Denver Reckless Driving Lawyer
Zero Fee
- No Win, No Fee Pledge
30-Day Guarantee
- Try Before You Commit
We Come To You
- Convenience at Your Doorstep
When another driver chooses to speed aggressively, race through traffic, or ignore basic road safety, the consequences can be devastating. What makes reckless driving crashes so difficult is knowing they didn’t have to happen. Someone made a choice to drive dangerously, and that choice changed your life.
If you were injured by a reckless driver in Denver, the strength of your case depends on how well the evidence tells your story. At Olson Personal Injury Lawyers, we build reckless driving claims from the ground up by preserving dashcam footage, securing phone records, working with reconstruction experts, and holding insurers accountable for the full value of your injuries.
Call us today at (303) 381-2234 or contact us online to learn how our Denver injury lawyers can help with your claim.
Table of Contents
- Why Choose Our Reckless Driving Accident Lawyers in Denver
- How Our Denver Reckless Driving Accident Lawyers Help
- What Is Reckless Driving in Colorado?
- What Compensation is Available After a Reckless Driving Accident?
- Proving Liability in a Colorado Reckless Driving Accident
- Understanding Criminal Charges vs. Civil Injury Claims
- Colorado’s Statute of Limitations for Reckless Driving Accident Claims
- Colorado’s Traffic Laws on Aggressive Driving
- What to Do After a Reckless Driving Accident in Denver
- Frequently Asked Questions About Reckless Driving Accidents
- Work With an Experienced Denver Lawyer
Why Choose Our Reckless Driving Accident Lawyers in Denver
At Olson Personal Injury Lawyers, we have handled serious injury claims throughout Colorado long enough that local insurance adjusters know us. They know we understand the full value of a reckless driving claim, and they know we will take a case to trial if that’s what it takes to get you fair compensation. Our 99.6% success rate and our case results reflect what that commitment actually looks like in practice.
Hiring a lawyer after a serious crash shouldn’t feel like another risk. Our Zero Fee Guarantee means you pay nothing unless we win. If you’re not satisfied within the first 30 days, you can walk away with no penalty and no financial obligation. And we come to you, at home, a medical facility, or over Zoom.
Our Car Accident Case Results
Our Client Testimonials
In addition to our case results, we also have many client testimonials showing how we can help after your crash.
How Our Denver Reckless Driving Accident Lawyers Help
Our Denver reckless driving attorneys get to work from day one. Reckless driving claims require a different level of investigation than a typical car accident case. Evidence of dangerous behavior is often time-sensitive and harder to obtain. Here’s how we approach it:
- Investigating the crash scene and reconstructing how the collision occurred
- Subpoenaing dashcam, traffic camera, and security footage before it’s overwritten
- Obtaining cell phone records to establish whether the driver was distracted or impaired
- Pulling the driver’s history of traffic violations to establish a pattern of dangerous behavior
- Working with accident reconstruction experts to document the severity and cause of the crash
- Identifying all liable parties, including employers if a commercial driver was involved
- Negotiating with insurers who understand we are prepared to take your case to trial
What Is Reckless Driving in Colorado?
Colorado law defines reckless driving as operating a vehicle with a willful or wanton disregard for the safety of others. The state draws a clear line between careless driving and reckless driving, and where a driver falls on that spectrum can shape the strength of your injury claim. Careless driving involves inattention or poor judgment. Reckless driving goes further. It means the driver was aware their behavior was dangerous and continued anyway, whether that was excessive speeding, aggressive lane changes, road rage, or street racing.
That level of culpability is harder for an insurer to dismiss. When the evidence shows a driver made a deliberate choice to put others at risk, it becomes more difficult for them to argue that the crash was a minor lapse or a shared-fault situation.
Car accidents can cause life-altering injuries and leave you with significant financial burdens. If you’ve been hurt due to someone else’s negligence, you may have the right to compensation. Our car accident lawyers are here to help you get justice.
What Compensation is Available After a Reckless Driving Accident?
In a Colorado reckless driving case, you are allowed to recover compensation for economic and non-financial losses. These can include:
- Medical bills
- Lost wages
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
In some extreme cases, you may be able to recover punitive damages. If a defendant exhibited extreme or outrageous conduct, such as in a reckless driving case, the court could award punitive damages, which are intended to punish the driver.
Proving Liability in a Colorado Reckless Driving Accident
Recovering compensation after a reckless driving crash means establishing that the other driver was at fault for your car accident. In Colorado, that requires proving the driver owed you a duty of care, that their behavior breached that duty, and that the breach directly caused your injuries and losses.
In most car accident cases, proving a breach comes down to showing a driver wasn’t paying adequate attention. To show that the driver’s conduct crossed into reckless territory, we look at evidence such as prior traffic violations, black box data showing the speed at the time of the crash, cell phone records, and witness accounts of how the driver was behaving before impact. Behaviors like failing to yield, street racing, and excessive speeding can also support that standard, particularly when they reflect a pattern rather than a single lapse in judgment.
Potential Third-Party Liability
In some cases, liability can extend beyond the driver to include defendants. For example, if the driver was a commercial driver, the driver’s employer might have been negligent by imposing unrealistic deadlines that caused the driver to recklessly speed. The vehicle manufacturer could also be held responsible if there was a vehicle defect. We will identify all potential defendants to maximize your recovery options under available insurance policies.
Understanding Criminal Charges vs. Civil Injury Claims
An unsafe driver can be charged with reckless driving. However, just because a driver has been charged with a crime does not mean you will receive compensation for your accident injuries. Personal injury claims are filed in civil court. In order to recover compensation for your losses, an experienced Denver reckless driving lawyer can help you file an injury claim.
Colorado’s Statute of Limitations for Reckless Driving Accident Claims
The Colorado statute of limitations establishes filing deadlines for pursuing injury claims. There is a three-year statute of limitations for filing a reckless driving accident case. However, it is important to act promptly after your car accident to preserve evidence and build the strongest claim possible. Our Denver car accident attorneys can explain the specific deadlines that apply to your case.
Colorado’s Traffic Laws on Aggressive Driving
Colorado has laws that specifically prohibit reckless driving. However, many other traffic laws could also apply to the types of behavior reckless drivers often exhibit. For example:
- Careless driving: Colorado’s careless driving statute (R.S. § 42-4-1402) prohibits driving “in a careless and imprudent manner, without due regard” for traffic conditions, road characteristics, and other surrounding circumstances.
- Tailgating: Colorado’s tailgating statute (R.S. § 42-4-1008(1)) prohibits drivers from following another vehicle more closely than is reasonable and prudent.
If you can identify a violation of any safety law, this can help you to prove your claim against the reckless driver.
What to Do After a Reckless Driving Accident in Denver
The steps you take after a crash caused by a reckless driver can help you preserve your potential injury claims. After a reckless driving accident in Denver, it is important to:
- Report the crash to the police so they can conduct an investigation and prepare a report
- Get prompt medical treatment to document your injuries, prove their severity, and establish their relationship to the crash
- Gather evidence from the crash scene, including photos and other details
- Get the contact details of the other driver and any witnesses
- Avoid talking to the insurance company if possible
- Reach out to an experienced Denver car accident lawyer
Frequently Asked Questions About Reckless Driving Accidents
How Long Do I Have to File a Claim After an Aggressive Driving Accident in Denver?
You have three years to file a claim after a reckless or aggressive driving accident under the Colorado statute of limitations for personal injury claims.
Can I Recover Compensation if I Was Partially at Fault in a Reckless Driving Accident Case?
In Colorado, comparative fault rules apply. These allow you to recover compensation even if you were partially at fault in a reckless driving accident, as long as your percentage of fault was less than 50%.
What if the Reckless Driver Was Uninsured?
If a reckless driver caused a crash and was uninsured, you may be able to get compensation from your uninsured motorist coverage on your own insurance. You could also pursue a claim against the other driver directly.
How Long Does a Reckless Driving Accident Case Take?
The timeline for a reckless driving accident case varies depending on the severity of your injuries and the strength of the evidence proving fault. In most situations, your case will be resolved more quickly if you settle rather than go to court. However, it could take anywhere from several months to several years to resolve your claim.
Work With an Experienced Denver Lawyer
At Olson Personal Injury Lawyers, we can help you fight for fair and full compensation. Our Denver firm has a mission. We are Protecting The West, one case at a time, and we have proven this time and again in our car accident case results. Let us bring our experience to your claim. We also offer a Zero Fee Guarantee so you don’t pay legal fees unless we win. Give us a call at (303) 381-2234 or contact us online to learn more about how we can help with your case.
Get a Free Consultation
We’re here to help
