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I-76 and US-85 corridors through Brighton, Colorado. CGH Injury Lawyers represents car accident victims in Brighton and Adams County from our Denver office.
Brighton, Colorado

Brighton Car Accident Lawyers Who Build Your Claim to Full Value on I-76, US-85, and Beyond

A crash on Interstate 76, US Highway 85, or State Highway 7 can leave you facing emergency bills, lost income, and an insurer already working to limit your payout. CGH Injury Lawyers serves Brighton car accident victims from our Denver office, files in Adams County when insurers refuse to be fair, and collects nothing unless we win for you.

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Serving Brighton 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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  • Brighton car accident cases that exceed the county-court jurisdictional limit are filed at the Adams County District Court, 1100 Judicial Center Dr., Brighton, CO 80601, in Colorado's 17th Judicial District. CGH Injury Lawyers files and tries Adams County car accident cases directly from our Denver office. CGH Injury Lawyers does not have a Brighton office. We serve Brighton from our Denver office and come to you.
  • Colorado gives you three years from the date of the crash to file a car accident lawsuit (C.R.S. 13-80-101(1)(n)). If a City of Brighton vehicle, an Adams County fleet vehicle, or a CDOT truck caused or contributed to the crash, you must also serve a written notice of claim within 182 days of discovering the injury under the Colorado Governmental Immunity Act (C.R.S. 24-10-109(1)), or the government-entity claim is permanently barred.
  • Colorado follows modified comparative fault (C.R.S. 13-21-111): you can recover as long as you were less than 50 percent at fault, and your award is reduced by your share of fault. If you are found 50 percent or more at fault, you recover nothing. Insurers use this rule aggressively on Brighton's multi-lane corridors, where fault is often genuinely disputed.

Brighton sits at the convergence of Interstate 76, US Highway 85, and State Highway 7, three major corridors that carry commercial freight, long-haul trucks, agricultural equipment, and commuter traffic through Adams County every day. That combination of high-speed interstate travel, heavy commercial vehicles on US-85, and regional connector traffic on SH-7 produces real and recurring crash risk for Brighton drivers, passengers, and their families. When a crash on those corridors or on Brighton's local roads leaves you injured, CGH Injury Lawyers manages the claim from our Denver office, negotiates with the insurer on your behalf, and files in Adams County court when a fair settlement is refused. You pay nothing unless we recover for you.

Where Brighton crashes happen

The Brighton roads and intersections behind the most serious car accident claims

Brighton's road network places the city at one of Adams County's highest-volume corridor junctions. Knowing which road produced your crash, and what type of vehicle was involved, shapes how the claim is built and who bears liability beyond the at-fault driver.

  1. Interstate 76: High-Speed Freight and Rear-End Crashes

    Interstate 76 runs east-west through Brighton, connecting the Denver metro to northeastern Colorado and carrying a continuous mix of commuter vehicles, commercial delivery trucks, and long-haul freight. The speed differential between loaded commercial trucks and passenger vehicles on this corridor means that rear-end and sideswipe crashes happen at highway speeds. Brighton's on-ramps and off-ramps concentrate merge conflicts where relative vehicle speeds change quickly and abruptly. When a commercial carrier is at fault on I-76, liability does not stop with the driver. The trucking company, the cargo loader, and the vehicle's maintenance contractor can all bear responsibility, which means building the claim correctly from the first day matters far more than on a standard two-car crash.

  2. US Highway 85: Commercial Freight Corridor and Intersection Hazards

    US Highway 85 runs north-south through Brighton as one of Adams and Weld County's primary commercial freight routes. Semi-trucks, construction equipment, and agricultural vehicles share lanes with passenger cars at both signalized and unsignalized intersections along this corridor. Stopping distances for loaded commercial vehicles are substantially longer than most drivers expect, and left-turn crashes at uncontrolled or under-signalized crossings are a documented source of serious injuries in this part of Adams County. When a commercial vehicle on US-85 is at fault, federal trucking regulations apply: driver hours-of-service logs, vehicle inspection records, and the carrier's safety history all become part of the investigation. We trace that liability chain from day one.

  3. State Highway 7: Commuter and Agricultural Traffic Transitions

    State Highway 7 is a regional connector that links Brighton with other Front Range communities, routing commuter traffic during peak hours alongside slower-moving agricultural and commercial vehicles. Speed limit transitions along SH-7, particularly the shift from open highway to Brighton's commercial zones, create conditions where drivers underestimate following distance. Pedestrian crossings where SH-7 intersects Brighton's local road network can be poorly illuminated or inadequately marked, creating exposure for both drivers and the pedestrians crossing in their path. Crashes involving a government road defect or inadequate signage on SH-7 may also implicate a government entity, triggering the 182-day CGIA notice requirement under C.R.S. 24-10-109(1).

  4. Corridor Intersections: Where I-76, US-85, and SH-7 Cross Each Other

    The points where Brighton's three major corridors cross each other or cross local Brighton roads are the locations where crash severity tends to be highest and fault disputes are most contested. Vehicles traveling at highway speed from one corridor enter intersections with vehicles from another at angles and relative speeds that leave little margin for error. Commercial trucks with long stopping distances, passenger vehicles misjudging gaps, and agricultural equipment moving slowly through intersections designed for standard traffic all contribute to the pattern. Fault in multi-directional intersection crashes often comes down to traffic control, signage, and signal timing, factors that involve not just the at-fault driver but potentially the government entity responsible for maintaining the intersection.

  5. Agricultural Equipment and Slow-Moving Vehicle Crashes

    Brighton and the surrounding Adams County agricultural corridor mean that slow-moving farm equipment regularly shares roads with standard vehicle traffic, particularly on US-85 and SH-7. Wide loads and oversized agricultural vehicles create blind spots and debris hazards. When a passenger vehicle crashes into agricultural equipment operating at a fraction of posted speed limits, the question of whether the equipment had proper lighting, markings, and reflective devices becomes central to the claim. Crashes of this type also surface on I-76 when equipment enters the highway from access roads or travels along the shoulder.

After the crash

What to do after a car accident in Brighton

The decisions you make in the hours after a Brighton crash shape what you can recover. These steps protect your health and preserve the evidence an insurer will later try to dispute in Adams County court.

  1. Call 911 and get to safety

    A Brighton Police Department or Adams County Sheriff report creates an official record of the scene, the other driver's insurance information, and the initial description of what happened. On I-76 or US-85, move your vehicle off active travel lanes if you can do so safely before the next vehicle arrives at highway speed.

  2. Get medical care at Platte Valley Medical Center

    Platte Valley Medical Center is the primary hospital serving Brighton and the surrounding Adams and Weld County communities. Symptoms of whiplash, traumatic brain injury, and internal injuries can appear hours or days after a crash, particularly after high-speed highway impacts on I-76. Getting evaluated immediately protects your health and creates a medical record that connects your injuries to the crash. Every emergency room report, imaging study, and discharge summary from Platte Valley becomes part of the foundation of your damages claim.

  3. Document the Brighton crash scene

    Photograph all vehicles involved, the road surface, traffic signals, lane markings, skid marks, and any signage. Note exactly where on I-76, US-85, or SH-7 the crash occurred. Collect the names and contact details of every witness. Camera footage from commercial properties and CDOT cameras along these corridors can be overwritten within days, so contact us before that evidence disappears.

  4. Do not give a recorded statement

    The other driver's insurer, or a commercial trucking company's claims team, is not on your side. Do not agree to a recorded statement or sign any release before speaking with an attorney. On high-volume Brighton corridors, insurance adjusters move quickly to lock in a version of events that minimizes what they owe. A statement you give without legal guidance can be used to argue a higher fault percentage against you under Colorado's comparative fault rule.

  5. Check for government-entity involvement

    If a City of Brighton vehicle, an Adams County fleet vehicle, a CDOT maintenance truck, or a road defect contributed to your crash, the Colorado Governmental Immunity Act requires a formal written notice of claim within 182 days of discovering the injury (C.R.S. 24-10-109(1)). Missing that deadline bars the government-entity claim entirely, even when the underlying facts are strong. That clock runs from the date you discovered the injury, not the date of the crash itself. Call us before the deadline arrives.

  6. Contact a Brighton car accident attorney

    Colorado's three-year filing deadline under C.R.S. 13-80-101(1)(n) means evidence preservation starts now. A free consultation with CGH Injury Lawyers costs you nothing, and it puts an attorney between you and the insurer from the start.

Compensation

What you can recover after a Brighton car accident

Colorado law lets injured people recover the full documented financial loss from a crash and the human cost of living with a serious injury. Two broad categories of damages apply to every Adams County car accident claim.

Economic damages (no cap)

  • Medical expenses, past and future, including emergency care at Platte Valley Medical Center and any long-term rehabilitation costs
  • Lost wages and income from time missed at work during recovery from the crash
  • Loss of future earning capacity when a crash injury affects your ability to work long-term
  • Property damage to your vehicle and other personal property damaged in the crash
  • Rehabilitation, physical therapy, and assistive device costs
  • Out-of-pocket transportation and care expenses directly caused by the crash

Non-economic and other damages

  • Pain and suffering from the crash and the recovery process
  • Emotional distress and anxiety from the accident and its ongoing consequences
  • Loss of enjoyment of life when a Brighton crash injury limits activities you valued before the accident
  • Loss of consortium when a spouse or family member is affected by the injury
  • Compensation for physical impairment or disfigurement, which carries no cap under Colorado law

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. Economic damages such as medical bills and lost wages are never capped. Compensation for physical impairment or disfigurement is not capped at all, which makes those categories the core of high-value Brighton crash claims, particularly in serious I-76 and US-85 collisions where spinal injuries, nerve damage, and permanent functional loss are the types of harm most likely to occur. Punitive damages are available when a defendant acted with fraud, malice, or willful and wanton disregard for others, but require clear and convincing evidence (C.R.S. 13-21-102).

Fault and coverage

What if you were partly at fault for the Brighton crash?

You can still recover in Colorado even if you shared some responsibility for the crash. Colorado follows a modified comparative fault rule under C.R.S. 13-21-111. You can recover damages as long as you were less than 50 percent at fault, and your award is reduced by your percentage of fault. If you are found 50 percent or more at fault, you recover nothing. On a busy multi-lane corridor like I-76 or US-85, where lane changes, merge conflicts, and intersection approaches are constantly disputed, insurers use this rule to argue that you bear more blame than the physical evidence actually supports.

How Colorado car insurance works in a Brighton crash

  • Colorado is not a no-fault state. You pursue your claim against the at-fault driver's liability insurer, not your own policy, in a standard crash involving only private parties.
  • Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage is critical protection when the at-fault driver on I-76, US-85, or SH-7 carries no insurance or limits that fall short of your damages. Colorado UM/UIM claims are governed by C.R.S. 13-80-107.5 under Pham v. State Farm, 2013 CO 17.
  • When a City of Brighton vehicle, an Adams County fleet vehicle, or a CDOT truck contributed to your Brighton crash, the Colorado Governmental Immunity Act (C.R.S. 24-10-114) limits per-person recovery from a government entity to $505,000 and aggregate recovery to $1,421,000 for claims accruing on or after January 1, 2026. That limit makes it especially important to pursue every non-government defendant to the fullest extent of their liability before settling.
How it works

How a Brighton car accident claim moves from crash to recovery

A Brighton car accident claim follows a defined sequence, from a free case evaluation through negotiation and, when necessary, trial at the Adams County District Court in Brighton. Most cases settle before a courtroom, but we prepare every case for an Adams County jury in the 17th Judicial District from day one.

  1. Free case evaluation

    We review the facts of your Brighton crash, explain what Colorado law allows you to recover, and answer your questions at no cost and no obligation.

  2. Investigation

    We gather the Brighton Police or Adams County Sheriff report, camera footage from the I-76 or US-85 corridor, witness statements, and medical records from Platte Valley Medical Center and any other treating facilities. When a case requires it, we bring in accident reconstruction experts and, for commercial trucking claims on US-85, we pursue the carrier's driver logs and inspection records before they are altered or destroyed.

  3. Demand letter

    We calculate the full value of your Brighton crash claim across every category Colorado law allows, economic losses, non-economic losses, and the uncapped physical impairment categories, and send a documented demand to the at-fault insurer.

  4. Negotiation

    Most Brighton car accident cases settle during this stage. We negotiate from a position of trial readiness, not from a willingness to accept the first offer an insurer puts on the table.

  5. Filing suit in the 17th Judicial District

    If the insurer refuses a fair offer, we file at the Adams County District Court, 1100 Judicial Center Dr., Brighton, CO 80601. Brighton is the Adams County seat, so the District Court sits within the city itself. That matters: the local jury pool, the defense attorneys who appear there regularly, and the procedural culture of the 17th Judicial District all shape how Brighton cases are valued and tried.

  6. Trial

    Managing Partner Kevin Cheney is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates and has tried over 25 cases to verdict. When an Adams County jury is what full recovery requires, our trial lawyers are prepared for it.

Not every Brighton car accident case goes to trial. Many settle during negotiation or mediation. We keep you informed at every stage and give you an honest assessment of where your case stands and what it is worth before any decision is made.

Local knowledge

Brighton courts. Brighton trauma care. Brighton crash corridors.

A Brighton car accident claim lives in Brighton: the road where the crash happened, the hospital that treated you, and the courthouse where the lawsuit is filed. Here is the ground we work on for every Adams County car accident client.

Courthouse

Adams County District Court, Brighton (17th Judicial District)

Brighton car accident lawsuits above the county-court jurisdictional limit are filed at the Adams County District Court, 1100 Judicial Center Dr., Brighton, CO 80601, in Colorado's 17th Judicial District. Brighton is the Adams County seat, which means the District Court sits within the city itself. That is a meaningful distinction for a car accident case: unlike injury claims from nearby Adams County cities such as Thornton, Westminster, or Commerce City, a Brighton car accident filed in the 17th Judicial District lands at a courthouse located in Brighton, drawing its jury pool from the community where the crash happened. The local procedural culture, the defense firms that appear regularly, and the Adams County jury pool all shape how Brighton claims are valued and litigated. CGH Injury Lawyers files and tries 17th Judicial District car accident cases directly from our Denver office, with no additional cost to Brighton clients.

Trauma Care

Platte Valley Medical Center

Platte Valley Medical Center is the primary hospital serving Brighton and the surrounding Adams and Weld County communities. When a Brighton car accident sends someone to Platte Valley, those medical records, emergency room reports, imaging studies, and discharge summaries form the evidentiary core of the damages claim. We work directly with medical records and billing documentation from the start of every Brighton case. For catastrophic injuries that require higher-level trauma care, patients may be transferred to a Level I trauma center in the Denver area, and we coordinate records from both the initial treating facility and the receiving center. Presenting those records correctly and completely is one of the most consequential things we do in the early weeks of any serious claim.

High-Crash Roads

Interstate 76, US Highway 85, and State Highway 7

Brighton sits at the convergence of three major corridors, each producing a distinct type of car accident claim. Interstate 76 runs east-west through Adams County, connecting Brighton to the Denver metro and extending northeast toward Nebraska. I-76 carries commuter traffic, commercial freight, and long-haul trucking, creating rear-end and lane-change crash patterns at highway speed where the force of impact is severe. US Highway 85 runs north-south through Brighton as a primary commercial freight route. Semi-trucks, oversized agricultural equipment, and construction vehicles on US-85 share lanes with passenger cars at intersections where stopping distances and blind spots are routinely underestimated. State Highway 7 is a regional connector generating both commuter and agricultural traffic as it passes through Brighton and links Adams County communities to the broader Front Range. Commercial intersections where these three routes cross each other or cross Brighton's local roads are where the severity of impacts tends to be highest and the disputes about fault are most vigorously contested. Knowing these corridors, their specific intersection patterns, and the types of vehicles that travel them is how we build Brighton car accident claims that hold up in the 17th Judicial District.

Your team

The Brighton car accident team behind your 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 Brighton car accident case is handled by a licensed Colorado attorney who files and tries cases in the 17th Judicial District, not by a paralegal.

ABOTA member on the team Tim Tarr: Best Lawyers in America since 2023 Over 25 cases to verdict 17th Judicial District experience Bilingual EN / ES Free consultation No fee unless we win

One thing we will tell you upfront: CGH Injury Lawyers does not have a Brighton office. We serve Brighton car accident clients from our Denver office at 2701 Lawrence St., Suite 201, Denver, CO 80205. We come to you for meetings when needed, we file at the Adams County District Court in Brighton, and we try cases before Adams County juries in the 17th Judicial District. What you get is the work and the result, not a storefront on a Brighton street.

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Frequently asked questions

Brighton car accident frequently asked questions

How long do I have to file a car accident lawsuit in Brighton?

Colorado gives you three years from the date of the crash to file a car accident lawsuit (C.R.S. 13-80-101(1)(n)). That deadline runs from the day of the collision, not from when you finish medical treatment. If a government entity such as the City of Brighton, Adams County, CDOT, or a government vehicle contributed to the crash, you must also serve a formal written notice of claim within 182 days of discovering the injury under the Colorado Governmental Immunity Act (C.R.S. 24-10-109(1)), or the government-entity claim is permanently barred. Do not wait. Camera footage from the I-76 and US-85 corridors and nearby commercial properties can be overwritten within days of the crash.

Where would my Brighton car accident lawsuit be filed?

A Brighton car accident case above the county court jurisdictional limit is filed at the Adams County District Court, 1100 Judicial Center Dr., Brighton, CO 80601, in Colorado's 17th Judicial District. Brighton is the Adams County seat, so the District Court is located within the city itself. That matters for your case because the jury pool is drawn from Brighton and Adams County, and the local procedural rules and defense attorney community are distinct from other Colorado jurisdictions. CGH Injury Lawyers files and tries 17th Judicial District cases directly from our Denver office with no extra charge for Brighton clients.

What if I was partly at fault for the crash on I-76 or US-85?

Colorado follows a modified comparative fault rule under C.R.S. 13-21-111. You can recover 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. On congested Brighton corridors like I-76 and US-85, where lane changes, merge conflicts, and intersection approaches are disputed, insurers aggressively inflate the injured driver's fault percentage to reduce the payout. An attorney who knows those corridors can challenge that assessment with physical evidence, witness accounts, and accident reconstruction when the facts warrant it.

Which hospital treats car accident victims in Brighton?

Platte Valley Medical Center is the primary hospital serving Brighton and the surrounding Adams and Weld County communities. For car accident victims with catastrophic injuries requiring Level I trauma care, patients may be transferred to a Denver-area trauma center. The medical records created at every treating facility, including Platte Valley and any receiving center, document the scope of your injuries and form the core of your damages claim. We work with those records from the start of every Brighton car accident case.

Does Colorado cap what I can recover in a Brighton car accident case?

Economic damages such as medical bills and lost wages are never capped in Colorado. Non-economic damages such as pain and suffering are capped at $1.5 million for claims accruing on or after January 1, 2025 (C.R.S. 13-21-102.5), with inflation adjustments beginning in 2028. Compensation for physical impairment or disfigurement is not capped at all, which is why serious I-76 and US-85 crash cases often build their core value in those uncapped categories. If a government entity contributed to the crash, recovery from that entity is separately capped at $505,000 per person and $1,421,000 per occurrence for claims accruing on or after January 1, 2026 (C.R.S. 24-10-114).

Can I file a claim if I was hit by an uninsured driver on a Brighton road?

Yes. If you carry uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage, you may file a claim with your own insurer when the at-fault driver on I-76, US-85, SH-7, or any other Brighton road carries no insurance or limits that fall short of your damages. Colorado UM/UIM claims are governed by C.R.S. 13-80-107.5 under Pham v. State Farm, 2013 CO 17. An attorney can also evaluate whether the at-fault driver has other assets worth pursuing beyond any available insurance policy.

Does CGH Injury Lawyers have an office in Brighton?

No. CGH Injury Lawyers has one office, at 2701 Lawrence St., Suite 201, Denver, CO 80205, (303) 209-9395. We serve Brighton and Adams County car accident clients from that office, file cases at the Adams County District Court on Judicial Center Drive in Brighton, and meet you wherever is most convenient. There is no additional charge for Brighton clients compared to our Denver-based cases. We are available in English and Spanish.

How long does a Brighton car accident settlement take?

Straightforward Brighton cases with clear liability and documented injuries may settle in a few months. Cases with disputed fault on a high-volume corridor like I-76 or US-85, serious injuries, or a commercial trucking defendant requiring regulatory investigation can take one to three years or longer. Settling before you reach maximum medical improvement almost always leaves money on the table. We advise you honestly about timing at every stage and will not pressure you to settle for less than the full value of what you lost.

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CGH Injury Lawyers · 2701 Lawrence St., Suite 201, Denver, CO 80205 · Serving Brighton and Adams County