Personal Injury Lawyer in Buena Vista, CO

Every year, countless people visit Buena Vista and surrounding areas to enjoy the many outdoor activities that Chaffee County has to offer. While this influx of tourists is good for business, it also increases the risk of a local or a visitor suffering devastating injuries in a negligence-related accident.

At Cook, Bradford & Levy, LLC, we are committed to helping accident victims like you: we have never represented an insurance company and never will. Call (303) 543-1000 today to learn more about how our Buena Vista personal injury lawyers can handle your case.

First and foremost, Brian Bradford and Jason Levy are avid outdoor enthusiasts and spend significant time in the Chafee County towns of Buena Vista and Salida. In many respects, Chaffee County is our second home, and we spend several weeks throughout the year in either Buena Vista or Salida, and as such, we are intimately familiar with locals and the geographic area. Additionally, we are of course lawyers.

Our legal team is familiar with many common types of accidents that injure people in the Buena Vista area, and our firm is professional, personable, and aggressive when we need to be. We have helped victims of many of the most common causes of personal injuries, including:

• Motor vehicle accidents: Crashes involving cars, trucks, motorcycles, and other vehicles can be devastating. A September 2024 collision between an SUV and a van shuttling rafters caused seven injuries and one fatality.
• Bicycle accidents: Bike crashes can occur on roadways, but they can also happen on trails like those around Cottonwood Lake if your bicycle is defective, the trail is not kept in good condition, or other riders or hikers fail to give you enough space to maneuver.
• Slip and fall accidents: No matter where you go in Buena Vista—from hotels to venues like the Stardust Event Center and Collegiate Peaks Golf Course—the property’s owner or manager must promptly address and warn visitors about all hazards.
• Fatal accidents: If you lost a loved one in a negligence-related accident, please accept our condolences for your loss. Our wrongful death lawyers can seek justice by holding the liable party accountable and seeking damages.

If your family has suffered because of an accident like those described above, we can help you recover the damages you suffer including:

• Pain and suffering
• Physical Impairment and Disability
• Reduced quality of life
• Past and future Medical bills
• Property damage
• Loss of wages and ability to earn an income

With locals and a growing number of tourists around with so many places to go in Buena Vista, almost any location can become the site of a life-altering injury. That includes but is not limited to:

• Hotels and Hot Springs
• The Central Colorado Regional Airport
• Shops, restaurants and bars
• Highways and side streets
• Parks
• Biking trails

The evidence we collect in your case will tell us which party is liable and, therefore, who owes you compensation. Our attorneys can file cases against:

• Negligent drivers. Data from the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) shows that, in 2023, 72 Chaffee County motor vehicle accidents involved careless driving, 65 involved failure to yield, and 58 involved people driving too fast for conditions. There were also numerous instances of drunk-driving in and around Buena Vista.
• Landlords or negligent property managers. Hazardous conditions like liquid spills, icy sidewalks, and broken or uneven walkways (including staircases) must all be addressed right away. The property owner has a duty to take reasonable steps to fix these issues right away or post warning signs to alert people to the danger.
• Event managers. Individuals or companies that organize seasonal events like Gold Rush Days must keep the event premises safe by addressing hazards and hiring enough security to manage crowds.
• Adventure Companies. If you rented a bike, signed on for a rafting excursion without filling out a waiver or being advised of the dangers of rafting, or bought a motor vehicle, you did so under the assumption that the company would take reasonable measures to ensure the product or experience they offered was safe.

In all of our cases, the lawyers at Cook, Bradford & Levy, LLC use their expertise to identify all available sources of money to compensate our clients. This usually requires us to look for insurance policies that cover the negligent party or entity. Our Buena Vista attorneys are even able to take on cases that involve multiple at-fault parties or an at-fault party from out of state. Such cases can be more complex, but that will not deter us from advocating for you. In fact, we have substantial experience representing injured people in the Buena Vista area who have been victims of interstate semi-trucks.

At our firm, we have the experience and knowledge that comes with collective decades of practicing Colorado personal injury law. We know that is easy for victims to become overwhelmed and confused after an accident. Not only are you trying to cope with physical and mental pain, but you are also worried about the financial cost and possibly dealing with an insurance company that wants you to settle quickly for as little as possible. It can become extremely stressful and worrisome to have to deal with several new things on your plate after an accident.

Here, our attorneys work personally with each of our clients, getting to know the struggles you face and what your goals are. In fact, our first job for clients that we set forth in our training material is to listen to our clients to fully understand their experience and the problems they are facing. Once we are familiar with your story, we can guide you through the legal process by taking the following actions:

Potential sources of evidence vary depending on your circumstances, including how your accident happened. Our attorneys know how to retrieve and analyze evidence from:

• The Buena Vista Police Department and other law enforcement agencies
• Surveillance or traffic cameras
• Company records
• Maintenance records
• Medical records
• Witness statements
• Testimony from experts like doctors, economists, or accident reconstructionists

We can start your case by coming to visit you at home or in the hospital if you are not well enough to travel to our offices.

Once we get to work, we will take care of all legal tasks associated with your case so you do not have to worry about handling anything on your own. As we move through the legal process, we will keep you updated about what we are doing and provide timely advice regarding every decision you must make.

Once you are done with your medical treatment and are healed as much as possible, we will pull together all of the liability evidence against the at-fault party as well as compile the information about your injuries and losses that we need to tell your story. We put this information into a robust letter that we call a “settlement demand” that we then send to the insurance company as the first step in negotiations.

We are able to settle many claims out of court by negotiating with the liable party’s insurance company for a fair payout. If we have to go to trial, however, our lawyers can prepare a lawsuit and present your case in Chaffee Combined Court in Salida.

No matter how long your case takes, Cook, Bradford & Levy, LLC, can guide you through it. Call (303) 543-1000 now for a free consultation.

Navigating the aftermath of a personal injury in Buena Vista, Colorado, involves understanding specific state laws that can significantly influence your ability to receive fair compensation. Our firm is deeply familiar with these regulations and is committed to guiding you through each step.

Colorado operates under a fault-based system for auto insurance. This means that, after a car accident, the at-fault driver's insurance is primarily responsible for covering the injured party’s damages. According to the Colorado General Assembly, the following policies are required of all drivers in the state:

• Bodily Injury Liability: $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident. This coverage pays for the medical expenses, lost wages, and other damages of those injured by the insured driver.
• Property Damage Liability: $15,000 per accident. This covers the cost of repairing or replacing property damaged by the insured driver, such as another vehicle or a fence.

In addition to these mandatory policies, insurance companies are required to offer uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage, as explained at CO. Rev. Stat. § 10-4-609. If you choose to buy this policy, it will provide compensation if the at-fault driver:

• Has no insurance
• Has insufficient insurance to cover your losses
• Cannot be found

It's crucial to understand your UM/UIM options, as an estimated 17.5% of drivers in Colorado are uninsured, and many others carry only the minimum required coverage. A UM/UIM policy can also be helpful if you are injured by a hit-and-run driver who leaves the area and cannot be found.

Our personal injury lawyers can help you understand the insurance policies involved in your case, ensuring all potential avenues for compensation are explored.

In Colorado, there is a time limit for filing a personal injury lawsuit, known as the statute of limitations. Generally, for motor vehicle accidents, the statute of limitations is three years from the date of the accident. For other types of personal injury cases, such as slip and falls, the statute of limitations is generally two years from the date of the injury.

Failing to file a lawsuit within this timeframe typically means you lose your right to seek compensation in court.

If you contact Cook, Bradford & Levy, LLC, in a timely manner after your accident, we can make sure you file your case within the appropriate deadline and preserve your right to take legal action against the at-fault party.

Buena Vista's stunning scenery and outdoor attractions draw visitors from across the country, especially during peak tourist seasons. If you’re in an accident with an out-of-state driver, your case may involve additional legal and insurance complexities, but it won’t prevent you from holding the at-fault driver responsible.

Colorado courts have jurisdiction over accidents that occur within the state. In addition, the insurance coverage of an out-of-state driver should still be applicable, although there might be variations in insurance policy limits and regulations from state to state. This will affect how much you can ask for. With that said, however, the lawyers at Cook, Bradford & Levy have experience analyzing policies for dozens of different states besides Colorado, and once we research it, we can advise you how your out of state insurance policy interplays with Colorado law.

Our firm takes cases involving out-of-state drivers and can navigate the potential interstate legal and insurance issues to ensure your case proceeds smoothly.

As codified at CO. Rev. Stat. § 13-21-111, Colorado operates under a modified comparative negligence system. In other words, you can recover damages even if you were partially at fault for the accident, as long as your percentage of fault is not greater than 50 percent. However, your compensation will be reduced by the percentage of your fault. For example:

• If you are found to be 20 percent at fault for an accident and your total damages are $100,000, you would be eligible to receive $80,000.
• If your fault is determined to be 50 percent or greater, you are barred from recovering any damages.

Our firm can thoroughly investigate the circumstances of your injury to build a strong case that maximizes your ability to recover the compensation you deserve and prevents the insurance company from placing unjustified blame for the accident on your shoulders. We work diligently to protect your rights and advocate for the best possible outcome, ensuring that Colorado's laws are applied fairly to your situation.

That depends on the details of your case. There are multiple factors that could influence how hard it is to win a claim or lawsuit, and many of them—such as the availability of evidence and the insurer’s willingness to negotiate—are out of your control. Our lawyers can help you retain as much control as possible by:

• Starting our investigation into your accident as soon as we can, collecting and preserving evidence while it is still comparatively easy to locate
• Speaking with the insurance company on your behalf and maintaining contact via phone, email, or video call
• Presenting our case to the insurer or a jury in the most persuasive way possible.

Personal injury cases can last a long time, taking months or even years to resolve in some instances. The sooner you get started, the better. Even if you are still recovering at a facility like Heart of the Rockies Regional Medical Center in Salida, our attorneys can come to you to listen to your story, discuss your rights, and figure out the best way to help you.

Call us. If you are considering hiring a personal injury attorney, speak with us first and allow us to listen to your situation and see if we can help. If you hire a personal injury attorney from Cook, Bradford & Levy, LLC, we will fight relentlessly for your rights while you focus on recovering from your injuries and figuring out your next steps. Call (303) 543-1000 today to get a free consultation from a law firm that charges no attorneys’ fees up front.