According to state statistics, Garfield County experiences over 1,000 car accidents a year. We are not surprised. Even rural areas have dangerous roads, and negligent and aggressive drivers can come from anywhere.
If you were injured in a car wreck, we recommend meeting with an attorney as soon as possible. There are many steps that victims must take to preserve their right to compensation, and being injured means that you need legal help. Contact a Glenwood Springs car accident attorney at Cimarron Ridge Legal Group today.
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Types of Car Accident Cases We Accept
Our attorneys are experienced in all types of car accidents, including:
- Single vehicle accidents
- Defective road crashes
- Negligent driver accidents
- Aggressive driving accidents
- Drunk driving collisions
- Head-on collisions
- Fender benders
- Rollovers
- Side-impact crashes
- Parking lot accidents
- Intersection accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
Every car accident is unique. Our attorneys will fully review the facts as we know them and perform any relevant investigation to determine fault for your wreck. The sooner we hear from you, the better. For example, don’t have your car repaired until one of our lawyers has inspected it.
Treating Your Injuries
A car accident can cause anything from relatively minor up to catastrophic, life-changing injuries. Our attorneys understand that the cost of medical care only seems to go up and that even a minor injury could cost thousands of dollars in care.
Paying for medical care can be confusing. If another driver is to blame for your injuries, then we can request compensation to pay for your medical bills. However, you are unlikely to receive any compensation for months until a settlement is reached. This means that you are responsible for paying for your immediate care. If you have health insurance, that can help. You might also have medical payments insurance that pays no-fault benefits.
Always remember to carefully document the cost of your care. Hold onto medical bills, insurance statements, and receipts for prescription drugs and prosthetics. We can use this documentation to convince the insurance company that your care was reasonable.
Punitive Damages & Glenwood Springs Car Accidents
Colorado divides compensation into compensatory damages and punitive damages, also called “exemplary” damages. Compensatory damages cover things like medical care, lost wages, property damage, and pain and suffering. Victims receive this money so they can be made whole after a crash.
Punitive (exemplary) damages serve a different purpose altogether. They punish the other driver for horrible conduct that the public wants to deter. For example, a driver who was intoxicated has behaved terribly and should be punished.
Under Colorado Revised Statute §13-21-102, punitive damages are only available in certain situations, such as when the defendant’s conduct showed reckless disregard for the safety of other people. We can review your case to determine whether suing for punitive damages makes sense. There is no set amount that our clients can request. Instead, a jury will use its experience to settle on a sum that will sufficiently deter the defendant and others. Obtaining punitive damages is never easy, and you should work with an attorney who understands the process.
Comparative Fault: Did You Contribute to Your Accident
Do not be surprised if an insurer calls you to discuss the case. They have one purpose: they are digging for information to show that you are at least partially to blame for your injuries. For example, you might have failed to look over your shoulder before changing lanes, or you could have been checking a text message while driving. In these examples, your careless conduct has contributed, at least in part, to the collision and your injuries.
Colorado Revised Statute §13-21-111 is our state’s comparative fault law. It states that someone who is equally to blame for an accident cannot receive compensation in a lawsuit. In other words, you can be 49% to blame—but not 50%.
Any fault will reduce your compensation proportionally. A client who is 25% to blame will receive 25% less in compensation. If you are 45% to blame, you will receive 45% less. This is better than the old rule in Colorado, where any degree of fault on a victim’s part completely barred their ability to obtain compensation. However, it makes talking with an insurance company dicey.
We can help. Our experienced Glenwood Springs car accident lawyers have negotiated settlements for many clients with most of the state’s largest insurers. We know how insurance adjusters review claims, and we can gather the evidence necessary to show you are not to blame for your injuries. Please contact us today online or call (970) 644-5194 to schedule a free consultation.
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