Personal Injury

The Boulder personal injury lawyers at Cook, Bradford and Levy are trial tested personal injury attorneys. In Colorado, a person who negligently causes an injury to another is financially responsible for all of the damages related to the incident. A serious accident or injury caused by another person’s reckless or negligent conduct can turn your life upside down. If you have been injured in Denver or Boulder, you need a team of personal injury lawyers on your side with the skills and resources to help make you whole during your recovery.

There are several types of damages you may want to pursue if you are injured due to someone’s negligence.

Compensatory damages are those monetary damages designed to make a victim whole. There are two types of compensatory damages, special damages and general damages.

Special damages include the expenses that the victim incurred as a result of the accident. Detailed record keeping of expenditures after an accident is a must. Special damages can include past medical expenses, past lost wages, future medical expenses, and future lost wages. Medical expenses have to be reasonable, necessary and related to the accident for which you are making a claim. Expert testimony may be needed to prove the connection between the accident and the victim’s injury or condition, in order to recover past and future medical expenses. Special damages also include your lost wages in the past and lost wages in the future and additional expenses related to physical impairment and disfigurement. A competent personal injury lawyer on your side will help you make your claim for the damages you are owed.

General damages or “non-economic” damages are non-pecuniary damages, on which the law is unable to place a dollar amount, but nevertheless recognizes them as compensable.

Non-economic damages include recovery for pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, inconvenience, physical impairment and other similar losses. An additional factor in determining pain and suffering is the aggravation or worsening of pre-existing injuries. The defendant is only responsible for the extent to which the victim pre-existing injury was aggravated or worsened by the car accident.

Colorado Courts break down these damages into three (3) categories on a verdict sheet: (1) Any noneconomic losses or injuries which plaintiff has had to the present time or which plaintiff will probably have in the future, including: physical and mental pain and suffering, inconvenience, emotional stress, impairment of the quality of life, and; (2) Any economic losses or injuries which plaintiff has had to the present time or which plaintiff will probably have in the future, including: loss of earnings or damage to (his) (her) ability to earn money in the future, (reasonable and necessary) medical, hospital, and other expenses, and; (3) Any [physical impairment] [or] [disfigurement].

CAR ACCIDENTS: Automobile accidents affect thousands of people every day. As reported by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), for 2015, there were an estimated 6,296,000 police-reported traffic crashes, in which 35,092 people were killed and an estimated 2,443,000 people were injured. If you have been hurt in a car accident that was someone else’s fault, our firm can help you pursue the compensation you are entitled to receive.

TRUCK ACCIDENTS: A large commercial truck can weigh 80,000 pounds or more, and they often cause serious injuries to motor vehicle occupants in a collision. These collisions can be more complex than other automobile accident cases because the severity of the injuries, the of number of parties involved, the evidence that must be preserved, and the federal regulations involved. According to the NHTSA, in 2015 there were 4,067 people killed in crashes involving large trucks, a 4-percent increase from 2014. That same increase affect the 116,000 people injured in large truck crashes. You need an experienced truck accident lawyer to assist in your claim against a large truck driver or trucking company.

PEDESTRIAN ACCIDENTS: As reported by the NHTSA, on average, a pedestrian is killed in a motor vehicle crash every 1.6 hours, and one is injured about every 7.5 minutes. Critical to the evaluation of a pedestrian accident case is where the pedestrian was standing at the time of the crash. Every minute counts when it comes to investigating these claims and preservice the evidence. Our Boulder and Denver lawyers are ready to help with your pedestrian accident claim.

SLIP AND FALL ACCIDENTS: Property owners are responsible for maintaining the property in a reasonably safe condition. Also, notice or warnings must be given of any dangers that exit in the Property. When poor maintenance, construction defects, or inadequate security result in accidents or assault, our attorneys will investigate the incident and aggressively pursue your case. Trip or slip and fall accidents can cause serious injuries, including fractures, concussions, traumatic brain injuries, hip injuries, and elbow injuries. If you have been hurt because you slipped on a slick floor where there was no warning sign, or tripped on an object in your walking path, contact Cook, Bradford & Levy for a free consultation.

DOG BITES: Colorado’s dog bite law imposes strict liability upon a dog owner when the victim sustains a serious bodily injury, in which case the owner may well have to pay certain damages. In addition, a dog owner can be held liable under the one bite rule, for negligence, or for violating an animal control law.

NURSING HOME NEGLIGENCE & ABUSE: Patient neglect in a nursing home or assisted living facility can involve ignoring a patient’s physical needs, the lack of prevention or treatment for bed sores, failure to alert a physician of medical problems, and failure to prevent things such as dehydration or malnutrition. Neglect is a form of abuse done with intent. These acts of neglect can be performed by both the nursing staff and orderlies who are supposed to prevent physical and health-related harm to those for whom they provide care. If you suspect you or a loved one is a victim us nursing home neglect or abuse, please call the attorneys at Cook, Bradford & Levy to see if they can help.

SKI ACCIDENTS: When a skier or snowboarder is injured in a ski accident, regulations and ski safety statutes help determine who a claim can brought against. Colorado law presumes that the uphill skier or boarder is at fault in a skiing accident, because the overtaking skier has the primary duty to avoid the skier below. Skiing accidents often result in serious injuries and damage to internal organs. The lawyers at Cook, Bradford & Levy are equipped to handle any type of serious ski accident case.

WRONGFUL DEATH & CATASTROPHIC INJURY: A Wrongful Death is an unnecessary death that has been caused by the negligence of another. Examples of Wrongful Death cases are deaths that can arise from a car accident, a drunk driver, a medical mistake or any other type of accident where the victim is killed. Our Denver and Boulder wrongful death lawyers will help you and your family when someone you know has been catastrophically injured or even killed by the negligence of another.

If you have been injured by the fault of another, the Boulder personal injury lawyers at Cook, Bradford & Levy may be able to represent you. We serve people in Lafayette, Louisville, Denver, Arvada, Aurora, Fort Collins, and throughout the Front Range. Contact us at 303-543-1000 or via our online form for a free consultation.