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Aurora Medical Malpractice Lawyer
A bad outcome is not always malpractice, but when a provider in Aurora breaks the accepted standard of care and a patient is harmed, the law gives you a way to hold them accountable. CGH Injury Lawyers represents patients and families injured by medical negligence at Aurora's hospitals and clinics, serving the city from our Denver office. You pay nothing unless we win.
No fee unless we winAn Aurora medical malpractice claim turns on two questions: can you prove a provider broke the accepted standard of care, and what can you actually recover once Colorado's damage caps and procedural rules are applied.
- Colorado requires a Certificate of Review from a same-specialty physician within 60 days of filing your complaint, or the case can be dismissed (C.R.S. 13-20-602).
- You generally have two years from when you discovered the injury to file, with an absolute three-year deadline from the date of the negligence (C.R.S. 13-80-102.5).
- Colorado caps non-economic damages under the Health Care Availability Act (C.R.S. 13-64-302), but economic damages such as medical bills and lost income are not capped.
Aurora is home to the Anschutz Medical Campus, one of the largest concentrations of hospitals and clinics in the Rocky Mountain region. CGH Injury Lawyers represents patients harmed by medical negligence in that system and across Aurora, from our Denver office, with no upfront fees and a free first consultation.
The legal standard
What counts as medical malpractice in Aurora?
A bad outcome is not the same as malpractice. Medical malpractice happens when a provider's negligence causes a preventable injury, meaning they did something a competent professional would have avoided. To prove it, Colorado law requires four distinct elements.
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Duty of care
A doctor-patient relationship existed, creating a legal obligation to provide competent care.
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Breach of the standard
The provider deviated from what a similarly qualified practitioner would have done. Colorado uses the locality rule, so a rural family physician is not measured against an Aurora subspecialist.
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Causation
The breach directly caused your injury, not simply that negligence occurred while you were under care.
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Damages
You suffered measurable harm, such as physical injury, financial loss, or pain and suffering.
The breach element is usually the most contested. It almost always requires testimony from a qualified medical expert who can explain, to a jury, exactly how the care fell short. Malpractice claims are decided by a preponderance of the evidence, meaning you must show it is more likely than not that the negligence caused your harm. Common Aurora malpractice cases include surgical errors, misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis of cancer and heart conditions, medication mistakes, birth injuries, and failures to monitor a patient after a procedure.
Procedural gatekeeper
The Certificate of Review requirement
Before an Aurora medical malpractice case can move forward, you must file a Certificate of Review. Required by C.R.S. 13-20-602, it is a quality-control step meant to keep meritless claims out of court, and missing it can end your case before it starts.
- A licensed physician in the same specialty as the defendant must review the case and confirm in writing that the claim does not lack substantial justification.
- That expert must attest that the standard of care was breached and that the breach caused your injury.
- The certificate must be filed with the court within 60 days of filing your complaint. Miss that deadline and the case can be dismissed.
This rule makes choosing the right expert one of the most important early decisions in any malpractice case. It is also why these claims demand a firm willing to invest in expert review from the very start, before a single document is filed.
Aurora hospitals and courts
Aurora's medical campus, its courts, and why the public-hospital rule matters here
Aurora is the medical hub of the metro area. That concentration of hospitals shapes both where malpractice happens and which special rules apply when you bring a claim. CGH serves Aurora from our Denver office and knows this ground.
The Anschutz Medical Campus
UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital in Aurora is a Level I Trauma Center and the primary acute-care facility for serious Aurora injuries. Children's Hospital Colorado, at the same Anschutz Medical Campus, handles pediatric care. These institutions deliver excellent care to most patients, but their size also means a large volume of surgeries, diagnoses, and births where a standard-of-care failure can cause lasting harm.
The public-hospital deadline trap
Some Aurora hospitals are operated within a state university or other governmental system, which can make them a public entity. When a claim is against a government-run hospital or other public entity, you must file a written notice of claim within 182 days of discovering the injury under the Colorado Governmental Immunity Act (C.R.S. 24-10-109). That notice is a jurisdictional prerequisite, and missing it bars the claim entirely, so the type of facility matters as much as the negligence. We confirm the legal status of the hospital that treated you before any deadline is assumed.
Where Aurora malpractice lawsuits are filed
Aurora sits primarily in Arapahoe County. Medical malpractice lawsuits for Aurora patients are typically filed in the Arapahoe County District Court, 18th Judicial District, with civil matters heard at the Arapahoe County Justice Center, 7325 S. Potomac Street, Centennial, CO 80112. Aurora also extends into Adams and Douglas counties, and the county where the care occurred controls where the case is filed. CGH handles Arapahoe County District Court cases directly.
Serving Aurora from our Denver office
CGH Injury Lawyers has one office: 2701 Lawrence St., Suite 201, Denver, CO 80205, (303) 209-9395. We do not have an Aurora office. Aurora clients receive full representation from our Denver team, and we come to you when an injury limits travel.
Compensation and caps
What compensation can an Aurora patient recover, and what does Colorado cap?
Colorado splits medical malpractice damages into two categories. Economic losses you can document with bills and records are fully recoverable. Non-economic losses for the human cost of an injury are limited by the Health Care Availability Act (C.R.S. 13-64-302).
Economic damages (not capped)
- Past and future medical expenses
- Lost income and reduced earning capacity
- Cost of ongoing care and life-care plans
- Rehabilitation and assistive devices
- Home modifications for a disability
Non-economic damages (capped)
- Physical pain and suffering
- Emotional distress and mental anguish
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Disfigurement or disability
- Loss of consortium for a spouse
How the HCAA caps work
Colorado raised its medical malpractice damage caps effective January 1, 2025 under House Bill 24-1472. The cap applies only to non-economic damages such as pain and suffering. Medical bills, lost wages, and future care costs remain uncapped in every year, and the figure that applies to a given case depends on the date the negligent act or omission occurred.
- Under HB 24-1472, the medical malpractice non-economic damages cap rises on a fixed schedule: $415,000 (2025), $530,000 (2026), $645,000 (2027), $760,000 (2028), and $875,000 (2029), with inflation adjustments every two years starting January 1, 2030 (C.R.S. 13-64-302(1)(c)).
- For medical malpractice wrongful death claims, the cap is $555,000 (2025), $810,000 (2026), $1,065,000 (2027), $1,320,000 (2028), and $1,575,000 (2029) (C.R.S. 13-21-203(1)(b)).
- Economic damages remain uncapped, subject to the overall HCAA limit.
Because non-economic damages are limited but economic damages are not, the structure of a serious case matters. A skilled attorney builds the record around the uncapped costs, such as lifetime care and lost earning capacity, which in catastrophic Aurora cases often make up the bulk of the recovery.
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Deadlines that can end a case
Notice rules and the statute of limitations in Aurora cases
Aurora medical malpractice cases run on strict clocks. You generally have two years from when you discovered the injury to file, with an absolute three-year cutoff from the date of the negligence (C.R.S. 13-80-102.5). Cases against an Aurora public hospital carry a much shorter, separate notice deadline.
- Two-year discovery rule: the clock generally starts when you discovered, or reasonably should have discovered, the injury caused by medical negligence.
- Three-year statute of repose: in most cases the claim is barred three years after the negligent act, no matter when it was discovered. Narrow exceptions exist, such as a foreign object left in the body or concealment of the wrong.
- Injured minors: for a child under 18, the limitation period generally does not start until age 18, though the claim must still be filed before the child's 20th birthday in most cases.
- Claims against a government-run hospital or other public entity require a written notice of claim within 182 days after you discover the injury under the Colorado Governmental Immunity Act (C.R.S. 24-10-109). That notice is a jurisdictional prerequisite, and missing it bars the claim entirely.
Because expert review and the Certificate of Review add time on the front end, waiting until a deadline is close is one of the most common ways a strong Aurora case is lost. The safe move is to have a lawyer evaluate the timeline early.
How it works
How we handle an Aurora medical malpractice case
Medical malpractice cases are among the most expensive and document-heavy claims in personal injury law. We prepare every case as if it will be tried, even though most resolve before a courtroom.
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Free case evaluation
We review what happened, explain your rights, and tell you honestly whether the case looks viable, at no cost.
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Records and expert review
We gather the full medical record from the Aurora hospital or clinic and retain a same-specialty physician to evaluate the standard of care and support the Certificate of Review.
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Notice and filing
We send any required pre-suit notice, including the 182-day governmental notice when a public hospital is involved, file your complaint, and file the Certificate of Review within the 60-day window.
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Discovery and demand
We build the record through depositions and expert discovery, then calculate your full economic and non-economic damages in a documented demand.
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Negotiation
Most cases settle here. We negotiate from a position of trial readiness, not from a willingness to take the first offer.
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Trial
When a hospital or insurer refuses a fair resolution, our trial lawyers are prepared to present your case to a jury in the Arapahoe County District Court, 18th Judicial District.
We work on a contingency fee. You pay nothing unless we win, and we advance the investigation costs and expert witness fees these cases require so you can focus on healing.
Why Aurora patients choose CGH
Why Aurora malpractice victims choose CGH Injury Lawyers
Taking on a hospital and its insurer is expensive and slow, and many firms will not do it. Here is what CGH brings to an Aurora medical malpractice case.
- We advance the substantial expert and investigation costs these cases require, so the cost of a same-specialty review never stands between you and a viable claim.
- Kevin Cheney is an ABOTA member who has tried over 25 cases to verdict. Insurers that know CGH know we go to trial when they do not offer fair value.
- Timothy G. Tarr has been recognized by Best Lawyers every year since 2023, a peer-recognition credential across Colorado personal injury law.
- Every case is handled by a licensed Colorado attorney, not a paralegal, and we tell you honestly where your case stands at each stage.
- CGH is bilingual: we serve Aurora's Spanish-speaking community in English and Spanish at no additional cost.
Frequently asked questions
Aurora medical malpractice lawyer: frequently asked questions
What has to be proven in an Aurora medical malpractice case?
You must prove four elements: that a provider owed you a duty of care, that they breached the accepted standard of care through negligence, that the breach directly caused your injury, and that you suffered measurable damages as a result. The breach element almost always requires testimony from a qualified medical expert who can explain how the care fell short.
Does it matter that I was treated at a hospital on the Anschutz Medical Campus?
It can matter a great deal. Some Aurora hospitals are operated within a state university or other governmental system, which can make them a public entity. When the defendant is a government-run hospital, you must file a written notice of claim within 182 days of discovering the injury under the Colorado Governmental Immunity Act (C.R.S. 24-10-109), and that notice is a jurisdictional prerequisite. We confirm the legal status of the facility that treated you early so this much shorter deadline is never missed.
What is a Certificate of Review and why does it matter?
A Certificate of Review is a written statement from a same-specialty physician confirming that your claim does not lack substantial justification (C.R.S. 13-20-602). It must be filed with the court within 60 days of your complaint. Missing that deadline can get your case dismissed, which is why expert selection happens early in an Aurora malpractice case.
How long do I have to file a medical malpractice claim after Aurora treatment?
Generally two years from when you discovered, or should have discovered, the injury, with an absolute three-year deadline from the date of the negligence (C.R.S. 13-80-102.5). Narrow exceptions exist, such as a foreign object left in the body or concealment. Claims against a government-run Aurora hospital have a much shorter 182-day notice deadline, so talk to a lawyer promptly.
Does Colorado cap medical malpractice damages?
Colorado caps non-economic damages such as pain and suffering under the Health Care Availability Act (C.R.S. 13-64-302). House Bill 24-1472 raised the caps effective January 1, 2025 and set further annual increases. Economic damages, including medical bills, lost wages, and future care costs, are not capped. The cap figure that applies depends on the date of the negligence.
Can I still recover a lot if non-economic damages are capped?
Often yes, especially in serious cases. Because economic damages have no cap, a well-built case focuses on uncapped losses such as lifetime care costs, ongoing medical needs, and lost earning capacity, which in catastrophic cases can make up the bulk of the recovery.
Where would my Aurora medical malpractice lawsuit be filed?
Most Aurora medical malpractice lawsuits are filed in the Arapahoe County District Court, 18th Judicial District, with civil matters heard at the Arapahoe County Justice Center, 7325 S. Potomac Street, Centennial, CO 80112. Aurora also extends into Adams and Douglas counties, and the county where the care occurred controls where the case is filed. Most claims settle before a lawsuit is filed, but venue affects the local rules and jury pool. CGH handles Arapahoe County District Court cases directly.
Do I have to pay anything to hire an Aurora medical malpractice lawyer?
No. We work on a contingency fee, so you pay nothing unless we win your case. We cover investigation costs and expert witness fees upfront. If we secure compensation through a verdict or settlement, our fee is a percentage of the recovery, agreed on in advance.
Does CGH Injury Lawyers have an Aurora office?
No. CGH Injury Lawyers serves Aurora from our single office at 2701 Lawrence St., Suite 201, Denver, CO 80205, (303) 209-9395. We do not have a separate Aurora office. We represent Aurora medical malpractice victims without requiring travel for every meeting, and we come to you when your injuries limit mobility.
Related pages
Related Aurora and statewide injury pages
IT'S MORE THAN MONEY.
A provider in Aurora failed you. We hold them accountable.
Free consultation. No fee unless we win. Serving Aurora from our Denver office.
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