A car accident can be a distressing event that leads to serious injuries, daunting medical bills, car repairs, and loss of wages. Our experienced Denver car accident lawyers will guide you through every step to ensure you secure the compensation you deserve. We offer a complimentary case review where we examine the specifics of your accident and determine the viability of your case. This will give you an understanding of what lies ahead and how we can assist you. At Monge & Associates, let us handle the legal complexities while you focus on healing and rebuilding your life. If you have been injured in a car accident, contact our Denver car accident attorneys today for a confidential consultation.
Denver Car Accident Resources
To immediately access the resources at any point on this page, click the corresponding links below.
Common Types of Car Crashes
Common Causes of Car Accidents
Denver’s Fault-Based System for Car Accidents
Insurance Requirements for Denver Motorists
Statute of Limitations for Colorado Car Accidents
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Common Types of Car Crashes
In Denver, car accidents can occur in various forms due to a variety of factors. Here are some common types of car accidents we see at Monge and Associates:
- Rear-Impact Crashes: Such incidents occur when a vehicle slams into the rear of another, often stemming from tailgating, driver distraction, or unexpected halts.
- Lateral Collision Accidents: Also referred to as side-impact or broadside crashes, these take place when the front end of a vehicle impacts the flank of another, commonly at junctions or within parking areas.
- Frontal Crashes: These mishaps involve two vehicles colliding nose-to-nose, frequently resulting from improper lane usage, imprudent overtaking, or a loss of vehicle control.
- Grazing Accidents: These happen when the sides of two cars brush against each other, usually while altering lanes, merging, or navigating through narrow spaces.
- Solo-Vehicle Incidents: Such incidents involve only one car and can stem from factors like excessive speed, skidding on wet surfaces, colliding with a static object, or losing vehicular control.
- Multiple Car Pileups: These crashes involve three or more cars and typically take place on freeways or jam-packed roadways, often resulting from a domino effect triggered by sudden halts, inclement weather, or limited visibility.
- Crossroad Collisions: These mishaps transpire at crossroads and can involve a range of scenarios, including disregard for yielding, running traffic signals or stop signs, or misunderstandings among motorists.
- Pedestrian and Cyclist Accidents: Automobile accidents can also involve individuals on foot or cyclists who are hit by vehicles, leading to serious injuries or even fatalities.
What are the Most Common Causes of Car Accidents?
Car accidents happen for many reasons, usually because of mistakes people make or things they can’t control. Here are some common reasons why car accidents happen in Denver:
- Distracted Driving: This is a major cause of car accidents. It happens when drivers do something that takes their attention off the road, like texting, talking on the phone, eating, or using the car’s gadgets.
- Speeding: When drivers go faster than the speed limit or too fast for the road, it’s harder for them to react to surprises, it takes longer for them to stop, and accidents can be worse.
- Drunk Driving: If drivers have had too much alcohol or drugs, they can’t drive as well. Their thinking, coordination, and reaction times get worse, and they’re more likely to have an accident.
- Reckless Driving: Some drivers do dangerous things like follow too closely, zigzag through traffic, or ignore traffic lights. This can cause really bad accidents.
- Tired Driving: Drivers who are sleepy or tired can’t react as quickly, and they’re more likely to have an accident. This is especially true on long trips or late at night.
- Bad Weather: When the weather is bad – like rain, snow, fog, or ice – roads can be slippery and hard to see. This makes it easier for accidents to happen.
- Not Following Traffic Rules: When drivers ignore traffic lights, don’t yield when they should, change lanes without checking, or turn illegally, they can cause accidents and put other drivers at risk.
- Vehicle Problems: Sometimes, cars can have problems like brakes not working, tires bursting, or steering not responding. These problems can also lead to accidents.
Fault-Based System for Car Accidents in Denver
Denver personal injury claims are handled legally based on the principle of fault. This means that when an accident happens, blame is assigned to one or more of the drivers involved. The person who is deemed at fault has the responsibility to pay for injuries, damage to property, and any other losses suffered by others due to the accident.
In this system, it’s important to figure out who’s at fault when looking for compensation. Insurance companies and legal experts will look at things like what the traffic laws say, what witnesses saw, what the police reports say, and any other evidence they have to decide how much blame each driver should take for the accident. Usually, it’s the insurance company of the driver who’s at fault that has to pay for the costs of the accident. This could include medical bills, car repair costs, and other losses caused by the accident.
It’s important for you to know that Colorado uses a rule called modified comparative negligence. This means that if you were injured in the accident, but you were partly to blame for it, the compensation you get might be reduced. Specifically, if you’re found to be 50% or more at fault, you might not get any compensation at all. But if you’re less than 50% to blame, you can still get compensation, but it will be less, based on how much of the accident was your fault.
What Are the Insurance Requirements for Denver Motorists?
In Denver, it’s a legal requirement for drivers to have certain insurance coverage to be allowed to drive their vehicles on public roads. These rules exist to protect drivers and others who might get involved in car accidents. Here’s a look at the compulsory insurance coverages in Denver:
- Liability Insurance: Every Denver driver must have this insurance. It’s used to pay for any bodily harm or property damage that you might cause others in a car accident. According to Colorado law, the minimum coverage you must have is:
- $25,000 for each person hurt in an accident
- $50,000 total for bodily injury if more than one person gets hurt
- $15,000 total for damage to property in each accident
- Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage (UM/UIM): Denver drivers must also have UM/UIM coverage as part of their car insurance. This helps you if you’re in an accident where the other driver doesn’t have insurance, or if their insurance isn’t enough to pay for the damage they caused you.
These are the minimum insurance requirements in Denver, but drivers have the option to purchase additional coverage beyond these minimums for enhanced protection.
Is There a Statute of Limitations for Colorado Car Accidents?
In Denver, there’s a certain time frame during which people have to make a legal claim after a car accident. This is called the statute of limitations. For car accident claims in Denver, you generally have three years from the day the accident happened to file your claim.
It’s important to know about and stick to this three-year rule. If you don’t file your claim within this time, you might lose the chance to get money for things like injuries, property damage, and other losses from the accident. If you try to make a claim after the three-year limit has passed, the court will likely dismiss your case, meaning you won’t be able to take any legal action.
Contact our Denver Car Accident Attorney Today
If you or someone close to you has suffered from a car accident in Denver, having a knowledgeable Denver car accident attorney by your side is crucial. At Monge & Associates, our attorneys have a proven track record of successfully securing substantial compensations for clients affected by car accidents. We are dedicated to vigorously advocating for you to ensure you receive the highest possible settlement.
Don’t wait — talk to us today for a no-cost case review and discover the value of your winning car accident case. Our car and truck accident attorneys in Denver are committed to supporting you during this challenging period and securing the compensation you’re rightfully entitled to.
Denver Car Accident Resources: How drunk driving fatalities in Colorado compare to the rest of the US
There were an estimated 42,795 fatalities due to motor vehicle crashes in 2022, down by 0.3% from the year prior, according to early estimates released in April 2023 from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. While a reduction in crash-related deaths, even one as slight as this, is generally positive, the facts remain deeply concerning: Crash-related deaths rose more than 10% in 2021 and more than 7% the year before that, marking a disturbing trend leading into and persisting through the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2021, the most recent full year of traffic-death data available, drunken driving fatalities rose by 14% from 2020. Monge and Associates cited data from NHTSA to identify states with the highest rate of fatalities from car accidents involving at least one drunken driver. States are ranked by drunken driving fatalities per 100,000 residents. This rate is listed up to its first decimal point, but the exact ranking of states was determined from the total rate calculation, which did not result in ties.
A blood-alcohol content of .08 or higher is considered impaired. Judgment and driving abilities continue to worsen as BAC levels increase. Laws adopted between 1982 and 1997 throughout most of the U.S. successfully decreased the proportion of DUI-related motor vehicle fatalities in subsequent years.
Alternative transportation programs have also shown some promise in helping to deter drunken driving. Even in areas lacking robust transit options, recent studies suggest that alternatives such as rideshare services like Uber and Lyft can reduce drunken driving-related collisions.
Keep reading to see what percentage of car crash deaths in Colorado involved drunken driving and how it compares to the 49 other states, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico. See the ranking of all 52 states and territories here.
Colorado by the numbers
#22 highest
– Drunken driving fatalities per 100k residents: 3.7 (216, 31% of all car crash fatalities)
– Fatalities involving driver with BAC 0.15 and above: 2.7 per 100K (158, 73.1% of all drunken driving fatalities)
– Change in drunken driving fatalities from 2012: 61.2% increase
Continue below to see drunk driving statistics of other states in your region.
Arizona by the numbers
#9 highest
– Drunken driving fatalities per 100k residents: 5.8 (421, 36% of all car crash fatalities)
– Fatalities involving driver with BAC 0.15 and above: 3.8 per 100K (275, 65.3% of all drunken driving fatalities)
– Change in drunken driving fatalities from 2012: 83% increase
Kansas by the numbers
#23 highest
– Drunken driving fatalities per 100k residents: 3.7 (109, 26% of all car crash fatalities)
– Fatalities involving driver with BAC 0.15 and above: 2.6 per 100K (76, 69.7% of all drunken driving fatalities)
– Change in drunken driving fatalities from 2012: 4.8% increase