Colorado Bicycle Accident Attorney
Denver Bicycle Accident Law Firm Assisting Clients Across Colorado
Colorado is known as a premier outdoor recreation destination, and bicycling is a popular pastime. Not only do sports enthusiasts ride their bikes in the mountains and on trails for recreation, those who are concerned about the environment, their health, or the cost of gas often bike to work or school, as well.
More bicycles on roads and trails means more bicycle crashes. Riders have little protection in a collision with a car or truck, so even a low-speed crash can cause serious injuries.
If a careless driver hurt you, a Denver bicycle accident law firm can help you pursue fair compensation.
Of course, crashes involving motor vehicles are only one type of bicycle crash that can result in serious injuries. If you have been injured in a bicycle crash in Colorado, Marlo Greer and the bicycle accident attorneys at Greer Law Group are here to help. Call our Denver office today at 303-331-6460 to speak to a bicycle accident attorney and explore your options.
Where Bicycle Accidents Happen Most Often
Many bicycle crashes happen at intersections, often when a driver turning right or left does not see or yield to a rider.
Other common causes include unsafe passing, drivers opening a car door into a rider’s path, and distracted driving. Colorado law requires drivers to leave at least three feet of space when passing a bicyclist (C.R.S. 42-4-1003).
What to Do After a Bicycle Accident in Colorado
If you are in a bicycle crash, it can be difficult to overcome the shock of it all to take the steps you need to take. Here is a list of what to do and not do to protect your health and your claim:
- First and foremost, seek medical attention for any injuries you may have suffered. Nothing is as important as your health, and quick action to get medical care is essential.
- Do not refuse medical care, even if you think you are not injured or your injuries are minor. You may have serious injuries that are not immediately obvious, and refusing medical care at the scene can be used against you if you later seek damages for injuries you were not aware of at the time.
- Report the crash to the police. This is usually done with a 911 call.
- If you are in a crash with a motor vehicle and are able, get the driver’s plate number, driver’s license information, and insurance information. Taking photos of the documents and the license plate with your cell phone is the easiest way to do this if you are able and your phone is undamaged.
- Again, only if you are able, take photos of the scene. These can be important evidence in determining liability.
- Get the names and contact information of any witnesses to the crash.
- Be careful about what you say to anyone at the scene. Even saying something as simple as “I’m sorry” or “I’m OK” can be used against you to try to prove that the crash was your fault or that you were not seriously injured.
- Do not assume that you are uninjured because you feel “OK” at the scene of the crash. Adrenaline will be coursing through your body and numbing you to possible pain, and many common bicycle crash injuries such as head injuries or internal bleeding do not always show up until later.
- Call Greer Law Group at 303-331-6460 and let a bike accident attorney start advising you as soon as possible, ideally before you’ve even left the scene of the crash.
What Compensation Can You Recover After a Bicycle Accident?
In any personal injury case where another person or entity is determined to have been negligent, you have an opportunity to seek both economic (also called “pecuniary”) damages and non-economic (“non-pecuniary”) damages.
Economic vs. Non-Economic Damages
Economic or pecuniary damages include all tangible, specific expenses that you have incurred as a result of the injuries you sustained in a crash that was not your fault. This includes expenses such as medical bills for diagnosis, treatment, or necessary therapies; lost wages due to inability to work; over-the-counter medical costs such as the expense of OTC medications or appliances like a wheelchair or crutches that have been ordered by your doctor; and non-medical expenses, such as the cost of travel to medical appointments, including mileage, meals, and lodging, for example. These expenses can usually be proven with receipts, bills and pay stubs.
Non-economic or non-pecuniary damages are more nebulous, and a personal injury lawyer can help you determine what to ask for. Non-economic damages can be sought for the pain and suffering you have been put through as a result of your bicycle crash and can include compensation for intangible losses such as the deterioration of mental and emotional health, the loss of activities that previously played a role in your life, social isolation, the loss or change of family or other important relationships, loss of sexual function or enjoyment, changes in appearance leading to poor self-image, deterioration of cognitive ability due to traumatic brain or spinal cord injury or loss of oxygen to the brain, and a host of other losses or negative changes in your life that the bicycle crash has caused.
Are Damages Limited in Colorado Bicycle Accident Cases?
There is no cap on economic (pecuniary) damages in personal injury cases in Colorado. This means that you can be reimbursed for all quantifiable expenses that are a direct result of your injury, no matter what the total turns out to be. This includes all medical expenses and non-medical expenses, as well as past and future lost wages due to being unable to work at all or to return to the same career after your injury. These expenses can usually be documented with bills and records.
However, Colorado does put a cap on non-economic (non-pecuniary) damages. Non-economic or non-pecuniary damages are meant to compensate you for the intangible costs of your crash, such as emotional and mental trauma or physical pain and disability, for example. For claims that arise on or after January 1, 2025, the limit on non-economic damages in Colorado is $1.5 million, and it will be adjusted for inflation starting in 2028. Damages for physical impairment or disfigurement are not subject to this cap. The Colorado Secretary of State publishes a Certificate with all of the current damage caps, and it is a good idea to check it out to see what the caps are at the time of your personal injury claim.
How Greer Law Group Helps Bicycle Accident Victims
When you have suffered a serious injury in a bicycle crash that was not your fault, it is likely that you want the party who injured you to compensate you for all you have gone through. After an injury, however, the desire to pursue justice can clash with the need to rest, recuperate, and get your life back to something resembling normal as much as possible. This is where a bicycle injury attorney can help, allowing you to hold those who injured you accountable and get compensation for all you have suffered while keeping the burden of complicated legal actions off your back so that you are free to rest and heal.
A bicycle accident attorney from Greer Law Group will investigate the crash, gather the necessary evidence to prove the other party liable, and will complete both the legwork and the paperwork necessary to pursue the compensation you need.
Marlo Greer and the personal injury attorneys at Greer Law Group are ready to help you pursue fair compensation. You’ve suffered enough now. Our attorneys are here to help. 303-331-6460
Colorado Bicycle Accident FAQs
If a car or other motor vehicle was involved, you generally have three years, because Colorado’s three-year deadline covers injury claims arising from the use or operation of a motor vehicle (C.R.S. 13-80-101(1)(n)). Most other negligence claims have two years (C.R.S. 13-80-102(1)(a)). The clock generally starts when you knew or should have known of the injury and its cause.
A driver passing a bicyclist traveling in the same direction must leave at least three feet between the right side of the vehicle, including its mirrors, and the left side of the bicyclist (C.R.S. 42-4-1003(1)(b)).
Yes, as long as your share of fault is less than the fault of the party you are suing. Your award is reduced by your percentage of fault. If your fault is as great as or greater than theirs, you cannot recover (C.R.S. 13-21-111).
Economic damages such as medical bills and lost wages are not capped. For claims that accrue on or after January 1, 2025, non-economic damages are capped at $1.5 million, and damages for physical impairment or disfigurement are not limited by that cap (C.R.S. 13-21-102.5).
Greer Law Group, led by trial lawyer Marlo Greer, represents cyclists seriously or permanently injured in Colorado crashes from its Denver office. Call 303-331-6460 to talk with the team about your case.