. We apply the multiplier method, the industry-standard approach, to estimate noneconomic damages — then apply Utah's fault rule and check whether its malpractice cap genuinely applies.
A strict 50% bar: an exact tie wipes out the claim
Under Utah Code § 78B-5-818, a claimant's fault bars recovery once it reaches 50% — a jury finding of exactly 50/50 fault results in zero recovery, a stricter rule than in states where an exact tie still pays half. Utah has also eliminated joint and several liability; each defendant is severally liable only for their own proportionate share of fault.
A cap that works differently depending on the outcome
Utah caps noneconomic damages in medical malpractice cases at $450,000 under Utah Code § 78B-3-410, a figure fixed since May 15, 2010 (before that date, the cap adjusted annually for inflation). In 2015, the Utah Supreme Court held that this cap is unconstitutional specifically in wrongful death cases — the Utah Constitution bars any statutory limitation on damages for death, and the court found that provision controls over the malpractice cap. The court explicitly limited its ruling: where the patient survived, the $450,000 cap remains valid and enforced.
Also a no-fault state for car accidents
Utah requires PIP (personal injury protection) coverage and imposes a tort threshold an injured driver must cross before suing in tort for a car accident — a separate framework layered on top of the comparative fault rule described above, which applies once that threshold is crossed.