Hiring an Auto Accident Lawyer in Colorado Springs

hire car crash lawyer

Written by Jeremy D. Earle, JD

February 1, 2023

SHOULD I HIRE A LAWYER FOR MY CAR ACCIDENT?

Being in a car accident may be a life-altering experience. An car accident victim who is disabled loses money because they cannot work, and medical costs, car repair expenditures, and insurance claims pile up.

Simultaneously, they may encounter significant challenges in fulfilling day-to-day tasks if they do not have access to transportation. It makes things worse when they realize the accident might have been avoided if it hadn’t been for someone else’s recklessness.

The number of car accidents is increasing throughout the country. For example, the Colorado Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) records hundreds of thousands of traffic incidents each year throughout the whole state.

If you have been financially harmed as a result of an car accident, the law may allow you to seek compensation for your losses. You’ll want to contact a lawyer in your area. This is why.

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OBTAINING COMPENSATION FOLLOWING A CAR ACCIDENT

You are in a far better position to collect the cost of damage to your car or any connected personal property damaged in the accident if you file a case against accountable parties with the aid of your attorney.

While a little fender bender is unlikely to cost a lot of money, more major accidents may cost a lot of money to fix. While minor body damage may only cost a few hundred dollars to fix, a broken engine might cost upwards of $10,000 to replace! Similarly, trivial repairs such as broken electronics or fluid lines may cost thousands of dollars.

Furthermore, an owner of a repaired damaged car may have difficulties subsequently selling the car for a reasonable price since the accident is permanently documented in the car’s history, such as in a Carfax report, and may significantly degrade the market value of the car.

Determining the true fair market value of a totaled car is challenging in circumstances of serious damage, especially when the opposing party or their insurance have a strong interest in ensuring your car is appraised at the lowest possible value.

An attorney will have dealt with similar situations previously and will be your greatest friend in ensuring that you are fairly paid for your car’s damage or loss.

INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS THAT MUST BE MET

Each state has its own set of car insurance needs. These specifications differ greatly. In a medical payments coverage-mandated state like Colorado, for example, registering a car requires evidence of the following auto insurance coverage:

Medical costs coverage of at least $10,000 MedPay

Property damage liability insurance of at least $10,000

Several jurisdictions, including Colorado, have no-fault insurance laws, which means that each motorist involved in an accident must first submit a claim with their own insurance company before pursuing reimbursement from the at-fault driver and/or their insurance company.

For minor-injury collisions, this simplifies the claims procedure. Severe car accidents, on the other hand, might rapidly surpass a policyholder’s coverage limitations.

Med Pay insurance is unlikely to pay the entire range of losses, even when catastrophic collisions are straightforward and guilt is apparent, especially in situations involving automobiles with a high market value or major damage. Making up the difference will need the assistance of an experienced Colorado car accident lawyer.

If Med Pay regulations apply to your scenario, an attorney near you should be able to tell you if you may seek reimbursement from a negligent party’s insurance provider and under what conditions.

GETTING A LAWYER FOLLOWING A CAR ACCIDENT

After a car accident, some people wonder whether or not they should engage an attorney. Suppose you’ve been in a moderate to serious car accident and are unable to work due to your injuries. In that case, it’s nearly always in your best interest to talk with a local attorney.

You will not want to go far to see an attorney if you have been seriously harmed. You won’t want to take an excessive amount of time off to meet with an attorney.

Even if you or any of your passengers were not injured in the collision, you still consult a car accident lawyer if your car was damaged.

As previously said, the cost of repairing or replacing a damaged or totaled car may run into the tens of thousands of dollars, and insurance companies will do everything possible to claim that your car is not as seriously damaged as you or your mechanic claim.

You’ll need an attorney who will battle for you to acquire enough money from the insurance company to get you back on the road in a fully repaired or acceptable replacement car that is entirely roadworthy.

An insufficient settlement might leave you with an unreliable car that breaks down often or a dangerous car that puts you at risk of wrecks or accidents. And if you don’t have a car because of an accident, you’ll need a car accident lawyer near you.

You’ll want a lawyer who is familiar with the local courts, clerks, and other lawyers. Your lawyer should be aware of the factors that will influence the court in your case to find in your favor. A local attorney will know how to choose a sympathetic jury from the local jury pool and deliver your case to jurors in your region efficiently.

An attorney near you should be familiar with and respected by opposing counsel so that when your car accident lawyer argues on your behalf, the opposing counsel will be forced to take you seriously.

Finally, a local car accident lawyer should have valuable local information that an out-of-town attorney will lack. He or she may be familiar with the individual who hurt you, as well as that person’s reputation or driving record, as a result of similar local instances.

A car accident lawyer near you should also be familiar with the site where you were injured and if any road conditions or flaws there contributed to your accident.

A local car accident lawyer may also know and be able to persuade individuals in the community to speak on your side, whether they be witnesses or renowned specialists.

If you employ a car accident lawyer, they may assist you in recovering the maximum amount of compensation for your injuries or losses. Following a Colorado car accident, a qualified attorney may assist you in the following ways:

EXAMINING THE CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUNDING YOUR ACCIDENT

By finding all pertinent data, your attorney can examine your accident and develop a solid case against the defense. Obtaining medical records, police reports, driving records, mobile phone records, and any other pertinent documentation is part of this process. Contacting eyewitnesses, taking witness statements, and security witness testimony are some of the other investigating steps.

USING THEIR NETWORK AS A RESOURCE

To assist establish personal injury claims, reputable car accident lawyers depend on a vast network of professionals and experts. Your lawyer may consult medical experts, forensic scientists, accident reconstruction specialists, life care planners, and others, depending on the severity of your injuries and the circumstances surrounding your accident.

DEALING WITH INSURANCE PROVIDERS AND NEGOTIATING WITH THEM

When insurance companies learn that their policyholder is to blame for an accident, they may provide early compensation. When an injured individual accepts an early settlement, they relinquish their right to pursue damages in court. This shields the insurance company from having to pay a reasonable settlement or a huge judgement in the future.

These compensation offers are sometimes significantly less than what a victim is entitled to. Most lawyers are adept negotiators who will use an early settlement offer as a starting point for further discussions. An attorney may often get a substantially better payment than the insurance company’s original offer.

TAKING THE MATTER TO TRIAL IN A COURTROOM

Most car accident claims may be handled without having to go to court, but this is not always possible. The insurance company may refuse to accept blame or substantially undervalue a claim. Warrior Car Collision Lawyers are not hesitant to go to trial to get our clients the compensation they deserve.

CAUSES OF COMMON CAR COLLISIONS

Whether or malfunctioning automobiles may cause car accidents, but most of them occur because one of the drivers was careless.

Distracted driving is defined as any activity that physically, visually, or cognitively diverts a driver’s attention away from the road. Distracted drivers are unable to respond to road dangers or unexpected moves by other cars, placing other motorists at risk of accidents.

Cell phone usage, eating and drinking, changing the GPS or radio, conversing with passengers, and daydreaming are typical distractions.

Driving while intoxicated or under the influence of drugs or alcohol may result in serious accidents. Drivers who are inebriated lose their ability to respond quickly to risks, veer into traffic, miss traffic signals, and collide with other cars.

Alcohol-impaired driving is estimated to cause more than 5,000 accidents in Colorado each year, according to the Colorado Department of Safety and Motor Vehicles. Drugs hinder driving as well. Marijuana is the most often used substance among drivers because it delays response time, reduces hand-eye coordination, and impairs focus.

Driving when tired might lead a motorist to drift off for a few moments or fall asleep fully behind the wheel. According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, tiredness and exhaustion influence eyesight and spatial awareness in the same manner as alcohol does after 18 hours without sleep.

Driver drowsiness is particularly common among shift workers, commercial drivers, and those who suffer from sleep difficulties, all of whom are more prone to cause an accident.

While speeding isn’t usually the primary cause of an car accident; it can increase property damage and the risk of serious injury in the event of an accident.

When a motorist speeds or drives too quickly for the circumstances, such as heavy traffic, severe winds, or rain, they are more likely to lose control of their car.

Following another car too closely might result in a rear-end accident if the leading car abruptly stops or moves erratically. Tailgating another car reduces the amount of time and distance a driver has to respond. When following another car, driving schools suggest allowing a two to four-second space to prevent crashes.

When turning or changing lanes, failing to eliminate blind areas may result in serious accidents, particularly at high speeds on the interstate. Blind spots exist in all cars. However, the size of the blind spot grows in proportion to the car’s size. Inexperienced drivers who fail to utilize their mirrors to remove their blind areas put those on the road at risk of harm and accident.

When travelling in a car’s blind area, motorcycles, bicycles, and tiny cars might be difficult to notice. Drivers are accountable for watching for people who may be lurking in their car’s blind area, even though this is risky behavior.

LIMITATIONS PERIODS FOR CAR ACCIDENT CLAIMS

When someone is harmed in an car accident caused by someone else’s carelessness, the injured person has a limited amount of time to bring a personal injury lawsuit. A statute of limitations is the legal term for this temporal constraint. The statute of limitations differs depending on who has mentioned in the case and whether or not the accident resulted in death.

The statutes of limitations vary from state to state. Here are some examples of related ones for various sorts of car accident liability lawsuits in Colorado:

PERSONAL INJURY CLAIMS AGAINST ANOTHER DRIVER IN A CAR COLLISION

Injured people have three years from the date of the accident to claim for damages caused by another driver’s carelessness.

PRODUCT LIABILITY LAWSUITS ARISING FROM CAR ACCIDENTS

Victims of car accidents caused by a faulty car or defective auto components must file a product liability lawsuit to collect damages. The four-year statute of limitations applies, but surviving family members only have two years to file a lawsuit if the accident is deadly.

CLAIMS AGAINST A GOVERNMENT AGENCY FOR CAR ACCIDENTS

When a road is not adequately maintained, Colorado, as well as its counties and towns, may be held accountable for an car accident. If a sinkhole, pothole, faulty traffic light, or other similar condition caused an accident and injury, plaintiffs have three years to file a lawsuit.

There are certain exceptions to the above guidelines, and statutes of limitations may vary significantly based on the laws of the state in which the case is tried. If any of these apply to your circumstance, your attorney will let you know.

AFTER A CAR ACCIDENT, GET THE LEGAL HELP YOU NEED

When it’s someone else’s fault, you shouldn’t have to bear the financial burden that comes with a car accident. Contact a local car accident law company to see if they can assist you with the legal process of filing a lawsuit and handling the specifics of your case. At the same time, you concentrate on getting back to normal.

Most car accident attorneys provide free consultations and work on a contingency fee basis, which means they only get paid if you get a settlement or are awarded damages in court.

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