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Bicycle lane on a Brighton, Colorado road. CGH Injury Lawyers represents cyclists injured in Brighton and Adams County from our Denver office.
Brighton, Colorado

Brighton Bicycle Accident Lawyers Who Fight for Injured Cyclists on US-85, SH-7, and Every Road in Adams County

A driver who squeezes past a cyclist on US Highway 85 without giving three feet of clearance, cuts across SH-7 without yielding, or opens a truck door into a Brighton bike lane can cause catastrophic, life-altering injuries. CGH Injury Lawyers serves Brighton cyclists from our Denver office, uses Colorado's Safety Stop law and three-foot passing rule to defeat bad-faith fault claims, and collects nothing unless we win your case.

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Serving Brighton from our Denver Office CGH Injury Lawyers 2701 Lawrence St., Suite 201 Denver, CO 80205 (303) 209-9395 Se habla espanol
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  • Brighton bicycle accident cases are filed at the Adams County District Court, 1100 Judicial Center Dr., Brighton, CO 80601, in the 17th Judicial District of Colorado. CGH Injury Lawyers does not have a Brighton office. We file and try 17th Judicial District bicycle crash cases from our Denver office and come to you.
  • Colorado law gives cyclists the same road rights as motor vehicle operators under Title 42. Drivers must give cyclists at least three feet of clearance when passing (C.R.S. 42-4-1003). On US Highway 85 through Brighton, where semi-trucks and commercial vehicles dominate the lane, a close-pass violation is direct evidence of negligence in any bicycle crash claim.
  • A bicycle crash caused by a motor vehicle carries a three-year filing deadline under C.R.S. 13-80-101(1)(n). If a City of Brighton road defect, an Adams County vehicle, or another government entity contributed to the crash, a written notice of claim is required within 182 days of discovering the injury under C.R.S. 24-10-109(1). Missing that notice bars the government claim entirely.

Brighton sits at the junction of Interstate 76, US Highway 85, and State Highway 7 in Adams County. That same road network that generates the city's commercial freight economy also creates genuine danger for cyclists: heavy truck traffic on US-85, speed limit transitions where SH-7 enters Brighton's commercial zones, and intersection conflicts at the corridors where those routes cross local Brighton roads. When a driver's inattention or a failure to give adequate clearance puts a Brighton cyclist on the pavement, CGH Injury Lawyers handles the investigation, the insurance negotiations, and the Adams County District Court filing when a fair settlement is refused. You pay nothing unless we recover for you.

Colorado cyclist law

The Colorado Safety Stop law and cyclist rights: what Brighton riders need to know

When a Brighton bicycle crash happens, the at-fault driver's insurer reaches for a standard script within hours: the cyclist ran a stop sign, blew a red light, or failed to signal. Colorado's Safety Stop law and the rules of the road for cyclists are the first and most important tools for defeating that script before it takes hold.

The Safety Stop law (C.R.S. 42-4-1412.5)

  • At a stop sign, you may treat it as a yield sign. Slow down, check for cross traffic, and yield to vehicles and pedestrians with the right of way. A full foot-down stop is not required when the intersection is clear.
  • At a red light, you must come to a complete stop. After stopping and yielding to all cross traffic and pedestrians, you may proceed when it is safe to do so. This addresses traffic signals that fail to detect a bicycle, which occurs at older Brighton intersections on SH-7 and US-85 side streets.
  • Using the Safety Stop correctly is following Colorado law, not breaking it. An insurance adjuster who claims otherwise is wrong, and we document the distinction in every Brighton bicycle claim we handle.

The three-foot passing rule (C.R.S. 42-4-1003)

  • Drivers must leave at least three feet of clearance when passing a cyclist. When the travel lane is too narrow for that clearance, the driver must wait or change lanes. There is no exception for commercial vehicles or trucks.
  • On US Highway 85 through Brighton, heavy commercial freight trucks regularly pass cyclists with inadequate clearance. The width of a semi-truck and its mirrors, combined with a narrow shoulder, creates close-pass risk that far exceeds what most passenger-vehicle roads produce.
  • A three-foot rule violation is direct evidence of negligence in a civil claim. We use dashcam footage from the at-fault vehicle, witness accounts, and accident reconstruction to prove the clearance was legally inadequate in every Brighton bicycle crash case we handle.

Taking the lane and riding two abreast on Brighton roads

Colorado law allows cyclists to occupy the center of a traffic lane when conditions make that the safest choice, and to ride two abreast when doing so does not impede the normal and reasonable flow of traffic. A driver on a Brighton road who tailgates, leans on the horn, or tries to squeeze a cyclist to the curb may be liable for aggressive driving or endangerment under Colorado law. When you were riding lawfully and were hit anyway, our attorneys reconstruct your position on the road and what the driver did to establish fault where it belongs.

CGH Injury Lawyers attorneys serve on the CDOT Vulnerable Road User Safety Task Force, working alongside state transportation officials on the policy and road-design questions that determine cyclist safety on corridors like US-85 and SH-7 in Adams County. That background lets us speak the language of traffic engineering when it matters in your Brighton case.

Where Brighton bike crashes happen

The Brighton roads and intersections behind the most serious bicycle injury claims

Cycling in Brighton means sharing pavement with a commercial freight highway, a regional state route, and the local roads where those corridors cross city traffic. These are the conflict zones where bicycle crash cases most often originate in Adams County.

  1. US Highway 85: Commercial Freight and the Close-Pass Problem

    US Highway 85 runs north-south through Brighton as a primary commercial freight corridor in Adams and Weld Counties. Semi-trucks, construction vehicles, and agricultural equipment share the roadway with passenger cars and, in places, cyclists who have no protected lane alternative. The combination of wide truck bodies, extended mirrors, and the absence of a physical barrier between the travel lane and the road edge creates what traffic engineers call a close-pass environment. On US-85, a driver who does not move fully into the adjacent lane before passing a cyclist may be inches from the legal three-foot minimum, and often less. When contact or a forced swerve causes a crash, the truck driver, the trucking company, and potentially the cargo loader may all carry liability depending on how the incident unfolded. We identify every responsible party and every insurance policy from the first call.

  2. State Highway 7: Speed Transitions and Intersection Conflicts

    State Highway 7 is a regional connector that links Brighton to other Front Range communities in Adams County. Cyclists who use SH-7 for commuting or recreational riding face two distinct hazards: first, the speed limit transitions where open-highway speeds give way to Brighton's commercial zones, which is a location where drivers misjudge following distance and closing speed; second, the intersections where SH-7 crosses Brighton's local street grid, which produce right-hook and left-cross collisions when turning drivers fail to yield to cyclists proceeding straight. Crossings where SH-7 meets poorly lit or unmarked local roads after dusk are particularly hazardous, since drivers emerging from a turn often do not see a cyclist until the moment of impact.

  3. I-76 Frontage Roads and On-Ramp Approaches

    Interstate 76 itself is not accessible to cyclists, but the frontage roads that run parallel to I-76 through Brighton, and the surface roads that feed into on-ramps and off-ramps, see concentrated vehicle traffic that creates hazards for riders. Drivers accelerating toward interstate on-ramps are looking ahead to merge gaps, not down to check the road shoulder for a cyclist. At the interchanges where I-76 meets local Brighton roads and US-85, the speed and volume of merging vehicles create blind-spot and right-of-way conflicts that are a recurring source of serious crashes.

  4. Commercial Brighton Roads and the Dooring Zone

    Brighton's commercial corridors along its main business routes include retail centers, restaurants, and service businesses with parallel parking adjacent to travel lanes. A driver or passenger who opens a vehicle door without checking the side mirror can strike a passing cyclist with enough force to cause broken clavicles, facial fractures, or traumatic brain injury. This is a dooring crash, and Colorado law places the responsibility on the person who opened the door into the path of a lawful cyclist. Brighton's commercial parking patterns concentrate this risk near the city's busiest retail and service blocks.

  5. Agricultural Equipment on Adams County Roads

    Brighton and the surrounding Adams County agricultural land mean that slow-moving farm equipment regularly shares roads with standard traffic, particularly on routes like US-85 and SH-7. The speed differential between a bicycle and a wide farm implement traveling at 15 to 20 miles per hour can still cause serious injury when the equipment swings wide at a turn or when a cyclist is caught in its blind spot. Crashes involving agricultural or oversized equipment produce liability chains that include the equipment operator, the farm or company that employs them, and sometimes the equipment manufacturer if a defect contributed to the incident.

After the crash

What to do immediately after a bicycle accident in Brighton

The decisions made in the hours after a Brighton bicycle crash shape everything that follows. Cyclists who are upright and walking may not feel the full extent of their injuries for hours. These steps protect your health and preserve the evidence an insurer will later try to dispute at the Adams County District Court.

  1. Call 911 and request a police report

    A Brighton Police Department or Adams County Sheriff's Office report creates an official record of the crash, the at-fault vehicle, and the other driver's insurance information. Even a crash that seems minor at the scene can involve spinal injury, concussion, or internal bleeding that adrenaline masks. Request both police and emergency medical response, and do not leave the scene until a report is taken.

  2. Get evaluated at Platte Valley Medical Center

    Platte Valley Medical Center is the primary hospital serving Brighton and the surrounding Adams and Weld County communities. For serious Brighton bicycle crashes involving suspected head trauma, spinal injury, or internal trauma, emergency care at Platte Valley creates the medical record that directly ties your injuries to the crash event. For very serious or life-threatening injuries, transfer to a Level I trauma center in the Denver area may follow. Medical records from every treating facility, including Platte Valley and any receiving trauma center, form the foundation of the damages claim we build for every Brighton bicycle case.

  3. Document the Brighton crash scene

    Photograph your bicycle, your injuries, the vehicle that struck you, the road surface, lane markings, any signage, and the surrounding area. Note the exact location, whether it was on US Highway 85, at a SH-7 intersection, on an I-76 frontage road approach, or in a Brighton commercial parking area. Collect witness names and contact information before they leave. Skid marks, vehicle positions, and road debris disappear quickly on active commercial corridors.

  4. Preserve your bicycle and gear

    Do not repair or discard your bicycle, helmet, or clothing. The damage pattern on your frame, wheels, and gear is physical evidence of how the crash happened and the force involved. The difference between a bent fork and a shattered one tells a story about closing speed that a driver's account may contradict. We document that evidence from the start of every Brighton bicycle claim.

  5. Watch for government-entity involvement

    If a City of Brighton vehicle, an Adams County road maintenance crew, or a road defect such as a failed shoulder surface, an unmarked hazard, or a broken curb cut contributed to your crash, a written notice of claim must be filed within 182 days of discovering the injury under the Colorado Governmental Immunity Act (C.R.S. 24-10-109(1)). That clock runs from the date you discovered the injury, not the crash date, and missing the notice bars the government-entity claim entirely, even when the underlying facts are strong.

  6. Contact a Brighton bicycle accident attorney

    Colorado gives you three years from the date of the crash to file a bicycle accident lawsuit when a motor vehicle caused your injuries (C.R.S. 13-80-101(1)(n)). Business camera footage from Brighton commercial corridors along US-85 and SH-7 can be overwritten within days. A free consultation with CGH Injury Lawyers costs you nothing and clarifies every deadline that applies to your specific Brighton bicycle crash.

Compensation

What you can recover after a Brighton bicycle crash, and how comparative fault affects it

Colorado law lets an injured Brighton cyclist pursue the full documented cost of the crash and the human cost of living with a serious injury. Two broad damage categories apply, and the comparative fault rule controls whether you can recover at all.

Economic damages (no cap)

  • Medical expenses, past and future, including emergency care at Platte Valley Medical Center, surgery, specialist consultations, and ongoing rehabilitation
  • Lost wages from time missed at work while recovering from bicycle crash injuries
  • Loss of future earning capacity when a crash injury affects your ability to work long-term
  • Bicycle replacement or repair and damage to other personal property
  • Physical therapy, assistive devices, and home care costs tied directly to the crash injuries
  • Out-of-pocket transportation and caregiver costs caused by the injury

Non-economic and other damages

  • Pain and suffering from the crash event and the recovery process
  • Emotional distress and anxiety, including the fear of cycling again after a traumatic collision on a Brighton road
  • Loss of enjoyment of life when an injury limits cycling and other valued activities
  • Loss of consortium when an injury affects a spouse or close family relationship
  • Compensation for physical impairment or disfigurement, which carries no cap under Colorado law and can drive the largest part of a serious Brighton bicycle crash recovery

The damages cap, the comparative fault rule, and the helmet defense

For claims accruing on or after January 1, 2025, Colorado caps non-economic damages such as pain and suffering at $1,500,000 under C.R.S. 13-21-102.5. Economic damages, which include all medical bills, lost wages, and the projected cost of future care, are never capped. Compensation for physical impairment or disfigurement is also uncapped, which makes that category a central part of every serious Brighton bicycle crash claim involving permanent injury.

Colorado's modified comparative negligence rule (C.R.S. 13-21-111) means you can recover damages as long as you were less than 50 percent at fault. Your award is reduced by your share of fault. If you are found 50 percent or more at fault, you recover nothing. Insurers use this rule aggressively against Brighton cyclists, particularly on commercial corridors like US-85 where they claim the rider should not have been on the roadway at all. The Safety Stop law and the three-foot rule are the primary tools we use to keep fault where it belongs, on the driver who failed to comply with their legal duties.

Colorado does not require adults to wear helmets while cycling. Not wearing a helmet is not automatic negligence. An insurer may argue that the absence of a helmet contributed to head injuries, and that argument can reduce your recovery under the comparative negligence rule, but it does not bar your claim. We work with medical experts to show that the driver's failure to give adequate clearance or to yield is the reason you were hurt, regardless of what you were or were not wearing.

Insurance coverage

Your own auto policy may pay your Brighton bicycle crash claim

Most Brighton cyclists do not know that their own auto insurance may cover them while they are riding a bike. Understanding every available coverage source is what separates a partial recovery from a full one, particularly when the at-fault commercial driver carries minimum limits.

Uninsured and underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage

If an uninsured driver hits you while you are on your bicycle in Brighton, or if the at-fault driver's liability limits fall short of covering your damages, your own UM/UIM auto coverage may step in to pay your medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. This matters most in hit-and-run crashes on US-85 or SH-7 and whenever a commercial driver carries only state minimum liability insurance against the full scope of a catastrophic bicycle injury claim. We identify every available policy, including homeowner and umbrella coverage, at the start of every Brighton bicycle crash case.

Government-entity crashes and CGIA caps

When a City of Brighton vehicle, an Adams County road crew truck, or a road design failure such as a dangerous shoulder drop-off or an unmarked hazard contributed to your bicycle crash, the claim involves a public entity and the Colorado Governmental Immunity Act applies. For claims accruing on or after January 1, 2026, CGIA caps recovery from a public entity at $505,000 per person and $1,421,000 per occurrence (C.R.S. 24-10-114). The 182-day notice requirement from the date of discovering the injury under C.R.S. 24-10-109(1) is strict, separate from the main filing deadline, and missing it bars the government claim entirely regardless of how strong the underlying facts are.

Local knowledge

Brighton courts. Brighton trauma care. Brighton cycling corridors.

A Brighton bicycle accident claim lives in Brighton: the road where the crash happened, the hospital that treated you, and the courthouse where a lawsuit would be filed. Here is the ground we work on for every Adams County bicycle crash client.

Courthouse

Adams County District Court, Brighton (17th Judicial District)

Brighton bicycle accident lawsuits above the county-court jurisdictional limit are filed at the Adams County District Court, 1100 Judicial Center Dr., Brighton, CO 80601, in Colorado's 17th Judicial District. Brighton is the seat of Adams County, which means the courthouse sits within the city itself. That is a meaningful distinction for a bicycle crash case: the jury pool is drawn from Adams County residents who drive those same commercial corridors on US-85 and SH-7 every day. The defense attorneys who regularly appear in the 17th Judicial District are the same firms CGH attorneys face in Adams County crash cases. We file and try 17th Judicial District bicycle crash cases directly from our Denver office, with no additional charge for Brighton-area clients.

Trauma Care

Platte Valley Medical Center

Platte Valley Medical Center is the primary hospital serving Brighton and the surrounding Adams and Weld County communities. When a Brighton bicycle crash sends a rider to Platte Valley, those emergency room reports, imaging studies, surgical records, and discharge summaries form the evidentiary foundation of the damages claim. We work directly with medical records and billing documentation from the start of every Brighton case. For very serious or life-threatening injuries, including severe traumatic brain injuries or complex spinal fractures, transfer to a Level I or Level II trauma center in the Denver area may be arranged. We coordinate records from every treating facility to build a complete picture of your injuries, your treatment course, and your projected future care needs.

Cycling Corridors

US Highway 85, State Highway 7, and Brighton's Commercial Roads

US Highway 85 runs north-south through Brighton as a heavy commercial freight route carrying semi-trucks, construction equipment, and agricultural vehicles alongside passenger cars and cyclists. The three-foot passing requirement under C.R.S. 42-4-1003 is routinely tested on this corridor, where truck widths and narrow shoulders leave little margin for error. State Highway 7 connects Brighton to Front Range communities and generates both commuter and agricultural traffic, with speed-limit transition zones where open-highway speeds give way to Brighton's commercial areas creating closing-speed hazards for cyclists. Brighton's local commercial roads add parallel parking and intersection-entry conflicts that produce dooring crashes and right-hook collisions near retail corridors. These three corridor types, freight highway, regional connector, and commercial street, each produce a distinct pattern of bicycle crash liability that shapes how a Brighton case gets built and argued.

Your team

The Brighton bicycle accident team behind your case

CGH Injury Lawyers is a eight-attorney Colorado firm founded in 2016, formerly Cheney Galluzzi and Howard. Our attorneys serve on the CDOT Vulnerable Road User Safety Task Force, working directly with state transportation officials and legislators on cyclist safety standards across Colorado's highway network. Managing Partner Kevin Cheney is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) and has tried over 25 cases to verdict. Timothy G. Tarr has been recognized by Best Lawyers every year since 2023. Every Brighton bicycle accident case is handled by a licensed Colorado attorney who files and tries cases in the 17th Judicial District, not by a paralegal.

ABOTA member on the team Tim Tarr: Best Lawyers in America since 2023 CDOT Vulnerable Road User Safety Task Force Over 25 cases to verdict 17th Judicial District experience Bilingual EN / ES Free consultation No fee unless we win

One thing we will tell you upfront: CGH Injury Lawyers does not have a Brighton office. We serve Brighton bicycle accident clients from our Denver office at 2701 Lawrence St., Suite 201, Denver, CO 80205. We come to you for meetings when needed, file at the Adams County District Court on Judicial Center Drive, and try cases in the 17th Judicial District. What you get is the work and the result, not a storefront.

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Frequently asked questions

Brighton bicycle accident frequently asked questions

How long do I have to file a bicycle accident lawsuit in Brighton?

Colorado gives you three years from the date of the crash to file a bicycle accident lawsuit when a motor vehicle caused your injuries (C.R.S. 13-80-101(1)(n)). If a government entity such as the City of Brighton, Adams County, or a government vehicle contributed to the crash, you must also serve a written notice of claim within 182 days of discovering the injury under C.R.S. 24-10-109(1), or the government-entity claim is permanently barred. Business camera footage from US-85 and SH-7 commercial corridors in Brighton can be overwritten within days, so calling us promptly matters for evidence preservation even when the three-year litigation deadline feels distant.

Where would my Brighton bicycle accident lawsuit be filed?

A Brighton bicycle accident case above the county court jurisdictional limit is filed in the 17th Judicial District of Colorado at the Adams County District Court, 1100 Judicial Center Dr., Brighton, CO 80601. Brighton is the Adams County seat, so the courthouse is located within the city. The jury pool is drawn from Adams County residents, and the court procedures are those of the 17th Judicial District. CGH Injury Lawyers files and tries 17th Judicial District bicycle crash cases directly from our Denver office, with no additional charge for Brighton-area clients.

What if the truck driver who hit me says I should not have been on US-85?

Colorado law gives cyclists the same rights to use public roadways as motor vehicle operators under Title 42, including US Highway 85 where cycling is not otherwise prohibited by signage. A truck driver who passed you with less than three feet of clearance (C.R.S. 42-4-1003) violated that statute regardless of whether you were on a freight corridor. Colorado's modified comparative negligence rule (C.R.S. 13-21-111) means you can still recover as long as you were less than 50 percent at fault. Adjusters frequently inflate a cyclist's fault percentage on commercial highways to trigger that bar. We use dashcam footage, witness accounts, and accident reconstruction to push back.

Can I recover if I was not wearing a helmet when I was hit in Brighton?

Yes. Colorado does not require adults to wear helmets while cycling, and not wearing one is not automatic negligence. An insurer may argue that the absence of a helmet contributed to head or facial injuries, which can reduce your recovery under the comparative negligence rule, but it does not bar your claim entirely. We work with medical experts to establish the cause and full extent of your injuries and to show that the driver's failure to comply with Colorado's passing law is the reason you were hurt.

My own car insurance covers me when I am riding a bicycle?

Often yes. If you carry uninsured or underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage on your auto policy, that coverage may apply when an uninsured or underinsured driver causes your bicycle crash in Brighton. This matters most in hit-and-run incidents on US-85 or SH-7 and when the at-fault driver carries minimal liability limits against a serious injury claim. We identify every available policy source, including homeowner and umbrella coverage, at the start of every Brighton bicycle case.

Does CGH Injury Lawyers have an office in Brighton?

No. CGH Injury Lawyers has one office, at 2701 Lawrence St., Suite 201, Denver, CO 80205, (303) 209-9395. We serve Brighton and Adams County bicycle accident clients from that office, file cases at the Adams County District Court on Judicial Center Drive in Brighton, and meet you wherever is convenient. There is no additional charge for Brighton clients. We are available in English and Spanish.

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Read next: Colorado bicycle accident law: what every rider needs to know statewide

CGH Injury Lawyers · 2701 Lawrence St., Suite 201, Denver, CO 80205 · Serving Brighton and Adams County