Colorado Personal Injury Legal Questions

You Should Retain an Attorney on a Contingency Fee Basis. Hiring an attorney on contingency means you pay nothing unless you win. Insurance companies rarely take unrepresented claimants seriously because they routinely offer lowball settlements under the guise of fairness. Experienced attorneys know the true value of your case and can maximize your recovery by referring you to qualified physicians who will properly diagnose your injuries. Beyond case value, attorneys also negotiate your medical bills and liens. Many settlements are subject to subrogation claims from insurance carriers who paid your medical benefits. Unrepresented parties are often blindsided when their insurer calls post-settlement asking how much they recovered, unaware that a portion of that money may legally belong to the lien holder. In summary this is not a do-it-yourself project. Do yourself a favor and retain an attorney on contingency fee. If you cannot find one, then you can reach out privately to one of us for assistance finding one in your state. ... Read More

Yes, you may have a case against the bar—even if it’s closed—based on negligent security. You’re approaching the statute of limitations for personal injury in Colorado, so it’s important to act quickly. You should hire an attorney on a contingency fee basis, meaning you don’t pay unless you win. We can’t solicit cases through this platform, but you’re welcome to research our backgrounds and reach out privately with one of us.        ... Read More

Yes, if the bar failed to provide adequate security to protect its patrons, you likely have a strong premises liability case based on negligent security. This remains true even if the bar has since closed. Most bars carry commercial liability insurance, which can still provide coverage even after the business ceases operations.       ... Read More

OK, I'm really sorry about this incident. I hope you get better. So there is no automatic liability if you were injured on another person's property. The injured party has to prove that their damages were caused by the negligence of the property owner or property manager, it does not appear from your fact pattern that they did anything negligent to cause your damages. If they do have a homeowners insurance policy, usually there's always a med pay portion that they will tender provided that a person was injured on the property and you suffered damages. However, that being said, you should still search for an attorney in Colorado as there could be liability based on some kind of clever argument that they gave you a tool that they knew or should've known was defective and you had no knowledge that this tool was defective. There could be other arguments you could make, but that's just one off the top of my head.    ... Read More

You are in a very tough spot as you have to defend yourself in the lawsuit and also if a judgment is entered against you, you will have to pay it. If you don't have a lot of money, you may want to consult with a bankruptcy attorney to see if you can go bankrupt on any judgment. Before doing that though, you may want to pay for an hour of a personal injury lawyers time to get advise on things you may be able to do.... Read More

The work injury in the ditch sounds like a workers compensation claim so you should seek out that type of lawyer, as it is a specialized area of the law.  The gunshot is unclear to me when it occured or who shot you so I cannot commnt other than to say there are time periods within which a case has to be brought and depending on when this occured, it may be too late.  As to the police hitting you with a baton, Colorado requires that a notice be sent to the governing body for the place the police work (like to the City Attorney or County commissioners, etc.), within 182 days of the incident before a lawsuit can be brought. There may be a way around that but even then lawsuits have to be brought within certain time periods and in Colorado to sue a police agency I beleive it normally has to be filed within one year of the incident.  BUT you could talk to a civil rights lawyer about that one, to get more specific insights.  Good luck.... Read More

I would suggest you write a letter to the apartment manager and have it delivered in a way you can prove they received it - hand deliver it to someone in the office, have a friend hand deliver it (or be with you so they can confimr it was delivered), or send it 'return receipt' (signed).  Or write an email and if they reply that proves they received it.... Read More

Has she filed a lawsuit? If so, most courts will require that the parties "mediate" with a third party mediator to see if they can resolve it out of court. If it has not been filed in court yet, you can contact her and see what she wants and negotiate from there. You will want her to sign a release, if you reach a settlement, in exchange for the check.  IF her insurance company compensated her, they may be entittled to repayment as well, so consider that. It is likely best to hire a lawyer to work through this with you to make sure it is done correctly.... Read More

Since the incident occured in Kansas it would be governed by Kansa law on these types of issues.  That being said, I would think you can recover for your injuries from the motel, so long as the action is brought within the required time frame under Kansas law.  You should contact an attorney who is licensed to practice la in Kansas. ... Read More

In addition to teh school (which seemed to know the new weight set was defective and still allowed it's use), it seems to me that looking at the negligence oft he weight/ bar bell company might be useful. Suing a school can be difficult and has it's own rules (if it was a public school), so get in to see a personal injury lawyer soon. We do that kind of work.... Read More

Low impact, "sof tissue" injury auto accidents result in low settleemtns as a general rule. It is also hard to find lawyers to take such cases as the fee (1/3 of the recovery) is often not seen as being worth the amount of work put into the case.   All of that said, you may be able to get the insurer to negotiate up a little bit, but you will need a lawyer to have a possibility of getting a much better result. It might require actually filing a lawsuit and working through that - which is a lot of work for both the lawyer and the client.  It will help if you have gotten treatment for your injuries and have documentation. Also, factored in is whether you have had prior injuries to the same parts of your body you complain are injured now. From your description, this is a tough case to get any substantial recovery. See if you can find a lawyer to take it on. ... Read More

The fee agreement that you have with the firm is what will control the relationship between you and the firm.  No doubt they had you sign a fee agreemetn - read it. It will set out the agreement.  That being said, if there is something that happens that causes the firm to ethically have to discontinue being your lawyer, then they can do that. ... Read More

You can make a complaint ott he McDonald's owner and see if they will compensate you in some form - pay medical bills, etc.  You might want to talk directly to a personal injury lawyer but unless there were substantial injuries to the child, it is likely it is not much of a court case. ... Read More

Your daughter should contact a Colorado personal injury firm.  Unless her injuries are minor, it makes sense to hire a lawyer in these situations for several reasons.  For one, she is unlikely to be treated fairly by the insurance company for the at-fault driver.  Second, there are a lot of other issues beyond simply settling the case that will need to be addressed by a lawyer.  She should not delay in calling a lawyer and should not give any statements to any insurance company. Chris Hoffman Hoffman, Sheffield, Sauseda & Hoffman, PLLC 600 Grant, Ste. 450 Denver, CO  80203 303-333-2200  ... Read More

I suggest talking to the insurance person, see what they are willing to do for you, and if you are not satisfied, then contact a laawyer. Unfortunately, since the toe nail will no doubt grow back, the damages are fairly minimal in the scheme of things and you may have trouble finding a lawyer willing to take the case on - so if you can satisfactorily resolve it without using a lawyer you may be further ahead. ... Read More

It depends on why you fell - was there a defect on the sidewalk, ice that the park should have known about, a hole the park dug?  Is it a publicly owned park? If so there is a requirement that the governmental entity that owns the park be formally notified with specific information within 182 days of the incident. Contact a personal injury lawyer in your area and talk to them directly.... Read More

If the Sheriff had a warrant to seize the dogs then it was valid. If they were claiming animal cruelty, then they may be able to seize them without a warrant. If they were a breed of dog not allowed in the location you lived, they could seize them without a warrant.  Since you were not charged with a crime it is not clear the basis for the seizure.  That said, if they were impropoerly seized, you might have a civil claim of action against the Sheriff and / or Humane Society for the value of the dogs that were not returned. To pursue such a claim, it is mandatory that you file a "Notice of Claim" under the proper statute within 182 days fo when the dogs were seized. It has to be filed with the proper entity and in the proper way. The County or City where you live MAY have information on their website on how to do that - the City of Boulder does have such information on their website, for example. ... Read More