A motor vehicle accident can change a person's life suddenly and permanently. Debilitating bodily injuries from a motor vehicle crash can take months, or even years, to heal fully. These physical injuries not only affect the quality of life of a car accident victim but their treatment also causes an immense financial burden.
If you or a family member has sustained a severe bodily injury in an auto crash that was caused by another person's negligence, you can demand financial compensation for your current and future medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other financial losses.
At DCAL, our Denver car accident lawyers have the extensive experience and resources needed to help you recover maximum compensation. Our personal injury law firm has earned a solid reputation across Colorado for providing steadfast customer experience and outstanding results. To schedule a free initial consultation, contact our law office in Denver today at 720-770-5454, or chat with us to learn how we can help.
Why Do I Need a Denver Car Accident Lawyer?
You need to hire an experienced auto accident attorney, especially if you're serious about having a strong car accident claim and the best chances of recovering the full compensation you deserve. Your automobile crash might not be the first time you’re victimized after a motor vehicle collision if you don’t hire an experienced Denver car accident lawyer.
You may become a victim of insurance companies' underhanded tactics. The insurance adjuster's job is to look for ways for the insurance company not to pay out money so he or she can protect the insurance company’s bottom line. Thus, you can't rely on an insurance adjuster to protect your rights and advise on your options. Also, this means you can't count on the at-fault driver and their insurance company to:
- Correctly Assign Fault: Insurance company representatives will look for ways to blame you for the auto accident, either partially or fully. This includes disputing your personal injury claim or refuting the evidence in order to justify their position.
- Deal with Insurance Companies: Insurance providers may try to argue that a crash, driver, or motor vehicle wasn't insured. Sometimes insurers may go to illegal lengths, including changing insurance policies after the accident, to avoid paying damages.
- Negotiate a Fair Accident Settlement: If you don’t have a car accident lawyer by your side, an insurance company is more likely to offer you a lowball car accident settlement, expecting that you're not aware of your legal rights.
With a Denver car accident attorney by your side, motor vehicle crash victims can get a better understanding of their rights and legal options while getting an important ally against insurance companies and/or any other responsible parties who might try to undercut their personal injury claims, rights, and/or monetary compensation.
What are the Common Causes of Car Accidents in Denver, Colorado?
The most common causes of motor vehicle collisions in Denver include:
- Negligent Driving: Drivers not paying enough attention to other drivers, motorists, traffic signs, and traffic rules and regulations are extremely dangerous.
- Excessive Speeding: Drivers who don't adhere to posted speed limits are often responsible for causing severe accident injuries or wrongful death damages.
- Distracted Driving: Distracted driving car accidents are an immense problem in Denver. Drivers who eat, engage in phone conversations, groom themselves, or engage in other dangerous behaviors while driving are responsible for many motor vehicle crashes in Denver. Writing or reading text messages while operating a vehicle is also a very dangerous activity because the driver isn't paying attention to the road, road hazards, and other vehicles that must be avoided. This causes many fatal crashes in Denver.
- Drunk Driving: The Colorado State Patrol reports that DUI car accidents caused the tragic deaths of 500 people in a recent year.
- Drug-Impairment: Drugged driving is just as dangerous as driving under the influence of alcohol, with altered perceptions causing negligent driving behavior and driver errors.
- Reckless Driving: Drivers who operate motor vehicles with disregard for the safety of others, whether swerving from lane to lane, speeding or engaging in other forms of negligent driving behavior, are responsible for a lot of fatal crashes in Denver.
When another driver ignores traffic laws and causes an auto accident, that negligent driver must be held accountable for their reckless actions. At DCAL, our team of experienced car accident lawyers will protect your right to recover the maximum compensation possible, based upon the unique facts in your case.
Learn More: Colorado Car Accident Statistics
What are Common Car Accident Injuries in Denver, Colorado?
The traffic accident injuries that commonly result after car wrecks range from minor and passing to severe injury, permanent, life-threatening, and traffic deaths. The most common physical injuries in a car crash include:
- Whiplash: This occurs when your head and neck snap back and forth during a wreck. A whiplash injury can take time to manifest the severity of its symptoms in full.
- Back Injuries: Spinal cord injuries, herniated discs, and vertebral fractures can all cause debilitating and lasting pain. Although these injuries require invasive medical interventions, they can also cause permanent impairments to the injured person’s quality of life.
- Head and Traumatic Brain Injuries: Puncture wounds to the head, concussions, and severe traumatic brain injury can all cause permanent damage.
- Broken bones and Internal Injuries: Depending on which bones fracture, motor vehicle crash survivors can suffer punctures to internal organs, internal bleeding, and other life-threatening bodily harm.
- Soft Tissue Injuries: Bruises, scratches, scraps, and other soft tissue injuries can be severely painful and may even have irreversible impacts through nerve damage and disfigurement.
Whether car accident injuries are latent or catastrophic, it’s essential to seek immediate medical treatment and the necessary follow-up medical care. Even though this can you achieve a better outcome in terms of your physical recovery, it's also essential to your accident case and potential financial recovery.
What Should I Do After an Auto Accident in Colorado?
What you do immediately after a car wreck directly affects your ability to recover fair compensatory damages. In a minor crash that only caused damage to your vehicle, your auto insurance company can help you recover financial compensation to repair or replace your motor vehicle through your insurance coverage. However, when severe injuries occur, these simple steps can help you protect your right to recover full compensation:
- Check all passengers in your car to see if anyone has sustained any injuries.
- Call 911 so emergency medical care can be administered to the injured persons at the accident scene.
- If you can, photograph the accident scene, the vehicles involved, skid marks on the roadway, and damage to property.
- Don't admit liability.
- Gather the name, address, insurance information, and phone number of the other driver (s).
- Note the badge numbers of police officers investigating the accident scene.
- Record the names, phone numbers, and addresses of eyewitnesses.
- Get a full medical evaluation after the accident.
- Ask for copies of the police report and accident report as soon as they become available.
- Hire an experienced car accident attorney from DCAL to help you with the insurance companies involved.
Colorado Car Accident Insurance Laws
Following an auto collision that resulted in catastrophic injuries, under Colorado law you have limited time in which to file a personal injury lawsuit. The Colorado injury statute of limitations allows three years from the time of the auto collision in which to file a personal injury claim.
When filing an insurance claim, the accident victim is required to file their claim within a few weeks from the date of the accident. According to the Colorado Revised Statute 13-21-102.5, there are financial limitations for non-economic losses suffered in an auto accident. According to Colorado law, the non-economic losses include:
- Financial losses for pain and suffering,
- Loss of quality of life,
- Compensation for emotional distress,
- Compensation for the inconvenience, and
- Compensation for impairments suffered.
Some auto collision cases may be more complicated, especially if the collision was caused by an uninsured driver. To learn more about the details of your auto insurance policy and your rights to file a car accident lawsuit, speak with our experienced car accident attorneys today at 720-770-5454.
Even though Colorado law requires every motor vehicle owner in Colorado to have insurance coverage on their vehicle, many drivers who cause auto crashes don't have car insurance coverage and thus they're considered to be uninsured motorists.
Sometimes in these auto collision cases, the uninsured driver may even flee the scene of the accident. Other times, the driver who causes a car crash might be insured but he or she may not have enough insurance coverage to cover all the medical expenses and lost income incurred because of the crash and is therefore under-insured.
When car accident victims contact us, they often ask: “What happens if the person who caused the car crash is uninsured or doesn’t have enough insurance coverage?” According to Colorado Statute 10-4-609, motor vehicle operators are eligible for the auto insurance coverage they pay for when an under-insured or uninsured motorist injures them.
Further, Colorado is an “at-fault” state, which to file a car accident lawsuit or personal injury claim to recover financial damages, you must be less than 50% responsible for the collision. The amount of compensation you're entitled to will be reduced based on your percentage of fault. The fault for an automobile collision is determined through:
- The police report, which was filed after the car collision.
- Eyewitness statements.
- Photographs of the cars involved and other crash details.
- A full accident reconstruction performed by a professional accident reconstruction expert when liability and fault are unclear or unfairly determined.
What Damages Can I Recover After a Car Accident in Denver, Colorado?
As experienced car accident attorneys, our approach is unique. We approach car accident cases differently than what you may find at other law firms you see promoted on television. Instead of taking on many cases and running our law firm like a “mill,” every client we represent gets personalized attention from our accident attorneys.
We work long hours in case development so when the auto crash claim or personal injury lawsuit is filed, it's supported with solid evidence. If your case can't be settled outside of court, we'll move forward with a lawsuit to seek the justice you deserve. Our experienced attorneys will thoroughly evaluate your claim to determine the financial value of your damages, which may include:
- Economic Damages: These financial losses include present and future medical expenses, lost earning capacity, lost wages from work, and all other expenses associated with your accident injuries. Economic damages may also include the cost to repair or replace any property damaged in the wreck.
- Non-Economic Damages: These are the personal damages associated with the crash. Often non-economic damages include damages for emotional distress, pain and suffering, loss of quality of life, and emotional anguish of living with disability or disfigurement.
- Punitive Damages: These damages punish the negligent party for the accident. Punitive damages are only paid when it can be proved that the accident was an act of malice, or the accident was caused by willful and wanton conduct.
At DCAL, we care about recovering the full compensation you deserve to help you move forward with your life. Call or submit a contact form online today to schedule a free initial consultation.
How do I File a Car Accident Lawsuit in Denver?
If you sustained a bodily injury in an accident, you need to act quickly to safeguard your legal rights to pursue monetary compensation.
Often, you don’t need to file a car accident lawsuit immediately. Your Denver car accident lawyer will start by filing an insurance claim with the at-fault driver’s insurance company. After investigating the crash and documenting your car accident case, a Denver injury lawyer will submit a demand to the insurance company. Your lawyer will then negotiate with the insurance company to get a fair settlement offer.
Oftentimes, however, the insurance company might not make a satisfactory settlement offer. If this happens, your auto collision lawyer will advise you to file a civil lawsuit.
At our personal injury law firm in Denver, we won’t hesitate to file a lawsuit if necessary. Our Denver car accident lawyers have extensive trial experience. We believe you shouldn't have to settle for less than you deserve for your physical injuries and other financial damages. If this means fighting the at-fault party and their insurance company in court, then we'll do exactly that.
How Much Does a Denver Auto Accident Attorney Cost?
Hiring an auto accident lawyer may not be a priority after you pay for property damage repairs, medical bills, and deal with lost income. However, it's a crucial step if you wish to recover maximum compensation for your damages. Hiring an experienced car accident lawyer can help you know about your rights and legal options. Your auto collision attorney will negotiate a higher car accident settlement with insurance companies, or take your personal injury claim to trial for the best outcome possible.
With the right law firm, you need not worry about the cost of hiring a car accident attorney. Many personal injury law firms, including DCAL, operate on a contingency fee basis. This means you'll only pay attorney’s fees if we win you financial compensation for your damages. If we don't win your case, we won't charge you a dime for the legal services rendered.
However, if we win your case, we'll deduct a pre-agreed upon percentage, which is usually around 25% to 33% from your accident settlement or judgment award. So, you never have to pay out of pocket for your Denver car accident attorney. However, it's essential to discuss the cost of your legal services and the value of your car accident case in more detail when you hire your Denver auto accident attorney.
Talk to Our Experienced Denver Car Accident Attorneys Today for Legal Advice!
Car crashes are the most common types of personal injury claims filed each year and they're also some of the most complex personal injury claims. If you’ve suffered physical injuries or property damage in a car accident caused by another person's negligence, you can trust the Denver car accident lawyers at DCAL to put their knowledge and skills to work for you.
We'll fight to protect the rights of auto accident victims, including taking your case to court if that’s what is necessary. Contact us today at 720-770-5454 for your free case review, and learn how our Denver auto accident attorneys can make a difference for you.