As alarming as it may sound, approximately one-third of all Americans will be involved in an alcohol-related accident at some point during their life. What would you do if it happened to you or someone you loved?
In Colorado, it is illegal for drivers of legal drinking age to get behind the wheel of a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol limit (BAC) of greater than .08%. Once a driver has become intoxicated beyond this point, the chance of a serious – or even fatal – accident increase exponentially. Those who have carelessly put the lives of you and your loved ones at risk need to be held responsible for their actions. Damages collected after an alcohol-related accident may include compensation for property damage, medical expenses, loss of current and future income, and pain and suffering.
As a victim, you may have claims against more than just the drunk driver.
Damages collected after an alcohol-related accident may include compensation for property damage, past and future medical expenses, loss of current or future income, disfigurement, permanent impairment, pain and suffering, and exemplary (or punitive) damages. If you believe that you or someone you care about has been the victim of a drunk driving accident, we urge you to act quickly due to certain time constraints. As a victim, you may choose to pursue compensation from.

Drunk Drivers

After a DUI automobile accident, you may be eligible to recover financial compensation for injuries and any other expenses that are not covered by insurance. You may also have the ability to recover punitive damages against the drunk driver.

Dram Shop Cases

Drunk drivers are not always the sole persons responsible in DUI accidents. In some cases, claims can be brought against those who have contributed to the driver’s intoxicated state. In “Dram Shop” cases like these, an entity (such as a business) that supplied alcohol to a visibly intoxicated patron who then got behind the wheel of a vehicle, may also be a defendant. Also, keep in mind that the statute of limitations for pressing charges for dram shop cases in Colorado is limited to only one year.
Tragedy often occurs as the result of drunk driving accidents. Nearly 17,000 Americans are killed in accidents related to drinking and driving each year. If your loved one was wrongfully killed by such an accident, it can be very difficult to even think about taking the steps required to pursue legal action, but it needs to be done quickly. DUI and Dram Shop cases require legal expertise, and thus should be left to the professionals. Our experienced attorneys will aggressively pursue all possible benefits you may be due when your injuries and damages have been caused by a drunk driver.
Also, keep in mind that the statute of limitations for filing a Dram Shop lawsuit in the state of Colorado is limited to only one (1) year.

Motorcycle

In the state of Colorado, motorcycle accidents are treated differently than other automobile accidents. Why? Because they ARE different. Not only is the vehicle itself unique among motor vehicles, but the injuries sustained by the motorcycle driver are often more serious and extensive – even in relatively minor collisions.
Because motorcycles lack the protection offered in other vehicles, such as airbags, steel frames, or crumple zones, motorcycle accidents cause a great deal of pain and suffering, while also creating significant financial difficulties for victims and their families. Unfortunately, responsible riders are put through extra scrutiny by insurance companies who try to portray them as reckless riders. It’s time to end the unfair treatment of motorcycle accident victims.

Our Practics

Smaller vehicles do not mean smaller worth. All lives are created equally, and those who are victims in motorcycle accidents deserve the same level of care and treatment as those in other automobile accidents. Unfortunately, too many motorcyclists walk away from accidents with very poor settlements – or are even falsely accused of causing the accident! This is due to the fact that insurance companies rely on a heavy bias against motorcyclists as being “reckless”.
Of course, we know that this is absolutely not the case. All drivers are of the same value, and motorcyclists are some of the safest and most cautious drivers on the road. At Mintz Law Firm, we believe that compensation should match the degree of injury – not the cost of damage to the motorcycle. That’s why we are so determined to fight on your behalf for the settlement you deserve. And we’re good at what we do. An incredible 99% of all of our cases end up settling before trial, and our clients typically receive far more than they would have received had they tried to negotiate with insurance companies on their own. Let us build an evidence-based case for you and win you the financial compensation you deserve.

Bicycle vs Auto

Cars, trucks, and motorcycles aren’t the only vehicles on the roads. Here in Colorado, bicycling on the open road is another popular means of getting from Point A to Point B, or simply for enjoying the beautiful weather, and just because your bicycle isn’t powered by an engine doesn’t mean that you don’t have rights.
Unfortunately, some drivers don’t feel the same way. Because automobiles are bigger and faster, drivers tend to feel like they “own” the road, and may not want to share it with bicyclists. This can lead to aggressive driving, bullying, and negligence, all of which can cause serious accidents.
The good news for bicyclists is that the state of Colorado is on their side. In fact, recent state legislation was designed to protect bicyclists from accidents against automobiles.

Here’s what you should know about bicycle law:

Passing

Automobile drivers are required to give bicyclists a minimum of a three-foot cushion when passing them on the road. Driver’s may also cross the center line in order to pass a cyclist, when it is safe to do so.

Lane Position

In many areas, bike lanes are designated to ensure cyclist safety at all times. Where bike lanes do not exist, bicyclists may ride as far right as is safe. Additionally, cyclists may ride as far left as is safe when riding on one-way roads with multiple lanes.

Multiple Riders

Under Colorado law, bicyclists are able to pass one another or ride side-by-side so long as they maintain a three-foot cushion with automobiles and do not impede the normal flow of traffic.

Anti-Harassment

Bicyclists are protected by law from being harassed in any way, including the throwing of any object at a cyclist or driving toward a cyclist in a dangerous manner.
Knowing your rights is only half the battle. If you have been injured while cycling because of a driver’s negligence or failure to follow the law, you need aggressive representation. As cycling enthusiasts and empathizers, our legal team is passionate about fighting the rest of the battle on your behalf. Let us help you today.

Pedestrian vs Auto

Scenario: A driver trying to make a right turn on a red light checks for oncoming traffic from the left. The driver guns it at the first opening in traffic, but fails to see the pedestrian in the crosswalk in front of the car who was crossing from the driver’s right.
Accidents like this happen every day because a driver fails to look for or see a pedestrian who is walking exactly where the pedestrian should be. The injuries are usually serious, and sometimes fatal. Pedestrians are protected by traffic laws too, and our legal team has extensive experience representing pedestrians who have been hurt by negligent drivers.
Pedestrians have rights that many people are not even aware of. For instance, there does not have to be a designated crosswalk in order for a pedestrian to have the right of way at an intersection, and drivers are obligated to give warning by honking their horn when necessary. Sometimes, when a pedestrian does everything right, they cannot avoid a negligent driver.
Drivers who don’t drive carefully, text and drive, or allow themselves to be distracted can severely damage an innocent pedestrian’s well-being, both physical and financial. We fight for the rights of pedestrians injured by careless drivers to obtain the recovery those victims deserve.

Commercial Trucking Accidents

Sharing the road with large commercial vehicles like bob-tail semis, 18-wheelers, or other large-scale trucks can be quite unnerving. Because of the sheer size and weight of these vehicles, even a collision that seems minor can result in serious bodily harm and major damage to property.
Commercial trucking accidents can occur when a driver who has been overworked starts to fall asleep at the wheel, when the driver fails to pull over in potentially dangerous road conditions, when the truck’s braking system fails, when a driver is maintaining reckless speeds, when the truck flips, or when a driver makes a dangerous turn. These are only a few examples of what can go wrong when you are driving near a big rig.
After you or your loved ones have been involved in such a frightening and potentially life-threatening accident, the last thing you want is to be ripped off by the commercial driver’s insurance company, and that’s exactly what they will try to do. In nearly all accidents involving commercial vehicles, the responsible trucking company will immediately deploy an insurance representative to investigate the accident. This is because they hope to obtain statements from victims that can later be used to dispute liability, injuries, medical bills, lost income, punitive damages, or other demands for compensation. Because of this, we urge all our clients to decline making any kind of statement to the truck driver or any representative of the trucking company or its insurance company.
Unlike corporate insurance companies that are only interested in saving as much money as possible, we are concerned with your physical, emotional, and financial well-being. Commercial trucking companies carry very large insurance policy limits and we know how to get you the money you need to cover all of your injuries, including economic injuries such as medical bills and lost income. Let us help you get what you deserve today.

Uninsured/ Underinsured

What happens when you’re in an accident and the other driver was at fault, but he or she isn’t carrying adequate insurance to cover your losses and injuries? Although it’s illegal for drivers in the state of Colorado to operate a vehicle without maintaining the proper level of coverage for liability, there are those who still choose to get behind the wheel anyway, putting the lives and well-being of other drivers at risk.
It wasn’t all that long ago that you could count on the fact that your medical bills would be covered, regardless of who was at fault during an automobile accident. Unfortunately, times have changed. Insurance laws were altered back in 2003, which means that Colorado drivers now need to take extra precautions against the threat of being involved in an accident with an uninsured or underinsured driver.
Even when the other driver is proven, beyond a doubt, to be at fault for an accident, this conclusion will do you little to no good if their insurance (or lack thereof) is unable to cover your personal injuries and damage to your property. As your trusted personal injury attorneys, we are more than qualified and happy to help you file a lawsuit against the at-fault driver and fight for compensation for your losses. Unfortunately, however, the results of such a lawsuit are not immediate, and it could be some time before you are able to recover financial compensation from a defendant without insurance or assets.
It is for this very reason that we always want our clients to plan ahead by purchasing insurance coverage for bodily injury caused by uninsured and underinsured drivers. Paying for that insurance coverage may seem like a pain right now, but it will make sure that you and your loved ones are able to receive the benefits you paid for after an accident caused by a driver without insurance, or without enough insurance. We also urge you to never cut your losses and move on with life without pushing for justice. After paying into your insurance policy, you have a right to have your insurance company treat you fairly when making a claim for the uninsured or underinsured motorists benefits you paid for. Your insurance company’s failure to treat you fairly leaves it open to claims for additional compensation for its bad behavior. Just because it’s YOUR insurance company doesn’t mean that it’s not going to try to give you as little as possible for your case.
Our legal team is here to get the ball rolling and fight to recover all of the compensation you deserve, whether that’s from the other driver’s insurance company or your uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage.