If you or a family member has been in a car crash in the Fort Collins area, you might be able to get compensation from a personal injury claim.
A personal injury lawyer can help you understand whether filing a claim is the right thing to do, walk you through the process, and help you get the most possible money from your claim.
Usually, your compensation will come from the insurance company of the at-fault driver, although other parties might be liable also.
Learn more about what to do after a motor vehicle accident in Colorado and how to file your personal injury claim.
Steps To Take After A Car Accident In Fort Collins, CO
If you intend to file a personal injury claim after a car accident, you should take the following steps to ensure that you are prepared for any possible scenario.
Step 1: Gather Documents
After an automobile accident, be sure to gather documents related to the accident and any injuries you may have sustained.
Insurance and contact information for all involved drivers, police reports, medical records, photos of the accident scene, and eyewitness accounts of the accident can all be helpful.
By gathering documents before you meet with an attorney, you will be able to get the most out of your initial consultation.
Step 2: Reach Out To A Fort Collins Car Accident Attorney
An experienced Fort Collins personal injury attorney can help you understand whether you have a valid reason to file a claim, and assist you with the process.
People who hire personal injury attorneys get higher settlements, on average, than people who try to tackle the claims process themselves.
Step 3: If Appropriate, File A Personal Injury Claim
An experienced personal injury attorney will help you decide whether you should move forward with filing a personal injury claim.
If you do file a claim, you will have the chance to seek compensation for losses you have endured as a result of your car accident.
The best lawyers will not advise you to file a claim unless they believe you can win a significant settlement from the liable parties.
Step 4: If Necessary, File A Lawsuit
Sometimes, a settlement amount cannot be agreed upon after negotiations between you, your lawyer, and the liable parties.
In these cases, it might be necessary to file a lawsuit against the liable parties to hold them accountable for the damages they owe you.
If you file a lawsuit, your attorney will go to court for you and demonstrate to the judge why you deserve the compensation you are asking for.
What Factors Can Influence Your Car Accident Case In Fort Collins?
It is important to go into the claims process with a general understanding of what factors can influence your claim and why. In Colorado, there are unique laws that affect your claim, which a Fort Collins personal injury lawyer will be familiar with.
Fault, Liability, And Negligence
Three terms you will hear over and over again during your claims process are fault, liability, and negligence.
Negligence occurs when someone, such as a motorist, acts in a way that clearly puts others in harm’s way. Examples of driver negligence include texting and driving, failing to use a turn signal, speeding, or drinking and driving.
Unless negligence is present in an accident, a personal injury claim cannot be filed. The claim must show that negligence led to the accident and the injuries that occurred.
Fault refers to the party that caused an accident to occur. Motorists are usually at fault for car crashes, but sometimes other parties like auto manufacturers could be at fault.
Liability is often confused with fault, but it means something entirely different. The liable party in a personal injury claim is the party that is legally responsible for paying damages to the plaintiff.
While the liable party and the at-fault party are sometimes the same, they are often different. For example, if a motorist causes an accident and is at fault, their insurance company may be liable for paying damages.
Colorado Laws
Different states have specific laws that can influence personal injury claims.
In Colorado, a law called comparative negligence states that if multiple parties are at fault in a car crash, settlement amounts will be adjusted based on the plaintiff’s percentage of fault.
Another relevant law in Colorado is called the statute of limitations. This law states that after a car accident or another incident occurs, you have two years to file a personal injury claim. Failure to file a claim in this time window means you lose the right to file the claim.
How Does Liability Work In Car Accident Claims In Fort Collins, CO?
The liable party in a car crash is responsible for paying damages to the injured party if a personal injury claim is successfully filed.
Usually, an insurance company is liable in Colorado car crashes. Motorists in the state are required to have liability insurance in order to drive.
If a motorist is at fault and uninsured, they could be held liable for damages. It is also important to note that liability is sometimes split between multiple parties when fault is also split, or when a motorist’s insurance coverage limits are exceeded by the settlement amount.
Our Featured Case Results
What Damages Can You Be Compensated For After A Colorado Car Accident?
Car accidents can lead to both minor and serious injuries.
A personal injury claim is an attempt to seek financial compensation for all of the ways that the accident and the resulting injuries have impacted your life.
There are three main types of damages that can be sought in a personal injury claim, as follows.
Compensatory Damages
Compensatory damages are payments that are meant to directly compensate plaintiffs for costs they have already or expect to incur related to the accident.
Examples include the cost of medical bills, property damage, lost wages, and more.
General Damages
General damages are not as simple as compensatory damages, but they are a very important part of personal injury claims.
These damages are meant to compensate injured parties for the emotional and psychological impacts they have endured because of their injuries.
Pain and suffering, loss of relationships, and emotional distress are all examples of impacts for which you can seek compensation through general damages.
Punitive Damages
Punitive damages are rare and cannot be sought by the plaintiff. These payments are sometimes court-ordered if the at-fault party’s negligence was particularly dangerous or bad.
They are meant to serve as a punishment for people who caused an accident.
Types Of Car Accidents In Fort Collins, CO
Car accidents can happen in an infinite number of ways, but many crashes fall into common categories of accident types.
Truck accidents and motorcycle accidents are not listed below but they are also common in Larimer County and greater Northern Colorado and can lead to personal injury claims.
Common car crash types include:
- Multiple vehicle accidents: Any car crash that has two or more vehicles involved.
- Broadside collisions: These accidents are also called ‘T-bone’ crashes. They occur when one vehicle runs head-on into the side of another. These often occur when one driver runs a red light or stop sign at an intersection.
- Sideswipe collisions: These happen when one car clips another from the side.
- Head-on collisions: These happen when two vehicles collide at their fronts while traveling toward each other. These are very dangerous crashes and are often fatal.
- Hit-and-run accidents refer to any time an accident involving a car occurs, and one or more drivers flee the scene.
- Rear-end collisions: These occur when one vehicle runs into the rear of another vehicle traveling in the same direction.
Common Causes Of Car Accidents
Car accidents usually occur because one driver makes a mistake or acts in a negligent manner.
Some common car crash culprits in the state of Colorado include:
- Reckless driving: Tailgating, swerving in and out of lanes, speeding, and other reckless behaviors may be called reckless driving and often result in crashes.
- Dangerous road conditions: Sometimes, a wet or icy roadway, or unmarked obstacles like potholes, can cause a car accident to occur.
- Driver impairment: Driving under the influence (DUI) of drugs or alcohol is very dangerous.
- Driver error: Sometimes a driver simply makes an error. Errors like failing to use a turn signal, not yielding during a right turn, or not checking mirrors before changing lanes are examples of driver error.
What Types Of Injuries Can Lead To A Claim?
Injuries of all types can occur in car crashes. Some injuries are as minor as a scrape or a bruise, while others result in fatalities.
No matter how small or serious an injury is, you may be able to file a personal injury claim after a car crash.
Some of the most common injuries that occur in car crashes are:
- Head injuries including concussions and traumatic brain injuries
- Broken bones
- Chest and shoulder injuries
- Whiplash
- Back and neck injuries
- Soft tissue injuries
- Burn injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Internal organ damage
- Scarring and disfigurement
- Fatality (wrongful death)
Car Accident Rates In Fort Collins, CO
Fort Collins sits in Larimer County, in the northern part of the state near the border with Wyoming.
While less populous than large Colorado cities such as Denver, Fort Collins is a sizable municipality and it sees hundreds of car accidents per year.
Here are car accident statistics for the Fort Collins area:
- Larimer County was in the top 5 in the state for the number of fatal accidents related to impaired driving in 2019.
- Larimer County saw the second-highest number of fatalities in accidents involving distracted driving in 2019.
- 26 people died in Larimer County during car crashes in 2019, while 145 more were seriously injured.
Top-Rated Fort Collins Car Accident Lawyers Near You
Florin|Roebig law offices have been helping people like you get the maximum compensation they deserve after car accidents for decades.
Our team of esteemed attorneys specializes in the practice area of car accident personal injury cases.
Our law firm has won over $1 billion in settlements for our clients through our practice of personal injury law.
We are proud to have received numerous prestigious awards, including a recent selection to the Best Lawyers in America list.
Our team of experienced personal injury attorneys serving Fort Collins includes:
- Wil H. Florin, B.C.S.
- Tommy D. Roebig, B.C.S.
- Chase P. Florin, B.C.S.
- Parker Y. Florin, LL.M.
- Taylor D. Roebig
- John J. Hart
- Lawrence J. Najem, O.C.
- Nollys R. Solarte, O.C.
- Andrew M. Leone, O.C.
Our Featured Case Results
Find Experienced Car Accident Lawyers In Fort Collins Today
Anyone in the Fort Collins area and beyond into Boulder, Greeley, Loveland, and Denver, CO has the right to hire an attorney after a car accident.
If you or a loved one has been in a car crash and sustained an injury, we can help you get compensation to get your life back on track.
Call the Florin|Roebig law firm today to learn more about our services or to schedule your free initial consultation.
