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Englewood, Colorado. CGH Injury Lawyers represents DUI accident victims across Arapahoe County from our Denver office.
Englewood, Arapahoe County

Englewood DUI Accident Lawyers Who Pursue Every Source of Recovery

A drunk or drugged driver who hurt you on US 285, Santa Fe Drive, or I-25 through Englewood is the beginning of the case, not the end of it. CGH Injury Lawyers serves Englewood and all of Arapahoe County from our Denver office, pursues the driver, any bar or restaurant that overserved them, and your own UM and UIM coverage when the driver cannot pay. You owe nothing unless we win.

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Serving Englewood 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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A DUI crash in Englewood is not a single claim against a single defendant. The drunk driver is often underinsured or uninsured. The bar on South Broadway or along Hampden that poured drink after drink may be liable too. And your own policy may be the only insurance that can actually pay you. CGH Injury Lawyers maps every source of recovery from the first phone call.

  • A driver who violates Colorado's impaired driving laws and causes a crash is treated as negligent under the doctrine of negligence per se. The focus of your civil case shifts from proving the driver did something wrong to proving your harm and its full value.
  • Your civil claim runs separately from the criminal case the district attorney files. A criminal conviction strengthens your civil case, but you do not have to wait for it. The dram shop clock against any overserving bar runs for only one year from the date alcohol was served (C.R.S. 44-3-801(3)(a)(II)), so waiting is dangerous.
  • The motor vehicle injury statute of limitations in Colorado is three years from the date of the crash (C.R.S. 13-80-101(1)(n)). UM and UIM claims against your own insurer run on a separate clock under C.R.S. 13-80-107.5, the statute the Colorado Supreme Court applied in Pham v. State Farm, 2013 CO 17.

CGH Injury Lawyers does not have an Englewood office. We represent Englewood and Arapahoe County DUI injury clients from our Denver office at 2701 Lawrence St., Suite 201, Denver, CO 80205. We travel to you, coordinate with Englewood-area treating physicians, and file cases in the 18th Judicial District when needed. Your first consultation is free, and you owe no fee unless we win.

The law that governs your case

Why a DUI crash in Englewood is legally different from an ordinary car accident

In a standard crash case you have to prove the other driver was careless. A DUI crash changes that picture substantially, and the difference matters for how your case is built and what it can recover.

Colorado follows the doctrine of negligence per se. When a person violates a safety statute designed to protect the public from a particular kind of harm, that violation can itself establish negligence toward people the law was meant to protect. Colorado's drunk and drugged driving laws exist precisely to keep impaired drivers from injuring others on roads like Hampden Avenue and Santa Fe Drive. A driver who violates those laws and causes a crash fits the doctrine directly.

In practical terms, the fight in a DUI case is almost never about whether the drunk driver did something wrong. That is usually established by the arrest, the toxicology result, and the police report. The real fight is about the full value of what happened to you, which insurance policies must pay, and whether a bar or restaurant that overserved the driver shares the liability. Knowing that distinction shapes every decision we make in your case from day one.

Drunk driving conduct can also open the door to punitive damages that an ordinary careless driver would not face. Under C.R.S. 13-21-102, punitive damages in Colorado generally cannot exceed the amount of actual damages awarded, and they require proof of willful and wanton conduct. Driving impaired through an Englewood intersection often meets that standard. We evaluate the punitive question in every DUI case we take.

Every source of recovery

Who can be held responsible besides the drunk driver

The impaired driver is the obvious starting point, but Englewood DUI cases often reach further. Colorado law gives you tools to pursue the bar that overserved the driver and your own insurer when the driver cannot pay.

Bars and restaurants: dram shop liability

  • Colorado's Dram Shop Act, C.R.S. 44-3-801, allows an injured person to sue a licensed vendor that willfully and knowingly served alcohol to a visibly intoxicated patron who then caused the harm. South Broadway in Englewood and the Hampden corridor have a concentration of bars and restaurants where this issue arises.
  • The same statute covers serving anyone under 21. A licensed vendor, and in that narrow situation even a private social host, can be liable under C.R.S. 44-3-801(4) for providing a minor with alcohol or a place to drink.
  • A dram shop claim against the bar is a second source of recovery on top of whatever the driver's own policy covers. For claims accruing on or after January 1, 2026, Colorado caps the vendor's liability at $465,730 under C.R.S. 44-3-801(3)(c).
  • The catch is time. A dram shop lawsuit must be commenced within one year after the alcohol was sold or served (C.R.S. 44-3-801(3)(a)(II)). Bar point-of-sale records and surveillance video disappear fast. Waiting for the criminal case to finish before looking at the bar usually means losing the dram shop claim.

Your own policy: UM and UIM coverage

  • If the drunk driver had no insurance, your uninsured motorist (UM) coverage steps into their shoes and pays the damages you would have collected from their policy.
  • If the driver had insurance but not enough, your underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage fills the gap between their policy limit and the full value of your claim.
  • UM and UIM claims are governed by their own deadline under C.R.S. 13-80-107.5, which the Colorado Supreme Court applied in Pham v. State Farm, 2013 CO 17. That clock does not automatically match the three-year motor vehicle deadline against the driver, so it must be tracked separately.
  • We identify every policy that could respond, including UM and UIM coverage under policies held by other household members, before any source of recovery is closed off.

Englewood, Arapahoe County

Englewood courts, trauma care, and the corridors where impaired drivers cause the most harm

A DUI injury case in Englewood has a specific local shape. Here is the ground we work on.

Trauma Care

Craig Hospital, 3425 S. Clarkson Street, Englewood

Craig Hospital at 3425 S. Clarkson Street in Englewood is one of the world's leading rehabilitation centers for spinal cord and traumatic brain injuries. A high-speed DUI crash on I-25 or the US 285 / Hampden interchange can produce exactly the kind of catastrophic neurological and orthopedic trauma Craig specializes in treating. Those records, which track care from acute stabilization through years of rehabilitation, form the foundation of a life-care plan and a damages demand that accounts for the full long-term cost of the injury. HCA HealthONE Swedish also serves the south Denver and Arapahoe County corridor and handles serious injuries from Englewood-area crashes.

High-Risk Corridors

US 285 / Hampden Avenue, US 85 / Santa Fe Drive, South Broadway, and I-25

US 285 / Hampden Avenue was flagged by a multi-agency Mobility and Safety Study for documented crash frequency, including a fatal 2023 motorcycle crash west of South Broadway. At night and on weekends, when impaired driving peaks, the Hampden corridor and the South Broadway entertainment district see heightened DUI exposure. The I-25 / Hampden interchange, identified by CDOT as a high-attention area, carries high-speed traffic where an impaired driver's reduced reaction time is especially dangerous. US 85 / Santa Fe Drive adds commercial truck volume to the mix. A DUI crash on any of these corridors at speed can produce the kind of catastrophic injury that requires the full range of damages Colorado law allows.

Courthouse

18th Judicial District, Arapahoe County District Court

DUI injury lawsuits arising in Englewood are filed in the 18th Judicial District of Colorado, Arapahoe County District Court. The court sits at the Arapahoe County Justice Center, 7325 S. Potomac Street, Centennial, CO 80112, or the Arapahoe County Courthouse, 1790 West Littleton Blvd, Littleton, CO 80120. The defense firms and adjusters who handle Arapahoe County DUI cases know this court well. CGH Injury Lawyers files and tries cases in the 18th Judicial District directly from our Denver office.

Two separate cases

The criminal DUI case and your civil claim: why they are not the same thing

After a DUI crash in Englewood, two completely separate legal processes run on parallel tracks. They have different goals, different players, and different outcomes. Most victims do not realize the criminal case was never designed to make them whole.

The criminal case

  • Brought by the State of Colorado through the Arapahoe County District Attorney, not by you.
  • The goal is to punish the driver: jail, fines, license revocation, and probation.
  • You are a witness and a crime victim, not a party who controls what happens in the case.
  • The court may order criminal restitution, but restitution is generally limited to documented out-of-pocket losses and paid by the driver personally, often slowly and incompletely.
  • A conviction or guilty plea becomes powerful evidence in your civil case, but you do not need one to win your civil claim.

Your civil claim

  • Brought by you against the driver, any overserving bar, and every other party the evidence supports.
  • The goal is money: full compensation for your medical bills, lost income, pain, suffering, and every other documented loss.
  • You control the key decisions, with your attorney's guidance.
  • It is paid by insurance in the vast majority of cases, which is why it reaches amounts that restitution never approaches.
  • It can proceed whether or not the driver is ever criminally convicted, because the civil standard of proof is lower.

The criminal case must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Your civil claim only needs to prove fault by a preponderance of the evidence, meaning more likely than not. A driver can sometimes avoid a criminal conviction and still be fully liable to you in the civil case. We do not wait for the Arapahoe County criminal docket to move before protecting your civil rights and preserving the evidence that supports your claim.

After the crash

What to do after a DUI crash in Englewood

The hours after an Englewood DUI crash are when the most critical evidence is either captured or lost. These steps protect your health, preserve the proof, and keep your legal options open.

  1. Call 911 and make sure impairment is documented

    Englewood crashes on city streets are handled by the Englewood Police Department. Crashes on I-25 and US 285 fall under the Colorado State Patrol. A responding officer who suspects impairment will conduct field sobriety testing and, if warranted, a DUI arrest. That arrest report, toxicology result, and body camera footage become central evidence in your civil claim. Get the report number before leaving the scene.

  2. Get medical care even if you feel fine

    High-speed DUI crashes on corridors like the I-25 / Hampden interchange produce forces that cause internal injuries, concussions, and spinal trauma that may not be apparent at the scene. A gap between the crash and your first medical visit gives an insurer an argument that your injuries were not caused by the crash. Craig Hospital and HCA HealthONE Swedish are the major trauma facilities serving the Englewood area.

  3. Document the scene and note where the driver came from

    Photograph the vehicles, the road conditions, skid marks, and your visible injuries. If you know or can find out where the driver was before the crash, note the bar or restaurant name. That information is what starts a dram shop investigation. Note any witnesses and collect contact information.

  4. Do not give a recorded statement to any insurer

    The drunk driver's insurer will reach out quickly, especially after a high-profile corridor crash on Hampden or South Broadway. Do not agree to a recorded statement, sign any release, or accept any check before an attorney has reviewed your case. Early offers rarely reflect the full value of what you are entitled to recover.

  5. Contact a DUI injury attorney before the dram shop window closes

    The one-year dram shop deadline (C.R.S. 44-3-801(3)(a)(II)) runs from the date alcohol was served, not from the date you hire an attorney. Bar surveillance footage is often overwritten within 30 days. The motor vehicle claim has a three-year window (C.R.S. 13-80-101(1)(n)), but the dram shop clock does not wait for the criminal case to conclude. A free consultation costs you nothing and protects every option.

Compensation

What compensation can you recover after an Englewood DUI crash?

Colorado law recognizes two broad categories of compensatory damages, and a DUI crash opens the door to punitive damages that ordinary careless driving does not.

Economic damages

  • Emergency care, surgery, and acute hospitalization
  • Future medical costs and rehabilitation, including Craig Hospital care
  • Lost wages from the time you missed work
  • Lost earning capacity if the injury limits what you can do going forward
  • Property damage to your vehicle
  • In a fatal DUI crash, funeral costs and the family's documented financial losses

Non-economic and punitive damages

  • Pain and suffering
  • Emotional distress and PTSD, which are common after a violent crash
  • Permanent scarring, disfigurement, and physical impairment
  • Loss of enjoyment of life
  • Punitive damages when the evidence supports a finding of willful and wanton conduct, which drunk driving often does (C.R.S. 13-21-102)

How the Colorado caps work in a DUI case

  • 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. Older claims carry lower caps that depend on when the claim accrued.
  • Compensation for physical impairment and disfigurement is not subject to the non-economic cap at all. Economic damages, including every dollar of medical bills and lost wages, are never capped.
  • Punitive damages under C.R.S. 13-21-102 generally cannot exceed the amount of actual compensatory damages awarded. They require proof of willful and wanton conduct. Driving drunk through Englewood at night is the kind of conduct that can support that claim.
  • In a fatal DUI crash, Colorado caps non-economic wrongful death damages at $2,125,000 for claims accruing on or after January 1, 2025 (C.R.S. 13-21-203(1)(a)). A felonious killing carries no cap. The wrongful death statute of limitations is two years (C.R.S. 13-80-102).

In a serious DUI injury case treated at Craig Hospital, the uncapped economic losses, including years of rehabilitation, lost career income, and future medical needs, are typically the largest part of the recovery. We structure the claim so nothing is left on the table.

Fault and recovery

What if the insurer claims you were partly at fault in the Englewood DUI crash?

Even when their driver was drunk, insurers look for ways to shift some of the blame onto the victim. Colorado law addresses that directly, and the DUI evidence usually defeats those arguments.

Colorado follows modified comparative fault under C.R.S. 13-21-111. You can recover damages as long as you were less than 50 percent responsible for the crash. Your award is reduced by your percentage of fault. If you are found 50 percent or more at fault, you recover nothing. The threshold is less than 50 percent, not 50 percent or less.

  • Against a drunk driver on a well-lit Englewood corridor, the comparative fault defense rarely holds up. The DUI arrest, toxicology, and crash reconstruction usually make clear where the fault lies.
  • Insurers may argue you were speeding, following too closely, or not watching the road on a busy stretch of Hampden or I-25. We use the police report, crash data, and expert reconstruction to challenge those claims with evidence.
  • Even if you accept some portion of fault, being found 30 or 40 percent responsible still leaves you collecting 70 or 60 percent of your full damages. A 49 percent finding means you still recover 51 percent of what the case is worth. We fight for the most favorable split the evidence supports.
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Your team

The team handling your Englewood DUI injury case

CGH Injury Lawyers is a eight-attorney Colorado firm founded in 2016, formerly Cheney Galluzzi & Howard. 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 Englewood DUI injury case is handled by a licensed Colorado attorney, not a paralegal. We serve Englewood and all of Arapahoe County from our Denver office, with no fee unless we win.

ABOTA member on the team Tim Tarr: Best Lawyers in America since 2023 Over 25 cases to verdict 18th Judicial District coverage Bilingual EN / ES Free consultation No fee unless we win

Frequently asked questions

Englewood DUI accident, frequently asked questions

How long do I have to file a claim after a DUI crash in Englewood?

It depends on who you are pursuing. The claim against the at-fault drunk driver must be filed within three years of the crash under the motor vehicle statute (C.R.S. 13-80-101(1)(n)). A dram shop claim against a bar or restaurant has a much shorter clock: one year from the date the alcohol was sold or served (C.R.S. 44-3-801(3)(a)(II)). A UM or UIM claim against your own insurer runs on its own deadline under C.R.S. 13-80-107.5, as applied by the Colorado Supreme Court in Pham v. State Farm, 2013 CO 17. Because these clocks start from different events, the safest step is having an attorney identify every deadline as early as possible.

Can I sue the bar or restaurant on South Broadway that served the drunk driver?

Often yes. Colorado's Dram Shop Act (C.R.S. 44-3-801) lets you sue a licensed vendor that willfully and knowingly served alcohol to a visibly intoxicated patron, or to anyone under 21, who then caused harm. The Englewood and South Broadway corridor has bars and restaurants where this question arises regularly. A dram shop recovery is a second source of compensation on top of the driver's own policy. For claims accruing on or after January 1, 2026, the vendor's liability is capped at $465,730 under C.R.S. 44-3-801(3)(c). The critical issue is timing: the lawsuit must start within one year after the alcohol was served, so do not wait.

Should I wait for the criminal DUI case to finish before filing my civil claim?

No. The criminal case and your civil claim run on completely separate tracks. Waiting for the Arapahoe County criminal docket to conclude puts your dram shop claim at serious risk: that one-year window runs from the date alcohol was served, not from the date of a conviction. Bar video and point-of-sale records are often overwritten within weeks. We protect your civil rights and preserve dram shop evidence immediately, while the criminal case runs its own course. Any conviction or guilty plea later strengthens your civil case as additional evidence of fault.

What if the drunk driver had no insurance or not enough to cover my injuries?

This is common in DUI cases. If the driver had no insurance, your uninsured motorist (UM) coverage steps into their shoes. If they had insurance but not enough, your underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage fills the gap. These claims run on their own deadline under C.R.S. 13-80-107.5, which the Colorado Supreme Court applied in Pham v. State Farm, 2013 CO 17. We check every policy that could respond, including coverage held by other members of your household, before any source of recovery is allowed to close off.

Can I recover punitive damages against a drunk driver in Colorado?

Sometimes. Drunk driving is the kind of willful and wanton conduct that can support punitive, or exemplary, damages on top of your compensatory recovery. Under C.R.S. 13-21-102, punitive damages generally cannot exceed the amount of actual damages awarded, and they require proof of willful and wanton conduct. We evaluate whether the facts of your specific crash, including the driver's blood alcohol level, driving history, and conduct at the scene, support a punitive claim and pursue it where the evidence is there.

Does CGH have an office in Englewood?

CGH Injury Lawyers does not have an Englewood office. We represent Englewood and Arapahoe County DUI injury clients from our Denver office at 2701 Lawrence St., Suite 201, Denver, CO 80205. We travel to you, coordinate with Englewood-area treating physicians and insurers, and file cases in the 18th Judicial District when needed. You do not need to come to us for the work to get done.

Other injury cases we handle in Englewood

It's More Than Money.

A drunk driver hurt you in Englewood. We handle everything else.

The dram shop clock is already running. Free consultation. No fee unless we win. Serving Englewood and all of Arapahoe County in English and Spanish.

Get My Free Case Review (303) 209-9395

Prefer to read first? See how Colorado DUI accident law works statewide.

CGH Injury Lawyers, serving Englewood and Arapahoe County from 2701 Lawrence St., Suite 201, Denver, CO 80205. (303) 209-9395.