Colorado Springs Motor Vehicle Injury Attorneys
In Colorado, you have certain rights after you have been injured in a motor vehicle crash. But it is up to you to assert those rights. Our motor vehicle accident attorneys at Black, Blink, & Associates LLC, in Colorado Springs, will advise you regarding your rights and advocate on your behalf to protect those rights. Let our firm fight to get you the maximum amount of compensation that is legally available to you so that you can get back to your life.
Navigating Colorado’s Fault-Based System And Key Auto Statutes
Under Colorado’s modified comparative negligence statute, you can recover damages only if your fault is less than the negligence of the other party. This means you can recover damages if you are 49% at fault or lower. However, you will receive reduced compensation depending on the fault’s value. For instance, if you are 40% at fault, you will only receive $60,000 from a $100,000 settlement value. If the courts find that you are 50% or more responsible for the accident, you recover nothing.
Unfortunately, insurance adjusters weaponize the 50% bar. Because a 1% shift completely erases their financial liability, adjusters aggressively twist statements to shift the blame to you fully.
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage Under Colorado Law
In Colorado, the law mandates insurance companies to offer uninsured and underinsured (UM/UIM) coverage. For motorists, having this protection is essential because catastrophic injuries are common. The medical expenses alone can exhaust the at-fault party’s minimum policy.
When an at-fault driver has zero insurance or insufficient limits to cover your medical bills, your own UM/UIM policy steps in. If the at-fault party ran away after the accident, the same policy will cover your expenses. This serves as a practical safety net that will save you when the worst-case scenario strikes.
Localized Recovery Resources
Insurance companies require objective evidence when reviewing motorcycle accident injury claims. Securing your medical records from UCHealth Memorial Hospital Central and Penrose Hospital can help establish the severity of your injuries. You also need to acquire the official accident reports from the Colorado Springs Police Department or the El Paso County Sheriff.
These reports capture facts that support your claim when memory fails you. The attorneys at Black, Blink, & Associates LLC can assist you in retrieving these essential documents, preventing insurance companies from altering the narrative.
Comprehensive Representation For Motor Vehicle Accidents
Our personal injury lawyers have decades of experience litigating cases. Our founding attorney, Clifton Black, has been advocating on behalf of Colorado clients since 2000. Our Colorado Springs personal injury attorneys handle all types of vehicular accidents, including:
- Car crashes
- Truck accidents
- Motorcycle collisions
- Rideshare crashes
We also represent bicyclists and pedestrians who have been hit by a car. No matter how serious and complicated your accident was, our litigators have a thorough understanding of the Colorado personal injury laws and the experience to advocate fiercely on your behalf.
The Most Dangerous Roads In Colorado Springs And Beyond
Even the most cautious drivers can find themselves victims of accidents caused by others’ negligence, especially on Colorado Springs’ most dangerous roadways. El Paso County, home to Colorado Springs, has recorded 82 fatal crashes in recent years, with 49 occurring within city limits. Many of these incidents happen on high-risk roads, where negligence transforms already hazardous conditions into devastating accidents.
Interstate 25, which runs 12 miles through Colorado Springs, contains eight of the city’s 10 most dangerous intersections. Heavy traffic, high speeds and congestion make this stretch particularly treacherous. Common forms of negligence on I-25 include tailgating, unsafe lane changes and distracted driving in high-traffic areas. These reckless actions frequently lead to serious crashes, leaving innocent drivers to bear the consequences.
The intersection of Powers and Stetson Hills has become a hotspot for accidents, with 47 crashes recorded in a single year, including four with injuries. While no fatalities occurred, many accidents here stem from drivers ignoring traffic signals, failing to yield or driving distracted. Limited visibility and heavy traffic flow during peak hours further exacerbate the risks.
Another accident-prone area is the intersection of Fountain and Academy boulevards, which saw 38 crashes in one year, four of which involved injuries. Proximity to both residential and commercial zones creates a challenging environment for drivers. Negligent behaviors, such as speeding through yellow lights, making unsafe turns and texting while driving, often transform an already risky area into a site for collisions.
While certain roads may be more dangerous than others, this does not excuse negligent driving behavior. Every driver is legally responsible for exercising proper caution, especially in known high-risk areas. When negligent drivers ignore these well-documented hazards, they must be held accountable for the damage they cause. If someone’s failure to meet this responsibility has injured you, you may be entitled to compensation. As such, these common factors can strengthen your cases against negligent drivers:
- Documentation of unsafe driving behavior
- Evidence of disregarded traffic signals or warnings
- Witness accounts of negligence in high-risk areas
- History of similar accidents at the location
- Proof of failure to adapt to hazardous conditions
After an accident, it is normal to feel confused, especially when handling multiple tasks. Our skilled car accident attorneys have what it takes to hold negligent drivers accountable to help ensure you receive the justice you deserve.
What Can You Recover If You’ve Been Injured In A Car Crash?
At Black, Blink, & Associates LLC, we want to advocate on your behalf so that you can focus on recovering your accident injuries. Every case is different. But generally, if you were injured in a motor vehicle crash that was caused by someone else’s negligence, you may be entitled to recover:
- Costs of medical expenses that were incurred as a result of your accident injuries
- Reasonable expenses incurred as a result of the injury (transportation to/from medical care, additional equipment needed to perform work after injury, etc.)
- Property damages
- Lost wages
- Compensation for emotional pain and suffering
In addition, you may be able to recover compensation if your disability is permanent. For example, the law allows for compensation if you now are unable to perform the tasks and actions you used to perform without a problem before the injury. If you suffered a permanent disfigurement from your accident, such as a visible deformity like cuts and bruises or a loss of limbs, you may be entitled to compensation.
What Happens After A Car Crash?
If you have been involved in a motor vehicle accident, it can be difficult to understand what’s happening. There are a lot of things to worry about and do. Here’s a general overview of what happens and how they will impact your potential personal injury case.
After The Crash: Police
In many cases, after a crash, the parties involved will have an opportunity to speak and investigate the situation. If you are involved in a car accident, you have the right to call the police to investigate. For several reasons, it may be advisable to have the police arrive on the scene.
When police arrive on the scene of an accident, they will create a police report. This report will include information such as:
- Identities of the drivers
- Identification of the vehicles involved
- Insurance information for the parties involved
- A brief description of the manner in which the crash occurred
- Information regarding potential injuries
This police report is incredibly helpful for your personal injury case because it acts as a paper trail documenting the manner in which the accident occurred and allowing you or your attorneys to quickly identify the proper parties involved, ownership of the vehicles, and most importantly, insurance information for all parties involved. Assuming the at-fault party has valid insurance, your claim will be handled by and ultimately paid out by this insurance company. This information is important to have because it is up to you to make sure the at-fault party’s insurance carrier is aware of your claim.
After The Crash: Ambulance
If you are feeling pain or discomfort or believe that you were injured in the crash, you have the right to seek immediate medical attention, which includes the right to have an ambulance treat you on the scene and transport you to a hospital.
As an injured party, it is your burden to prove all of the elements in your claim. These elements include proving that you sustained injuries and that they were caused by the crash. The best evidence of injury and the cause of the injury is through medical records. If you call an ambulance to the scene of a crash where you believe you sustained injuries, the EMTs will provide documentation of your accident and the resulting injuries. All of this information will appear on the EMT records.
If you are taken to a hospital, the hospital staff will ask you these same questions, which they will include in their medical records. This is very helpful in supporting not only your claim that you sustained injuries, but that they were caused by the crash. It is extremely important to be honest and forthright with the EMTs and medical staff. Be complete and thorough when you discuss how you feel after a crash. They cannot treat you if they don’t know what’s wrong.
After The Crash: Insurance
After a crash is reported to the parties’ insurance companies, generally, the insurance companies will each open a claim. They will talk to the party reporting the claim to get general information about the crash. This information will then be transferred to a claims adjuster, whose job it is to investigate claims. An adjuster’s job is ultimately to save the insurance company money on any claims they need to pay out, regardless of whether it is your insurance company or the at-fault party’s. The adjusters are the ones who generally make decisions on whether to pay out any injury claims and how much. It is important to note that they do not work for you. They work for the insurance company.
We also work with your medical network to reduce or eliminate gaps in your care that can negatively impact your case by ensuring statutory medical lien compliance.
You may be contacted by either your insurance company or the at-fault party’s insurance company, asking if you will give a sworn statement regarding the crash and any injuries you sustained. You are under no obligation to do so. The adjusters will use these statements in their decision on whether to pay out and how much to pay out – meaning anything you say may be used against you. Again, their goal is to save the company money, not necessarily to give you what you are entitled to.
Advocating For Your Right To Recover
An experienced car accident attorney will advocate on your behalf. While the insurance adjuster fights for the insurance company, you should have someone fighting for you too. An experienced personal injury attorney will know how to evaluate your case properly and how to fight against the insurance company to make sure you get everything you are entitled to.
Consult A Colorado Springs Accident Attorney Today
To schedule a consultation and case evaluation, you can reach us by sending an email through our website. You can also find out more about our services and schedule an appointment by calling our office at 719-694-0578.