Denver Personal Injury Lawyer

After a serious injury, victims are often left with staggering medical bills, lost capacity to earn wages, and lasting disability. If the injury was the result of someone else’s negligence, a lengthy and confusing legal process may be involved. If you or a loved one are dealing with these issues, you are not alone.

At Dormer Harpring, our Denver personal injury attorneys can help. We can handle the legal process for you so you can focus on your recovery.

Our goal is to tailor individual legal solutions to fit your specific needs. While there is no one right answer for every victim, our extensive experience handling personal injury claims allows us to fight for the compensation our clients need and deserve.

Our law firm offers clients the following services:

• Regular case updates and timely responses to calls, texts, and emails
• Help to secure quality medical care and accident-related services
• Contingency fee options, meaning we only charge you if we win your claim

Contact Dormer Harpring law firm today to learn how we stand out from other law firms. We want to hear your story and hope to work with you in the future. At Dormer Harpring, we care about your total recovery and overall well-being.

Denver Personal Injury Resources

• How a Denver Personal Injury Attorney Can Help You 
• Insurance Claim Process
• Common Personal Injury Claims 
• Establishing Negligence
• What Compensation is Available?
• Time Limits on Personal Injury Claims

How Can a Denver Personal Injury Lawyer Help Me?

Securing an experienced Denver personal injury attorney right after an accident can help you win your claim. A personal injury attorney can do the following:

• Connect you with doctors and other medical professionals
• Secure evidence before time passes and witness memories fade
• Handle all correspondence with the insurance company keeping you from making any missteps
• Assess the value of your case and request the proper settlement amount
• File your injury claim and any civil personal injury lawsuit
• Hire expert medical witnesses, accountants, and accident deconstructionist
• Negotiate a just and proper settlement on your behalf
• Proceed to litigation if necessary

At Dormer Harpring, our injury lawyers will stand beside you throughout the claims process, answering your questions and providing updates. We move your claim forward to avoid unnecessary delays by the insurance company. When needed, our Denver personal injury lawyers will take your case to trial before a judge and jury to get you the compensation you deserve.

If you already have a settlement offer from an insurance company, let one of our personal injury attorneys review the offer before you agree to the terms. You could sign away your right to additional compensation for your damages. Our law firm has extensive experience standing up to insurance companies with unfair offers.

The Personal Injury Claims Process

A personal injury claim is an insurance claim to compensate an accident victim for injuries they receive due to the negligence of another party. Compensation in a personal injury claim is for medical expenses, pain and suffering, job loss, loss of future earnings, and many other accident-related damages.

After a personal injury, there is a claims process a victim typically proceeds through to receive compensation for their injuries. The claims process generally follows these steps:

• Securing medical treatment. Medical treatment aids in recovery and provides valuable documentation to support a legal claim for damages.
• Contacting a personal injury attorney. An injury lawyer will answer questions, correspond with the insurance company and medical creditors, and review any important documents.
• Filing a personal injury claim. There are time limits to file a personal injury claim in Colorado. An attorney can explain any statute of limitations as it applies to a particular personal injury case.
• Building and supporting a claim. The victim continues with their medical treatment and follow-up care. The attorney continuously adds evidence to the personal injury claim to ensure a strong case for the victim.
• Settlement or negotiations. The parties reach an agreement to end the lawsuit for a set amount of compensation. Personal injury claims most often end in settlement due to risk on both sides at a trial.
• Trial. If there is no settlement, the lawsuit proceeds to a trial before a judge or jury.

All personal injury claims are different. Therefore, there is no way to predict the amount of time a claim will take to proceed through the claims process without a thorough review of the facts by a personal injury attorney.

Common Personal Injury Claims

People are hurt every day, but not every injury composes a personal injury claim. When the injury is mainly the fault of another person or entity, a personal injury case could exist. There are severe types of injuries that lead to personal injury claims.

Common personal injury claims include:

• Car accidents. Negligent drivers, dangerous roads and defective car parts can cause preventable car accidents. In Colorado, the party at fault for an auto accident will be financially responsible.
• Truck accidents. Truck accidents are often caused by drowsy, distracted, negligent or drunk truck drivers. They could also be the fault of negligent trucking companies or improperly loaded cargo beds.
• Premises liability. A premises liability claim holds a property owner responsible for accidents that arise from the careless failure to ensure the safety of a property.
• Brain injuries. Brain injuries can take place in many different types of accidents in Denver, including auto collisions, sports incidents, falls, acts of violence and medical malpractice.
• Wrongful death. If someone’s negligence, default or wrongful act gave your loved one a fatal injury, your family may have grounds to file a wrongful death claim in pursuit of justice and financial compensation.
• Motorcycle accidents. Motorcycle accidents are often avoidable with due care and attention behind the wheel of motor vehicles. If a negligent driver crashes into a motorcyclist, the driver will be financially responsible.
• Bicycle accidents. Negligent or distracted drivers can crash into unsuspecting bicyclists in Denver. Bicyclists can suffer serious injuries in auto collisions.
• Slip and falls. Slip and fall accidents can occur due to dangerous property elements such as ice, snow, spills, slippery floors, grease, obstacles in walkways, loose carpets, exposed cords and inadequate lighting.
• Dog bites. In Colorado, a pet owner will be strictly liable for a serious or deadly dog bite injury. With a minor injury, a victim can still base a claim on the doctrine of negligence.
• Medical malpractice. A medical provider’s negligence can lead to significant injury and mistreatment. We are very selective with these types of claims, however, we are open to handling malpractice claims against physicians, chiropractors, and nurses.

Injuries associated with these personal injury cases may include the following:

• Amputation
• Spinal cord injury and paralysis
• Broken and fractured bones
• Burn injuries
• Drowning
• Electrocution
• Permanent disability
• Psychological injuries
• Scarring and disfigurement
• Brain injuries and traumatic brain injury (TBI)
• Wrongful death

The physical, mental, and emotional effects of a personal injury can result in an accident victim’s inability to earn a living, live independently, or enjoy life. Compensation for these injuries should include any current and future expenses to allow the victim to live their best possible life.

Establishing Negligence in a Denver Personal Injury Claim

The basis for most personal injury claims in Denver, Colorado is the legal doctrine of negligence. Negligence is a careless action or lack of action that causes injury or harm to another person. For the most part, your injury lawyer must prove the defendant was negligent before you can hold him or her legally responsible for your personal injury. Proving negligence takes establishing four key elements:

1. The defendant owed you a duty of care. The defendant had a legal obligation to treat you the way a reasonable and prudent person would in the same circumstances.
2. The defendant breached his or her duty of care. The defendant committed an act or omission that went against the obligation to act in a reasonable manner.
3. The defendant’s breach of duty caused your accident and injury. Your lawyer must prove a connection between the defendant’s negligence and your accident.
4. You suffered compensable losses because of the defendant. Finally, your lawyer must show evidence that you suffered specific, compensable losses because of the defendant’s negligence.

To win a personal injury claim in Denver, Colorado, your attorney must prove these four elements as more likely to be true than not true (a preponderance of the evidence). Your law firm can gather evidence of negligence in the form of photographs, witness statements, experts, investigators, accident reconstruction, medical records and more. Then, your lawyer can present this evidence to a judge or jury to establish negligence.

Compensation for a Denver Personal Injury Claim

Monetary damages cannot return a victim’s life to how it was before the accident. However, compensation from an injury case can ensure payment for accident-related expenses and even hold a negligent party accountable for their actions.

Compensation for a personal injury claim includes both monetary and non-monetary damages. Monetary damages are items like medical bills that have exact payable amounts. Non-monetary damages are harder to place an amount on and include things like pain and suffering.

Examples of compensation in a personal injury claim are:

• Medical costs
• Lost wages
• Loss of earning capacity
• Property damage
• Home health care
• Physical therapy and rehabilitation
• Mental and physical trauma
• Pain and suffering
• Disfigurement
• Loss of consortium
• Wrongful death

The amount of damages paid on a personal injury claim correspond to the extent of the victim’s injuries, the impact on the victim’s life, and the type of accident. Personal injury claims are as unique as their victims. It is essential to sit down with a personal injury attorney for a consultation and evaluation of your claim to determine if you are eligible for compensation.

When Do I Need to File a Personal Injury Claim in Denver?

According to Colorado’s civil statute of limitations law, you have two years to file a claim for an injury to a person. If you fail to come forward with a lawsuit within two years of your accident, the court will most likely bar you from financial recovery. If you are filing a claim for property damage only, however, or injuries from a car accident, you will have three years to file.

You might have far less than two years, on the other hand, if you are bringing a personal injury claim against a government entity. These cases require you to file a formal claim within 180 days. Protect your rights and avoid missing your deadline by consulting with our injury lawyers in Denver about your right to file a lawsuit as soon as possible.

Contact Our Experienced Denver Personal Injury Lawyers

The personal injury attorneys at Dormer Harpring law firm welcome your call and will gladly discuss any legal options and accident-related services available to you. We are based in Denver and provide representation to people from all walks of life. There is no risk in meeting with one of our attorneys, and we base our fees on the amount we recover for you. Contact us today by calling (303) 747-4404 or filling out our convenient online contact form to set up a free consultation.