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Your Salida 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 Chaffee County sits in Salida, at 142 Crestone Avenue, Salida, CO 81201. 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 Salida, 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.
What To Ask Before You Choose An Attorney In Salida
Ask these in any first conversation:
- 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).
- 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).
- 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).
- The money terms. Ask how fees are calculated and which costs come out of a recovery.
- Who will work on it. Ask who handles your file day to day and how fast messages are answered.
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 Salida? Get matched with an attorney now.
If You Were Partly At Fault
Blame is counted by percentage in Colorado. The jury, or the court if there is no jury, finds the total damages and the percentage of negligence or fault of each party and of any nonparty the defendant has properly named (C.R.S. § 13-21-111.5).
Those percentages decide who pays what. A defendant is liable only for the degree of fault attributable to that defendant, with an exception for people who consciously conspire and deliberately pursue a common plan to commit a tortious act (C.R.S. § 13-21-111.5). Your own percentage also matters, because a share equal to or greater than the defendant’s ends the claim against that defendant (C.R.S. § 13-21-111).
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).
Time Limits To Know
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).
Coverage Limits Behind a Crash Claim
Colorado requires liability coverage of at least $25,000 for bodily injury or death to any one person in an accident, $50,000 to all persons in one accident, and $15,000 for property damage (C.R.S. § 10-4-620). Those are minimums, and a serious injury can cost far more.
Your own policy matters too. A motor vehicle liability policy must provide uninsured motorist coverage in the limits set in C.R.S. § 42-7-103, unless the named insured rejects it in writing (C.R.S. § 10-4-609).
Local Courts and Hospitals in Salida
The Census Bureau places Salida in Chaffee County. For Chaffee County, the Colorado court directory shows the 11th Judicial District court in Salida, at 142 Crestone Avenue, Salida, CO 81201. The state trauma list shows Heart of the Rockies Regional Medical Center in Salida as a Level IV trauma center.
The three Colorado acute care and critical access hospitals nearest Salida in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Hospital General Information file, measured in a straight line from the town’s coordinates, are Heart of the Rockies Regional Medical Center in Salida, 1.1 miles, a critical access hospital; St. Thomas More Hospital in Canon City, 41.9 miles, a critical access hospital; and Gunnison Valley Hospital in Gunnison, 50.1 miles, a critical access hospital. The street address of Heart of the Rockies Regional Medical Center is 1000 Rush Dr, Salida, CO 81201.
These figures are straight line distances, so the drive from Salida 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 St. Vincent General Hospital District in Leadville (52.0 miles) and UCHealth Pikes Peak Regional Hospital in Woodland Park (58.7 miles). The file lists 1 Colorado acute care or critical access hospital within 10 miles of Salida, 1 within 25 miles and 2 within 50 miles, all in a straight line.
Closest to Salida among the places this site covers are Buena Vista, 22.2 miles north; Cañon City, 42.5 miles east; and Fairplay, 48.0 miles north. From Salida, Colorado Springs lies 71 miles east and Denver 104 miles northeast.
Getting Started With Your Claim In Salida
Use the form at the top of the page to tell us what happened. NeedAnAttorney.net reviews your details and works to match you with an attorney in our network who may handle cases in Colorado. There is no charge to submit it, and submitting it does not hire anyone.
Meanwhile, jot down the facts while they are fresh: date, time, place, who was there, what care you have had and what work you have missed. Save every bill and every message from an insurer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which hospital is closest to Salida?
Heart of the Rockies Regional Medical Center in Salida is the closest Colorado acute care or critical access hospital on the federal hospital list, 1.1 miles away in a straight line, a critical access hospital. St. Thomas More Hospital in Canon City is 41.9 miles away and Gunnison Valley Hospital in Gunnison is 50.1 miles away. In an emergency call 911 first; not every hospital has an emergency room.
What other places near Salida have their own page here?
Buena Vista is 22.2 miles north of Salida, Cañon City is 42.5 miles east and Fairplay is 48.0 miles north, by straight line from the Census coordinates.
What if a city, county or the State caused my injury?
Yes. 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). Claims against a public entity otherwise have two years to be commenced (C.R.S. § 13-80-102).
What should I do right after being hurt?
Get medical care, report the incident to the police or the property owner as appropriate, photograph the scene and your injuries, and write down what happened while you remember it.
How long do I have to file an injury lawsuit in Colorado?
For most injury claims, two years (C.R.S. § 13-80-102). For a car, truck or other motor vehicle claim, three years (C.R.S. § 13-80-101). Assault, battery and false imprisonment have one year (C.R.S. § 13-80-103).
Can I still recover if the accident was partly my fault?
Sometimes. Colorado reduces damages in proportion to your negligence, but a share equal to or greater than the defendant’s ends the claim against that defendant (C.R.S. § 13-21-111).
Is there a limit on punitive damages in Colorado?
Generally yes. The amount may not exceed the actual damages awarded, though a court may increase it to as much as three times the actual damages if the defendant kept up the behavior or aggravated the harm during the case (C.R.S. § 13-21-102).
What are Colorado’s minimum auto insurance limits?
At least $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for bodily injury or death, and $15,000 for property damage (C.R.S. § 10-4-620).
Injury Attorney Pages For Other Colorado Communities
If your injury happened outside Salida, one of these pages may fit better.
