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Your Lakewood Personal Injury Attorney
The short answer. In Colorado most injury claims must be filed within two years, and three years for injuries from a motor vehicle (C.R.S. §§ 13-80-102 and 13-80-101). The trial court for Jefferson County sits in Golden, at 100 Jefferson County Parkway, Golden, CO 80401. To talk it through, send the form on this page and we will work to connect you with an attorney in our network.
Recovering from an injury is hard enough without legal confusion on top of it. If someone else’s carelessness hurt you in Lakewood, you are allowed to take your time understanding your options before you sign or say anything.
We match people with attorneys; we do not advise on cases. Treat what follows as a plain language guide to Colorado law drawn from the statutes. When you want to talk to an attorney, the form at the top of this page is the way to start.
Questions To Ask A Lakewood Injury Attorney
Bring these to your first call, whoever it is with:
- Your share of fault. Ask how a finding that you were partly at fault would change the numbers. In Colorado your recovery is reduced by your share, and a claim can fail if your share is equal to or greater than the share of the person you are suing (C.R.S. § 13-21-111).
- The date. Ask the attorney to name the exact last day to file in your case. Colorado allows two years for most injury claims and three years when the claim comes from the use or operation of a motor vehicle (C.R.S. § 13-80-102, C.R.S. § 13-80-101).
- Punitive damages. Ask whether the facts could support them. Colorado calls them exemplary damages, they require fraud, malice or willful and wanton conduct, and they must be proved beyond a reasonable doubt (C.R.S. § 13-21-102, C.R.S. § 13-25-127).
- Fees and costs. Ask what the fee is, when it is paid, and which expenses are deducted from a settlement.
- The people. Ask who will be in touch with you and how quickly they return calls.
Personal Injury Types of Cases
Premises Liability
Many premises liability claims are from a property owner’s duty to maintain a property in the way that does not endanger others. There are may ways a property owner can violate this duty.
- Broken Stairs
- Unlit alleyways
- Slippery Floors
- Surfaces that are uneven
- Places to receive burns
- Places to receive chemical exposure
- Dog bites
- and other dangerous conditions
Motor Vehicle Accidents
As long as the person that was operating the vehicle that injured you was negligent in some way, you can could have a claim for compensation. This can include.
- Car Accidents
- Truck Accidents
- Bicycle Accidents
- 18 wheeler Accidents
- Motorcycle crashes
- Drunk Driving
- Distracted Driving
- Aggressive Driving
- and other types of motor vehicle accidents
Work Place Accidents
These types of personal injury lawsuits involve more that just a employee and employer. If you feel like your place of employment was negligent in some way, you might have a claim for compensation. These types of accidents can include.
- Slip and Fall
- Unsafe working conditions
- Unmaintained equipment
- Auto Accidents
- Death
- Electrical Hazards
- Occupational illnesses like COPD, contagious diseases, and asbestosis
- personal injuries at work
Wrongful Death
When negligence leads to fatal injuries, a wrongful death suit can help the surviving family members hold the negligent company, persons, and or person accountable for what was done. A wrongful death case can involve different types of compensation from other personal injury claims. After a fatal accident, family members can ask an attorney to review what compensation the surviving loved ones may have a right to. These types of accidents can include.
- Auto Accident
- Maritime Accident
- Drowning
- Electrocution
- Falls
- Helicopter Accident
- Fire
- Firearm
- and other types of wrongful deaths
Injured in Lakewood? Get matched with an attorney now.
How Shared Fault Is Counted
Colorado measures each person’s share of fault. Under C.R.S. § 13-21-111, your own negligence does not bar recovery if it was not as great as the negligence of the person you are suing, but any damages are diminished in proportion to your share. The jury returns a special verdict that states the damages and the degree of negligence of each party as a percentage.
The rule has a hard edge. If your share is equal to or greater than the defendant’s, the court enters judgment for the defendant (C.R.S. § 13-21-111). Ask an attorney how a fault argument by an insurer could affect your case.
Special Rules To Know
A claim for exemplary damages cannot be part of the first complaint. It may be added by amendment only after the exchange of initial disclosures, and only if the plaintiff shows prima facie proof of a triable issue (C.R.S. § 13-21-102).
If a city, county, school district or other public body may be responsible, a separate notice rule applies. A written notice must be filed within 182 days after the date of discovery of the injury, and failing to comply forever bars the action (C.R.S. § 24-10-109).
Filing Deadlines For Injury Claims
Time limits decide many injury cases. The usual Colorado rule is two years for tort actions (C.R.S. § 13-80-102) and three years for motor vehicle tort actions (C.R.S. § 13-80-101). Missing the date usually ends the case.
A wrongful death action must also be commenced within two years, counted from the date of death (C.R.S. § 13-80-102, C.R.S. § 13-80-108). The period is four years against a defendant who committed vehicular homicide and left the scene of the accident (C.R.S. § 13-80-102).
What Auto Policies Must Cover
Minimum coverage is a floor, not a measure of your claim. Colorado’s required limits are $25,000 for one person, $50,000 for all persons in one accident and $15,000 for property (C.R.S. § 10-4-620).
If a crash leaves you with more bills than the other driver’s policy pays, your own uninsured motorist coverage may matter (C.R.S. § 10-4-609). Before accepting a payment, ask an attorney to check every policy that could apply.
Local Courts and Hospitals in Lakewood
Jefferson County is the county the Census Bureau assigns to Lakewood. The Colorado court directory lists the 1st Judicial District court for Jefferson County in Golden, at 100 Jefferson County Parkway, Golden, CO 80401. In Lakewood, the state trauma list names St. Anthony Hospital as a Level I trauma center.
Measured in a straight line from Lakewood, the two nearest Colorado acute care and critical access hospitals in the federal Hospital General Information file, Centura Health-St. Anthony Hospital in Lakewood and Orthocolorado Hosp at St. Anthony Med Campus in Lakewood, are about equally close, both 1.4 miles away. Third is Intermountain Health Lutheran Hospital in Wheat Ridge, 5.3 miles, an acute care hospital. Centura Health-St. Anthony Hospital is at 11600 W 2nd Pl, Lakewood, CO 80228.
These figures are straight line distances, so the drive from Lakewood is longer. Whichever provider treated you, request your complete records and an itemized bill, and keep a list of every appointment.
Further down the same list are Denver Health & Hospital Authority in Denver (7.1 miles) and AdventHealth Porter in Denver (7.9 miles). The file lists 10 Colorado acute care and critical access hospitals within 10 miles of Lakewood, 23 within 25 miles and 28 within 50 miles, all in a straight line.
Closest to Lakewood among the places this site covers are Englewood, 7.5 miles southeast; Littleton, 9.1 miles southeast; and Arvada, 9.5 miles north. The reference cities are 13 miles east (Denver) and 61 miles south (Colorado Springs).
What Happens When You Send The Form From Lakewood
The form at the top of this page is the starting point. NeedAnAttorney.net reviews your details and works to match you with an attorney in our network who may handle cases in Colorado. It costs nothing to use and does not commit you to anything.
While you wait, write down what happened and when, who saw it, what treatment you have received and how many days of work you missed. Put bills, letters and insurance messages in one folder.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I recover punitive damages in an injury case?
Sometimes. Colorado calls them exemplary damages. You must show fraud, malice or willful and wanton conduct (C.R.S. § 13-21-102) and prove it beyond a reasonable doubt (C.R.S. § 13-25-127).
How much insurance does the other driver have to have?
At least $25,000 for bodily injury or death to one person, $50,000 to all persons in one accident, and $15,000 for property damage (C.R.S. § 10-4-620).
Which hospital is closest to Lakewood?
Among the Colorado acute care and critical access hospitals on the federal hospital list, Centura Health-St. Anthony Hospital in Lakewood and Orthocolorado Hosp at St. Anthony Med Campus in Lakewood are about equally close, both 1.4 miles away in a straight line. Intermountain Health Lutheran Hospital in Wheat Ridge is 5.3 miles away. In an emergency call 911 first; not every hospital has an emergency room.
What other places near Lakewood have their own page here?
Englewood is 7.5 miles southeast of Lakewood, Littleton is 9.1 miles southeast and Arvada is 9.5 miles north, by straight line from the Census coordinates.
Are there special rules for claims against the government?
There are. Notice to the public entity within 182 days of discovery is a jurisdictional prerequisite, and missing it forever bars the action (C.R.S. § 24-10-109).
How long will my injury claim take?
There is no fixed time. Claims often wait until you finish treatment so the total losses are known, and cases that go to court take longer than ones that settle.
What is the deadline to sue for an injury in Lakewood?
Two years for most tort actions (C.R.S. § 13-80-102), and three years for a tort action arising out of the use or operation of a motor vehicle (C.R.S. § 13-80-101). A wrongful death action has two years from the date of death (C.R.S. §§ 13-80-102, 13-80-108).
If I was partly responsible, can I still recover something?
Yes, if your negligence was not as great as the negligence of the person you are suing. Your damages are reduced by your share, and if your share is equal to or greater than the defendant’s the court enters judgment for the defendant (C.R.S. § 13-21-111).
If You Were Hurt Somewhere Else In Colorado
The same matching service covers more of Colorado. Pick the community closest to where it happened.
