Car Accident Attorney in Denver, CO

Car accidents happen every day across Colorado, but there is nothing ordinary about the damage that they cause. When a collision leads to serious injuries, individuals and families may be overwhelmed with the ensuing medical, financial and legal issues.

It may seem easier to try to negotiate a settlement for your car accident injuries on your own. After all, you have a firsthand account of the crash. You are certain that you have solid evidence to support your claim for damages. You’re ready to seek out the full compensation you deserve by yourself.

Please reconsider. It’s no secret that Colorado’s insurance providers will do everything in their power to limit payouts to well-deserving accident victims. At Beem & Isley, P.C., we know the tactics that these corporations and their agents use, and we know how to counter them. We have been helping car accident victims and their loved ones stand up to profit-driven insurance companies for decades.

Our attorneys are ready to provide clarity and representation. They draw upon decades of experience to protect the rights of our clients. When a car accident transforms your life, turn to a trusted source of guidance.

Dangerous Driving Errors Change Lives

We have pursued personal injury claims for car accidents involving a variety of factors, including:

• Driving while drunk, fatigued or under the influence of drugs
• Distracted driving, such as texting, eating or chatting with passengers
• Failure to stop at intersections and other traffic violations
• Vehicle malfunctions due to defective parts or poor repairs

In Colorado, the amount of compensation you could claim partially depends on your fault. If a driver is mainly responsible for the car crash, they may collect a smaller percentage of the compensation they would have received otherwise for their injuries. Therefore, you have an incentive to prove that the other party contributed to the accident. However, even if you are partially at fault, you can still file a claim if you have injuries.

As committed lawyers, we will advocate for you throughout the process. If the insurance company does not offer a fair settlement, our litigators have the knowledge and determination to take claims to trial. Serious injuries can greatly affect your life. It is our duty to set you back on course as fully as possible.

Be Careful What You Do After An Accident

If you are in a car crash, who you call, what you document and the other choices you make afterward will impact any insurance claim you choose to file. A seemingly innocuous comment or similar mistake can mean you no longer qualify for support. Here are some rule of thumb for you to follow when in a road accident:

• Do not say, “I am sorry.” Instead, ask if everyone is okay. Saying sorry can be an admission of fault, precluding you from a settlement.
• Take lots of pictures. Images of the car, who was involved, any bruises or other evidence can strongly support your case.
• Call the police and, if appropriate, an ambulance. Not only does this mean everyone gets the resources they need, but it also means there is formal documentation of the accident and your injuries.
• Get follow-up care. Car crashes often lead to injuries that take a while to fully develop. A hurt back may mean long-term damage months later. Quality care throughout recovery will mean you know the full extent of the injuries.

The more information you have, the better off you are. Collecting all the necessary information and getting a complete diagnosis can be daunting, even scary, but knowledge really is power.

Long-Term Effects Of Car Accidents

Car accidents are always a shock on every conceivable level. A significant car accident can come with consequences and effects that last for the rest of your life. Even a minor accident can cause changes that will follow you for a long time.

Long-Term Injuries

Healing from an accident is actually not a straightforward process. Take a broken bone, for example. A broken femur requires a specialized splint in the first place because of the way the muscles in the leg spasm, and that’s just immediate stabilization.

Once at the hospital, a femur can require surgery to splint and significant immobilization until the bone heals. During that time, a person’s entire body may undergo significant muscle loss, not just in the area of the injury but in the rest of the lower body. Returning to action and movement may take several weeks once the initial healing is completed.

Altogether, that’s several months of healing for an accident that took only a few minutes. Furthermore, a broken bone is one of the simplest injuries to heal. Other more serious and complex injuries come with longer timelines and continued physical restrictions.

Long-Term Mental Health Issues

Every accident comes with long-term mental impacts. A car accident that leads to a lengthy recovery is rife with long-term stress. A person may feel apprehension behind the wheel of a car or even approaching the intersection where the accident occurred. Post-traumatic stress from even small accidents is very common.

However, interpersonal and relational issues can also crop up. The frustration of recovering from an injury puts stress on all your relationships and can lead to guilt. It takes time to process the challenges of a serious accident. You deserve the time to heal mentally.

Long-Term Insurance Complications

With the injury and recovery, you will incur bills, and you will have lost time at work. You will likely have fallen behind on several bills. However, your financial help for this should come from the responsible party’s insurance carrier, which is where the problems begin.

You may have to fight for years to secure the compensation that is owed to you, and even then, simply for being in an accident, your insurance premiums may rise. Your ability to recover and your financial stability will all suffer after a car accident.

Do You Need To Call The Police For A Minor Accident?

According to Colorado law, you must contact the police any time you are in an accident where one of the following happens:

• A death occurs
• An injury occurs
• Damage to property occurs

In most cases, with two vehicles coming into contact with each other, there will at least be some form of damage or injury. So, yes, even in a minor accident, the law asks that you contact the police.

The Importance Of Police Reports

There is a very good chance that you may have been in an accident with damage that you did not report. Fender benders happen frequently, as do bumps. Some people think involving the police is a hassle. However, if there is an injury – aside from the legal requirement – a police report is a valuable thing to have in your possession.

Police investigate each accident. They take names and statements and record significant evidence, and their report and impressions of a scene are vital pieces of evidence that both the insurance company and we use in a case. Not calling the police puts you at a disadvantage in not having that information, and furthermore, it could be characterized as irresponsible as it is a violation of the law.

The final reason you should always consider pursuing a police report immediately after every accident is that you do not know when you’re injured. Conditions like whiplash or concussions can take some time to fully present. If you had an accident and then later felt the injury without a police report, you will be closer to pitting your word against the word of the other driver. This makes your case harder to prove.

How Is Liability Determined In A Car Accident?

In Colorado, the law divides fault between drivers based on the principle of comparative negligence. However, Colorado’s law is not pure comparative negligence, and if a party is found to be more than 50% at fault for an accident, they cannot recover any compensation for the accident.

The reason that we brought up the comparative liability law in Colorado is that this determination of fault is central to the way the courts assign liability. The law isn’t looking to find a yes-or-no answer. There is complexity in the search and the possible outcomes, and they’ll review such evidence as:

• Police reports
• Eyewitness statements
• Video and photographic evidence
• Examination of tire marks and vehicle damage
• Medical reports

We will argue for the compensation you deserve with the evidence we secure and present. The insurance company seeking to pay you less or nothing will do the same. Each side will build a theory of the accident based on the facts available and attempt to convince the court of their side.

With our experience and reputation for attention to detail, we know exactly how to present a successful case.

If You Are Involved In An Accident With An Uninsured Or Underinsured Motorist, Who Pays?

Colorado laws require all drivers to be covered by car insurance. A policy must cover at least $25,000 for bodily injuries per person in an accident, capped at $50,000 per accident. In addition, the policy must also cover $15,000 in expenses for property damage.

Unfortunately, it is not rare to be hit by an uninsured or underinsured motorist. Fortunately, you do have options. You can file a claim with your own insurance provider if the at-fault driver or the driver’s insurance company cannot cover your damages.

How Long Do Car Accident Settlements Take In Colorado?

When it comes to time in a car accident claim, most people tend to start with how long they have to file a lawsuit. In Colorado, for any accident involving a motor vehicle, you have three years to file a suit from the date of the accident. However, there are many exceptions that you can exceed in the three-year statute of limitations.

However, that statute of limitations only refers to how long you have to begin your lawsuit, not how long it will take. The fact of the matter is that there is no set time frame for a case’s completion. It takes as long as it takes, and the below factors can contribute:

Finding A Venue

As all personal injury cases are civil cases, the first challenge is finding a venue for the case. Typically, this will be in the jurisdiction of the accident. However, civil trials have a large backlog, and it can take weeks or months to get before a judge.

In addition, each time you go before the judge, either party may ask for a delay or a continuance. Unless there is an egregious breach or considerable evidence that this is a delay tactic, these are often granted.

Gathering Evidence

One of the major reasons to delay a trial is the gathering of evidence. While some evidence can be simple to find, scientific analyses may be held up in lab work. Eyewitnesses may need a considerable incentive to provide testimony. It is a challenge to get these pieces of evidence together, and it all must happen according to the available court schedule.

Appeals

Even if your case is initially successful, the opposing side – the insurance company – may file an appeal, which will then add more time before you receive a judgment.

A Settlement Is Often Faster

However, despite the time involved in going to court, you may reach a settlement with the insurance company at any point. Your settlement is often significantly faster than the total resolution at trial. You may also not secure as much compensation as a successful verdict may net.

The time you wish to invest in your personal injury and car accident claim is one of the major choices you have. We will discuss all the timelines and likely complications with you before we get to work. And we will adhere to the strategy you approve to move any case forward.

What Damages Are You Entitled To After An Accident?

You will be able to pursue damages in two categories: economic and noneconomic. Economic damages include such examples as:

• Hospital bills
• Ambulance ride costs
• Physical therapy
• Lost wages for missed time at work
• Transportation to and from medical appointments

These are the hard numbers around your injury: The sum total of the money spent to get you back on your feet and back to the rest of your life. However, acute physical injuries aren’t the only cost you incur when you get into an accident.

Noneconomic damages are the types of damages that you cannot so easily quantify by looking at a set of documents. They include:

• Pain and suffering
• Loss of companionship
• Psychological pain
• Punitive damages

These noneconomic damages are the law’s way of finding a more complete form of recovery for accident victims. Nothing can really replace the loss of your time or the amount of pain you suffered for someone’s negligence. Noneconomic damages – however – may bring you significant relief and allow you to move forward.

In some cases, in egregious wrongful death claims, punitive damages and noneconomic damages may be the only way to secure a form of justice against the liable party.

Whatever the costs you’ve suffered from your accident, our attorneys will work with you to build a case to pursue the compensation you deserve for your pain.

Who Is Responsible For Covering Medical Bills And Accident Injuries If You Are Not To Blame For A Car Crash?

In Colorado, accident victims file claims with the insurance provider of the at-fault driver. Because insurance companies do not make a profit when they pay out a claim, they will go to extreme lengths to limit compensation to victims. Even if you believe your case is straightforward, it is critical to work with an attorney who has your best interests in mind.

Understanding The Value An Attorney Can Provide

Simply put, you need a knowledgeable legal ally by your side to guide you through the claims process and look out for your rights. At our Denver firm, our legal team will put your interests first and communicate with you honestly so that you know what your options are before you take action.

Having practiced personal injury law for decades, our attorneys understand how to navigate the system and build a strong case. As a result, you don’t have to take on this legal burden while you are recovering from your injuries.

You can count on us to:

• Conduct a thorough investigation. We know where to look for compelling evidence, which can be especially critical if the cause of the accident is disputed.
• Create a detailed list of damages. We know which type of documentation to provide to support your request for economic and noneconomic compensation.
• Identify the legal issues that may factor into your claim. Complex matters may include determining liability when multiple vehicles are involved, establishing degrees of responsibility in comparative fault cases or assessing options in hit-and-run accidents.
• Negotiate on your behalf with the insurance companies to get the most value for your claim.
• Arrange an agreement with health care providers who are pursuing payment for medical bills. With our assistance, you may be able to limit what you owe so that you can hold on to a greater portion of your compensation.
• Represent you in court if the insurance company refuses to offer a fair payout.

This list is not exhaustive, but it is indicative of the personalized services that we can provide to you in your time of need. When you are struggling with car accident injuries, you should give your recovery the attention it requires. Allow us to focus on your case and take the steps necessary to hold at-fault drivers and insurance companies responsible for their obligations.

Understand Your Next Steps

If you have serious injuries following a motor vehicle collision, call 303-894-8100 or email us to schedule a free case review. Beem & Isley, P.C., upholds professionalism in every case. We will give you an honest assessment of your claim and help you seek the compensation you deserve.