If you get this wrong, the insurer can pin 50% or more fault on you and wipe out your claim in Utah.

No. A tire blowout does not automatically make you at fault. Utah uses modified comparative negligence. Under Utah Code 78B-5-818, you can still recover damages if you were less than 50% at fault, but your payout is reduced by your share of blame. If they push you to 50% or higher, you recover nothing.

What matters is why the blowout happened and what you did next.

If the other side says you caused the crash, they will usually argue one of these:

• your tires were worn or underinflated
• you overloaded the car for a summer road trip
• you were speeding on I-15 near Provo or through the Point of the Mountain
• you jerked the wheel or braked hard after the blowout
• you ignored a vehicle defect or warning light

To prove the blowout does not make you automatically liable, gather evidence now before the car is repaired or junked. Keep the damaged tire, take clear photos of the tread, sidewall, DOT date code, and the whole vehicle. Get your tire purchase records, rotation and maintenance receipts, and any recent inspection paperwork.

Get the Utah Highway Patrol or local police report if officers responded. If the crash happened in Provo, also ask for nearby camera footage fast; businesses and traffic systems often overwrite video quickly. Save photos of the road, heat conditions, debris, skid marks, and where the vehicle ended up.

If a shop, tire store, or manufacturer may be involved, keep records showing prior repairs or defects. If another driver crowded you, cut you off, or was following too closely in tourist traffic, get witness names, phone numbers, and dashcam footage right away.

Do not let the insurer reduce this to "blowout equals your fault." In Utah, fault is assigned from the evidence.