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SH-7 corridor through Erie, Colorado. CGH Injury Lawyers represents Erie brain injury victims in Boulder County and Weld County courts from our Denver office.
Erie, Colorado

Erie Brain Injury Lawyers Who Prove the Injury an Insurer Says Does Not Exist

A traumatic brain injury sustained on I-25, SH-7, US 287, or anywhere in Erie can look invisible on a routine scan while causing lasting cognitive, emotional, and occupational harm. CGH Injury Lawyers serves Erie TBI victims from our Denver office, builds the medical proof that insurers attack, and tries cases in Boulder County or Weld County District Court when a fair settlement is refused. No fee unless we win.

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Erie's growing network of arterials, including the I-25 interchange at Erie Parkway, SH-7, US 287, and SH-52, carries commuter, commercial, and agricultural traffic that produces high-energy collisions. When a crash on one of these roads delivers a jolt to the head, the resulting traumatic brain injury can leave your CT scan looking normal while your ability to concentrate, work, and carry on daily life is seriously compromised. The insurer will point to that clean scan and argue the injury is minor. We point to what actually changed in your life.

  • Colorado generally gives you two years to file a personal injury lawsuit for a TBI that did not arise from a motor vehicle accident (C.R.S. 13-80-102), and three years for injuries from a motor vehicle collision (C.R.S. 13-80-101(1)(n)). If a government entity, such as the Town of Erie, Boulder County, Weld County, or CDOT, had any role in causing the injury, a written notice of claim must be filed within 182 days of discovering the injury (C.R.S. 24-10-109(1)), running from the date of discovery, not the date of the accident itself.
  • 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). Two categories are not capped at all: economic damages (medical bills, lost wages, life-care plan costs) and compensatory damages for physical impairment or disfigurement. In a serious TBI case, economic losses and physical-impairment damages routinely exceed the non-economic cap and carry the most recoverable value.
  • Erie straddles Boulder and Weld counties, and where the injury occurred controls which district court hears the lawsuit. For western Erie incidents in Boulder County, that is the Boulder County Combined Court in Longmont (20th Judicial District). For eastern Erie incidents in Weld County, that is Weld County District Court in Greeley (19th Judicial District). We file in both courts directly and never refer Erie TBI cases out.

CGH Injury Lawyers represents Erie brain injury victims from our Denver office at 2701 Lawrence St., Suite 201. We coordinate the neuropsychological testing, advanced imaging, and life-care planning that insurers challenge, and we try these cases to verdict when settlement talks fail. The consultation is free, and you pay nothing unless we win.

Why these cases are hard

Why a brain injury claim in Erie is harder than other personal injury cases

Brain injuries are invisible in a way that broken bones and lacerations are not. A standard CT or MRI scan taken in the emergency department at UCHealth Longs Peak Hospital or Boulder Community Health's Foothills Hospital may look normal even when the force of impact has sheared microscopic nerve fibers inside the brain. Adjusters use a clean scan as a shield, arguing that the injury is minor, unrelated, or fabricated. Overcoming that argument requires a different category of evidence.

How insurers attack Erie TBI claims

  • Pointing to a normal CT or MRI from the emergency visit to argue no structural injury occurred, even though standard imaging misses diffuse axonal injuries.
  • Labeling the TBI mild based on an initial Glasgow Coma Scale score, then arguing a mild score means a minor outcome, even when post-concussion symptoms persist for months.
  • Claiming cognitive symptoms, memory problems, and mood changes are pre-existing, related to stress, or not caused by the crash.
  • Using Erie's split-county geography to delay discovery, hoping the 182-day CGIA notice window closes before the injured person finds counsel.

What we build to counter those defenses

  • Neuropsychological testing: a multi-hour evaluation that produces objective data on memory, attention, processing speed, and executive function.
  • Advanced imaging including Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI), which maps white-matter tracts and reveals microscopic axonal damage standard scans miss.
  • Vocational expert analysis translating medical limits into lost wages and diminished earning capacity over a working lifetime.
  • Before-and-after testimony from coworkers, teachers, coaches, and family who knew you before the crash and can describe the change.

Understanding your diagnosis

TBI severity grades and what each means for your Erie claim

Emergency teams arriving at a scene on I-25, SH-7, or US 287 assess brain injury severity using the Glasgow Coma Scale, a 15-point scoring system based on eye, verbal, and motor responses. That score shapes how the insurer values your claim from day one, but it does not determine how the injury affects the rest of your life.

  1. Mild TBI (GCS 13 to 15), often called a concussion

    Brief loss of consciousness under 30 minutes, or confusion and disorientation immediately after impact. Symptoms include headaches, dizziness, mental fog, light sensitivity, and memory gaps. Post-concussion syndrome affects an estimated 15 to 30 percent of people with a mild TBI, producing chronic symptoms for months or years. For Erie residents working in technical fields, healthcare, education, or skilled trades where concentration is essential, a persistent mild TBI can end the ability to perform essential job functions and support a lost-earning-capacity claim far larger than an insurer's first offer.

  2. Moderate TBI (GCS 9 to 12)

    Loss of consciousness lasting 30 minutes to 24 hours, frequently with CT or MRI findings. Victims often require extended hospitalization, inpatient rehabilitation, and months of physical, occupational, and speech therapy before reaching maximum medical improvement. The economic damages in a moderate TBI case, including projected therapy, medication, case management, and reduced earning capacity, frequently make up the bulk of the recoverable value.

  3. Severe TBI (GCS 3 to 8)

    Extended unconsciousness or coma, often involving skull fracture, intracranial hemorrhage, or structural brain damage. Survivors can face permanent deficits in movement, speech, memory, and executive function. Cases at this severity require a formal life-care plan projecting decades of medical expenses, adaptive equipment, attendant care, and supported living. Colorado's proximity to Craig Hospital in Englewood, one of the nation's top-ranked rehabilitation centers for brain and spinal cord injuries, provides a recognized benchmark for medically necessary care costs.

The Glasgow Coma Scale score from the emergency visit is the starting point of your claim, not the ceiling on its value. An insurer that offers a few thousand dollars for a mild TBI has not accounted for what two years of post-concussion syndrome does to someone's career or family life. That is the gap we build a case to fill.

Colorado law

Colorado statutes and rules that shape your Erie brain injury case

Several Colorado rules decide how long you have to act, what you can recover, and how fault is divided. Here are the most important ones for a TBI claim originating in Erie.

Filing deadlines

  • Motor vehicle crashes: three years from the date of the collision (C.R.S. 13-80-101(1)(n)). Most Erie TBI cases involving a crash on I-25, SH-7, US 287, or SH-52 fall under this timeline.
  • General tort claims, such as a slip-and-fall or premises injury causing a TBI: two years (C.R.S. 13-80-102).
  • Government entities: if the Town of Erie, Boulder County, Weld County, CDOT, or another public body contributed to the injury, a written notice of claim must reach the right entity within 182 days of discovering the injury, not 180 days and not running from the date of the accident itself (C.R.S. 24-10-109(1)). Missing this notice deadline bars your claim entirely. Erie's split-county position means the responsible government entity, and the address to which notice must be sent, changes depending on where the incident occurred.

Damage caps (C.R.S. 13-21-102.5)

  • Non-economic damages such as pain and suffering are capped at $1,500,000 for claims accruing on or after January 1, 2025, a flat limit with no further increases until 2028.
  • Compensatory damages for physical impairment or disfigurement are not capped at all under Colorado law. A TBI that causes a permanent cognitive deficit, personality change, or physical impairment falls into this uncapped category.
  • Economic damages, including all past and future medical bills, lost wages, rehabilitation costs, and the full scope of a life-care plan, are also uncapped. In a serious Erie TBI case, the economic and physical-impairment categories together routinely exceed the non-economic cap and represent most of the recoverable value.
  • If a government entity in Erie is partly responsible and the CGIA applies, per-person caps for claims accruing on or after January 1, 2026 are $505,000 per person and $1,421,000 per occurrence (C.R.S. 24-10-114).

Comparative fault (C.R.S. 13-21-111)

Colorado uses a modified comparative fault system. You can recover damages as long as your share of fault is less than 50 percent, and your award is reduced proportionally by your percentage of fault. If you are found 50 percent or more at fault, you recover nothing. Insurers defending brain injury claims on SH-7 and I-25 routinely try to shift fault onto the injured person, arguing distracted driving, following too closely, or failure to wear a seatbelt. Early legal representation preserves the evidence that counters those arguments before it disappears from the scene.

After the injury

What to do after a brain injury in Erie

The steps you take in the hours and days following a head injury in Erie shape both your recovery and your legal options. Brain injury symptoms can appear or worsen days after a crash, making early medical care and early legal contact more important here than in almost any other injury type.

  1. Get to a trauma center even if you feel okay

    UCHealth Longs Peak Hospital in Longmont is the closest trauma center to Erie, designated as a Level III Trauma Center by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE). For more severe head injuries, Boulder Community Health's Foothills Hospital at 4747 Arapahoe Avenue, Boulder, is an American College of Surgeons verified Level II Trauma Center. Do not skip the emergency visit because you feel fine. Brain injury symptoms, including worsening headaches, confusion, memory gaps, and sensitivity to light or noise, often appear or intensify in the 24 to 72 hours after impact. A documented emergency visit creates the medical record that anchors every later claim.

  2. Follow up with a specialist, not just your primary care doctor

    Emergency physicians screen for life-threatening injuries. A neurologist, physiatrist, or neuropsychologist evaluates the functional impact of a TBI over time. Consistent specialist follow-up strengthens the link between the incident and your ongoing symptoms, a link the insurer will try to break at every opportunity.

  3. Document how your symptoms affect daily life

    Keep a symptom journal. Record headaches, sleep disruptions, concentration failures, tasks you used to complete easily that now take much longer, and interactions where you noticed a change in yourself. This contemporaneous record fills the gap between medical appointments and is often the most persuasive evidence of post-concussion impact on quality of life.

  4. Do not give a recorded statement to the insurer

    TBI symptoms can cause confusion, word-finding difficulty, and memory gaps. A recorded statement taken early, while those symptoms are active, can be used to argue your account is inconsistent or exaggerated. Under Colorado's modified comparative fault rule (C.R.S. 13-21-111), anything you say that shifts fault toward you reduces or eliminates your recovery. Contact an attorney before speaking to any adjuster.

  5. Contact CGH Injury Lawyers before the CGIA notice window closes

    If your brain injury happened at the US 287 and SH-52 intersection, on a CDOT-maintained stretch of SH-7, on a county road, or anywhere a public entity may share responsibility, the 182-day CGIA notice window (C.R.S. 24-10-109(1)) is running from the date you discovered the injury. For an Erie crash near County Line Road, even identifying the correct government entity requires knowing which county maintained the road. We answer that question from the first call.

Local context

Erie courts. Erie trauma care. Erie roads where TBIs happen.

Every element below describes the local geography and institutions that shape how a brain injury claim unfolds in Erie, not a CGH office location. CGH Injury Lawyers operates from one office in Denver and serves Erie clients from there.

Courthouses, Split County

Two District Courts Handle Erie Brain Injury Lawsuits

Erie straddles Boulder County to the west and Weld County to the east, divided roughly along County Line Road. A brain injury lawsuit is filed in the district court for the county where the injury occurred. For Boulder County incidents, that is the Boulder County Combined Court in Longmont, 1035 Kimbark St, Longmont, CO 80501, in the 20th Judicial District. For Weld County incidents, that is Weld County District Court, 901 9th Ave, Greeley, CO 80631, in the 19th Judicial District. CGH Injury Lawyers files and appears in both courts and identifies the controlling court as the first step in every Erie TBI engagement.

Trauma Care

UCHealth Longs Peak Hospital and Boulder Community Health Foothills Hospital

The closest trauma center to Erie is UCHealth Longs Peak Hospital in Longmont, a CDPHE-designated Level III Trauma Center with a dedicated Trauma and Acute Care Surgery program. For severe head injuries requiring higher-level neurosurgical intervention, Boulder Community Health's Foothills Hospital at 4747 Arapahoe Avenue, Boulder, is an American College of Surgeons verified Level II Trauma Center and the first Level II Trauma Center designated in Boulder County. Trauma and neurology records from these hospitals document injury severity, treatment received, and projected future care, forming the foundation of the economic damages case that has no cap under Colorado law.

High-Risk Roads

I-25, SH-7, US 287, and SH-52

Interstate 25 passes through Erie with a full interchange at Erie Parkway, producing high-speed merge and rear-end crashes that are a leading cause of TBIs in the corridor. SH-7 (Baseline Road) is Erie's principal east-west arterial linking the town to Boulder, Lafayette, Louisville, and Brighton; CDOT completed shoulder widening near Erie Airport Drive on SH-7 in January 2026. US Highway 287 is a primary north-south commercial trucking route, and the US 287 and SH-52 intersection has been flagged by CDOT for a funded safety overhaul, including new turn lanes, bicycle lanes, pedestrian ramps, and signal replacement, because of documented safety deficiencies. SH-52 ties the eastern side of Erie across Weld County toward I-25, mixing agricultural and long-haul commercial traffic. Head injuries from crashes at these locations can occur in Boulder County or Weld County, and which side of the county line matters immediately for government-notice deadlines and courthouse selection.

Serving Erie

No Erie Office. Full Erie Representation.

CGH Injury Lawyers does not have an Erie office. We have one office, at 2701 Lawrence St., Suite 201, Denver, CO 80205. We serve Erie brain injury clients from Denver, file suits in the district court for the controlling county (Weld County District Court in Greeley or Boulder County Combined Court in Longmont), and meet clients wherever it is most convenient. Distance is not an obstacle to building a full TBI case.

Compensation

What compensation can you recover for a brain injury in Erie?

Colorado law allows injured Erie residents to pursue two broad categories of damages after a TBI: economic losses you can document with records and expert analysis, and non-economic losses for the human cost of living with a brain injury. Both categories are available whether the case is filed in Boulder County or Weld County court.

Economic damages (no cap)

  • Emergency and hospital bills, including trauma-center care at UCHealth Longs Peak or Foothills Hospital
  • Ongoing neurology, physiatry, and psychiatry visits
  • Rehabilitation: physical, occupational, speech, and cognitive therapy
  • Neuropsychological testing and follow-up evaluations
  • Lost wages during recovery and reduced earning capacity over a working lifetime
  • Life-care plan costs: medications, attendant care, adaptive equipment, and home modifications projected to life expectancy

Non-economic and family damages

  • Pain and suffering (capped at $1,500,000 for claims accruing on or after January 1, 2025 under C.R.S. 13-21-102.5)
  • Emotional distress and mental anguish
  • Loss of enjoyment of life
  • Permanent physical impairment or cognitive disfigurement (not capped under Colorado law)
  • Loss of consortium for a spouse or partner whose relationship has been damaged by the injury
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How it works

How a brain injury claim works for Erie clients

From your first call to resolution in the 19th or 20th Judicial District, here is the path a CGH Erie brain injury case follows. We prepare every case as if it will be tried, because trial readiness is what produces full-value settlements.

  1. Free case evaluation and jurisdiction check

    We review the facts, identify the controlling county, and explain your rights under Colorado law at no cost and no obligation. For injuries near the County Line Road boundary, we determine jurisdiction and the correct government entity for a potential CGIA notice before anything else is decided.

  2. Build the medical proof

    We coordinate neuropsychological testing, advanced imaging such as Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI), and treating-physician records from UCHealth Longs Peak or Foothills Hospital to document the injury that a routine scan missed. Every expert referral is driven by what the insurer will challenge.

  3. Project the full economic cost

    We work with life-care planners and vocational economists to calculate every future expense from the date of injury to the end of your life expectancy, and to quantify the gap between what you could have earned and what the injury now allows. These figures anchor the demand and form the core of the economic damages case.

  4. Issue the CGIA notice if a government entity is involved

    If the crash or incident happened on a CDOT-maintained stretch of I-25, SH-7, US 287, or SH-52, on a county road in Boulder County or Weld County, or on a Town of Erie street, we serve the written notice of claim within the 182-day window (C.R.S. 24-10-109(1)) from the date of discovery. Missing this step bars the claim against that entity permanently.

  5. Demand, negotiate, and file suit in the right court

    We send a documented demand to the insurer and negotiate from a position of trial readiness. If settlement fails, we file in Weld County District Court (19th Judicial District, 901 9th Ave, Greeley) for eastern Erie incidents or the Boulder County Combined Court in Longmont (20th Judicial District, 1035 Kimbark St) for western Erie incidents. Managing Partner Kevin Cheney, an ABOTA member with over 25 jury verdicts, leads cases that reach trial.

Your team

The attorneys handling your Erie brain injury case

CGH Injury Lawyers is a eight-attorney Colorado firm founded in 2016, formerly Cheney Galluzzi and 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 Erie brain injury case is handled by a licensed Colorado attorney, not a paralegal, and every case is prepared as if it will go before a jury in the 19th or 20th Judicial District.

ABOTA member on the team Tim Tarr: Best Lawyers in America since 2023 Over 25 cases to verdict Filing in Boulder County and Weld County courts Bilingual EN / ES Free consultation No fee unless we win

Frequently asked questions

Erie brain injury questions, answered

How long do I have to file a brain injury lawsuit if the crash happened in Erie?

The main deadline depends on how the injury occurred. Motor vehicle crashes on I-25, SH-7, US 287, or SH-52 give you three years from the date of the collision to file a lawsuit (C.R.S. 13-80-101(1)(n)). TBIs from other causes, such as a fall on a commercial property or a bicycle crash, generally carry a two-year deadline (C.R.S. 13-80-102). If any government entity in Erie, including the Town of Erie, Boulder County, Weld County, or CDOT, had any role in creating the hazard, a written notice of claim must be delivered within 182 days of discovering the injury (C.R.S. 24-10-109(1)). That government-notice window can expire months before the lawsuit filing deadline, and missing it bars the claim against that entity entirely. Contact an attorney quickly, even while you are still treating.

Can I have a brain injury if my CT scan and MRI looked normal at UCHealth Longs Peak?

Yes. Standard CT and MRI scans performed in the emergency department are designed to detect bleeding and structural damage. They regularly miss the microscopic axonal tears and diffuse white-matter injuries that cause lasting cognitive and emotional symptoms after a mild TBI. Colorado courts recognize that the absence of visible structural damage does not mean the absence of injury. Advanced imaging techniques such as Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) can reveal white-matter tract disruption that standard scans cannot show. Neuropsychological testing produces objective data on cognitive deficits independent of imaging results. A normal emergency scan is not the end of your case; for many Erie TBI victims it is just the beginning of building one.

Does Colorado cap what I can recover for a brain injury in Erie?

Colorado caps non-economic damages such as pain and suffering at $1,500,000 for claims accruing on or after January 1, 2025 under C.R.S. 13-21-102.5. Two categories are not capped at all. First, compensatory damages for permanent physical impairment or disfigurement, which often applies when a TBI causes a lasting cognitive deficit or personality change, are uncapped. Second, economic damages, including all past and future medical bills, lost wages, life-care plan costs, and diminished earning capacity, are also uncapped. In a serious Erie TBI case, the uncapped economic and physical-impairment categories together routinely exceed the non-economic cap and represent most of the claim's total value.

What if I was partly at fault for the accident that caused my brain injury?

Colorado uses a modified comparative fault rule under C.R.S. 13-21-111. You can recover damages as long as your share of fault is less than 50 percent, and your award is reduced by your percentage of fault. If you are found 50 percent or more at fault, you recover nothing. For example, if a jury finds you 25 percent at fault, you recover 75 percent of the total damages. Insurers defending crashes on Erie's SH-7 and I-25 interchanges routinely try to inflate the injured person's fault percentage to reduce or eliminate the payout. An attorney can counter that effort with the crash report, road conditions, witness testimony, and any CDOT improvement records for known hazard areas.

Where would my Erie brain injury lawsuit be filed?

It depends on which county the incident occurred in. For crashes or incidents in the western, Boulder County part of Erie, the lawsuit is filed in the Boulder County Combined Court in Longmont (20th Judicial District), 1035 Kimbark St, Longmont, CO 80501. For incidents in the eastern, Weld County part of Erie, the lawsuit is filed in Weld County District Court (19th Judicial District), 901 9th Ave, Greeley, CO 80631. The county line runs roughly along County Line Road. CGH Injury Lawyers files and appears in both courts and identifies the controlling court as the first step in every new Erie engagement.

Does CGH Injury Lawyers have an office in Erie?

No. CGH Injury Lawyers has one office, at 2701 Lawrence St., Suite 201, Denver, CO 80205. We do not maintain a branch office in Erie. We serve Erie brain injury clients from Denver, file suits in the district court for the controlling county (Weld County District Court in Greeley or the Boulder County Combined Court in Longmont), coordinate neuropsychological testing and life-care planning on behalf of Erie clients, and meet clients wherever it is most convenient. Distance is not a barrier to full representation.

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Erie practice areas

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It's More Than Money.

Your brain injury in Erie deserves more than a lowball offer. We handle everything else.

Free consultation. No fee unless we win. Filing in Boulder County and Weld County courts.

Tell us what happened in Erie

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(303) 209-9395

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