Statute of Limitations in Utah
State-specific overview · Contract Law
Utah allows four years for personal injury claims and six years for written contract breaches.
How Utah treats Statute of Limitations
Personal injury actions must be filed within four years of the injury under Utah Code § 78B-2-307. Written contracts have a six-year deadline under § 78B-2-309, while oral contracts have four years. Medical malpractice claims follow the four-year rule but may be tolled under the discovery rule if the injury was not reasonably discoverable. Utah also recognizes a statute of repose that generally bars claims more than six years after the act causing injury.
The general definition of Statute of Limitations
A law setting the maximum time period within which a lawsuit can be filed after an injury or breach occurs.
Every type of legal claim has a deadline. Once that deadline passes, you lose the right to sue, even if you have a valid claim. The statute of limitations varies depending on the type of case—contract disputes might have a different deadline than personal injury claims, for example. These time limits exist to protect defendants from being sued years or decades after an event, when evidence may be lost and memories fade. Once the deadline expires, the claim is essentially dead, and courts will dismiss any lawsuit filed after that point.
Read the full Statute of Limitations entry →This page is a plain-English reference and is not legal advice. State laws change frequently. For specific situations consult a licensed attorney in Utah.