IT'S MORE THAN MONEY.
A civil claim lets survivors of sexual assault and abuse in the Durango area seek financial compensation and force the institutions that failed them to answer. This is a separate track from any criminal case. CGH Injury Lawyers represents survivors across La Plata County from our Denver office. You control every decision, and your first conversation is completely confidential.
No fee unless we winYou are in control
There is no obligation and no public record when you reach out. We listen, explain your options, and move at a pace that respects your wellbeing. Nothing happens that you have not chosen.
A civil sexual assault claim in Durango is a separate legal path from any criminal case. It lets survivors pursue financial compensation for real harm and hold the institutions that failed them accountable, using a lower standard of proof than a criminal court requires. CGH Injury Lawyers represents survivors across La Plata County from our Denver office. We handle the investigation, the institutions, and the litigation at whatever pace you set. Your first consultation is free and protected by attorney-client privilege.
Justice beyond the criminal courts
The criminal system and the civil system pursue different goals. Criminal courts focus on punishing a perpetrator. Civil courts focus on compensating a survivor and holding the people and organizations responsible for the conditions that allowed the harm to happen.
For many survivors, the criminal process does not deliver what they need. A prosecutor may decline to file charges, the burden of proof is extremely high, and the survivor is a witness in a proceeding controlled by the state. A civil claim is different. You bring it. You decide whether to pursue it, when to settle, and what outcome you want. The standard of proof is lower: a preponderance of the evidence, meaning it is more likely than not that the abuse occurred and caused harm.
Colorado time limits
Colorado law on civil sexual misconduct claims has changed significantly. Because the details are fact-specific and the stakes are high, the safest step is a confidential review of your exact situation before you conclude that a claim is too late.
These laws were written precisely because survivors frequently need years, sometimes decades, before they feel ready to come forward. If you have assumed the time has passed, please do not assume that without talking to us first. We will evaluate your specific facts and tell you honestly what your options are.
Institutional accountability in La Plata County
One of the most important aspects of a civil sexual assault case is the ability to hold the organization that created the conditions for harm accountable, not just the person who committed the act. Institutions often have the resources to provide meaningful compensation and, once held liable, the incentive to protect people in the future.
Theory of liability
Organizations that place someone in a position of trust with vulnerable people must conduct reasonable background checks. Hiring without examining prior complaints, criminal history, or professional discipline creates liability when that failure contributes to harm. This applies to schools, youth programs, camps, and healthcare facilities throughout La Plata County.
Theory of liability
Even sound hiring does not end an organization's duty. Administrators who received complaints about inappropriate behavior and failed to investigate, reassign, or remove the person share responsibility for what followed. Documented complaints that went unaddressed are a central focus of civil discovery in these cases.
Theory of liability
When an organization learns of misconduct or red flags and keeps the person in a role where they can cause further harm, it becomes responsible for what follows. This pattern appears most often in institutions that quietly transferred a known problem rather than removing it.
Theory of liability
In some circumstances, an employer can be held responsible for an employee's conduct within the scope of employment, particularly when the employment relationship created the opportunity for the abuse. The specific facts of how the perpetrator was positioned determine whether this theory applies.
Durango's role as a regional hub for outdoor recreation, education, and healthcare means that people often come to the area in a trusting relationship with the organizations that brought them there. When that trust is exploited and the organization's own failures created the conditions for harm, civil litigation can hold both the institution and the individual accountable. We investigate the entire chain of responsibility, from the perpetrator to the organization's hiring, supervision, and response practices.
It is not about reliving what happened. It is about reclaiming control and forcing the institutions that failed you to answer for it.
Local knowledge
A La Plata County civil sexual assault case is shaped by local facts: the courthouse where it may be filed, the hospital where a survivor may have been treated, and the organizations and settings across the region that have a duty to protect the people in their care.
Courthouse
A civil sexual assault lawsuit filed in La Plata County that exceeds the county-court jurisdictional limit is filed in the District Court, La Plata County, part of Colorado's 6th Judicial District, at 1060 East Second Ave, Suite 106, Durango, CO 81301. The 6th District's local procedures, its jury pool drawn from La Plata County residents, and the defense firms it hosts all differ from the Front Range. Courts in the 6th District can also allow survivors to file under a pseudonym such as Jane Doe or John Doe, keeping real names out of public court records. CGH Injury Lawyers handles La Plata County District Court cases directly from our Denver office. Your case is never handed off to local referral counsel.
Medical Care
CommonSpirit Mercy Hospital in Durango, formerly Mercy Regional Medical Center and the region's designated Level III Trauma Center, is where many La Plata County survivors receive initial medical care. Sexual assault forensic examinations (SAFE exams) and follow-up medical and psychological care all generate medical records that become important evidence of the harm in a civil claim. If you received care at Mercy Hospital, at a La Plata County mental health provider, or from another regional healthcare facility, those records document a significant part of your damages. We know how to read those records and use them to document both the immediate harm and its long-term consequences on your health, mental wellbeing, and ability to work and participate fully in life.
Local Institutions
Durango draws people into positions of trust and reliance with its institutions year-round. Fort Lewis College enrolls approximately 3,200 students on a mesa overlooking downtown. Purgatory Resort and the broader outdoor recreation industry bring seasonal workers, guides, and visitors into close organizational relationships. The Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, regional youth sports leagues, religious organizations, and La Plata County school districts all employ people who work directly with minors and vulnerable adults. When any of these organizations failed in their duty to hire, supervise, or protect, a civil claim may reach them directly through theories of negligent hiring, negligent supervision, or negligent retention.
After the assault
There is no wrong way to respond to a traumatic experience. These steps are not rules you must have followed. They are information about what can help build a civil case, offered so you can make informed decisions at whatever point you are ready.
CommonSpirit Mercy Hospital in Durango is the regional trauma center for La Plata County and can perform sexual assault forensic examinations. Medical documentation of injuries, treatment, and follow-up care creates important evidence. But medical care is for your health first. A civil claim can be supported by many types of evidence, not only a forensic exam conducted immediately after an assault.
If you are able, preserve any communications, documents, photographs, or records that relate to the person who harmed you or the organization where the harm occurred. Text messages, emails, personnel records, and similar materials can all support a civil claim. A civil attorney can also use the discovery process to obtain records you do not currently have.
A criminal report is your decision, not a requirement for a civil claim. A civil case can proceed whether or not criminal charges are filed and regardless of how a criminal case turns out. If you have already reported to the La Plata County Sheriff or Durango Police Department, the criminal case record can sometimes be relevant to a civil claim. If you have not, that does not foreclose civil options.
For sexual misconduct civil claims, Colorado eliminated the statute of limitations effective January 1, 2022 (C.R.S. 13-80-103.7). Most survivors are not racing a filing deadline. However, evidence preservation matters, and institutional records can be lost over time. The sooner you talk to an attorney, the more options remain open.
Your first conversation with us is free and protected by attorney-client privilege. There is no public record and no obligation to proceed. We will listen, explain your options under Colorado law, and let you decide what comes next. Call (303) 209-9395 or use the case review form on this page. We serve La Plata County from our Denver office at 2701 Lawrence St., Suite 201, Denver, CO 80205.
Compensation
A civil claim seeks to compensate the full scope of harm a survivor has experienced. Colorado law recognizes several categories of damages in sexual assault and abuse cases, and in most survivor cases the economic losses tied to mental health treatment and reduced earning capacity are substantial.
Economic damages such as therapy costs, medical bills, and lost wages are never capped in Colorado. Non-economic damages such as pain and suffering are subject to the cap under C.R.S. 13-21-102.5, which for claims accruing on or after January 1, 2025 is $1.5 million. In cases involving egregious institutional conduct, such as an organization that concealed known abuse, covered up complaints, or transferred a known perpetrator to continue harming others, Colorado courts may also award punitive damages. Punitive damages are intended not to compensate, but to punish willful and wanton conduct and deter similar behavior (C.R.S. 13-21-102). We work to identify and document every dimension of harm so nothing is left out of your claim.
Your privacy and safety
Public exposure is one of the fears survivors most commonly share when considering a civil claim. Colorado's legal system provides meaningful privacy protections, and we structure how we handle each case to keep control in your hands.
Anonymity
In many civil sexual abuse cases, the District Court, La Plata County allows survivors to file under a pseudonym so real names do not appear in public court records. This protection recognizes that forcing identification can deter legitimate claims and cause further harm, particularly in a close-knit community like Durango.
Protective orders
Courts can seal sensitive documents, limit who may attend depositions, and restrict what personal information from discovery may be disclosed publicly. These protective tools mean the litigation process does not become another violation of your privacy.
From the beginning
Your initial case evaluation is completely confidential and protected by attorney-client privilege. You can explore your options with no obligation, no public record, and no requirement to share more than you are comfortable sharing in a first conversation.
Trauma-informed
Our team understands that litigation can be retraumatizing when handled carelessly. We allow support persons at meetings, build scheduling flexibility into the process, and move at a pace calibrated to your emotional capacity and wellbeing, not just court deadlines.
Your team
CGH Injury Lawyers is a eight-attorney Colorado personal injury firm, formerly Cheney Galluzzi and Howard, 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. We handle sensitive cases with discretion and a genuine commitment to keeping the survivor in control. Every La Plata County case is handled by a licensed Colorado attorney, not a paralegal or a referral firm. The firm serves Durango and La Plata County from its only office at 2701 Lawrence St., Suite 201, Denver, CO 80205. CGH Injury Lawyers does not have a Durango office.
Frequently asked questions
Not necessarily. Colorado eliminated the statute of limitations for civil sexual misconduct claims effective January 1, 2022 (C.R.S. 13-80-103.7). These claims can now be filed at any time. That open window also covers older abuse if the original filing deadline had not already expired before January 1, 2022. Whether your particular situation falls within the open window is a fact-specific analysis. A confidential conversation with our team is the way to get an honest answer about your timeline before assuming a claim is too late.
Yes. A civil claim uses a lower standard of proof than a criminal case. In a civil case you must show by a preponderance of the evidence that the abuse occurred and caused harm, meaning it is more likely than not. In a criminal case the state must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. These two tracks are independent. You can pursue a civil claim whether or not criminal charges were filed, and the outcome of any criminal case does not determine the outcome of your civil claim. Many survivors find that a civil case provides accountability and compensation even when the criminal process did not deliver either.
Often, yes. Schools, colleges, employers, healthcare facilities, religious organizations, and other institutions may bear civil liability if they failed to conduct adequate background checks before hiring, failed to investigate or act on prior complaints, or kept a known problem in a position where further harm was foreseeable. The2022. For adult survivors, theories of negligent hiring, negligent supervision, and negligent retention reach the institution directly. We evaluate whether the organization where harm occurred bears legal responsibility as part of every case review.
In many sexual abuse civil cases, the District Court, La Plata County allows survivors to file under a pseudonym such as Jane Doe or John Doe, so your real name does not appear in public court documents. Courts can also issue protective orders that seal sensitive records and restrict who may attend depositions or review confidential materials. Durango is a community where many people know each other, and these privacy protections matter. Your initial consultation is itself completely confidential with no public record, regardless of whether you decide to file anything.
A civil claim can recover economic damages including therapy and psychiatric care, medical expenses, lost wages, and reduced future earning capacity. These are never capped under Colorado law. Non-economic damages such as pain, suffering, PTSD, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life are available but subject to the cap under C.R.S. 13-21-102.5, which for claims accruing on or after January 1, 2025 is $1.5 million. In cases involving deliberate or egregious institutional conduct, punitive damages may also be available under C.R.S. 13-21-102. We work to document every category of harm thoroughly so nothing is left out of what we pursue for you.
No. CGH Injury Lawyers has one physical office, at 2701 Lawrence St., Suite 201, Denver, CO 80205. We serve La Plata County and Durango area survivors from that office, file cases in the District Court, La Plata County, 6th Judicial District at 1060 East Second Ave, Suite 106, Durango, CO 81301, and travel to Durango as the case requires. We do not maintain a Durango address. You can reach us at (303) 209-9395, and your first conversation is completely confidential.
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IT'S MORE THAN MONEY.
Free, confidential consultation. No fee unless we win. Serving La Plata County from our Denver office. Available in English and Spanish.
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CGH Injury Lawyers · Serving Durango and La Plata County from 2701 Lawrence St., Suite 201, Denver, CO 80205
