Drunk Driving Accident in Summit County

Like many states, Colorado prohibits people from operating a vehicle while being under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs. According to the Colorado General Assembly (CGA), a person can be charged with drunk driving if they have a blood alcohol content (BAC) level of 0.08 or higher. However, it can even be argued that a BAC of 0.05 also constitutes drunk driving, especially if the driver causes an accident.

If you were hit by a drunk driver in Summit County, you may be able to hold them accountable through a personal injury claim for compensation, even if they were charged with driving under the influence (DUI). A Summit County drunk driving accident lawyer from Cook, Bradford & Levy, LLC can help you build your case.

Our legal team can review your case for free and begin identifying which of your damages are compensable. You may be entitled to receive compensation for more than just your vehicle repair bills.

In fact, some compensatory damages you might claim include:

• Medical expenses: If you were injured in a car accident caused by a drunk driver, we can calculate how much debt you accrued as a result. This includes costs for emergency room treatment, doctor’s appointments, surgeries, physical therapy, lab work, prescription medicines, and other medical services.
• Property damage: We can pursue compensation to cover the costs of repairs to your vehicle or even its cash value if it is beyond repair. If other valuable property was destroyed or damaged in the accident, we may include these costs as well.
• Income loss: Some injuries are severe enough to take someone out of work, while others can jeopardize an individual’s ability to maintain their work. If you lost wages or your job in general, we can calculate the difference in income you would have made had you not been injured.
• Pain and suffering: Beyond financial damages, you might be suffering from a car accident both physically and emotionally. We can assign a monetary value that represents the extent of pain you experienced after the accident and add this to your compensation demands.

These are only a few examples of damages you may pursue. Others include losses related to living with a permanent disability, loss of consortium, and loss of quality of life. We will explain your compensatory damages in full in future consultations.

What happens if the drunk driver is found not guilty for drunk driving?

We want to remind you that a personal injury case is not the same as a criminal case. Whether the at-fault driver is convicted of driving under the influence (DUI) is a separate issue and is ultimately not the goal of your case.

Our legal team’s objective is not to prove that they were driving under the influence (like how a prosecuting attorney might), but to prove that:

• The other driver had a duty of care to not drive after consuming alcohol.
• However, they still chose to do so, putting you and other road users at risk.
• Their negligence ultimately caused a car accident with you.
• You were injured in that accident and suffered further damages.

As long as we can correlate the other driver’s actions to your injuries, you may be able to recover compensation.

Per CO Rev Stat § 13-80-101, you have about three years from the date of the collision to file a personal injury lawsuit against the drunk driver.

Other factors might toll or pause this statutory deadline, such as whether the drunk driver was a minor or if a local municipality is involved in the accident. If so, our team will inform you of your filing deadline.

Consequences of filing your lawsuit late

You want to avoid filing your car accident lawsuit past its filing deadline because it could mean:

• Your case gets dismissed upon filing.
• The drunk driver could have cause to request your case be dismissed by a judge if they find out you filed late.
• You may not be able to pursue compensation through litigation if you file late, meaning you would have to cover the cost of your damages yourself.

Hiring a Summit County drunk driving accident lawyer is more than hiring someone to present your case. Our legal team will do the work to help you build your personal injury claim or lawsuit, which can involve its own investigation, speaking with multiple parties, and a great amount of paperwork.

You pay no fees unless we win

Rather than burden yourself with these legal requirements, leave the work to us. You do not have to worry about paying any upfront legal fees either, as our team works on a contingency fee.

This means we charge our attorney’s fees only if we win your case and once you get compensation. Our percentage comes out of your reward, so you never have to pay out of pocket.

What our team will do for you

In the meantime, we will serve you by:

• Identifying who the drunk driver is and determining whether other parties may be held liable in your accident, e.g., an employer
• Investigating your accident to see if other evidence can be discovered and used to support your claims
• Handling communications with the at-fault driver’s insurer or defense team to protect your case
• Interviewing witnesses who may have seen the accident or have potential evidence of it, e.g., video footage
• Making efforts to negotiate a potential settlement out of court to avoid taking your case to trial
• Representing you in court if settlement negotiations do not pan out as planned or if the at-fault driver’s policy limits do not meet your compensation demands

Our legal team will also be available to answer any questions you have about your case as it moves forward.

The legal team at Cook, Bradford & Levy, LLC wants to help you fight for justice, having been a victim of a drunk driver’s recklessness. If you live in or were visiting Summit County, call our law firm at (303) 543-1000 to hire one of our drunk driving accident lawyers serving your area.

When you call, you get a free consultation with one of our team members, who will also review your case at no cost. Reach out today to start your case.