Commerce City DUI Accident Lawyer

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Commerce City's freight corridors along I-270 and Brighton Boulevard do not slow down after dark. Bars and restaurants near Dick's Sporting Goods Park on Victory Way and along the Brighton Boulevard commercial strip serve alcohol until closing, and impaired drivers then merge onto some of the most heavily traveled roads in Adams County. When one of them hurts you, Colorado law gives you tools the criminal case alone will never provide.

A driver who causes a crash while impaired has likely violated a safety law designed to protect others. Under Colorado's negligence per se doctrine, that violation can establish negligence without the separate proof of carelessness a typical crash requires. The real fight in most Commerce City DUI cases is over the value of your harm and which insurance policies cover it.
The bar or restaurant that overserved the driver is often a second source of recovery. Colorado's Dram Shop Act (C.R.S. 44-3-801) lets you sue a licensed vendor that willfully and knowingly served a visibly intoxicated patron who then caused the crash. That claim has its own one-year deadline, which runs separately and more quickly than the claim against the driver.
When a drunk driver carries no insurance or not enough, your own uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage often becomes the primary source of recovery. Those claims run on a separate deadline under C.R.S. 13-80-107.5, the statute the Colorado Supreme Court applied in Pham v. State Farm, 2013 CO 17, and they must be tracked independently from the claim against the driver.

CGH Injury Lawyers represents people hurt by drunk and drugged drivers in Commerce City and throughout Adams County. CGH Injury Lawyers does not have a Commerce City office. We serve Adams County from our office at 2701 Lawrence St., Suite 201, Denver, CO 80205, file in Adams County District Court at the Adams County Justice Center in Brighton when needed, and pursue every source of recovery on your behalf from the day you call. Your first consultation is free, and you owe no fee unless we win.

Colorado follows the doctrine of negligence per se. When a person violates a safety statute designed to prevent the kind of harm that actually occurred, to a person the statute was meant to protect, that violation can itself establish negligence. Colorado's drunk and drugged driving laws exist precisely to protect other road users from impaired drivers. An impaired driver who causes a crash fits that doctrine directly.

In practical terms, you usually do not have to prove the driver was careless in the way a routine crash demands. Once impairment is established, the argument shifts from whether the driver did something wrong to how much harm they caused and which insurance sources will pay for it. On Commerce City's high-volume freight roads, where impaired drivers operate alongside commercial trucks and tankers moving through the I-270 corridor around the clock, the injuries in these crashes are often severe, and documenting the full value of your harm becomes the central task.

That shift does not mean the case runs itself. Insurers still dispute injury severity, challenge what treatment was reasonable, and look for ways to argue you were partly at fault for the crash. What it means is that your attorney starts from a stronger position on the liability question and can focus resources on building and protecting the full value of your claim.

The criminal case against the driver

Brought by the State of Colorado through the Adams County District Attorney, not by you.
The goal is punishment: jail, fines, license revocation, and probation.
You are a witness and victim, not a party who controls the outcome.
A conviction or guilty plea becomes powerful evidence in your civil claim.
The court may order restitution, but restitution is narrow and rarely covers your full losses.

Your civil claim

Brought by you against the driver and any other responsible party, including bars and restaurants.
The goal is money: medical bills, lost income, pain and suffering, and every other documented loss.
You control the decisions, with your attorney's guidance.
It is paid by insurance in most cases, not out of the driver's personal funds.
It proceeds whether or not the driver is ever convicted in the criminal case.

The criminal case requires proof beyond a reasonable doubt. Your civil claim requires only a preponderance of the evidence, meaning more likely than not. A driver can avoid a criminal conviction and still be fully liable to you in the civil case. We do not wait for the criminal case to conclude before protecting your rights. We coordinate with the criminal docket so that a conviction or plea strengthens your civil claim, while keeping the civil case moving on its own timeline with its own, shorter deadlines.

Criminal restitution ordered by the court is generally limited to documented out-of-pocket losses. It does not compensate for pain and suffering, emotional distress, or future care in the way a civil claim does, and it is paid by the driver personally, which often means slow, partial, or no collection. Your civil claim, paid by insurance, is how you reach your full recovery.

Bars and restaurants: Colorado dram shop liability

Colorado's Dram Shop Act (C.R.S. 44-3-801) permits injured people to sue a licensed vendor that willfully and knowingly served alcohol to a visibly intoxicated patron who then caused the harm.
The same statute covers serving anyone under 21. A vendor, and in that narrow circumstance even a private social host, can be liable under C.R.S. 44-3-801(4) for providing alcohol or a place to drink to a minor.
Bars near Dick's Sporting Goods Park on Victory Way, establishments on Brighton Boulevard, and other licensed venues throughout Commerce City all fall within the statute's reach.
A dram shop recovery is in addition to the driver's own liability, adding a second insurance source to your claim.
The dram shop damages cap under C.R.S. 44-3-801(3)(c) applies separately to that claim. The critical deadline is one year after the alcohol was sold or served, not three years. This clock runs fast.

Your own coverage: uninsured and underinsured motorist

If the drunk driver had no insurance, your uninsured motorist (UM) coverage steps into the at-fault driver's shoes and pays your losses from your own policy.
If the driver had insurance but not enough to cover your losses, your underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage fills the gap up to your policy's limit.
UM and UIM claims run on their own deadline under C.R.S. 13-80-107.5, the statute the Colorado Supreme Court applied in Pham v. State Farm, 2013 CO 17. That deadline is separate from the three-year clock against the driver and must be tracked independently from the start.
We identify every policy that could respond, including umbrella coverage you may not realize applies, to make sure no available dollar is left behind.

The most expensive mistake Commerce City DUI crash victims make is waiting for the criminal case to conclude before evaluating the dram shop claim. Bar and restaurant video footage is typically overwritten within days. Point-of-sale receipts that document how many drinks were served become harder to obtain over time. By the time the criminal case resolves, the one-year dram shop window may have already closed. We identify every defendant and every deadline from the first call.

Call 911 and document the scene

Calling 911 gets police to the scene so they can document impairment, administer field sobriety tests, and make an arrest if warranted. The police report and any DUI arrest documentation become critical evidence in your civil claim. If it is safe to do so, photograph the vehicles, the road, your injuries, and any skid marks or debris. Note the names of witnesses and, if possible, identify where the driver came from.
Get medical care, even if you feel okay

Serious injuries from DUI crashes on I-270 and Brighton Boulevard, including traumatic brain injuries, internal injuries, and spinal trauma, do not always produce immediate symptoms. If your injuries require trauma care, the Adams County facility is HCA HealthONE North Suburban Medical Center, the only Level II Trauma Center designated by CDPHE in Adams County. UCHealth also operates a freestanding emergency room in Commerce City for injuries that do not require trauma-level care. Keep every record from every facility.
Free case review: we map every defendant and every deadline

We review the crash, your injuries, and the full picture of who may be responsible, including the driver, any bar or restaurant, and your own insurance. We confirm every deadline running from the crash date: three years against the driver (C.R.S. 13-80-101(1)(n)), one year for any dram shop claim, and a separate clock for UM/UIM under C.R.S. 13-80-107.5. You pay nothing for this review and commit to nothing.
Investigate and preserve evidence immediately

We obtain the crash report, the DUI arrest record, any body-camera footage, and toxicology results from the Commerce City Police Department, the Adams County Sheriff's Office, or the Colorado State Patrol, depending on where on the road the crash occurred. We also secure bar and restaurant records, point-of-sale receipts, and surveillance footage before they are overwritten. This work happens in the first days, not the first months.
Coordinate with the criminal case

We monitor the Adams County criminal prosecution, support a well-documented restitution request, and position any conviction or plea to strengthen your civil claim. The criminal case and your civil case move in parallel, not in sequence. We do not let the criminal docket become an excuse to delay building your claim.
Document the full injury and build the damages case

We build the complete medical record through every stage of treatment, including future care, lost earning capacity, and emotional harm. Insurers routinely minimize what they cannot see on an X-ray, especially psychological injury and post-traumatic stress, which are common after violent DUI crashes. We work with treating physicians and, where needed, life-care planners to document every dollar of your future losses.
Demand, negotiate, and try the case in Adams County

We send a documented demand and negotiate from genuine trial readiness. If the insurer will not pay a fair amount, we file in Adams County District Court at the Adams County Justice Center, 1100 Judicial Center Dr., Brighton, CO 80601, in the 17th Judicial District, and present your case to an Adams County jury.

Courthouse

Adams County District Court, 17th Judicial District

A Commerce City DUI injury lawsuit is filed in Adams County District Court at the Adams County Justice Center, 1100 Judicial Center Dr., Brighton, CO 80601, in the 17th Judicial District. The local jury pool, local defense firms, and Adams County procedural rules all differ from Denver District Court. CGH Injury Lawyers handles Adams County District Court cases directly from our Denver office. CGH Injury Lawyers does not have a Commerce City office: we serve Adams County from Denver and file where your case belongs.

Trauma Care

HCA HealthONE North Suburban Medical Center (Level II Trauma Center) and UCHealth Commerce City ER

HCA HealthONE North Suburban Medical Center is the Level II Trauma Center designated by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment in Adams County. DUI crash victims with serious injuries, including traumatic brain injuries, internal organ damage, spinal fractures, and major orthopedic injuries, are transported there for definitive care. UCHealth operates a freestanding emergency room in Commerce City for injuries that do not require trauma-level intervention, though it does not hold a trauma designation. Records from both facilities document the scope of your injuries and form the backbone of your damages claim in Adams County District Court.

Where DUI Crashes Happen in Commerce City

I-270, Brighton Boulevard, Vasquez Boulevard, Victory Way, and the Suncor corridor

Commerce City's most serious DUI crashes cluster on the roads that carry the most volume at the times impaired drivers are most active. I-270, which CDOT documents as a high-crash corridor carrying more than 100,000 vehicles daily, sees DUI crashes primarily at night and on weekends, when commercial freight traffic thins and impaired drivers move faster. Brighton Boulevard (SH-265) runs past the Suncor refinery corridor and through commercial strips with licensed alcohol vendors. Victory Way and the roads surrounding Dick's Sporting Goods Park at 6000 Victory Way concentrate pedestrian and vehicle traffic after Colorado Rapids matches and major events, creating conditions where impaired drivers who chose to drink near the stadium before driving represent a predictable and documented danger. Vasquez Boulevard, with its complex 8-way junction at 60th Avenue, adds intersection risk for impaired drivers who cannot navigate it safely. Police response comes from the Commerce City Police Department, the Adams County Sheriff's Office, and the Colorado State Patrol, depending on whether the crash occurs on a city street or a state route.

Economic damages

Emergency care, surgery, and hospitalization
Follow-up treatment, physical therapy, and rehabilitation
Future medical and long-term care costs
Lost wages and lost earning capacity
Vehicle damage and out-of-pocket expenses
In a fatal crash, funeral costs and the family's financial losses

Non-economic damages

Pain and suffering
Emotional distress and post-traumatic stress, common after violent DUI crashes
Permanent scarring or disfigurement
Loss of enjoyment of life and loss of ability to engage in activities you valued

Caps, uncapped categories, and punitive damages

Economic damages such as medical bills, lost wages, and future care are never capped under Colorado law.
Non-economic damages such as pain and suffering are subject to a cap of $1,500,000 for claims accruing on or after January 1, 2025 (C.R.S. 13-21-102.5). Lower amounts apply to claims that accrued before that date. Compensation for physical impairment or disfigurement is not subject to the non-economic cap at all, which makes it one of the most important categories to document fully in a serious DUI crash case.
Punitive damages are available in DUI cases because drunk driving qualifies as the kind of willful and wanton conduct Colorado law recognizes as a basis for exemplary damages. Punitive damages generally cannot exceed the amount of actual damages awarded (C.R.S. 13-21-102). They require proof of willful and wanton conduct and are not available in every case, but we evaluate whether the specific facts support a punitive claim and pursue it when the evidence allows.

Comparative fault in Commerce City DUI cases

Colorado's modified comparative negligence rule (C.R.S. 13-21-111) allows you to recover damages as long as you were less than 50 percent at fault. If you are found 50 percent or more at fault, you recover nothing. Insurers representing impaired drivers still raise comparative fault arguments in DUI cases, claiming you were speeding, not paying attention, or otherwise contributed to the crash. Against a driver who was legally impaired, that argument usually has little to stand on, and we use the crash reconstruction, the DUI evidence, and the police report to keep the fault where it belongs.

I wish I could leave more than 5 stars!

Grace M., 5-star CGH Injury Lawyers client review

Your team

The team handling your Commerce City DUI accident 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 Commerce City DUI injury case is handled by a licensed Colorado attorney, not a paralegal. CGH Injury Lawyers does not have a Commerce City office. We serve Adams County from our office at 2701 Lawrence St., Suite 201, Denver, CO 80205, and file in Adams County District Court at the Adams County Justice Center in Brighton when needed.

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

Meet our attorneys

Should I wait for the Commerce City criminal DUI case to finish before starting my civil claim?

No, and waiting can cost you an entire claim. If the driver was drinking at a bar near Dick's Sporting Goods Park or anywhere else on Brighton Boulevard, the dram shop claim against that establishment must be filed within one year after the alcohol was sold or served (C.R.S. 44-3-801(3)(a)(II)). Bar surveillance footage is often overwritten within days. We protect your civil rights immediately while the criminal case proceeds on its own track, and any conviction or plea later becomes evidence in your civil claim.

Can I sue the bar or restaurant that served the drunk driver in Commerce City?

Often, yes. Colorado's Dram Shop Act (C.R.S. 44-3-801) allows you to sue a licensed vendor that willfully and knowingly served alcohol to a visibly intoxicated person who then caused a crash, or that served anyone under 21. Establishments on Brighton Boulevard, Victory Way near Dick's Sporting Goods Park, and other licensed venues in Commerce City all fall within that statute. A dram shop claim is in addition to the driver's own liability, so it adds a second source of compensation. The catch is the one-year deadline, which is why these claims must be evaluated from the first day.

How long do I have to file a DUI accident claim in Commerce City?

Different defendants carry different clocks. The claim against the at-fault driver must generally be filed within three years of the crash because it arises from the use or operation of a motor vehicle (C.R.S. 13-80-101(1)(n)). A dram shop claim against a bar has a much shorter one-year deadline running from when the alcohol was sold or served (C.R.S. 44-3-801(3)(a)(II)). A UM or UIM claim against your own policy runs on a separate deadline under C.R.S. 13-80-107.5, the statute the Colorado Supreme Court applied in Pham v. State Farm, 2013 CO 17. Because each clock starts from a different event, confirming every deadline from the day of the crash is the only safe approach.

What if the drunk driver who hit me in Commerce City had no insurance?

This is more common than most people expect, and it is where your own policy becomes critical. Uninsured motorist (UM) coverage steps in when the at-fault driver carries no insurance. Underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage fills the gap when their limits are too low to cover your losses. These claims run on their own deadline under C.R.S. 13-80-107.5. We also check every other policy that could respond, including umbrella and homeowner coverage, and we evaluate whether a dram shop claim against the establishment that served the driver adds another source of recovery on top of your own insurance.

The insurer says I was partly at fault for the Commerce City DUI crash. Does that end my case?

Not automatically. Colorado uses modified comparative fault, so you can still recover as long as you were less than 50 percent at fault (C.R.S. 13-21-111). If you are found 50 percent or more at fault, you recover nothing, which is why insurers for impaired drivers still raise comparative fault arguments even in cases where the liability seems clear. Against a driver who was legally impaired, those arguments usually have little force, and we use the crash reconstruction, the DUI arrest documentation, and any available video footage to keep the fault where it belongs.

Where would my Commerce City DUI accident lawsuit be filed?

A DUI injury lawsuit arising from a Commerce City crash is filed in Adams County District Court at the Adams County Justice Center, 1100 Judicial Center Dr., Brighton, CO 80601, in the 17th Judicial District. CGH Injury Lawyers handles Adams County District Court cases directly from our Denver office. CGH Injury Lawyers does not have a Commerce City office. Most cases settle before a lawsuit is filed, but knowing where your case would be tried shapes how we negotiate with the opposing insurer from the start.

Can I get punitive damages against a drunk driver in Adams County?

Sometimes. Drunk driving is the kind of willful and wanton conduct that can support punitive, or exemplary, damages on top of your compensatory recovery. Colorado punitive damages generally cannot exceed the amount of actual damages awarded (C.R.S. 13-21-102), and they require proof of willful and wanton conduct. Not every case qualifies, but we evaluate the specific facts of your crash and pursue a punitive claim when the evidence supports it. Adding a punitive claim changes how the opposing insurer evaluates its exposure and can affect the negotiating dynamic.

Commerce City

Practice Areas

Commerce City DUI Accident Lawyers Who Pursue Every Source of Recovery

Why a DUI crash in Commerce City is legally different from an ordinary car accident

The criminal DUI case versus your civil claim: two processes that run on different tracks

The criminal case against the driver

Your civil claim

Who besides the drunk driver can be held responsible in a Commerce City DUI crash?

Bars and restaurants: Colorado dram shop liability

Your own coverage: uninsured and underinsured motorist

What to do after a DUI crash in Commerce City, and how we handle your case

Call 911 and document the scene

Get medical care, even if you feel okay

Free case review: we map every defendant and every deadline

Investigate and preserve evidence immediately

Coordinate with the criminal case

Document the full injury and build the damages case

Demand, negotiate, and try the case in Adams County

Commerce City courts. Adams County trauma care. The corridors where DUI crashes happen.

Adams County District Court, 17th Judicial District

HCA HealthONE North Suburban Medical Center (Level II Trauma Center) and UCHealth Commerce City ER

I-270, Brighton Boulevard, Vasquez Boulevard, Victory Way, and the Suncor corridor

What you can recover after a DUI crash in Commerce City, and how Colorado's caps and fault rules apply

Economic damages

Non-economic damages

Caps, uncapped categories, and punitive damages

Comparative fault in Commerce City DUI cases

The team handling your Commerce City DUI accident case

Commerce City DUI accident cases, frequently asked questions

A drunk driver hurt you in Commerce City. We handle everything else.

Commerce City DUI Accident Lawyers Who Pursue Every Source of Recovery

Why a DUI crash in Commerce City is legally different from an ordinary car accident

The criminal DUI case versus your civil claim: two processes that run on different tracks

The criminal case against the driver

Your civil claim

Who besides the drunk driver can be held responsible in a Commerce City DUI crash?

Bars and restaurants: Colorado dram shop liability

Your own coverage: uninsured and underinsured motorist

What to do after a DUI crash in Commerce City, and how we handle your case

Call 911 and document the scene

Get medical care, even if you feel okay

Free case review: we map every defendant and every deadline

Investigate and preserve evidence immediately

Coordinate with the criminal case

Document the full injury and build the damages case

Demand, negotiate, and try the case in Adams County

Commerce City courts. Adams County trauma care. The corridors where DUI crashes happen.

Adams County District Court, 17th Judicial District

HCA HealthONE North Suburban Medical Center (Level II Trauma Center) and UCHealth Commerce City ER

I-270, Brighton Boulevard, Vasquez Boulevard, Victory Way, and the Suncor corridor

What you can recover after a DUI crash in Commerce City, and how Colorado's caps and fault rules apply

Economic damages

Non-economic damages

Caps, uncapped categories, and punitive damages

Comparative fault in Commerce City DUI cases

The team handling your Commerce City DUI accident case

Commerce City DUI accident cases, frequently asked questions

Related Commerce City and Colorado injury cases we handle

A drunk driver hurt you in Commerce City. We handle everything else.