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Front Range foothills above Boulder, Colorado. CGH Injury Lawyers represents drunk-driving crash victims in Boulder from our Denver office.
Boulder, Colorado

When a Drunk Driver Hurt You in Boulder, We Make Them Pay in Full

A DUI crash is not an accident. It is a choice someone made before they got behind the wheel. CGH Injury Lawyers pursues the impaired driver, the insurer, and in the right cases the bar that overserved them, so you recover everything Colorado law allows. Serving Boulder from our Denver office. No fee unless we win.

No fee unless we win
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It's More Than Money.

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Serving Boulder 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 drunk-driving crash in Boulder is a civil personal injury case built on ordinary negligence. You generally have three years from the date of the crash to file a lawsuit for injuries arising out of the use or operation of a motor vehicle (C.R.S. 13-80-101(1)(n)).
  • Colorado uses modified comparative fault. You can still recover even if you were partly at fault, as long as you were less than 50 percent responsible, with your award reduced by your share (C.R.S. 13-21-111).
  • If a Boulder bar or restaurant willfully served a visibly intoxicated patron or anyone under 21 who then caused the crash, Colorado's Dram Shop Act (C.R.S. 44-3-801) may add a second source of recovery, but it carries a strict one-year filing deadline.

A drunk driver who hit you on U.S. 36, the Diagonal Highway, or 28th Street made a choice, and Colorado law lets you hold them accountable for the harm that choice caused. CGH Injury Lawyers serves Boulder crash victims from our Denver office, handling the insurance fight, the negotiation, and trial in the Boulder County Combined Court when an insurer refuses to be fair. You pay nothing unless we recover for you.

The law that governs your case

How Colorado law treats a Boulder drunk-driving crash

A DUI crash injury claim is a motor vehicle negligence case. The driver's criminal DUI charge runs on a separate track from your civil claim for money. Understanding how the two relate, and which Colorado rules control your recovery, is the first step to getting paid in full.

To recover after a Boulder crash you prove ordinary negligence: that the at-fault driver owed you a duty of care, breached that duty, caused the collision, and caused you measurable harm. Driving while impaired is strong evidence of breach, and a criminal DUI conviction can support your civil case, but your right to compensation does not depend on whether the criminal case ends in a conviction.

Two Colorado rules shape what you ultimately collect. The filing deadline for a motor vehicle injury lawsuit is three years from the date of the crash (C.R.S. 13-80-101(1)(n)). And Colorado follows modified comparative fault under C.R.S. 13-21-111, so you can recover as long as your own share of fault is less than 50 percent, with your award reduced by your percentage. Insurance adjusters often try to shift blame onto the injured person, which is exactly why how fault gets allocated matters so much.

Who can be held responsible

The drunk driver, and sometimes the bar that overserved

Most drunk-driving cases run against the impaired driver and their auto insurer. But Colorado also recognizes a second source of recovery in narrow circumstances: the licensed establishment that put the alcohol in the driver's hand. Identifying every responsible party is how serious DUI-crash recoveries are built.

The impaired driver

  • You prove ordinary negligence: duty, breach, causation, and damages.
  • Driving while impaired is powerful evidence that the driver breached the duty of care.
  • You file within three years of the crash (C.R.S. 13-80-101(1)(n)).
  • Your recovery can be reduced if you are found partly at fault, but only bars you at 50 percent or more (C.R.S. 13-21-111).

The bar or restaurant (Dram Shop)

  • Available when a licensed vendor willfully and knowingly served a visibly intoxicated patron, or anyone under 21, who then caused the harm (C.R.S. 44-3-801).
  • The deadline is strict: the action must be commenced within one year after the alcohol was sold or served (C.R.S. 44-3-801(3)(a)(II)).
  • Total dram shop liability is capped at $465,730 for claims accruing in 2026 and 2027, as certified by the Colorado Secretary of State (C.R.S. 44-3-801(3)(c)).
  • The amount that applies depends on when the injury occurred.

The dram shop window closes fast. One year from the night of the drinks is far shorter than the three-year deadline for the claim against the driver, and the evidence that proves overservice, including receipts, surveillance video, and server records, disappears quickly. If a Boulder establishment may have overserved the driver who hit you, the time to investigate is now, not later.

Local Knowledge

Boulder roads. Boulder trauma care. The Boulder courthouse.

A Boulder DUI crash case is grounded in Boulder: the corridors where impaired-driving collisions cluster, the hospital that stabilized you, and the courthouse where your case may be filed. Here is the ground we work on, even though our office is in Denver.

Where crashes happen

U.S. 36, the Diagonal, and 28th Street

Boulder County's Vision Zero program reports impaired driving as a common contributing factor in serious crashes, alongside excessive speed and centerline crossings. The U.S. 36 (Denver-Boulder Turnpike) corridor has seen multiple fatalities from head-on and single-vehicle crashes, U.S. 287 has logged numerous head-on and speed-related crashes, and Colorado 119, the Diagonal Highway between Boulder and Longmont, has seen curve-related crashes and motorcyclist fatalities. Within the city, the 28th Street and Arapahoe Avenue intersection recorded roughly 30 accidents at or near it in 2022 through early December. Boulder County recorded 22 traffic deaths in 2023, 19 in 2024, and 17 in 2025.

Trauma Care

Foothills Hospital, Boulder

Foothills Hospital (Boulder Community Health) at 4747 Arapahoe Avenue is a Level II Trauma Center verified by the American College of Surgeons, and the first Level II Trauma Center designated in Boulder County. After a serious DUI crash, those trauma records document the full scope of your injuries and become the backbone of your damages claim. Get examined even if you feel fine, because injuries like traumatic brain injury and internal trauma can surface hours or days later.

Courthouse

Boulder County Combined Court

Personal injury cases arising in Boulder County are filed in the Boulder County Combined Court (District Court, 20th Judicial District) at 1777 6th St., Boulder, with an alternate location in Longmont at 1035 Kimbark St. The criminal DUI case proceeds separately. We handle the civil case in the 20th Judicial District directly, while you focus on recovery.

Why CGH

Why Boulder DUI-crash victims choose CGH Injury Lawyers

Trial-ready attorneys, a real Colorado history of car-crash verdicts, bilingual help, and no fee unless we win. We do not publish a single promised settlement figure for your case, because every DUI crash is different and a number on a page tells you nothing about what yours is worth. What we offer is the work, not a headline.

Two Sources of Recovery

The driver and the bar.

We pursue the impaired driver and, where the facts support it, the establishment that overserved under C.R.S. 44-3-801. More responsible parties can mean more available coverage for your losses.

Boulder County Verdict

$1,654,629 in Boulder County.

A car crash verdict our firm recovered in Boulder County, published on our case results page. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome, and every case depends on its own facts, but it shows we try cases here.

The Clock on the Bar

One year, not three.

A dram shop claim must be filed within one year of the service. We move fast to preserve receipts and video before they vanish.

Who Pays

The insurers, not your wallet.

Recovery comes from the driver's auto liability coverage, your own UM/UIM coverage, and any dram shop policy, not from your savings.

Trial-Ready

8 attorneys, prepared for trial.

CGH Injury Lawyers is a eight-attorney Colorado firm founded in 2016. Managing Partner Kevin Cheney is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates and has tried over 25 cases to verdict. Timothy G. Tarr has been recognized by Best Lawyers every year since 2023. Insurers respond differently to lawyers who are genuinely ready to try a case.

Bilingual

Hablamos espanol.

Spanish-speaking staff and attorneys serve Boulder's Spanish-speaking community.

No Win, No Fee

Contingency only.

You pay nothing out of pocket for legal fees. We advance costs and collect only from a settlement or verdict.

One honest thing we will tell you up front: we will not promise a recovery we cannot pursue. If the only potentially liable party is judgment-proof and uninsured, and you carry no uninsured motorist coverage, we will say so in the free review rather than sign you up and let the case stall. When the law and the coverage are there, we fight hard. When they are not, you deserve to hear that early, for free.

After the Crash

What to do after a drunk-driving crash in Boulder

Take care of your health first, get the police involved, protect the evidence, then call before you talk to any insurer. The DUI angle adds steps most people miss. Here is the path we walk with you.

  1. Call 911 and get medical care

    Report the crash and ask for police. A DUI arrest at the scene creates a record that supports your civil claim. Get examined at Foothills Hospital or another facility even if you feel fine, because serious injuries can appear hours later.

  2. Make sure impairment is documented

    Note any signs you observed and tell the responding officer. The police report, field sobriety tests, and any chemical test results become important evidence in your civil case.

  3. Document the scene

    Photograph the vehicles, road conditions, and your injuries. Collect witness names and contacts, and write down the police report number before you leave. Note where the driver had been before the crash if you learn it.

  4. Do not give a recorded statement

    The other driver's insurer is not on your side. Do not agree to a recorded statement or sign anything before an attorney reviews it. Call (303) 209-9395.

  5. Act fast if a bar may be involved

    If the driver had been drinking at a Boulder establishment, the one-year dram shop deadline (C.R.S. 44-3-801) and disappearing evidence mean every day counts. Tell us where they were drinking so we can investigate immediately.

  6. We build your claim

    We gather the police report and any DUI records, identify every insurance policy in play, investigate possible overservice, and document the full extent of your injuries before we negotiate.

Compensation

What compensation can you recover after a Boulder DUI crash?

Colorado law lets injured people recover two broad categories of damages after a crash: economic losses you can document with bills and records, and non-economic losses for the human cost of an injury. A DUI crash can also open the door to punitive damages.

Economic damages

  • Medical expenses, past and future
  • Lost wages and lost income
  • Loss of earning capacity
  • Property damage to your vehicle
  • Rehabilitation and therapy costs
  • Out-of-pocket expenses tied to the crash

Non-economic damages

  • Pain and suffering
  • Emotional distress
  • Loss of enjoyment of life
  • Loss of consortium for a spouse or family

For claims accruing on or after January 1, 2025, Colorado caps non-economic damages such as pain and suffering at $1.5 million under C.R.S. 13-21-102.5, with inflation adjustments beginning in 2028 (lower, inflation-adjusted caps apply to older claims based on when the claim accrued). Compensation for physical impairment or disfigurement is not capped, and economic damages such as medical bills and lost wages are never capped. Drunk-driving cases also raise punitive damages, which Colorado allows when a defendant acted with fraud, malice, or willful and wanton disregard for the safety of others. Where a dram shop claim applies, total dram shop liability is separately capped at $465,730 for claims accruing in 2026 and 2027 (C.R.S. 44-3-801(3)(c)).

What the other side argues

Defenses insurers raise in Boulder DUI-crash cases, and how we answer them

Even when their driver was arrested for DUI, insurers fight to pay less. They reach for the same handful of arguments. Knowing what each one actually requires is how we keep a strong claim from being chipped away.

  1. "You were partly at fault"

    Under Colorado's modified comparative fault rule (C.R.S. 13-21-111), an insurer that pins some blame on you can reduce your recovery, and can defeat it entirely if it pushes your share to 50 percent or more. Adjusters routinely inflate the injured person's fault percentage. We use the police report, the DUI evidence, and reconstruction when needed to keep fault where it belongs.

  2. "Your injuries are not that serious"

    Insurers seize on any gap in treatment or any pre-existing condition to argue your harm is minor or unrelated. Complete trauma records from Foothills Hospital and consistent follow-up care answer that argument with documentation, not assertion.

  3. "The bar is not responsible"

    A dram shop claim requires proof the licensee willfully and knowingly served a visibly intoxicated patron or someone under 21 (C.R.S. 44-3-801), and it must be filed within one year. Vendors and their insurers contest these elements hard. We move quickly to secure the receipts, server testimony, and video that meet the standard.

We are candid about where a dram shop theory does and does not fit. The standard is willful and knowing service, not merely that a patron drank somewhere, and the one-year deadline is unforgiving. If the facts do not support that second claim, we will tell you in the free review and focus your case where the recovery actually is. When the proof is there, we pursue it fully.

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Finding the coverage

How insurance works in a Boulder drunk-driving crash

DUI crashes often involve drivers with minimal coverage, which makes finding every available policy the difference between a partial recovery and a full one. Here is how the coverage usually stacks up.

  • You pursue your claim against the at-fault driver's liability insurer. Colorado is not a no-fault state, so you generally file against the impaired driver's coverage, not your own first.
  • Uninsured and underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage is critical protection when the drunk driver has no insurance or limits too low to cover your injuries. It pays from your own policy when the at-fault coverage runs out.
  • Where a Boulder bar or restaurant overserved the driver, a dram shop claim against the establishment's liability coverage may add a separate source of recovery (C.R.S. 44-3-801), subject to the one-year deadline and the statutory cap.
  • The insurer contests the claim regardless of how clear the DUI was. Having counsel is how you make every insurer involved meet its obligation.
Questions

Boulder DUI crash, frequently asked questions

Do I have a civil case if the drunk driver was already arrested or charged?

Yes. The criminal DUI case and your civil injury claim are separate. The criminal case can punish the driver, but it does not pay your medical bills or lost wages. Your civil claim is a motor vehicle negligence case for money, and a DUI arrest or conviction can be powerful evidence in it. You can pursue compensation regardless of how the criminal case turns out.

How long do I have to file a DUI crash lawsuit in Boulder?

For the claim against the driver, Colorado gives you three years from the date of the crash to file a lawsuit for injuries arising out of the use or operation of a motor vehicle (C.R.S. 13-80-101(1)(n)). A dram shop claim against a bar that overserved is far shorter: it must be commenced within one year after the alcohol was sold or served (C.R.S. 44-3-801(3)(a)(II)). Other deadlines can apply, so consult an attorney early.

Can I sue the Boulder bar that served the drunk driver?

Sometimes. Colorado's Dram Shop Act (C.R.S. 44-3-801) lets an injured person sue a licensed vendor that willfully and knowingly served a visibly intoxicated patron, or anyone under 21, who then caused the harm. It is a demanding standard, the claim must be filed within one year of the service, and total dram shop liability is capped at $465,730 for claims accruing in 2026 and 2027 (C.R.S. 44-3-801(3)(c)). We investigate whether the facts support this second claim early, while the evidence still exists.

What if the drunk driver had no insurance or very little?

If you carry uninsured or underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage, you may file a claim under your own policy when the at-fault driver has no insurance or limits too low to cover your injuries. A dram shop claim against an establishment that overserved the driver may add another source of recovery. We identify every policy in play before assuming the limits are the ceiling on your case.

What if I was partly at fault for the Boulder crash?

You can still recover. 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, and your award is reduced by your percentage of fault. If you are found 50 percent or more at fault, you cannot recover. Insurers often inflate the injured person's fault to reduce payouts, and an attorney can challenge that assessment.

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

Often, yes. Colorado allows punitive damages when a defendant acted with fraud, malice, or a willful and wanton disregard for the safety of others, and driving while impaired can meet that standard. Punitive damages are separate from the compensatory damages that cover your bills and pain, and they are decided under their own rules. We evaluate whether the facts of your DUI crash support a punitive claim.

Where would my Boulder DUI crash lawsuit be filed?

Personal injury cases arising in Boulder County are filed in the Boulder County Combined Court (District Court, 20th Judicial District) at 1777 6th St. in Boulder, with an alternate location in Longmont at 1035 Kimbark St. Most cases settle before a lawsuit is ever filed, but where a case would be filed affects the local rules and the jury pool. We handle 20th Judicial District cases directly from our Denver office.

Do you have a Boulder office?

We serve Boulder from our Denver office at 2701 Lawrence St., Suite 201, Denver, CO 80205. Boulder is a short drive down U.S. 36, and we handle cases in the Boulder County Combined Court and the 20th Judicial District. You can reach us anytime at (303) 209-9395, and we can discuss your case by phone, video, or in person without you driving to Denver.

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It's More Than Money.

A drunk driver changed your life. Hold them accountable.

Free consultation. No fee unless we win. Serving Boulder from our Denver office, in English and Spanish.

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CGH Injury Lawyers · Serving Boulder from 2701 Lawrence St., Suite 201, Denver, CO 80205