ClickCease
Free consultations · Se habla espanol
Colorado Springs, Colorado. CGH Injury Lawyers represents hit-and-run victims across El Paso County.
Colorado Springs, El Paso County

Colorado Springs Hit and Run Accident Lawyers Who Chase What the Fleeing Driver Left Behind

When the driver who hit you on I-25, Powers Boulevard, or US-24 fled the scene, Colorado law lets you file a claim through your own uninsured motorist coverage. CGH Injury Lawyers serves Colorado Springs from our Denver office at 2701 Lawrence St. We pursue every dollar the law makes available. No fee unless we win.

No fee unless we win

It's More Than Money.

Get my free hit-and-run case review

100% confidential. No fee unless we win.

Serving Colorado Springs from our Denver office CGH Injury Lawyers 2701 Lawrence St., Suite 201 Denver, CO 80205 (303) 209-9395 Se habla espanol
5-star rated on Google ABOTA trial advocate on the team Trial lawyers, not a settlement mill 8 attorneys, bilingual EN / ES
  • When a driver flees the scene in Colorado Springs, Colorado law treats them as an uninsured motorist. Your own uninsured motorist (UM) coverage becomes your primary path to compensation under C.R.S. 10-4-609.
  • Under C.R.S. 10-4-609(4), purchasing UM coverage in Colorado automatically includes underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage. Both must be offered to you equal to your bodily injury liability limits, and any rejection must be in writing signed by the named insured.
  • Colorado follows a modified comparative negligence rule with a 50 percent bar (C.R.S. 13-21-111). You can recover if your share of fault is less than 50 percent, but your award is reduced proportionally. If you are found 50 percent or more at fault, you recover nothing.

A hit-and-run crash is one of the most frustrating outcomes of a Colorado Springs collision. You did nothing wrong, you are left with injuries, and the person who hit you is gone. CGH Injury Lawyers serves Colorado Springs and El Paso County from our Denver office at 2701 Lawrence St. We know how I-25, Powers Boulevard, US-24, and the 4th Judicial District courthouse work. We handle your UM claim, fight the insurance company's delay tactics, and take the case to the El Paso County District Court when that is what it takes. You pay nothing unless we win.

The law that governs your case

Colorado hit-and-run law decoded: UM coverage, stacking, and your rights

Hit-and-run crashes trigger a specific corner of Colorado insurance law. Three rules shape your recovery more than any others. Knowing all three before you talk to an adjuster is the difference between a full claim and a permanently reduced one.

Rule 1: Hit-and-run triggers your UM coverage

  • Colorado treats a driver who flees the scene as an uninsured motorist. Your UM policy pays your damages even though no one is identified on the other side.
  • UM pays when the at-fault driver had no insurance, fled the scene, or was a phantom vehicle. You do not need the other driver's name or plate to make the claim.
  • Every auto insurer in Colorado must offer you UM coverage equal to your bodily injury liability limits under C.R.S. 10-4-609. If you were never offered that coverage in writing, the rejection may be invalid.
  • Because you are now negotiating against your own carrier, the same tactics used on third-party claims get pointed at you: recorded-statement traps, blanket medical authorizations, and low first offers.

Rule 2: Stacking can multiply your available coverage

  • Colorado allowed stacking again through a 2007 amendment to C.R.S. 10-4-609 that took effect January 1, 2008. After that change, insurers can no longer prohibit stacking by policy language when separate premiums are charged.
  • Stacking lets you combine UM limits across multiple vehicles or policies. If you have two vehicles on separate policies or multiple household policies, the total available coverage may be larger than the limit on any single policy.
  • Stacking analysis is policy-specific. We pull every declarations page and endorsement first, because the final available amount depends on the exact policy language and your household facts.

Rule 3: Colorado's modified comparative negligence rule

Colorado follows a modified comparative negligence rule with a 50 percent bar (C.R.S. 13-21-111). If you are found less than 50 percent at fault, you can recover damages, but your award is reduced by your percentage of fault. If you are 50 percent or more at fault, you recover nothing. In a hit-and-run case your adjuster will sometimes argue you contributed to the crash even without the other driver's account to contradict. Challenging that fault assignment is often the first real battleground in these cases.

Colorado also provides a statutory bad-faith cause of action under C.R.S. 10-3-1115 and 10-3-1116 when your own insurer unreasonably delays or denies a UM claim it knows is valid. Adding a documented bad-faith claim frequently shifts the negotiation dynamic immediately.

Local Knowledge

Colorado Springs roads, courts, and trauma care: the ground your case lives on

A hit-and-run case in Colorado Springs means El Paso County crash reports, the 4th Judicial District courthouse, UCHealth Memorial Hospital Central trauma records, and corridors like I-25 and Powers Boulevard where these crashes cluster. Knowing that geography changes how we build your case.

Courthouse

El Paso County District Court (4th Judicial District)

Personal injury cases arising in El Paso County are filed at the El Paso County District Court, 4th Judicial District of Colorado, located at 270 S Tejon St, Colorado Springs, CO 80903. CGH Injury Lawyers handles 4th Judicial District cases directly from our Denver office. When a UM claim cannot be resolved in negotiation or arbitration, we file suit and represent you in Colorado Springs.

Level I Trauma Center

UCHealth Memorial Hospital Central

The most critically injured crash victims in Colorado Springs are transported to UCHealth Memorial Hospital Central, a CDPHE-designated and ACS-verified Level I Adult / Level II Pediatric Trauma Center. Those trauma records document the full scope of your injuries, from internal bleeding and traumatic brain injury to orthopedic and spinal trauma, and become the backbone of your damages claim. Penrose Hospital (CommonSpirit Health) holds Level II Trauma Center designation and also treats major crash injuries in the region. UCHealth Memorial Hospital North provides Level III Trauma Center care for patients in northern Colorado Springs.

High-Risk Corridors

I-25, Powers Boulevard, and US-24

Colorado Springs is a city of 488,664 residents (U.S. Census Bureau, July 2023) built around high-speed corridors where hit-and-run crashes concentrate. I-25, the north-south backbone, sees documented multi-vehicle crash clusters between Mesa Ridge Parkway and downtown, with black ice on bridges near the Woodmen Road interchange contributing to winter events. Powers Boulevard (Colorado State Highway 21) carries Peterson Space Force Base commuter surges. US-24 runs west toward Pikes Peak and draws 500,000+ annual visitors, generating eastbound congestion and speed differentials at dawn and dusk. Fort Carson's shift-change surges on South Academy Boulevard add a predictable daily crash window from 0600 to 0800 and 1500 to 1700. When we build your case, we pull the CDOT incident data and CSPD report for the specific corridor where your crash occurred.

Who we represent

Colorado Springs hit-and-run victims we represent, and one honest thing we tell you up front

We take cases where the law and facts support a genuine recovery. We do not take cases we cannot honestly stand behind. Here is how those lines are drawn.

We represent

  • Drivers and passengers hurt in Colorado Springs hit-and-run crashes who have UM coverage on their own policy or a household policy.
  • Pedestrians and cyclists struck by a driver who fled on I-25, Powers Boulevard, US-24, South Academy Boulevard, or local Colorado Springs streets.
  • Victims who were in someone else's vehicle when the crash occurred and may have access to coverage through the vehicle owner's policy, their own policy, or an employer policy.
  • Phantom-vehicle victims where a driver ran you off the road without physical contact and left the scene, where corroborating evidence such as a dashcam, witness, or physical damage supports the claim.
  • Families of Colorado Springs residents killed in hit-and-run crashes pursuing a wrongful death claim.

One thing we will tell you clearly

  • If your UM coverage was validly rejected in writing and signed by the named insured, and no other household or vehicle policy provides coverage, that rejection limits the UM path. We confirm every policy in your household before assuming there is no coverage, because improperly executed rejections have been overturned in Colorado courts.
  • Phantom-vehicle cases require corroborating evidence. If your crash left no physical evidence on your vehicle and there are no witnesses, we will be honest about what that means for the claim before you invest time in it.
  • If you are found 50 percent or more at fault under Colorado's modified comparative negligence rule (C.R.S. 13-21-111), you recover nothing. We evaluate that exposure honestly in the first consultation, not after months of litigation.
Why CGH

Why Colorado Springs hit-and-run victims choose CGH Injury Lawyers

Trial-ready attorneys, deep UM claim experience, bilingual service, and no fee unless we win. We do not publish settlement figures because every hit-and-run case turns on different policy limits, stacking facts, and injury severity. What we offer is the work, not a headline.

The Statute

C.R.S. 10-4-609

Colorado requires every auto insurer to offer UM coverage equal to your liability limits. The fleeing driver does not end the claim. Your own policy often carries the recovery.

4th Judicial District

We litigate in Colorado Springs.

We handle El Paso County District Court cases directly from our Denver office. When your UM claim needs to go to the 4th Judicial District courthouse at 270 S Tejon St, we are the attorneys in the room.

Bad Faith

We put bad faith on the table.

When your insurer unreasonably delays or denies your UM claim, C.R.S. 10-3-1115 and 10-3-1116 give you a separate statutory claim. We document every lowball offer for the file.

Stacking

We find every policy in your household.

Colorado stacking rights restored Jan 1, 2008 under C.R.S. 10-4-609. Multiple vehicles or policies may mean more coverage than a single declarations page shows.

Trial-Ready

8 attorneys built for trial.

Managing Partner Kevin Cheney is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) and Treasurer of the Colorado Trial Lawyers Association. Timothy G. Tarr has been recognized by Best Lawyers every year since 2023. When your carrier knows CGH is on the case, the negotiation starts from a different position.

Bilingual

Hablamos espanol.

Spanish-speaking staff and attorneys serve Colorado Springs' Spanish-speaking community. No language barrier between you and the firm handling your case.

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. A hit-and-run should not also bankrupt you trying to pursue justice.

After the crash

What to do after a hit-and-run crash in Colorado Springs

The first hours after a hit-and-run are the window where evidence is saved or lost. Take care of your health first. Then protect the claim.

  1. Get medical care immediately

    If your injuries are serious, ask to be taken to UCHealth Memorial Hospital Central, the Level I Trauma Center in Colorado Springs. For less critical injuries, Penrose Hospital (Level II) and UCHealth Memorial Hospital North (Level III) also provide trauma-level care. Get examined regardless of how you feel at the scene. Adrenaline masks symptoms, and delayed medical documentation weakens your claim.

  2. Call Colorado Springs Police and get a crash report

    Report the crash to law enforcement. An official CSPD or El Paso County Sheriff crash report creates the documented record of the hit-and-run. Note the direction the driver fled, the vehicle color, make, and any partial plate you observed. That report number is the foundation of your UM claim file.

  3. Preserve every piece of evidence at the scene

    Photograph your injuries, your vehicle, the road surface, and any debris the fleeing vehicle left behind. Look immediately for dashcam footage in nearby cars and surveillance cameras on nearby businesses or traffic lights. On I-25, Powers Boulevard (SH-21), and US-24, CDOT traffic cameras may have captured the crash. Witness names and contact information are critical. Evidence disappears fast.

  4. Notify your insurer promptly, then stop talking

    Your auto policy likely has a prompt-reporting requirement. Notify your insurer that a hit-and-run occurred. Then stop. Do not give a recorded statement, accept a first offer, or sign any release before speaking with an attorney. The adjuster calling you works for the insurance company, not for you.

  5. Call CGH Injury Lawyers

    Call (303) 209-9395. We pull every declarations page, confirm your UM coverage and any stacking, map the contractual notice deadlines your policy imposes, and begin the investigation before evidence goes cold. The consultation is free. You pay nothing unless we recover for you.

  6. We build the UM claim and negotiate or litigate

    We document your medical record fully before any demand goes out. We submit the demand with liability analysis, all medical records and bills, lost-wage documentation, and a complete damages calculation. When your insurer delays or lowballs, we add a documented bad-faith claim under C.R.S. 10-3-1115 and 10-3-1116. When necessary, we file in El Paso County District Court and try your case before the 4th Judicial District.

Compensation

What compensation can you recover after a Colorado Springs hit-and-run?

Your UM policy covers what the fleeing driver would have owed you had they stayed. Colorado law recognizes two broad categories of damages, and neither has an artificial ceiling that makes your losses disappear.

Economic damages (never capped)

  • Emergency care and hospitalization, including UCHealth Memorial Central trauma-level treatment
  • Surgery, rehabilitation, physical therapy, and all follow-up care
  • Lost wages from time missed at work while you recovered
  • Lost earning capacity if your injuries prevent you from returning to the same work
  • Future medical expenses, life-care costs, and home modifications
  • Out-of-pocket transportation, prescription, and adaptive equipment costs

Non-economic damages

  • Pain and suffering from the crash and recovery
  • Emotional distress, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress
  • Permanent scarring, disfigurement, or physical impairment
  • Loss of enjoyment of life, including activities you can no longer do

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 under C.R.S. 13-21-102.5, with inflation adjustments starting in 2028. Importantly, compensation for physical impairment or disfigurement is not subject to that cap at all under C.R.S. 13-21-102.5(5). The practical ceiling on what your UM policy pays is your policy limit, which is exactly why we pull every declarations page and confirm every stacking opportunity before we submit a demand.

Insurer defenses

Defenses Colorado Springs insurers raise against hit-and-run UM claims, and how we answer them

Adjusters on UM claims have a narrow playbook. Knowing each argument in advance is how we keep a valid claim alive.

  1. "You contributed to the crash"

    Colorado's modified comparative negligence rule (C.R.S. 13-21-111) gives adjusters a tool to shrink or eliminate your recovery by inflating your share of fault. In a hit-and-run, they will try to assign you a percentage even without the other driver's account to rely on. We challenge that assessment with your account, the crash reconstruction, the CSPD report, and any available dashcam or traffic camera footage from the I-25, Powers Boulevard, or US-24 corridor where the crash occurred.

  2. "You gave a recorded statement that limited your claim"

    Adjusters request recorded statements early, before your medical picture is complete and before you understand the full value of the claim. Preliminary answers lock you into descriptions of your symptoms and actions that may not reflect your final injuries or the full facts. We handle all adjuster communications and insist that no recorded statement is given until the claim is fully developed.

  3. "Your injuries are pre-existing"

    Blanket medical authorizations reach back years and invite the carrier to attribute your current condition to degenerative changes or prior treatment. We provide targeted, limited authorizations covering your treating providers and the time period relevant to this crash, then document the difference between pre-crash baseline and post-crash condition with medical expert support when needed.

  4. "You did not promptly report the crash or the claim"

    Your policy imposes contractual notice requirements that can be shorter than the statutory deadline. Your UM claims are governed by C.R.S. 13-80-107.5, the statute the Colorado Supreme Court applied in Pham v. State Farm, 2013 CO 17, but the contractual clock may run faster. We map every notice and reporting deadline from the policy language on the first call so nothing is missed.

  5. "There is no corroboration for the phantom vehicle"

    Phantom-vehicle cases where no physical contact occurred require corroborating evidence in Colorado: a witness, dashcam footage, or physical damage consistent with a forced run-off. When that evidence exists, we lock it down immediately. When it does not, we will tell you that in the free review before you invest time in a claim that will not survive challenge.

The hard part of these cases

Your own insurer is the other side of the table

Most people do not expect their own insurance company to fight them. In a hit-and-run UM claim, that is exactly what happens. Understanding how the claim works changes everything.

  • In a hit-and-run UM claim, your own auto insurer is paying the settlement or verdict. Every dollar paid to you is a dollar off its bottom line. The conflict of interest is real and structural, not a matter of individual adjuster attitude.
  • Colorado law requires every auto insurer to offer UM coverage equal to your bodily injury liability limits (C.R.S. 10-4-609), but that requirement does not mean the carrier will pay the full value of your claim without a fight. It means you have the right to claim it.
  • You may have cooperation duties under your policy, but those duties do not require you to guess, minimize your symptoms, or accept a fault label in a rushed recorded statement. Get counsel before you give one.
  • When an insurer's delay or denial crosses into unreasonable territory, the statutory bad-faith remedy under C.R.S. 10-3-1115 and 10-3-1116 shifts the dynamic. We add that claim when the conduct warrants it, not as a threat, but as a documented legal position we are prepared to pursue.
5-star rated on Google

I wish I could leave more than 5 stars!

Grace Macaluso, 5-star Google review
Questions

Colorado Springs hit-and-run accident, frequently asked questions

The driver who hit me in Colorado Springs fled. Do I have any legal options?

Yes. Colorado treats a driver who flees the scene as an uninsured motorist. Your own uninsured motorist (UM) coverage becomes your primary path to compensation under C.R.S. 10-4-609. Every auto insurer in the state must offer you UM coverage equal to your bodily injury liability limits. Report the crash promptly to law enforcement and your insurer, then call an attorney before you give any recorded statement.

What is the UM coverage requirement under Colorado law?

Under C.R.S. 10-4-609, every auto insurer in Colorado must offer uninsured motorist coverage in an amount equal to your bodily injury liability limits. Any rejection of that coverage must be in writing and signed by the named insured to be valid. Under C.R.S. 10-4-609(4), buying UM coverage automatically includes underinsured motorist coverage. If you were never offered UM coverage in writing, or the rejection form was not properly signed, the rejection may be invalid.

Can I stack UM coverage across multiple vehicles or policies in Colorado?

Yes. Colorado allowed stacking again through a 2007 amendment to C.R.S. 10-4-609 that took effect January 1, 2008. After that change, insurers can no longer prohibit stacking by policy language when separate premiums are charged. This means you may be able to combine UM limits across multiple vehicles or household policies, which significantly expands the available coverage in a serious hit-and-run case. Stacking analysis is policy-specific, so we pull every declarations page before assuming the total.

What if I was partially at fault for the hit-and-run crash in Colorado Springs?

Colorado follows a modified comparative negligence rule with a 50 percent bar under C.R.S. 13-21-111. If you are found less than 50 percent at fault, you can recover damages, but your award is reduced proportionally by your percentage of fault. If you are found 50 percent or more at fault, you recover nothing. In a hit-and-run, adjusters often try to inflate your share of fault without the other driver's account available to contradict them. Challenging that assessment is a central part of what we do.

Where is my Colorado Springs hit-and-run lawsuit filed?

Personal injury cases arising in El Paso County are filed at the El Paso County District Court, 4th Judicial District of Colorado, located at 270 S Tejon St, Colorado Springs, CO 80903. Most hit-and-run UM claims resolve through negotiation or the policy's arbitration clause before a lawsuit is filed, but when litigation is necessary, that is where the case goes. CGH Injury Lawyers handles 4th Judicial District cases directly.

What is the deadline to file a UM claim after a hit-and-run in Colorado?

Colorado UM/UIM claims are governed by C.R.S. 13-80-107.5, the statute the Colorado Supreme Court applied in Pham v. State Farm, 2013 CO 17. The deadline turns on the procedural history of the underlying claim. Your policy may also impose a contractual notice deadline that is shorter than the statutory period. Missing a contractual notice requirement can give the insurer a coverage defense, so mapping every deadline on the first call is essential. Do not assume the statutory clock is the only one running.

My insurance company is offering me a low number on my Colorado Springs hit-and-run claim. What can I do?

A low first offer is standard adjuster practice, not your final answer. Do not accept it without having an attorney review the full claim file. If your insurer unreasonably delays or denies a UM claim it knows is valid, Colorado provides a separate statutory bad-faith cause of action under C.R.S. 10-3-1115 and 10-3-1116. Adding a documented bad-faith claim frequently shifts the negotiation dynamic. We document every lowball offer for the file from the moment we take your case.

What are the most dangerous roads for hit-and-run crashes in Colorado Springs?

Colorado Springs hit-and-run crashes cluster on its major high-speed corridors. I-25 (the north-south backbone) sees documented crash concentrations between Mesa Ridge Parkway and downtown, with bridge freeze-before-road-surface conditions near the Woodmen Road interchange in winter months. Powers Boulevard (Colorado State Highway 21) carries heavy Peterson Space Force Base commuter traffic and documented rear-end risks at its I-25 and US-24 interchanges. US-24 west toward Pikes Peak draws significant tourist traffic surges. Fort Carson and Peterson Space Force Base shift-change surges on South Academy Boulevard create predictable 0600 to 0800 and 1500 to 1700 daily crash windows. If your crash occurred on any of these corridors, CDOT traffic camera coverage and CSPD incident reports are among the first evidence sources we pursue.

It's More Than Money.

The driver who hit you left. Your right to a full recovery did not.

Free consultation. No fee unless we win. Serving Colorado Springs and El Paso County from Denver.

Tell us what happened

100% confidential. No fee unless we win.

Prefer to read first? See how Colorado UM and UIM claims work statewide.

CGH Injury Lawyers · 2701 Lawrence St., Suite 201, Denver, CO 80205 · Serving Colorado Springs from our Denver office