Denver Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer
Drunk drivers are one of the leading causes of auto accidents in Denver leading to catastrophic injuries and death. Front Range Injury Attorneys helps clients recover maximum compensation in DUI accidents for injured clients and their families. Contact our Denver law firm for a free case review. Our Denver personal injury lawyers have experience pursuing impaired drivers for physical injuries, lost wages, medical bills and other burdens placed on you by drunk drivers. These cases often involve catastrophic injuries with substantial medical bills and long term healthcare needs. We also represent families of lost loved ones in wrongful death claims. If you or a family member were in a DUI accident, contact our Denver drunk driving accident lawyers for help. We can help you get the care you need and fight for the compensation you deserve.
Why Trust Front Range Injury Attorneys?
At Front Range Injury Attorneys we care about helping our clients throughout their cases. We believe clients are best served when our personal injury attorneys participate in their cases from start to finish. We help our clients get the best treatment for their injuries. By building up your case from the beginning, we build a strong case to get the best results.
No Fee Unless You Win
Our Denver law firm represents clients on a contingency fee basis. That means you don't pay us until we recover on your case.
Expertise with DUI accidents
Our Denver drunk driving accident lawyers understand your injuries and how to tell your story to the insurance company or a jury. We get proven results with a 98% success rate.
Communication is key
We maintain communication with you through your case. We want you to know what's going on with your case and the work we're doing for you.
How we can help you
Contact Front Range Injury Attorneys to discuss your Colorado DUI accident case. We offer free case reviews for injury and accident cases across the state including Denver, Lakewood, Aurora, Colorado Springs, Boulder, Westminster and Fort Collins.
Tell us about your case
Why you need a drunk driving accident lawyer in Denver
Drunk driving accidents are extremely dangerous accidents leading to catastrophic injury claims and even wrongful death claims. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 32 people die in drunk driving crashes every day. Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) data identifies more than 6,000 intoxicated driver crashes every year.
Insurance companies for DUI drivers know with severe injuries often comes high value claims. They will take every opportunity to deny, delay and chop down the value of your case. Often they will accept liability but give you a lowball offer to avoid paying fair value at a later date.
Personal injury claims related to DUI accidents involve unique issues that determine the value of your claim. Strategic decisions about investigating and timing settlement negotiations can have a substantial impact on the value of your case. Our drunk driving accident lawyers know how to investigate and manage your case to pursue maximum compensation. Contact Front Range Injury Attorneys for a free case review to learn more about how we can help you.
Compensation for drunk driving accident victims under Colorado law
Victims of drunk driving accidents can recover compensation for economic and non-economic damages as well as potentially punitive damages. The value of a drunk driving accident case depends upon the injuries you sustain and how those injuries affect your life. Our drunk driving accident lawyers will carefully investigate all aspects of your case and prepare evidence of every way your life changed due to your injuries.
Common injuries in a drunk driving accident
Intoxicated driver accidents often involve catastrophic injuries. Many DUI accidents involve a high rate of speed. High speed collisions commonly result in more severe injuries. Regardless of the extent of your injuries, however, it is important to obtain medical attention immediately after a car accident.
Our car accident lawyers often see clients suffering injuries after a drunk driving accident including:
- Spinal cord injuries with paralysis
- Severe neck and back injuries
- Open head wounds and facial injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Broken and fractured bones
- Severe lacerations
- Internal organ damage
- Internal bleeding
- Substantial joint damage to hips, knees, shoulders, elbows and wrists
- Significant scarring and disfigurement
These injuries have a substantial impact on your life, both economically and non-economically.
Economic damages
Economic damages include the financial costs incurred as a result of your injuries. These are calculable amounts both past and future, including:
- Medical bills
- Future medical expenses
- Lost earnings
- Lost future earning potential
- Home and vehicle modifications
- Out of pocket costs
Non-economic damages
Non-economic damages is the financial substitute for the negative effects of your injuries beyond the economic losses. These are less easily calculated because money is an imperfect substitute for the life you had the minute before the wreck. Damages in this category include:
- Physical pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Mental anguish
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Inability to perform hobbies and other activities that fulfill your life
- Loss of consortium
Punitive damages
Punitive damages are a special type of damages awarded as punishment for gross negligence or reckless behavior. Colorado law permits punitive damages in these cases to punish a particularly egregious wrongdoing and to deter others from the same recklessness. Most personal injury cases involve ordinary negligence are punitive damages are not awarded.
Drunk driving accidents may result in an award of punitive damages, especially if the blood alcohol content is far above the legal limit. Punitive damages in Colorado generally may not exceed twice the economic and non-economic damages and in rare cases may not exceed three times the other damages.
Why drunk driving accidents are different from other auto accidents
Drunk driving accidents are different from other auto accidents in several ways. Injuries from a drunk driving accident are often more severe than most car accidents. Catastrophic injuries often require more involvement from your personal injury lawyer to evaluate and present evidence of the full value of debilitating injuries with long term effects. Our drunk driving accident lawyers will also explore punitive damages against the drunk driver, which can increase the value of your case.
Additionally, investigating the drunk driving accident involves additional steps beyond most car accidents. After a suspected DUI accident in Denver, the police often conduct a DUI investigation at the scene or obtain a blood draw. That evidence is extremely important to your personal injury claim. The DUI criminal case may also play a role in your case, both providing additional evidence as well as creating challenges. Our drunk driving accident attorneys will manage the investigation while you take care of your injuries.
A third consideration unique to drunk driving accidents is whether a second claim exists against the person or business who may have overserved alcohol to the drunk driver. Under Colorado law, a person or business may be sued under the state dram shop law or social host liability law as a participant in your injuries. Dram shop and social host liability claims involve several legal requirements and significant investigation. Businesses like bars and restaurants are particularly resistant to dram shop claims and may not even talk to you without an attorney. Our drunk driving accident lawyers at Front Range Injury Attorneys have experience pursuing these claims and will assess whether this is an avenue for compensation in your case.
What is the time limit to file a lawsuit for a DUI accident in Colorado?
Several deadlines may apply in a DUI accident case under Colorado law. Every legal claim in Colorado is subject to a statute of limitations. The statute of limitations sets the last day that you can file a lawsuit and the court can hear your case. For motor vehicle accidents, the deadline is generally three years from the date of the collision. If your auto accident case does not result in a settlement before that date, you must file a personal injury lawsuit before the statute of limitations runs out.
If you pursue a dram shop or social host liability claim, the statute of limitations is just one year. Although that sounds like a long time, investigating your case can be delayed by an uncooperative business and the DUI criminal case.
Additionally, if the intoxicated driver was a government employee on the job or driving a government vehicle, there may be a claim against the Colorado entity as well. For these claims, there is a six month deadline in which a special claim must be filed or you cannot sue the government agency.
These time limits are crucial considerations in your case. Your drunk driving accident lawyer will assess your case for all time limits and make sure the right steps occur to timely pursue every viable claim in your case.
Will I have to go to court for my drunk driving case?
Many clients worry about whether they will have to go to court to receive compensation for their injuries. This is an understandable concern. Most personal injury claims resolve with a settlement without filing a lawsuit. That includes most drunk driving accident claims.
If a fair settlement cannot be reached, it may be necessary to file a lawsuit. Filing a lawsuit does not guarantee your case will go to trial. There are many steps in the litigation process and many opportunities to settle before trial.
It may be necessary to file a lawsuit in your case if the insurance company does not fairly value your claim during settlement negotiations. We do not undervalue clients’ cases to avoid litigation. Your case may require filing a lawsuit if a dram shop or social host liability claim is involved. These defendants often do not negotiate claims pre-litigation. There may not be enough time before the statute of limitations to reach a settlement. A lawsuit allows us to continue working on your case.
Our DUI accident attorneys will evaluate your case and discuss with you whether a lawsuit is the best avenue to recover fair compensation for your injuries.
Will the driver's criminal DUI charge affect my claim?
The criminal DUI case can affect your case. A DUI investigation at the scene of the accident can preserve helpful evidence such as photos and an investigation by trained DUI officers. DUI charges show there is evidence of the driver’s intoxication.
A criminal DUI case may lead to a DUI conviction which may produce additional helpful information and help negotiating a fair settlement of your case. If the criminal DUI case results in a plea agreement or no conviction, the evidence may still help your civil case.
Civil lawsuits hold a lower evidentiary standard than criminal cases. A prosecutor must prove the driver’s intoxication beyond all reasonable doubt. In a civil lawsuit, a jury can decide the driver was intoxicated even if there is some credible evidence to the contrary. Our DUI accident attorneys will use the criminal case to strengthen your civil case, regardless of the outcome of the criminal case.
Contact a Denver drunk driving accident attorney today
If you suffered injuries due to a drunk driving accident, you deserve to be made whole for your injuries and financial losses. Our Denver drunk driving accident attorneys help people like you get the medical care they need and the compensation they deserve. Our attorneys are tireless legal advocates for victims of drunk drivers. Contact Front Range Injury Attorneys for a free case review. Learn more about how we can help you.
