Denver Personal Injury Law Blog

According to studies conducted by states’ departments of insurance, 10 to 25 percent of injuries to children under the age of 14 occur on school property or during school-related activities each year in America. Many injuries, of course, happen to elementary school-aged children, typically at recess or in gym class. Fortunately, very few of the injuries require more than a band-aid and soothing words by the school nurse. Too many, however, are quite serious and often result in trips to the hospital for emergency care. When a serious injury occurs on school property in Colorado, are the parents responsible for paying for medical care, or does the school assume liability for damages?

Liability depends on a couple of factors

On a recent Monday evening, Colorado law enforcement in Montrose County allegedly spotted a driver failing to maintain his lane on U.S. 550 and weaving over the yellow line. Police say the driver, a 45-year-old man with a history of drug charges, was subjected to a field sobriety test during which time his demeanor allegedly seemed consistent with that of a person impaired by marijuana. When asked, the suspect apparently denied the presence of illegal drugs in the vehicle.

Police further allege that the driver challenged the right of a K-9 officer at the scene to sniff the car for drugs, claiming the need for a warrant. However, they apparently informed him that reasonable suspicion was enough, and the dog went ahead and sniffed the vehicle. The subsequent search yielded a firearm along with several containers holding illegal drugs.

When Colorado residents lose loved ones in accidents that are caused by the negligence of other parties, they can pursue financial relief through the civil justice system regardless of whether the drivers are criminally charged or convicted. Two fatal auto\-pedestrian accidents in Colorado Springs occurred in March and May. The reason for the different legal outcomes is currently being questioned.

The first pedestrian was a 79-year-old man who walked across a parking space as a driver was backing his vehicle into it. The pedestrian suffered critical injuries to which he succumbed a week later. The 45-year-old driver was criminally charged after the pedestrian died, but the charges against him were dismissed within hours.

After an accident, it is vital to receive medical treatment for any injuries you have sustained. It is also important to ensure you receive full financial compensation to cover your medical bills, lost wages and other damages. The most straightforward way to do so is usually to prove to the insurance company that the other driver is at fault for the car accident.

Although determining who caused an accident may seem easy to the untrained eye, it actually can be a complex process. It is important to understand what to do, or not to do, to help resolve your accident claim in your favor.