As used in Sections 78B-5-817 through 78B-5-823:

(1)  “Defendant” means a person, other than a person immune from suit as defined in Subsection (3), who is claimed to be liable because of fault to any person seeking recovery.

Terms Used In Utah Code 78B-5-817

  • Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
  • Person: means :Utah Code 68-3-12.5
(2)  “Fault” means any actionable breach of legal duty, act, or omission proximately causing or contributing to injury or damages sustained by a person seeking recovery, including negligence in all its degrees, comparative negligence, assumption of risk, strict liability, breach of express or implied warranty of a product, products liability, and misuse, modification, or abuse of a product.

(3)  “Person immune from suit” means:

(a)  an employer immune from suit under Title 34A, Chapter 2, Workers’ Compensation Act, or Chapter 3, Utah Occupational Disease Act; and

(b)  a governmental entity or governmental employee immune from suit pursuant to Title 63G, Chapter 7, Governmental Immunity Act of Utah.

(4)  “Person seeking recovery” means any person seeking damages or reimbursement on its own behalf, or on behalf of another for whom it is authorized to act as legal representative.

Renumbered and Amended by Chapter 3, 2008 General Session