Jeffrey Johnson has written novels and movies in addition to legal analyses of eminent domain and immigration law. His experience in writing engaging fiction makes him uniquely capable of making the most dry and academic legal topics interesting (or as interesting as possible).
Jeffrey Johnson, J.D.
Jeffrey Johnson has written novels and movies in addition to legal analyses of eminent domain and immigration law. His experience in writing engaging fiction makes him uniquely capable of making the most dry and academic legal topics interesting (or as interesting as possible).
Adam has resided at the intersection of legal and journalism for two decades. An award-winning journalist and legal strategist, he’s covered high-profile trials in Florida.
After law school, Adam and spent two years clerking for a U.S. District Court judge. He researched and wrote legal precedent in published opinions on behalf of the Court.
He has been an editor, columnist and journalist at the Miami Herald, The Dallas Morning News, The Oregonian, Golf Digest, FindLaw.com and other media outlets.
He lived in Colombia and Argentina teaching legal English to attorneys and law students. He is also a Spanish-language subject matter expert.
An avid waterman, he surfs and scuba dives frequently.
Reviewed
Adam Ramirez, J.D.
Adam has resided at the intersection of legal and journalism for two decades. An award-winning journalist and legal strategist, he’s covered high-profile trials in Florida.
After law school, Adam and spent two years clerking for a U.S. District Court judge. He researched and wrote legal precedent in published opinions on behalf of the Court.
He has been an editor, columnist and journalist at the Miami Herald, The Dallas Morning News, The Oregonian, Golf Digest, FindLaw.com and other media outlets.
He lived in Colombia and Argentina teaching legal English to attorneys and law students. He is also a Spanish-language subject matter expert.
An avid waterman, he surfs and scuba dives frequently.
Editorial Note: We earn a commission from partner links on Forbes Advisor. Commissions do not affect our editors' opinions or evaluations.
The mile-high city is home to the Broncos and the Nuggets, and it’s surrounded by some of the most beautiful scenery in the country. It’s also a thriving city with over two million cars—private and commercial—just within the city limits. With that many cars, an accident is all too likely.
If you’ve experienced an accident, it’s important to seek professional help. Our team at Forbes Advisor put together a list of the best car accident attorneys in Denver. We also provide guidance on relevant car accident laws in the area and what to look for in a lawyer.
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Best Car Accident Attorneys in Denver
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Filing a Car Accident Lawsuit in Colorado
After a car accident, you have a lot to deal with. There may be injuries to yourself and other passengers, and there’s almost certainly some damage to your vehicle. That’s enough to deal with before having to fight with insurance companies about getting your claim paid. If you are considering filing a lawsuit, some basic information about car accident laws in Colorado can be found below.
There’s no substitute for a skilled car accident lawyer in Denver or anywhere in Colorado when it comes to making sure you get the best outcome possible.
Colorado Statute of Limitations
A statute of limitations is the amount of time set by law for a case to be filed. Most states have statutes of limitations for personal injuries between two and three years. Colorado fits this pattern perfectly: it has a two-year statute of limitations for personal injury claims but extends that to three years for automobile accident claims.
Colorado Laws for Car Drivers
Every state has its own set of driving laws, and Colorado is no different.
- Driving on narrow mountain roads. There are many mountains in Colorado, and sometimes the roads on these mountains are not wide enough to accommodate normal traffic. In these circumstances, the law requires the vehicle going downhill to yield. This is presumably because the car going uphill needs to maintain momentum to keep going up.
- Cell phone use. Did you know that Colorado has a law prohibiting cell phone use for any driver under 18? This includes talking and texting.
- The left lane law. Colorado has passed what’s called the left lane law, which makes it illegal to drive in the left lane on a highway with a speed limit of 65 mph or more unless you are passing.
Identifying Fault for a Car Crash
In Colorado determining fault after an accident is essential. Colorado is a fault-based state for auto accidents, and this means that anyone injured in a car accident must file a claim with the at-fault party’s insurance. Fault is often determined by the insurance companies of the parties involved, aided by their investigations, witness statements and police information.
Colorado follows the modified comparative negligence model for determining who can receive compensation for injuries and property damage from an accident. modified comparative negligence allows for each party to recover the full amount of their damages minus the percent that they were responsible for the accident. if you are more than 50% responsible, however, Colorado’s modified comparative negligence rule will prevent you from being able to recover anything.
How Can an Attorney Help You?
An experienced Denver car accident lawyer can make your life a lot easier after you’ve had a car accident. These professionals focus on helping car accident victims recover from the crash and get back all the money they had to spend while recovering.
Your car accident lawyer can gather evidence to argue who was responsible for the accident, negotiate with the insurance companies of all parties involved, advise you on how to respond to settlement offers and represent you in court should your case fail to settle. Most car accident cases—more than 95% of them—settle rather than go to trial. You would hate to be in that 5%, unless you retained a lawyer who could help you prepare your case.
How to Find the Best Car Accident Lawyer in Denver, CO
There is no shortage of possible ways to find a car accident lawyer in Denver when you need one. You can search the internet or look at billboards or try and find a copy of the Yellow Pages. There are, however, better ways to find a good car accident attorney:
- Ask lawyers you know to recommend someone. Whether you have a personal attorney that you consult with on other matters or just know some lawyers through other channels, odds are they know some car accident lawyers. Learning about the lawyers that other lawyers would hire is a great way to make sure you’re hiring someone competent. Even lawyers who practice in different areas know good legal skills when they see them.
- Look at reviews carefully. Anytime you’re looking at online reviews, it’s a good idea to remember when you have thought about leaving a review for a product or service. Odds are, you felt much more strongly about leaving a review when you were angry or upset. Keep this in mind when looking at online reviews for lawyers. People don’t hire car accident lawyers when they are in great moods, and so some negative reviews should be taken with a grain of salt. That being said, lawyers with lots of negative reviews and very few positive reviews are probably best avoided.
- Don’t trust ads. While some lawyers who advertise heavily may be very good at their jobs, this can sometimes be a red flag. These lawyers might draw up a lot of business with their ads, and they might make a great living settling lots of cases quickly. That business model works out great for the attorneys but not so well for clients.
Methodology
To come up with the Best Car Accident Lawyers in Denver in 2024, Forbes Advisor considered many factors. Forbes Advisor’s mathematical module considers and weighs the information collected to calculate a specific rating and reviews these results to find the best attorneys in a given practice area.
Within the model, we take into account factors that legal professionals and consumers value in an attorney’s qualifications. After assigning weighted scores to hundreds of data points, we narrowed the field down to our top choices based on:
- Legal experience
- Special licenses & certifications
- Ethics and bar disciplinary measures
- Legal thought leadership
- Education & employment background
- Scholarly lectures & writings
- Awards & honors
Forbes Advisor collects public data from a variety of sources, including state bar associations, court records and other published sources on the internet. This information should not be considered comprehensive, however. It might not include additional relevant information on an attorney’s legal skills and experience.
Each lawyer listed here has their own merits. Bear in mind that our list relates to these lawyers’ legal backgrounds, but does not evaluate their personalities or their knowledge of the law. One attorney may be more suitable than another for your specific legal situation.
One thing that can’t be quantified, though, is the rapport you establish with your attorney. Personality goes a long way when teaming up with an attorney, especially when going through a potentially difficult legal situation. These rankings should serve as a reference and potential starting point in your search for the right lawyer for you and your legal concerns.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How much can someone get in a Colorado car accident case?
Colorado has an interesting set of caps on pain and suffering compensation for personal injury cases. If the injury is permanent, there are no caps on pain and suffering. If there is clear and convincing evidence of non-permanent injuries, pain and suffering, the cap is $1,284,370. If the evidence is not clear and convincing, pain and suffering compensation is capped at $642,180.
This cap is only for pain and suffering. There is no cap on the economic damages— economic damages are those that can be accounted for in a concrete way such as property damage or medical bills or lost wages.
Do you have to report a car accident in Colorado?
Yes, there is a requirement to report car accidents to the police in Colorado. The law requires that all accidents that result in personal injury or property damage have to be reported, even if the damage or injuries are only minor.
