Tough lawyers for tough cases.

Denver Car Accident Lawyer

Every car accident injury case is unique. You need an experienced Denver car accident attorney who will listen and seek to help you through a mixture of careful listening, creativity, and hard work. The correct answer for your injuries might be:

  • Physical therapy
  • Monetary compensation
  • A sense of closure and justice for a family member’s wrongful death or your injuries
  • Assurance of continued medical care for lifelong injuries
  • Any combination of the above

If you meet with Dormer Harpring and we decide to work together, our Denver accident attorneys will provide legal representation tailored to fit you and your car accident claim. Dormer Harpring is a different type of law firm. We believe the first step in any case starts with listening and understanding our client’s individual needs and struggles.

Please take the opportunity to explore our car accident information pages to learn more about the types, causes, and potential impact of car crashes. Should you need specific answers about your best recovery options following a car crash, contact a Denver personal injury attorney from Dormer Harpring law firm.

The Dormer Harpring Difference

We Give Personal Attention to Each Case. When You Choose Dormer Harping, You Choose Proven Experience

 


“Recently, Dormer Harpring represented me in a personal injury case. They were incredibly helpful allowing me to achieve a fair outcome.Their experience, prompt communication and professionalism was apparent throughout the process. It was very clear that their entire focus was on what would be best for me, their client. They were able to negotiate a fair settlement without having to go to trial. I highly recommend them!”

Loren and Sue M.

“Dormer Harpring, LLC, is a group of accomplished professionals who offer exceptional expertise. Everyone I came into contact with was incredibly courteous, intelligent, competent, engaging, and sympathetic. Finding a group of professionals who are wholly committed to enhancing the results for all stakeholders is a rare occurrence. Dormer Harpring, LLC. has been an incredible partner and ardent advocate for me and my family.”

Cassandra S.

Read testimonials from real clients.


about usAbout Our Team

Our incredible team of Denver accident lawyers take pride in providing help to those who need it the most. Our goal is to help you achieve recovery.

See our about us page to learn more about how we approach cases.

 

Results that Speak for Themselves

Here are some car accident case results our firm has fought for:

  • $1,300,000 recovered for a victim of a head-on collision.
  • $844,000 recovered in a settlement for a rear-end car accident.
  • $621,000 recovered in a car accident case that went to trial.

Denver Car Accident Resources

How Can a Denver Car Accident Attorney Help You?

Banner saying a Denver Car Accident Lawyer is here to help

After a car crash, finding the right attorney can help you in several ways. One of the fastest ways to return your life to normal is to retain a Denver car accident attorney. A skilled, competent attorney like those at Dormer Harpring law firm will:

  • Handle all communications with any insurance companies
  • Fill out and file any complicated administrative or legal forms on your behalf
  • Protect your best interests at settlement negotiations or in court
  • Investigate your accident and find all routes of compensation available for recovery
  • Advise you on the law and keep you informed of the claims and legal process
  • Help your auto accident claim proceed in a timely and efficient manner
  • Ensure your claim value is sufficient to cover both current and future financial and medical needs

Never accept an offer from an insurance company without speaking to a car accident attorney. Many insurers make initial low-ball offers in the hopes of minimizing payout and saving themselves time and money. You may sign away your right to further compensation.

Contact Dormer Harpring law firm whether you need an offer reviewed or to begin a new claim. Our Denver car accident attorneys want to hear your story and build a personalized strategy to move forward with your claim. We will appropriately value your claim and will work tirelessly to negotiate a fair and just settlement or will progress your claim to a jury trial.

Frequently Asked Questions

What if the at-fault driver is uninsured or underinsured?

If the responsible driver doesn’t have sufficient insurance coverage, your own uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage might come into play. Our Denver car accident lawyers can help you navigate these situations and maximize your compensation options.

Is it important to get medical attention even if my injuries seem minor?

Yes, seeking immediate medical attention is crucial. Some injuries may not be immediately apparent and could worsen over time. Documenting your injuries promptly is also important for building a strong case for compensation.

How long does it typically take to resolve a car accident claim?

The duration of a Denver car accident claim varies based on factors like the complexity of the case, negotiations with insurance companies, and the need for litigation. Our accident attorneys strive to resolve cases efficiently while ensuring you receive fair compensation.

Can I still file a claim if the accident was a hit-and-run?

Yes, you can file a claim even if the at-fault driver fled the scene. Your uninsured motorist coverage might come into play in hit-and-run cases. Our team of Denver car accident attorneys can guide you through the process of filing a claim and seeking compensation.

What if I can’t afford legal fees upfront?

Dormer Harpring works on a contingency fee basis, meaning you don’t pay any legal fees upfront. We only get paid if we successfully recover compensation for you. This approach ensures that access to quality legal representation isn’t hindered by financial constraints.

What Damages Are Available for Car Accident Victims?

Although money isn’t everything, a financial award could help you and your family move on after a car accident. A successful insurance claim or personal injury lawsuit could help you pay your medical bill costs and restore your vehicle so you can go back to work. The law in Colorado allows you to seek financial compensation for the following damages:

  • Past and future medical expenses
  • Disability costs
  • Vehicle repairs
  • Lost wages
  • Lost ability to earn
  • Physical pain and suffering
  • Emotional injuries
  • Lost quality of life
  • Travel expenses
  • Rental car costs
  • Legal fees
  • Punitive damages

For more information about the damages available and the potential value of your car accident claim, consult with an attorney at Dormer Harpring. Our Denver car accident lawyers will accurately evaluate your case based on the injuries and losses you suffered in the auto collision.

Determining Liability in a Car Accident

Liability is the legal term for legal responsibility. Typically, this is synonymous with financial responsibility for an injured accident victim’s injuries and losses. If someone is liable for a car accident in Denver, that person will have to pay for victims’ damages through his or her auto insurance carrier.

Determining whether or not someone is liable for your car accident is an important part of the claims process. An attorney can help you determine auto accident liability through an in-depth investigation of the accident. Pinpointing the liable party or parties may involve examining photographs, returning to the scene of the accident and reconstructing the collision. A lawyer can help you understand why and how your car accident occurred, as well as who can be held liable based on Colorado law.

What Is Considered Negligence in a Car Accident Case?

Proving a car accident case often means proving negligence. In Denver personal injury law, a party is negligent if they do not exercise an amount of care that is reasonable and prudent based on the situation. Motor vehicle drivers, for example, are negligent if they fail to control a motor vehicle in a reasonably careful way. If there is proof that a driver was negligent and this caused your car accident, that driver and their insurance company will be financially responsible.

 Common examples of driver negligence are:

  • Ignoring traffic laws and roadway signs
  • Committing traffic law violations
  • Driving while fatigued
  • Driving while intoxicated
  • Rolling through a stop sign
  • Driving too fast for conditions
  • Failing to yield the right-of-way
  • Not paying enough attention to the road
  • Driving a motor vehicle that is not roadworthy

Negligence has four elements of proof. First, you must establish a duty of care. All drivers owe each other a duty of care to reasonably prevent car accidents. Second, there must be proof of a breach of the duty of care. This refers to an act or omission that falls short of what a prudent driver would do. Third, causation must exist between the driver’s breach of duty and your car accident; your crash would not have occurred but for the other driver’s mistake. Fourth, you must have suffered specific losses in the car accident.

Denver, Colorado Car Accident Insurance Laws

If you wish to recover compensation for your medical bills, vehicle repairs, lost wages and other damages after a car accident, you will need to file an insurance claim. Under Colorado law, the person or party at fault for causing the crash will be liable for your damages.

You will file an injury claim with the insurance company of the at-fault driver after an auto collision. In a no-fault insurance state, on the other hand, you would seek compensation from your own provider, even if you were not responsible for the crash.

All drivers in Colorado must carry certain amounts of car insurance. They must purchase at least $25,000 in bodily injury/death insurance per person, $50,000 per accident and $15,000 in property damage liability insurance. This coverage will pay for your losses if you file a claim against another driver in Colorado.

If the other driver flees the scene or is uninsured, you may have to turn to your own insurance provider for coverage instead. Your insurer may offer benefits if you have uninsured/underinsured motorist, collision or comprehensive insurance coverage.

Colorado Statute of Limitations on Car Accidents

Banner saying when can you file a car accident claim in colorado

To have a valid car accident claim in Colorado, you must file the required paperwork with the correct civil courts by Colorado’s statute of limitations. According to state law, you have no more than three years from the date of the crash or injury discovery to file a car accident lawsuit. This is one year longer than the statute of limitations on other types of personal injury cases (two years). If you are suing a government entity, however, you will have just 180 days to file your initial claim.

What Should I Do After a Car Accident in Denver?

If you get injured in a car accident in Denver, stay calm try to take the following steps to protect your rights:

  • Pull over and check yourself and others for injuries.
  • Call the police. Dial 911 from the scene to report the accident.
  • While you wait for the police, exchange information with the other driver.
  • Do not apologize to the other driver and do not admit fault once the police arrive. 
  • While still at the scene of the crash, try to capture photographs and gather other evidence. 
  • Get the names and phone numbers of any eyewitnesses to collect statements later.
  • Go to a hospital immediately if you’re injured. 
  • Gather copies of your police report, medical records and other relevant documents.
  • Call the other driver’s car insurance company to file a claim if you believe he or she is at fault.
  • Then, before you settle your claim with an auto insurance provider, consult with an attorney for legal advice.

After taking these steps, you will be in a good position to negotiate a settlement from a car insurance company. A lawyer can help.

Reporting a Car Accident in Denver, Colorado

 In Colorado, you are legally required to call the police immediately for any car accident that causes injuries, deaths or property damage. This means that you must report even a fender bender. You can report your car accident in Denver by calling 911 from the scene. The police will create an official accident report and submit it to the Colorado Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) for you. You also have the option of reporting your crash online to the DMV yourself. If you wish to obtain a copy of your car accident report, contact the Denver Police Records Section at (720) 913-6029.

What Are Common Types of Car Accidents in Denver?

Car accidents come in many forms, and more than three million Americans are nonfatally injured in car accidents each year. Regardless of many safe-driver precautions and adherence to traffic and interstate laws, auto accidents continue to happen due to driver mistakes and misconduct. Typical car crashes may include the following:

  • Rear-end collisions
  • T-bone crashes
  • Single-vehicle crashes
  • Low-speed contact collisions

Rear-end collisions may amount to minor damage or have devastating consequences depending on the speed of the crash. In the past decade, it is also the most common type of car accident in Colorado. However, the most deadly of the above are T-bone crashes and single-vehicle crashes.

T-bone auto accidents occur at an intersection where two cars are traveling in different directions. One car fails to stop and crashes into the side of the other vehicle forming a “T” shape. When the colliding vehicle hits the side of the victim’s car in which they are riding or driving, that victim may suffer horrible injuries or even death.

Single-vehicle crashes regularly happen at high speeds and result from any number of reasons such as:

  • Inclement weather and road conditions
  • A driver under the influence of drugs or alcohol
  • An animal in the roadway

The subsequent crash, usually with an inanimate object, like a tree, regularly ends in the death of the driver.

Common Car Accident Injuries

Car accident injuries are unique and wide-ranging. Some injuries are minor, treatable, and quick to heal, while others are catastrophic, irreversible, and even deadly. Any of these injuries can cause severe emotional and financial costs.

It is imperative to seek medical treatment immediately following any car collision as injury symptoms may not appear right away. Typical injuries include:

This is not an extensive list of car accident injuries. Each car crash is different, as are the resulting injuries. Always attend follow-up doctor appointments and any recommended aftercare or physical therapy visits. Your medical records will assist your Denver car accident attorney in building your compensation case.

Common Causes of Auto Accidents in Denver

The vast majority of car accidents in Denver involve some form of driver negligence. Driver negligence covers a wide range of activities and includes any activity that diverts a driver’s attention from the road. Examples of driver negligence are:

  • Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol
  • Distracted driving
  • Texting and driving
  • Using GPS and driving
  • Driving drowsy
  • Aggressive driving
  • Violating traffic laws
  • Failing to properly maintain one’s vehicle

Driver negligence is not the only cause of car accidents in Denver. There are instances where non-driver errors affect Denver roadways, such as:

  • Vehicle manufacturer design defects
  • Dangerous road design by a government entity
  • Improperly marked and measured highway work-zones
  • Poorly timed traffic signals
  • Poorly trained commercial truck drivers
  • Improperly loaded commercial cargo

If you are in a car crash, take pictures, and collect any driver and witness information, you can safely gather at the accident scene. This includes photos of driver insurance verifications, licenses, and vehicle damage. It is also essential to have a copy of the police accident report for your records.

Contact a Denver Car Accident Lawyer at Dormer Harpring for a Free Consultation

While this site offers general information to the victims of car accidents, the lawyers at Dormer Harpring will gladly explain the information here as it applies to you and your injuries, or the injuries of your loved one involved in a wrongful death. Our Denver car attorneys will also walk you through the car accident claims process to alleviate any fear or apprehension you have about the legal process itself.

Dormer Harpring chooses to represent people from all walks of life. To make our services more available, we offer alternative payment options such as contingency fee contracts, meaning we charge our legal fees based only on the amounts we recover on your behalf.

At Dormer Harpring, we look forward to hearing about the specifics of your accident. It is the mission of our Denver car crash lawyers to get you on the path to your best recovery. Our law firm proudly represents people throughout Denver County, Adams County, Boulder County, Arapahoe County, Jefferson County, and the State of Colorado. We offer free consultations to victims unsure how to proceed.

To find out more about our services, payment arrangements, and qualifications, call Dormer Harpring at (303) 747-4404 or email us through the contact form on this page. We look forward to working with you.

Serving Denver County

Including but not limited to:

Alamo Placita | Athmar Park |Auraria | Baker | Belcaro | BerkeleyCapitol Hill | Cheesman Park | Cherry Creek | Cherry Creek North | City Park | Cole | Congress Park | Country Club | Curtis Park | Five Points | Globeville | Highland | Hilltop | LoDo (Lower Downtown) | Montclair | Park Hill | Platt Park | RiNo (River North) | Sloan’s Lake | Speer | Stapleton | Sunnyside | Uptown | University Hills | University Park | Virginia Village | Washington Park | West Highland | Whittier |

Where to Find Us

Located in the River North District of Denver

Client Testimonials

“Tim, Sean, and Julie were extremely knowledgeable, compassionate, and supportive as we addressed the insurance companies post car crash where the other driver was 100% at fault. They were able to procure the desired outcome and am very happy with their services.” –TVy N.

“I was involved in a car accident and worked with Sean Dormer and Julie on my case. They were very understanding and worked hard on my case to come to a successful end. I highly recommend them for anyone who is looking for hard working firm.” –Kelsey S.