Utah is a relatively small state with a population of around 2.6 million, but it boasts a diverse terrain from arid deserts to mountain ranges popular for skiing which supports a thriving tourism industry. In 2005, there were almost 55,000 vehicle traffic accidents in Utah with 282 people killed and 29,221 people injured. Put another way, that means there was an accident in Utah every ten minutes, with a person injured every eighteen minutes, and a person killed every thirty-one hours. This justifies serious consideration to buying more than the basic minimum policy.

Through this site, it is easy to find good value auto insurance policies. The main types of insurance policy to look for are:

1. Liability
2. Collision/Comprehensive
3. Uninsured/underinsured driver
4. No fault/Personal Injury Protection

Almost all US States require drivers to carry a minimum level of liability insurance as a condition of driving on the public roads. This gives some protection to anyone who is injured or who suffers damage to their property in a traffic accident. If you do not have a valid insurance policy, prosecution and a fine are the usual consequences. Convicted drivers may also lose their license to drive.

You will find detailed help on the website operated by the Utah Insurance Department at http://www.insurance.utah.gov/. As a consumer with a complaint, you can call directly instate: 1-800-439-3805. This site is useful not only as a guide to finding liability and other insurance cover, but also because of the complaints service.

As one of the twelve no-fault insurance states, all those registering a vehicle for use on the public roads are required to buy:

(1) Personal Injury Protection (PIP) which provides some assistance with medical expenses, lost earnings and, when someone is killed, funeral expenses. The idea is to reduce delays in the claim system and allow those injured to receive more immediate treatment to restore health. In theory, this gets people back to productive work more quickly than in at-fault states. Those who have good medical insurance may decide to opt for the minimum PIP cover.

(2) Liability which covers you against Third Party claims alleging that you were at fault:
nonfatal bodily injury: $25,000 for one claimant or $50,000 divided among all the claimants;
fatal injury: $50,000 for one claimant or $100,000 divided among all the claimants.
property damage to another’s car or property: $15,000 per accident.

No other insurance is required to drive in Utah. Comparatively, these figures are low when you consider the likely medical costs of anyone injured. Similarly, the cost of repairing vehicles can quickly exceed the minimum provision. Remember that, if you are at fault and a claim is made, you are personally responsible for paying whatever amount is awarded by the court less the sum insured. It is therefore worth topping up the insurance cover if you have property and other assets that might be sold to satisfy a judgment against you. If you have an auto loan or use a rental vehicle, you may also be required to carry additional cover. Also remember that the mandatory requirement only covers liability to third parties and does not include damage to your own vehicle. The main options are as follows.

Collision covers the damage to your own vehicle if it is involved in an accident — almost always subject to a deductible. This will either be the cost of repair or, if repair is uneconomic, the fair value of the vehicle.

Comprehensive covers all the other situations in which your vehicle may be lost or damaged, e.g. through theft, vandalism, storm damage, etc.

You should also consider carrying uninsured or underinsured cover against the risk that the other driver(s) involved in the accident either drive off without identifying themselves or do not carry insurance, whether at all or sufficient to pay for your losses.

Think about GAP insurance to cover the difference between the amount owing on an auto loan or long lease, and the amount you recover as fair value when your vehicle is totaled.

You should look for specific terms to compensate you against your own loss of use, rental of an alternative vehicle and the cost of towing your vehicle to a repair shop. A final issue to consider is whether your household policy covers any personal property damaged in the accident. If not, separate cover should be put in place if you regularly wear expensive clothing, jewelery, watches, etc. and/or carry expensive property like a laptop.

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