Have you or a family member recently been injured in a car accident in Lakewood, CO? An experienced Lakewood car accident attorney at Matos Personal Injury Lawyers can help you recover the fair compensation you deserve. You may be entitled to damages for medical bills, lost wages, and your pain and suffering.
Our attorneys have 39 years of combined experience fighting for accident victims like you. We have the ability to win for you. We’ve already recovered millions of dollars in settlements and verdicts.
If you’ve been injured in an accident, our accident lawyers are here for you. Contact our law offices in Lakewood, Colorado at (720) 912-7274 to schedule a free consultation today.
How Can Matos Personal Injury Lawyers Help After a Car Accident in Lakewood, CO?
It’s important to take action quickly after a crash. Evidence can disappear, and you only have a limited amount of time to file your insurance claim. When you’re injured, however, starting a legal battle over money might be the last thing on your mind.
That said, recovering compensation is one of the most important things you can do after suffering a serious injury. Medical bills may start to pile up. The financial stress only becomes worse if you can’t work and earn a living.
An experienced Lakewood personal injury attorney can pay attention to your needs and make life easier. While you rest and recover, you can rest assured that you have an experienced advocate fighting for the money you need.
When you hire Matos Personal Injury Lawyers, you’ll have an attorney to:
- Explain your legal options
- Investigate and collect evidence to establish fault
- Defend you if–and when–you’re blamed for the accident
- Hire experts who can strengthen various aspects of your case
- Calculate the fair value of your personal injury claim
- Handle all insurance negotiations on your behalf
Ready to get started? Call our Lakewood personal injury lawyers today.
How Common Are Car Accidents in Colorado?
Car crashes are extremely common. In fact, people are injured in car accidents every day in Colorado.
According to the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment, 43,237 people visited emergency rooms in Colorado with injuries sustained in motor vehicle accidents in 2022. In Jefferson County alone, 3,757 victims sought medical care in ERs after auto accidents.
Unfortunately, many car crashes prove to be fatal. 741 people died in traffic accidents across the state of Colorado in 2022. 60 of those traffic fatalities were in Jefferson County.
Our Attorneys Handle All Types of Lakewood Car Accident Claims
Auto accidents happen in many different ways. After sustaining an injury, it’s important to hire a lawyer who has experience handling cases similar to yours.
At Matos Personal Injury Lawyers, we handle all types of motor vehicle accident claims, including:
- Rollovers
- Rear-end collisions
- Sideswipe accidents
- Head-on collisions
- T-bone accidents
- Drunk driving accidents
- Distracted driving accidents
- Multiple vehicle crashes and pile-ups
- Single-vehicle accidents
- Highway crashes
- Trucking accidents
- Accidents at intersections
- Accidents involving uninsured or underinsured motorists
- Hit-and-run accidents
- Accidents involving pedestrians and bicyclists
- Uber and Lyft accidents
Regardless of how you were hurt, you can count on our lawyers in Lakewood to find out who was responsible–and who is legally obligated to pay your damages.
How Much Does It Cost To Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer in Colorado?
Most personal injury attorneys in Colorado work on a contingency fee basis. The amount of your fee depends on the amount of compensation your attorney recovers in your case.
If your accident attorney successfully negotiates an insurance settlement or wins a jury verdict, they take a percentage of that settlement or verdict as their fee (usually between 30% and 40%). If your attorney recovers nothing, you pay nothing.
At Matos Personal Injury Lawyers, we know how important it is to obtain quality legal representation. That’s why we use the contingency fee structure so that you only pay if we win compensation for you.
How Much Should I Expect From a Car Accident Settlement in Lakewood, CO?
Many unique factors will influence your case value. Crashes that cause extensive injuries, long-term disabilities, or permanent disabilities tend to be worth the most.
Some of the primary factors that our lawyers will evaluate when assessing your case value include:
- The overall severity of your injuries and your doctor’s prognosis
- The cost of your medical treatment
- The duration of your recovery
- Whether you will miss work and lose income during recovery
- Whether you’ll suffer any permanent disability that impacts your earnings or quality of life
- How the trauma of the crash has impacted your emotional well-being
- Whether you contributed to the crash
Our accident lawyers will invest the time and attention necessary to accurately assess your case value. Before accepting any insurance offer, it’s important to have an accident attorney review your case.
We’re always available to discuss your case and do our best to get you the answers you need. Call our law firm today to schedule your free case review.
What Types of Damages Are Available if My Lakewood Car Accident Claim Is Successful?
You can seek compensation for both economic (financial) losses and non-economic (non-financial) losses.
Examples of economic losses that are often suffered by car accident victims include:
- Past and future medical expenses, including ER visits, hospitalization, surgeries, and doctor’s visits
- Lost wages
- Reduced future earning potential
- Medications and medical devices
- Nursing care
- In-home assistance
- Rehabilitation
- Property damage to your vehicle
- Out-of-pocket expenses
Examples of non-economic damages include:
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Anxiety
- Depression
- PTSD and fear
- Diminished quality of life
- Inconvenience
- Physical disfigurement and scarring
- Loss of consortium
These non-economic damages are often referred to as “pain and suffering damages.” Pain and suffering can be extremely complicated. The pain you experience has no clear economic value. Insurance companies often use complex formulas and multipliers to determine the value of your pain, suffering, and distress.
Most often, insurance companies will choose a multiplier between 1.5 and 5, depending on the severity of your injuries. They’ll multiply the value of your economic damages by the chosen multiplier to calculate your non-economic damages award.
Calculating pain and suffering damages isn’t an exact science. It’s important to have a skilled attorney by your side to advocate for a value that fully compensates for your losses.
Who Is Responsible for Paying My Damages if I Was Injured in a Car Wreck in Colorado?
Anyone who shares any blame for your accident can be held responsible for your damages. It’s also important to remember that multiple parties can be liable for the same accident–and in some cases, someone who wasn’t even at the crash scene may ultimately be responsible for paying your damages.
That includes:
- The at-fault driver
- Trucking companies and truck drivers
- The employer of a negligent driver who was on the job at the time of the wreck
- Manufacturers of defective safety equipment
- Government agencies responsible for road maintenance and oversight
- Pedestrians
- Bicyclists
In reality, an insurance company will probably pay at least part of your damages. Colorado is an at-fault insurance state. You can seek compensation from the at-fault driver’s insurance company after a crash.
All drivers in Colorado are required to carry car insurance. At a minimum, that insurance policy must cover $25,000 in bodily injury liability (BIL) per victim ($50,000 in BIL coverage per accident) and $15,000 in property damage.
How Does Sharing Fault Impact My Car Accident Case in Colorado?
Your compensation will be impacted if the insurance company can prove that you shared some blame for the crash. Each party to an accident is assigned a percentage of fault.
Under Colorado comparative negligence laws, you can recover partial compensation if you were less than 50% responsible for an accident. Once your percentage of fault reaches 50%, you’re barred from suing for damages.
If you share some blame, it’s important to have an experienced attorney defending you. Our lawyers know how to counter insurance blame-shifting strategies. We’ll do our best to minimize the impact of Colorado’s shared fault laws and maximize the compensation you take home.
Car Accidents Can Cause Severe Injuries and Long-Term Disabilities
The injuries you suffer in a car crash can impact you for weeks if not months or years. Some victims never fully recover.
At Matos Personal Injury Lawyers, our legal team often represents victims who have suffered:
- Broken bones
- Facial injuries
- Eye injuries
- Dental injuries
- Nerve damage
- Whiplash
- Crushing injuries
- Soft tissue damage
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Chest injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Head and neck injuries
- Concussions
- Back injuries
- Internal bleeding
- Organ damage
- Burns
- Amputations
- Paralysis
- Catastrophic injuries
- Wrongful death of a loved one
Our accident lawyers care about helping accident victims get justice. Regardless of your injuries, you can count on us to work tirelessly to recover the compensation you need and deserve. Your initial consultation is always completely free of charge, so don’t hesitate to schedule yours today.
What Are the Most Common Causes of Car Accidents in Lakewood, Colorado?
Most car accidents happen in the blink of an eye. It’s not uncommon for victims to be uncertain about the exact cause of a crash. A lawyer can help you identify the cause–or causes–of your collision so that you can hold the responsible parties accountable.
While all crashes are different, some common causes of car accidents in Lakewood include:
- Distracted driving
- Texting while driving
- Speeding
- Rushing through an intersection to beat a red light
- Drunk driving
- Driving under the influence of drugs
- Failure to yield the right-of-way
- Tailgating
- Dangerous lane changes
- Aggressive driving and road rage
- Passing too closely
- Driving in a vehicle’s blind spots
- Dangerous left-hand turns and U-turns
- Running a red light or stop sign
- Failure to maintain a vehicle
- Defective vehicle parts
- Worn tires or faulty brakes
- Bad weather
Sometimes, crashes happen because of hazardous road conditions. Poorly marked construction zones, crumbling pavement, and even limited visibility can all contribute to the cause of a crash.
What Should I Do After a Car Accident in Lakewood, CO?
It’s important to know what to do after an accident. The time immediately following a car crash can have a significant impact–both on your health and your ability to recover compensation.
If possible, moving the vehicles to a safe location should be your first step. Next, call the police and report the crash. You’re required to report any accident that causes property damage, bodily injury, serious bodily injury, or death.
Under Colorado law, the police officer must file a report if:
- The crash caused at least $1,000 in property damage
- Someone was injured
- Someone was killed
- One driver does not have proof of insurance
- Any party to the crash requests a report
When you call the police, you can also request an ambulance if anyone was seriously hurt and needs transportation to a hospital.
Unless you need emergency medical assistance, you should then:
- Exchange contact information with the other parties
- Take photos of the other driver’s insurance information
- Take photos and videos of the accident scene and any apparent injuries
- Exchange contact information with any witnesses to the crash
- Seek medical treatment, even if you don’t have any obvious injuries–some injuries take time to show symptoms
- Call an experienced personal injury attorney as soon as you can
What you don’t do is also important. Don’t admit fault or apologize. While it’s important to remain calm, insurance companies often use apologies against victims. You may not know exactly what caused the accident, and if you admit fault, an investigation may never happen.
Avoid signing any insurance paperwork and refuse any early settlement offers. An insurance adjuster may contact you soon after the accident. Even if they offer a settlement, remember that the offer is probably much less than you deserve.
How Do I Prove Fault After a Car Accident in Colorado?
Most crashes are completely preventable. They typically occur because someone was careless or reckless. In legal terms, most crashes occur because someone was negligent.
Negligence is a failure to exercise reasonable caution under the circumstances.
The elements of a successful negligence claim are:
- A legal duty of care existed
- The at-fault party breached their duty of care
- The breach of duty was the direct and proximate cause of the crash
- You suffered damages (physical injuries, emotional trauma, and/or financial costs)
Some auto accidents are based on strict liability. For example, if the root cause of your accident was a defective car part, the manufacturer can be held strictly liable without proof of negligence.
What Types of Evidence Can Be Used to Prove My Case?
The insurance company will want to see proof before they hand over a fair settlement check.
Our lawyers will work to collect any available evidence, which may include:
- Photos of the accident scene and your injuries
- Police reports
- Video surveillance footage
- Medical records
- Eyewitness statements
- Data from the crash scene, including information about road conditions, vehicle placement, skid marks, and damage to the vehicles
- Cell phone records
- Results of drug and alcohol testing
While we conduct our investigation, you can focus on recovering from your injuries and getting your life back on track. We can get started immediately, so call our car accident lawyers to schedule your free initial consultation today.
When Should I Hire a Lakewood Car Accident Lawyer?
If you were involved in an accident that caused injuries or property damage, it’s always a good idea to consult an accident attorney.
The sooner you hire an experienced lawyer, the better. After a crash, you’ll have to file a claim with insurance. You may be contacted by your insurance company or the other driver’s insurer. The statements you make can make a significant difference in your compensation award.
Your lawyer can help you from day one. We can begin gathering evidence before it disappears. We can record statements from you and eyewitnesses before you forget the small details.
Hiring a lawyer early on doesn’t cost you any more. Whether you’re still recovering in the hospital or already have an insurance settlement offer to consider, contact our Lakewood car accident attorneys for a free case review. We’re here to help you understand your legal options.
How Much Time Do I Have To File a Car Accident Lawsuit in Colorado?
In Colorado, the statute of limitations in car accident cases is three years. You have three years from the date of your accident to file a personal injury lawsuit. Once three years pass, you forfeit your right to take legal action.
That said, most car accident cases settle out of court. You must notify the insurance company about the accident much sooner. The terms of the relevant insurance policies will dictate how much time you have to file your initial claim.
Consult our car accident lawyers today. We’ll help you take steps to preserve your right to compensation.
Schedule a Free Consultation With an Experienced Lakewood Car Accident Lawyer Today
At Matos Personal Injury Lawyers, our lawyers have decades of experience handling complex car accident claims. We’ll closely examine your case to determine liability. Call us to schedule your free case evaluation with an experienced Lakewood car accident lawyer today.
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Local Auto Repair Shops
- Affordable Car Maintanence – 658 S Reed Ct, Lakewood, CO 80226
- Alba’s Auto and Truck Repair – 105 N Harlan St, Lakewood, CO 80226
- Gianni’s Repair Center – 6001 W Alameda Ave, Lakewood, CO 80226
- Mark Greene Automotive Repair – 6390 W Mississippi Ave, Lakewood, CO 80226
- Mobile Auto Doctors – 600 S Wadsworth Blvd, Lakewood, CO 80226
*Disclaimer – we do not endorse these companies or profit from having them listed on our website.