IT'S MORE THAN MONEY.
Survivors of sexual assault and abuse in Colorado Springs have a path to compensation and institutional accountability that runs entirely separate from the criminal courts. CGH Injury Lawyers represents El Paso County survivors in civil claims against individuals and the schools, employers, religious organizations, healthcare facilities, and youth-serving programs whose failures created the conditions for harm. Your first conversation with us is completely confidential.
No fee unless we winYou are in control
There is no obligation and no public record when you reach out. We listen, explain your options, and move at a pace that respects you. Nothing happens that you have not chosen.
A civil claim gives survivors of sexual assault and abuse in Colorado Springs a path to compensation and institutional accountability that is entirely separate from any criminal prosecution. CGH Injury Lawyers serves El Paso County survivors, pursues negligent institutions alongside the individual perpetrator, and handles every step while you maintain control of every decision.
CGH Injury Lawyers does not have a Colorado Springs office. We serve El Paso County survivors from our Denver office at 2701 Lawrence St., Suite 201, Denver, CO 80205, file cases in El Paso County District Court when needed, and come to you. Free first consultation, confidential and protected by attorney-client privilege. No fee unless we win.
Justice beyond the criminal courts
The criminal system and the civil system serve entirely different purposes. Criminal courts focus on punishing an offender. Civil courts focus on making you whole and forcing the institutions that failed you to answer for it in a forum where you, not the state, hold control.
Criminal case
The El Paso County District Attorney decides whether to prosecute and carries the entire burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. The survivor is a witness, not the decision-maker. If the DA declines to file charges or a jury acquits, the criminal case is over and you have no further control over the outcome.
Civil case
You decide whether to file, when to file, and whether to settle or take the matter to trial in El Paso County District Court. The standard of proof is preponderance of the evidence: more likely than not. This lower bar means you can win a civil case even when a criminal prosecution was never brought or did not succeed.
For El Paso County survivors, a civil claim can accomplish things a criminal prosecution cannot: financial compensation for therapy, lost wages, and pain and suffering; institutional accountability that may force a school, employer, or youth program to change its practices; and a formal legal record that what happened was wrong and those responsible must answer. Civil and criminal cases can proceed simultaneously, and a criminal conviction can be powerful evidence in a civil claim.
Colorado law
Colorado has significantly strengthened civil remedies for survivors over the past several years. Understanding which statutes apply to your specific situation is the first step in understanding your options.
Effective January 1, 2022, Colorado eliminated the filing deadline for civil claims based on sexual misconduct. Under C.R.S. 13-80-103.7, these claims can now be filed at any time without limitation. The open window also covers older abuse if the original statute of limitations had not yet run before January 1, 2022. Because that analysis is fact-specific, a confidential case review is the right way to find out where your situation stands.
Under C.R.S. 13-80-103.7, Colorado imposes no statute of limitations for sexual-misconduct civil claims accruing on or after January 1, 2022, or for claims that were not yet time-barred as of January 1, 2022. For childhood sexual abuse cases, an attorney review of the specific timeline and facts is essential to determine which claims remain viable.
Colorado Springs is home to Fort Carson, Peterson Space Force Base, and the United States Air Force Academy, as well as city-run youth programs, public schools, and county facilities. When a government entity may share responsibility for a sexual assault, Colorado's Governmental Immunity Act (C.R.S. 24-10-109(1)) requires a written notice of claim to be filed within 182 days of the date the survivor discovers the injury. That 182-day clock runs from discovery, not from the date of the assault itself. Missing the notice deadline can bar the claim, so anyone whose assault involved a government-connected institution should contact an attorney immediately.
Institutional accountability
One of the most consequential aspects of a civil sexual assault case is the ability to hold organizations responsible, not just the individual perpetrator. A school, employer, religious institution, youth program, or healthcare provider that created or ignored conditions enabling the abuse can face legal liability and is often the defendant with the resources to provide meaningful compensation.
Theory of liability
Organizations placing people in positions of trust with vulnerable individuals must conduct reasonable background checks. Hiring without reviewing prior complaints, criminal history, or warning signs creates liability when harm follows.
Theory of liability
Even with adequate hiring, organizations must supervise staff. When administrators receive complaints or observe red-flag behavior and fail to investigate or respond, they share responsibility for what follows. This theory is often critical in El Paso County schools, faith communities, and youth sports programs.
Theory of liability
When an organization learns of misconduct and keeps a person in a position to cause further harm, that decision creates liability for subsequent abuse. This is common when institutions quietly transfer a known problem rather than removing the person.
Theory of liability
In certain circumstances an employer can be held responsible for the acts of an employee, particularly where the employment relationship itself created the opportunity or authority that enabled the abuse.
It is not about reliving what happened. It is about reclaiming control and forcing the institutions that failed you to answer for it.
Local knowledge
A Colorado Springs civil sexual assault case lives in El Paso County: the courthouse where a claim is filed, the medical facilities that document harm, and the institutions whose failures we investigate. Here is the ground we work on when we represent El Paso County survivors.
Courthouse
A civil sexual assault lawsuit in Colorado Springs is filed in El Paso County District Court, housed in the El Paso County Judicial Building at 270 S. Tejon Street, Colorado Springs, CO 80903, in the 4th Judicial District of Colorado. Local civil procedure, the El Paso County jury pool, and the institutional defendants common to this county all differ meaningfully from Denver-area courts. CGH Injury Lawyers files and tries cases in El Paso County District Court directly, with no co-counsel arrangement needed.
Trauma Care
Survivors requiring emergency medical care in Colorado Springs are frequently treated at UCHealth Memorial Hospital Central at 1400 E. Boulder Street, an American College of Surgeons verified Level I Adult Trauma Center and the only Level I in southern Colorado. Penrose Hospital at 2222 N. Nevada Avenue is a state-designated Level II Trauma Center, and St. Francis Hospital at 6001 E. Woodmen Road is a Level III Trauma Center. Medical records from these facilities, along with records from mental health treatment providers across El Paso County, form the documentary foundation of your damages claim.
El Paso County Institutions
Colorado Springs is home to a concentrated network of institutions that work with young people and vulnerable adults: the D-11, D-49, and D-20 school districts; the United States Air Force Academy north of the city; Fort Carson to the south; Peterson Space Force Base; numerous faith communities; and a wide range of youth sports leagues, after-school programs, and residential facilities. Civil sexual assault cases in El Paso County frequently involve these settings, and our investigation examines each institution's hiring practices, complaint histories, supervision policies, and knowledge of prior incidents.
Responding Agency
Sexual assaults within Colorado Springs city limits are investigated by the Colorado Springs Police Department. Incidents in unincorporated El Paso County fall to the El Paso County Sheriff. For assaults on federal installations such as the Air Force Academy or Fort Carson, federal investigators are involved. Police reports and investigative records from any of these agencies can be obtained through civil discovery and serve as important evidence in a civil case, even when no charges were filed.
Compensation and comparative fault
A civil claim seeks to make you whole. Colorado law recognizes several categories of damages in sexual assault cases, and Colorado's comparative fault rule governs how those damages are divided when more than one party contributed to the harm.
For claims accruing on or after January 1, 2025, Colorado's general cap on non-economic damages such as pain and suffering is $1,500,000 (C.R.S. 13-21-102.5). Importantly, damages for physical impairment and disfigurement are not subject to this cap under Colorado law. In egregious cases involving an institutional cover-up or deliberate indifference to known risk, courts may also award punitive damages of up to the amount of actual damages awarded, and a court may increase that amount to three times actual damages when the defendant continued willful and wanton conduct after the lawsuit was filed (C.R.S. 13-21-102(1)(a)).
Colorado follows a modified comparative fault rule (C.R.S. 13-21-111). You can recover damages as long as your share of fault is less than 50 percent. Your recovery is reduced by your proportion of fault, but being found 49 percent at fault does not bar your claim. Being found 50 percent or more at fault does bar recovery. Defendants in sexual assault civil cases sometimes argue that a survivor's conduct contributed to the harm. We anticipate and counter that argument with the evidence specific to your situation.
In childhood sexual abuse cases, damages and available claims depend on the specific facts and applicable statutes. An attorney review of your situation is the only reliable way to determine which claims and remedies apply. We handle these cases on a contingency basis, so there is no cost to consult with us.
Your privacy and safety
The most common fear survivors share before reaching out is the loss of control over who knows what happened. Colorado's legal system provides meaningful privacy protections, and your safety is central to how these cases are handled from the first conversation to any trial in El Paso County District Court.
Anonymity
In many sexual abuse cases, courts allow survivors to file under a pseudonym so your real name does not appear in public court records at the El Paso County Judicial Building. This protection recognizes that forcing public identification can deter legitimate claims and cause further harm.
Protective orders
El Paso County District Court can seal sensitive documents, limit who attends depositions, and restrict disclosure of personal information uncovered in discovery, so the litigation process does not become a second violation of your privacy.
Confidential from the start
Your initial case evaluation is completely confidential and protected by attorney-client privilege. You can explore your options and ask every question you have with no public record and no obligation to proceed.
Trauma-informed
Our team understands that litigation can feel retraumatizing when handled without care. We allow support persons, build scheduling flexibility for difficult testimony, and move at the pace that respects your emotional capacity. You make every decision about how and whether the case proceeds.
After disclosure
There is no required timeline for deciding to pursue a civil claim. Whether you are coming forward now or years later, these steps protect your health, preserve your options, and set the foundation for a civil case in El Paso County.
If you have not yet sought medical care, UCHealth Memorial Hospital Central at 1400 E. Boulder Street is the only Level I trauma center in southern Colorado and provides forensic exams for sexual assault survivors. Penrose Hospital at 2222 N. Nevada Avenue also serves El Paso County. Medical records create the documentary foundation for your damages claim and are obtainable through civil discovery even if time has passed.
For most civil sexual misconduct claims, Colorado has no filing deadline (C.R.S. 13-80-103.7). But if a government-connected institution may share responsibility, 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)). Colorado Springs has significant government-connected institutions, so time matters for survivors whose assault involved Fort Carson, the Air Force Academy, a public school, or another government entity. Contact us before that window closes.
We listen to your situation with no obligation and no public record. We evaluate your exact timeline under C.R.S. 13-80-103.7 to determine whether and how a civil claim can move forward. We answer every question honestly, including questions about privacy protections in El Paso County District Court.
Using civil discovery, we obtain records you may not have access to on your own: prior complaint histories, personnel files, hiring records, supervision policies, and incident reports from the school district, faith organization, healthcare facility, or other entity involved. The goal is establishing not only what the individual did, but how the institution failed in its duty to prevent the harm.
We document the full scope of harm, including therapy and medical costs, lost wages, and the non-economic impact on your life, and pursue fair resolution with the responsible parties. Most civil sexual abuse cases settle before trial, often confidentially. You decide whether any settlement offer is acceptable.
If an institution will not offer fair compensation, we file in El Paso County District Court at 270 S. Tejon Street in the 4th Judicial District and take the case to an El Paso County jury. Managing Partner Kevin Cheney is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates and has tried over 25 cases to verdict. Courts in sexual assault litigation often allow closed proceedings or restricted access for sensitive testimony, and we prepare you thoroughly before any court appearance.
Your team
CGH Injury Lawyers is a eight-attorney Colorado personal injury firm founded in 2016, formerly Cheney Galluzzi & Howard. We are trial lawyers prepared to take a case as far as it must go, and we handle sensitive cases with discretion, confidentiality, and genuine respect for the survivor's control over every decision. 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 El Paso County case is handled by a licensed Colorado attorney, not a paralegal. We serve Colorado Springs from our Denver office and come to you.
Frequently asked questions
For civil claims based on sexual misconduct, Colorado eliminated the statute of limitations effective January 1, 2022 (C.R.S. 13-80-103.7). These claims can now be filed at any time. That open window also covers older abuse if the original filing deadline had not yet expired before January 1, 2022. The one important exception is if a government-connected institution may share liability: the Colorado Governmental Immunity Act requires a written notice of claim within 182 days of discovering the injury (C.R.S. 24-10-109(1)). That deadline is absolute and runs from the date you discover the injury, not from the date of the assault. If Fort Carson, the Air Force Academy, a Colorado Springs public school, or another government entity may be involved, contact an attorney immediately.
Yes. Civil and criminal cases are completely independent. A civil claim uses the preponderance-of-the-evidence standard, meaning more likely than not, which is meaningfully lower than the beyond-a-reasonable-doubt standard required for a criminal conviction. You can pursue a civil claim whether the El Paso County District Attorney never filed charges, whether charges were filed and dropped, or whether a criminal jury returned a not-guilty verdict. Each determination is made under its own standard by a different decision-maker.
Often, yes. Schools, religious organizations, youth programs, employers, healthcare facilities, and other institutions may be held liable when they failed in their duty to hire responsibly, supervise appropriately, respond to complaints, or remove known risks. Institutions such as schools, employers, healthcare facilities, and other organizations may face civil liability when they failed in their duty to hire responsibly, supervise appropriately, respond to complaints, or remove known risks. The available damages and applicable standards depend on the specific facts of your case. We investigate who beyond the individual perpetrator bears responsibility.
In many sexual abuse cases, courts allow survivors to file under a pseudonym such as Jane Doe or John Doe so your real name does not appear in the El Paso County District Court's public records. Courts can also issue protective orders sealing sensitive documents and limiting who may attend depositions. Your initial consultation with CGH Injury Lawyers is fully confidential and protected by attorney-client privilege, with no public record whatsoever. We discuss these privacy tools in detail at the outset of every case.
Compensation can cover medical and therapy expenses, lost wages, reduced future earning capacity, pain and suffering, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life. Colorado caps non-economic damages such as pain and suffering at $1,500,000 for claims accruing on or after January 1, 2025 (C.R.S. 13-21-102.5), but damages for physical impairment and disfigurement are not subject to that cap. In egregious cases involving an institutional cover-up or willful indifference, courts may also award punitive damages of up to the amount of actual damages (C.R.S. 13-21-102(1)(a)). Economic damages such as therapy costs, medical bills, and lost earnings have no cap under Colorado law.
No. CGH Injury Lawyers has one office, at 2701 Lawrence St., Suite 201, Denver, CO 80205. We represent Colorado Springs and El Paso County sexual assault survivors from that Denver office, file cases in El Paso County District Court at 270 S. Tejon Street when needed, and meet clients wherever is most comfortable and convenient. You can reach us at (303) 209-9395. All legal work, court filings, and any trial representation are done directly by our licensed Colorado attorneys.
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