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Lakewood Car Accident Lawyer

A Lakewood car accident lawyer at Flesch Law can take the insurance fight off your plate while you heal. We handle injury claims from crashes on I-70, the 6th Avenue Freeway, Wadsworth Boulevard, and West Colfax, and we deal with the adjusters, the medical records, and the deadlines so you do not have to. Attorney Kevin C. Flesch has represented injured drivers in Lakewood and throughout Colorado since 1996. Call 303-980-5511 for a free case review. You pay nothing unless we win.

Lakewood Car Accident Legal Resources

Why Choose Us?

Lakewood car accident lawyers at Flesch Law has more than forty years of legal experience handling personal injury cases in Lakewood, CO. Our firm has experienced accident attorneys and we handle the following types of accident cases:

  • Hit-and-run accidents – Our firm will investigate the other driver and seek compensation through uninsured motorist coverage
  • Truck accidents – We will look into whether the accident involved poor maintenance, defects, hours driving violations, inadequate training and/or driver fatigue
  • Motorcycle accidents – These cases are especially important to attorneys at Flesch Law, as he is a motorcycle rider himself and he understands what it means to be on the road. Flesch Law is sympathetic to victims that have suffered motorcycle injuries
  • SUV rollovers and  auto defects – Often the cause of accidents, it is important to hold these responsible parties accountable for the pain and suffering caused. During a personal injury suit sometimes a manufacturer and negligent driver can be responsible for these damages
  • Pedestrian and bicycle accidents – require an experienced lawyer in order to ensure proper care is taken to get fair compensation. Pedestrian and bicycle accident victims may not own a car themselves and may lack uninsured or underinsured driver coverage
  • Complex cases involving multiple vehicles or mass transportation  – This includes buses that require a lawyer to navigate the best way to recover damages for the injuries suffered

How Can a Car Accident Lawyer Help?

If you hire a Lakewood car accident attorney from Flesch Law, we can navigate your claim and handle tasks including:

  • Car accident investigation
  • Evidence and document collection
  • Eyewitness interviews
  • Hiring qualified legal and medical experts
  • Insurance claim negotiations
  • Proving your accident losses
  • Going to court against the defendant(s), if necessary

Your car accident lawyer can go head-to-head with an insurance claims adjuster on your behalf to make sure the insurer handles your claim fairly and honestly. If it comes to it, your lawyer can also go to trial to maximize your outcome.

A Lakewood car accident lawyer at Flesch Law can take the insurance fight off your plate while you heal. We handle injury claims from crashes on I-70, the 6th Avenue Freeway, Wadsworth Boulevard, and West Colfax, and we deal with the adjusters, the medical records, and the deadlines so you do not have to. Attorney Kevin C. Flesch has represented injured drivers in Lakewood and throughout Colorado since 1996. Call 303-980-5511 for a free case review. You pay nothing unless we win.

Lakewood CO accident lawyers

 

Work with an Experienced Car Accident Attorney

Insurance companies staff their claims departments with adjusters who settle crashes for a living. You are doing it for the first time. That gap is why early offers so often land below what a claim is actually worth, and why the first call from an adjuster usually arrives before you know the full extent of your injuries.

Flesch Law works the other side of that gap. Kevin C. Flesch earned his law degree from William Mitchell College of Law in 1996 and is admitted to practice in Colorado state courts, the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado, and the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals. He belongs to the Colorado Bar Association, the Arapahoe County Bar Association, the American Bar Association, and the Colorado Trial Lawyers Association.

What that means for a Lakewood crash claim:

  • We collect the evidence that disappears fast, including scene photographs, event data recorder downloads, business surveillance video, and witness statements taken while memories are fresh
  • We document the full medical picture, not just the emergency room bill, so future treatment and lost earning capacity are part of the demand
  • We handle every call, letter, and recorded statement request from the insurer
  • We file suit in Jefferson County District Court when an insurer will not pay fairly

Don’t just take our word for it though, take a look at what our past clients have to say.

Types of Car Accident Cases We Handle in Lakewood

  • Rear-end collisions on backed-up stretches of US-6, I-70, and C-470, where whiplash and disc injuries are common and the following driver is usually at fault
  • Intersection and broadside crashes from failure-to-yield turns on Wadsworth, Alameda, and Kipling
  • Head-on collisions from crossing the centerline, drifting, or wrong-way entry, which produce the most severe injuries
  • Rollovers involving SUVs and pickups, often on curves and freeway ramps
  • Hit-and-run crashes, where UM coverage frequently stands in for the missing driver
  • Drunk and impaired driving crashes, including claims against establishments that overserved
  • Uninsured and underinsured driver claims against your own carrier
  • Commercial truck crashes on I-70 and US-6, governed by federal carrier rules and backed by larger policies
  • Motorcycle crashes, where insurers lean on rider-blame assumptions
  • Pedestrian crashes along West Colfax and near RTD stops
  • Bicycle crashes on shared roadways and at trail crossings
  • Rideshare crashes involving Uber and Lyft coverage tiers
  • Fatal crashes and wrongful death claims brought by surviving family members

What Damages Can Be Recovered After a Car Accident in Lakewood, CO?

  • Emergency treatment, hospital stays, surgery, imaging, and prescriptions
  • Physical therapy, chiropractic care, and future medical treatment
  • Wages lost while you were unable to work
  • Reduced earning capacity when an injury limits what you can do long term
  • Pain, suffering, and emotional distress
  • Scarring, disfigurement, and permanent impairment
  • Loss of enjoyment of life
  • Vehicle repair or replacement, plus diminished resale value
  • Rental car and towing costs
  • In fatal crashes, funeral expenses and the family’s loss of support and companionship

Valuing a claim well requires knowing the future cost, not just the bills already in hand. That is where medical opinions and, in larger cases, economic analysis carry weight.

Lakewood Roads and Intersections Where Crashes Happen

Lakewood carries commuter traffic in four directions, and the crash patterns follow the road design.

West Colfax Avenue (US-40) runs the length of the city with closely spaced signals, wide crossings, and heavy pedestrian and RTD bus activity. City transportation data identified roughly 820 crashes on the stretch between Sheridan Boulevard and Wadsworth Boulevard over a five-year study period, producing 283 injuries and six deaths. 

US-6, the 6th Avenue Freeway, moves traffic between Denver and the foothills at highway speed with short merge distances. The Wadsworth interchange and the Union Boulevard and Simms Street ramps produce sideswipe and rear-end collisions when traffic stacks up during the afternoon commute.

Wadsworth Boulevard is the city’s busiest north-south arterial. Left-turn conflicts at West 1st Avenue, 5th Avenue, and 14th Avenue account for a steady share of intersection crashes, and the Belmar retail corridor adds constant driveway turns into fast-moving through lanes.

Alameda Avenue and Kipling Street is a high-volume signalized crossing where drivers turning left across multiple lanes misjudge oncoming gaps. Broadside crashes at this type of intersection tend to cause the worst injuries because the door and pillar absorb the impact instead of a crumple zone.

Interstate 70 forms the northern edge of Lakewood and funnels mountain traffic through the city. Snow, ice, and sudden slowdowns near the Youngfield and 32nd Avenue interchanges produce chain-reaction pileups and commercial truck involvement.

C-470 carries commuters along the southwestern edge, where congestion at the US-285 and Morrison Road interchanges leads to rear-end collisions during peak hours.

Neighborhood streets matter too. Crashes in Green Mountain, Eiber, Applewood, and around the Federal Center often involve lower speeds and higher pedestrian and cyclist exposure. Lakewood recorded 21 traffic deaths in 2023

Knowing the road matters when liability is disputed. Signal timing records, CDOT traffic counts, and prior crash history at a given intersection can all support a claim that a driver failed to yield or was traveling too fast for conditions.

What are Common Causes Car Accidents in Colorado?

Almost all car accidents are preventable. Human errors and driver mistakes are what cause most motor vehicle collisions in Lakewood, Colorado. Dangerous, reckless and careless drivers are frequently behind collisions. Inexperienced and incompetent drivers may make mistakes such as accidentally breaking traffic laws, while reckless drivers may intentionally break the rules.

Some of the most common causes of car accidents in Colorado include:

  • Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol
  • Distracted driving
  • Texting and driving
  • Speeding
  • Driving drowsy
  • Following too closely
  • Weaving between lanes
  • Running red lights
  • Failing to yield the right-of-way

Other nondriver-related issues can also cause or contribute to car accidents in Colorado. For example, if a government agency ignores a pothole, a pothole could cause a tire blowout or rollover accident. The government may be liable for the crash in this scenario. A motor vehicle accident can also be caused by a defective product and can lead to manufacturer liability for a related accident.

What are Common Car Accident Injuries?

There are three collisions in every car accident. The first is the vehicular collision, where the vehicle stops its forward motion by colliding with another vehicle or a fixed object.

The second collision is the human collision. This describes the collision between a vehicle occupant and an element inside of the car that stops his or her forward motion, such as the windshield or steering column.

The third collision is the internal collision. This is the collision between the internal organs and each other or the skeletal frame, stopping their forward motion. The human and internal collisions cause serious or catastrophic physical injuries. Some of the most common examples of these injuries are:

  • Dislocations and soft-tissue injuries
  • Muscle and tendon injuries
  • Lacerations or cuts and scrapes
  • Bone fractures
  • Knee and lower extremity injuries
  • Chest, lung and rib injuries
  • Head trauma and traumatic brain injuries
  • Neck injuries, such as whiplash
  • Back injuries, such as herniated disks
  • Spinal cord injuries and paralysis
  • Internal bleeding or organ damage
  • Wrongful death

In addition to physical injuries, car accident victims in Colorado may experience psychological or emotional harm. A car accident victim can suffer the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder including nightmares and/or flashbacks. Physical and nonphysical injuries can reduce a victim’s quality of life and lead high costs associated with medical and therapy.

Colorado Is an At-Fault State, and Your Coverage Matters

Colorado is an at-fault state, meaning the driver responsible for the crash and that driver’s liability insurer pay for the harm. Colorado repealed no-fault insurance in 2003, so there is no personal injury protection benefit paying your bills regardless of blame.

Three coverages decide what is actually available to pay a claim:

Coverage What it does Colorado requirement
Liability Pays others for injuries and property damage the policyholder causes Minimum $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for bodily injury, $15,000 for property damage
Medical payments (MedPay) Pays your medical bills regardless of who caused the crash Insurers must offer at least $5,000; you can decline only in writing
Uninsured and underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) Covers you when the at-fault driver has no insurance or not enough Optional, but insurers must offer it at limits matching your liability coverage unless you waive it in writing

 

State minimum limits run out fast. A single surgery and a short hospital stay can exceed $25,000, which is why UM/UIM on your own policy often becomes the primary source of recovery in a serious crash.

Colorado Limits Noneconomic Damages, Not Economic Damages

Colorado splits damages into two categories. Economic damages cover measurable financial losses: medical bills, future treatment, lost wages, reduced earning capacity, and property damage. Noneconomic damages cover pain, suffering, emotional distress, disfigurement, and loss of enjoyment of life. 

House Bill 24-1472, signed in June 2024, raised the noneconomic damages cap under C.R.S. § 13-21-102.5 to $1.5 million for civil actions filed on or after January 1, 2025.. The wrongful death noneconomic cap rose to $2,125,000 for actions filed on or after that date. The next inflation adjustment takes effect January 1, 2028.

Economic damages are not capped. Neither is property damage.

What To Do After a Car Accident in Lakewood

  1. Call 911. Lakewood Police will respond, and the officer’s report becomes the first record of how the crash happened. Ask for the case number before you leave.
  2. Get medical care the same day. St. Anthony Hospital on West 20th Avenue operates a Level I trauma center, the highest designation, meaning it is staffed and equipped for the most severe injuries around the clock. Concussions, disc injuries, and internal bleeding often produce no symptoms for hours or days, and a same-day exam links your injury to the crash in the medical record.
  3. Photograph everything. Vehicle damage from several angles, license plates, skid marks, debris fields, signal placement, weather, and your visible injuries.
  4. Collect contact information. Names and numbers for the other driver, passengers, and any witnesses, plus the other driver’s insurance company and policy number.
  5. Say nothing about fault. Apologies and casual comments at the scene get quoted back to you later. Colorado reduces your recovery by your share of the blame, so an offhand “I didn’t see him” carries real cost.
  6. Report the crash to your own insurer, but decline the recorded statement until you have spoken with a lawyer. You are required to notify your carrier. You are not required to give a recorded account of an event you may not fully remember.
  7. Keep every document. Bills, discharge instructions, work absence notes, repair estimates, and rental receipts.
  8. Call a lawyer before you accept anything. Early offers arrive because the insurer wants the claim closed before the full cost of your injury is known.

What are Colorado Car Accident Laws That Can Affect Your Claim?

The Filing Deadline for Car Accidents in Colorado Is Three Years

Colorado treats motor vehicle claims differently from other injury claims. Under C.R.S. § 13-80-101(1)(n)(I), tort actions for bodily injury or property damage arising out of the use or operation of a motor vehicle must be filed within three years of the date the claim accrues. Most other personal injury claims fall under the two-year deadline in C.R.S. § 13-80-102.

Two shorter deadlines catch people off guard:

  • Crashes involving a government vehicle or entity. If an RTD bus, a city truck, or a state vehicle was involved, the Colorado Governmental Immunity Act requires written notice within 182 days of the injury. Miss that window and the claim is barred regardless of the three-year rule.
  • Wrongful death. A claim brought after a fatal crash generally runs two years, not three.

Waiting also costs evidence. Surveillance footage is overwritten, vehicles are repaired or scrapped, and witnesses move.

Colorado’s Modified Comparative Negligence Rule

Colorado uses modified comparative negligence, set out in C.R.S. § 13-21-111. Two things follow from it. Your damages are reduced by your percentage of fault, so a $100,000 award with a 20 percent fault finding pays $80,000. And if you are found 50 percent or more at fault, you recover nothing.

That 50 percent line is the reason insurance adjusters push fault back on injured drivers. Shifting you from 40 percent to 50 percent does not trim the payout, it erases it. Expect arguments about speed, following distance, and whether you could have avoided the crash.

How To Get Your Lakewood Police Accident Report

Lakewood Police Records handles report requests at the Civic Center Public Safety Building, 445 South Allison Parkway. Reports for crashes without a fatality are typically available quickly, often the same day once the officer has filed. Reports involving a death take longer because the traffic investigation unit reviews them first.

Read the report as soon as you get it. Officers work from statements taken minutes after a collision, and errors in the diagram, the direction of travel, or the contributing-factor codes show up more often than people expect. Corrections are easier to pursue in the first weeks than months later.

Filing a Car Accident Claim in Jefferson County

Lakewood sits in Jefferson County, part of Colorado’s First Judicial District. Injury suits above the county court limit are filed in Jefferson County District Court at 100 Jefferson County Parkway in Golden, CO 80401. Claims at or under $25,000 can proceed in county court, which moves faster and costs less.

Lakewood Municipal Court, at 445 South Allison Parkway, handles traffic citations and municipal ordinance violations. It does not decide injury lawsuits. A ticket issued to the other driver can support your civil claim as evidence, but the compensation case is separate from the traffic case.

Most claims settle without a filed lawsuit. Filing still matters, because an insurer’s willingness to pay usually improves once it becomes clear the claim is headed for the County District Court.

Car Accident FAQs

In the aftermath of a serious car crash, it is normal to have questions and concerns. Individuals involved in a car crash may wonder who is financially responsible for the losses suffered.

  • How long does it take to get a settlement? This answer depends on how complicated your case is, and whether it reaches a settlement or has to go to court. In general, a car accident settlement takes three to six months to result in a check. A trial, can take a year or longer.
  • How long do I have to file a car accident lawsuit in Colorado? In Colorado the statute of limitations gives individuals a limited amount of time to file a car accident claim. Car accident claims must be filed within three years from the date of the car accident. There are some rare exceptions to this time limit.
  • Is Colorado an at-fault or no-fault state? At-fault. The driver who caused the crash is responsible for the resulting harm, and that driver’s liability insurance pays. Colorado ended no-fault insurance in 2003, so there is no automatic PIP benefit.
  • What if I was partly at fault for the crash? You can still recover, reduced by your share of the blame. At 20 percent fault, you collect 80 percent of your damages. At 50 percent or more, C.R.S. § 13-21-111 bars recovery entirely.
  • How much does a Lakewood car accident lawyer cost? Nothing up front. We work on contingency, meaning the fee comes out of the recovery and there is no fee if we do not win.
  • How much is my car accident case worth? It depends on medical costs already incurred, future treatment, wages and earning capacity lost, the severity and permanence of the injury, available insurance limits, and your fault percentage. Noneconomic damages are capped at $1.5 million for actions filed on or after January 1, 2025. Economic damages are not capped.
  • What if the other driver had no insurance? Your uninsured motorist coverage steps in. If the other driver carried only state minimum limits and your losses exceed them, underinsured motorist coverage covers the shortfall. Colorado insurers must offer UM/UIM at limits matching your liability coverage unless you declined it in writing.
  • Will MedPay cover my medical bills? MedPay pays your treatment costs regardless of who caused the crash, which makes it useful early while liability is still being sorted out. Colorado insurers must offer at least $5,000 in MedPay, and declining it requires a written waiver.
  • How long will my case take? Straightforward claims with clear liability and completed treatment often resolve in a few months. Disputed liability, serious injuries still under treatment, or a filed lawsuit can extend the timeline past a year. Settling before treatment is finished usually means settling for less than the claim is worth.
  • Should I accept the insurance company’s first offer? Not before you know the full cost of your injury. First offers commonly arrive within days, ahead of specialist referrals, imaging, or surgery recommendations. Once you sign a release, the claim is closed even if new treatment becomes necessary.
  • Do I have to go to court? Probably not. Most car accident claims settle. Preparing a case as if it will be tried is what makes a strong settlement possible, so we build every file toward that possibility.
  • Do I need a lawyer for a minor crash? If you had no injuries and only property damage, often no. Get advice before you sign anything if you were treated by a doctor, missed work, have symptoms that appeared days later, or the insurer is questioning fault.

Contact Us

A car accident attorney is someone you can trust to give you honest advice, motivated by a true desire to help you and your family recover. At Flesch Law, our Lakewood personal injury lawyers make the legal process as simple and stress-free as possible. We stand by your side through every phase of a lawsuit, answering your questions and concerns along the way.

Flesch Law represent clients that have been  seriously injured or have lost a loved one in any type of motor vehicle accident resulting from the negligence of another driver. There is nothing more devastating than being injured in a car accident or receiving the news that a member of the family has died as the result of a wreck. The sudden impact of the injury or death can result in emotional and financial turmoil for years. When the accident was the result of misconduct on the part of a negligent or  a drunk/drugged driver, the sense of injustice can be intolerable.

Start your case by requesting a free consultation with us in Lakewood, Colorado today. Contact us online or call (303) 980-5511.