Do You Need A Colorado Personal Injury Lawyer?

What Does a Personal Injury Attorney Do?

You likely already know that a personal injury lawyer represents injured people and attempts to recover compensation. However, there’s more to a personal injury attorney’s job than meets the eye, namely:

• Estimating the value of a case
• Investigating the circumstances of an injury
• Gathering evidence
• Building an argument showing the defendant’s negligence
• Submitting a claim to the defendant’s insurance company
• Attempting to negotiate a fair settlement with the insurance company
• Filing a lawsuit, if needed
• Continuing to negotiate
• Representing a client in court

In the field of personal injury law, most cases are settled before they reach the courtroom. But if yours goes to court, it will be decided by a civil trial. This means that both sides will argue their cases before a judge and jury. The court will then decide whether the defendant owes you compensation.

What to Look for When Choosing Colorado Personal Injury Attorneys

When you’re pursuing a personal injury case, your choice of lawyer makes a difference. A few things to look for when choosing a Colorado personal injury lawyer include:

• Experience with your case type
• Prompt, clear communication
• A track record of success, especially with cases like yours
• The ability to dedicate time and attention to your case
• Detailed, positive client testimonials

While you’ll want to check whether a lawyer has positive client reviews, it can also be helpful to see if they have been recognized by their peers as well. If a given attorney has been recognized by certain legal organizations, for example, they have been chosen by other lawyers for their excellence.

Common Types of Personal Injury Claims Filed in Colorado

Generally, you can file a personal injury claim anytime someone’s negligence causes you to suffer an injury. Some types of claims are more commonplace than others, though. Take a closer look at some of the claims Colorado personal injury lawyers see most often.

Car Accidents

At many personal injury firms, car accident cases are the most common by far. Statistically speaking, people tend to be more likely to get seriously hurt in a car crash than from a slip and fall incident or a dog bite. Many car accidents also happen at high speeds, leading to major injuries.

Pedestrian and Bicycle Accidents

Whether due to poor infrastructure, distracted drivers, or other causes, accidents with pedestrians and cyclists can cause catastrophic injuries. Car insurance companies may try to blame the victim, so having an experienced attorney is especially important for these cases.

Truck Accidents

Compared to car accidents, truck accidents often do even more damage. They also may raise complex liability questions, making them challenging to litigate.

Motorcycle Accidents

If you ride a motorcycle, you may be at greater risk of serious injuries than the average person in a car. That doesn’t mean you’re not entitled to damages if you’re hurt in a crash that wasn’t your fault, though.

Slip and Fall Accidents

A slip and fall case falls under premises liability. Business owners and other property owners are obligated to maintain a safe environment and take reasonable steps to protect visitors from hazards. If they fail to do so and you’re hurt as a result, you might have a legal case.

Medical Malpractice

Not all Colorado personal injury lawyers handle medical malpractice cases. Those who do must have extensive medical knowledge as well as legal knowledge.

Medical malpractice is already a specific area of personal injury law. But some law firms offer services that are even more focused. For instance, you might consult a birth injury lawyer if your baby suffered a head injury from the misuse of forceps.

Dog Bites

Not all dog bites lead to lawsuits. But severe bites and their complications may leave you with high medical bills and potential disfigurement.

Workplace Accidents

If you’re in a high-risk sector, there’s a chance you could suffer a major injury at work. An attorney can help you navigate the workers’ compensation or personal injury lawsuit process.

Do I Have a Personal Injury Case?

It’s tempting to speculate about the potential value of your case. The only reliable way to determine whether your case is likely to be successful, though, is to contact a Colorado personal injury lawyer.

An attorney can evaluate your situation and decide whether it’s one they think they can win. When arguing your case before a court, your attorney must be able to prove the elements of negligence, which include:

• The defendant owed you a duty of care
• They breached that duty
• The breach was the proximate cause of your injuries
• You have damages to collect as a result

Proving these elements is more straightforward in some cases than in others.

For example, imagine you get hurt in a crash where a speeding driver ran a red light. Here’s how each element could apply:

• All drivers have a duty to obey traffic laws and try to avoid accidents
• By speeding and running a red light, the defendant breached that duty
• Your injuries were a direct result of those actions
• You incurred medical bills and other expenses because of your injuries

It’s important to understand that different attorneys may have different opinions on your case. For instance, one law firm may pick up your case after another one turns it down.

When Should I Hire a Personal Injury Law Firm?

Many people who are unfamiliar with personal injury law think that if you’ve been injured, you can simply call a law office and hire a Colorado personal injury lawyer. The vast majority of personal injury lawyers don’t work this way, though.

Most personal injury lawyers work on contingency, which means they take on all the financial risk that comes with a case. Under this arrangement, the client only pays a contingency fee, which is a set percentage of the financial award, if they win. However, if the attorney is unable to recover any compensation, they don’t get paid.

Because of this payment structure, personal injury law firms generally only take on cases they think they can win. Fortunately, most offer free consultations. If you think you may have a strong personal injury case, it’s worth seeing if a law office will take it on.

How Long Do I Have to File a Personal Injury Claim in Colorado?

Each state sets its own statute of limitations for personal injury cases. This is the time limit you have to file a lawsuit. Colorado’s statute of limitations is somewhat unique in that it’s extended for car accident cases.

For most personal injuries, you have two years to file a lawsuit. However, if your injuries happened in a car accident, you generally have three years.

It’s easy to see these statutes of limitations and think you have plenty of time to file a lawsuit, but it’s important to consult a Colorado personal injury lawyer early on. The more time your lawyer has to build your case, the stronger it’s likely to be.

Common Damages in Personal Injury Cases

If you’ve ever seen a news story about a personal injury settlement, you may have wondered how the value of that settlement was determined. When courts and insurance companies decide how much a plaintiff should receive, they don’t just choose a number. Instead, they carefully calculate all damages and add them up.

These are some of the most common damages awarded in personal injury cases:

Medical Bills

Even in the case of minor to moderate injuries, medical bills can be astronomical. If you have a serious injury or multiple injuries, you could find yourself dealing with hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical debt or more. Compensation may give you the peace of mind that comes with knowing all of your medical expenses are covered.

Property Damage

Some personal injury lawsuits also involve compensation for property damage. Your main focus is probably on your injuries, but if your vehicle or other property has been damaged, you deserve to be compensated for those losses, too.

Lost Income

Along with medical expenses, this is one of the biggest injury-related expenses for many. If your injury has left you unable to work, you can be compensated for the income you would have earned had you not been injured.

Similarly, if you used sick leave or vacation days to cover days when you were injured, you may be reimbursed for these, too.

Lost Earning Capacity

Many injured people are fortunate enough to make a full recovery and return to work. However, certain injuries may leave you with some level of permanent disability.

If you must take a lower-paying job because of that disability, you might be compensated for the difference between what you make now and what you would’ve made without the injury.

Pain and Suffering

In a personal injury lawsuit, you aren’t only compensated for monetary losses. You could also be paid for pain and suffering, which includes intangible losses like physical pain and emotional distress.

Loss of Consortium

Compensation for loss of consortium is similar to compensation for pain and suffering. If your injuries are bad enough to impact your marital relationship, compensation may be on the table for this loss, too.

Serving Personal Injury Clients Across Colorado

We partner with law firms and independent attorneys across the country so that we can connect as many people as possible with the legal help they need. Here are just a few of the Colorado cities we serve:

• Arvada
• Aurora
• Boulder
• Brighton
• Castle Rock
• Centennial
• Colorado Springs
• Commerce City
• Denver
• Englewood
• Fort Collins
• Grand Junction
• Greeley
• Lakewood
• Northglenn
• Parker
• Pueblo
• Thornton
• Westminster
• Wheat Ridge
• Windsor

If you’re looking for a Colorado personal injury lawyer, our team can guide your search, no matter where you are in the state.

Connect With Experienced Colorado Personal Injury Lawyers

If another person caused your injuries, you shouldn’t be left to handle the financial, physical, and emotional consequences alone. The right Colorado personal injury lawyer can help you recover the compensation you deserve to move forward.

If you’re like most people, though, you may not know where to begin your search. Let us help. ConsumerShield matches people like you with qualified attorneys in your area. Fill out our contact form to get started with a free case review today.