If a driver struck you on College Avenue, near Colorado State University, or anywhere else in Larimer County, Colorado law was likely on your side before the collision ended. We serve Fort Collins from our Denver office at 2701 Lawrence St. No fee unless we win.
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If a driver struck you while you were walking near Colorado State University, crossing College Avenue, or anywhere in Larimer County, CGH Injury Lawyers takes your case on contingency from our Denver office. We visit accident scenes, pull traffic camera footage, and challenge incomplete police reports. You pay nothing unless we recover for you.
Colorado Revised Statutes 42-4-802 is the cornerstone of pedestrian protection in the state. It sets out exactly when and where a driver must yield to a person on foot, and it is the basis for most pedestrian accident liability claims in Larimer County.
Under C.R.S. 42-4-802, a driver approaching a crosswalk must yield the right of way to any pedestrian who is in the crosswalk or so close to it as to be in danger. Once you have entered the crosswalk, drivers in every lane moving the same direction must stop and stay stopped until you have safely crossed, and they may not pass a vehicle that has already stopped to let you cross.
The 50 percent bar under C.R.S. 13-21-111 is the second law that governs your Fort Collins case. As long as your share of fault is less than 50 percent, you can recover, with your award reduced by whatever percentage the jury assigns to you. A driver who was speeding on College Avenue or scrolling a phone at Horsetooth Road almost always bears the larger share.
A pedestrian accident in Fort Collins is a Larimer County case. Here is the courthouse where it may be filed, the trauma centers that will treat you, and the corridors where crashes happen most.
Courthouse
Personal injury cases arising in Fort Collins or anywhere in Larimer County are filed in the District Court, Larimer County, 8th Judicial District, at the Larimer County Justice Center, 201 LaPorte Avenue, Suite 100, Fort Collins, CO 80521. We handle cases in the 8th Judicial District directly, and we prepare every file for trial so that insurance adjusters treat your demand seriously.
Trauma Care
Fort Collins's primary trauma center is UCHealth Poudre Valley Hospital, a Level III Trauma Center verified by the American College of Surgeons and designated by the State of Colorado. Seriously injured pedestrians in Fort Collins are typically treated here. Banner Fort Collins Medical Center, a Level 4 Trauma Center designated by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, provides additional emergency capacity. Your medical records from these facilities document the full scope of your injuries and become the foundation of your damages claim.
High-Crash Corridors
U.S. Highway 287 runs through Fort Collins as College Avenue, carrying more than 40,000 vehicles per day south of Prospect Road and generating a high number of crash-prone intersections including College Avenue at Drake Road and Horsetooth Road. Colorado State University's approximately 34,000 students create heavy pedestrian and bicycle traffic along this corridor. Old Town Fort Collins adds a high-volume entertainment and retail pedestrian zone. Interstate 25 passes east of the city, and Colorado State Highway 14 runs west toward Poudre Canyon. These roads are where pedestrian collisions in Fort Collins cluster.
We represent people on foot who were struck by a motor vehicle anywhere in the Fort Collins and Larimer County area, regardless of where the crash happened on the road.
We will tell you honestly in the free review if your situation falls outside what we can help with. We do not sign up cases we cannot stand behind.
We serve Fort Collins from our Denver office at 2701 Lawrence St., Suite 201. Trial-ready attorneys, bilingual help, and no fee unless we win. We do not publish settlement figures because every pedestrian injury is different and a number on a page tells you nothing about your case.
The Statutes
The yield law makes the driver responsible. The comparative fault rule protects you even if you made a mistake, as long as you are less than 50 percent at fault.
Statewide Coverage
We serve Fort Collins and Larimer County from our office at 2701 Lawrence St., Suite 201, Denver, CO 80205. We visit the accident scene, pull Fort Collins traffic camera footage, and file in Larimer County District Court when an insurer refuses to be fair.
No Paint Required
Every intersection where two roadways meet near a sidewalk in Fort Collins is a legal crosswalk. We cite C.R.S. 42-4-802 to kill the jaywalker argument.
Who Pays
Multiple insurance sources can cover a Fort Collins pedestrian claim. We identify every policy before accepting the first offer.
Trial-Ready
Managing Partner Kevin Cheney is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates. When attorneys are genuinely prepared to try a case in the 8th Judicial District, Larimer County insurers and defense firms respond differently to a demand letter.
Bilingual
Spanish-speaking staff and attorneys serve Northern Colorado's Spanish-speaking community throughout Larimer County.
No Win, No Fee
You pay nothing out of pocket for legal fees. We advance costs and collect only from a settlement or verdict.
The steps you take in the first hours after a Fort Collins pedestrian crash protect both your health and your legal claim. Here is the path, in order.
UCHealth Poudre Valley Hospital and Banner Fort Collins Medical Center treat pedestrian trauma in Fort Collins. Even if you feel able to walk away, internal injuries, traumatic brain injuries, and spinal damage can take hours to surface. Get examined and keep every record.
A police report creates the first official record of what happened. Officers will note the location, traffic controls, driver information, and any visible signs of fault. Ask for the report number before leaving.
Photograph the intersection, any crosswalk markings, the vehicle, your injuries, and traffic signals. Get the driver's insurance information and the names and contacts of every witness. Note nearby businesses, traffic cameras, and security cameras. Fort Collins intersections along College Avenue often have traffic cameras that can show exactly who had the right of way.
The at-fault driver's insurer may call within hours. Their recorded statement request is not routine paperwork. It is evidence collection. Do not accept or decline anything before speaking with us.
Traffic camera footage in Fort Collins is often overwritten within 30 to 90 days. We move fast to preserve it. Call (303) 209-9395 to start the review for free.
We visit the crash scene, pull camera footage, locate every available insurance source, gather the complete medical record from UCHealth Poudre Valley and Banner Fort Collins, and prepare the case for filing in Larimer County District Court if the insurer refuses to pay fairly.
Colorado law allows injured pedestrians to recover two broad categories of damages: economic losses you can document with bills and records, and non-economic losses for the human cost of a serious injury.
Colorado caps non-economic damages such as pain and suffering at $1.5 million for claims accruing on or after January 1, 2025 under C.R.S. 13-21-102.5, with inflation adjustments beginning in 2028. Compensation for physical impairment or disfigurement is not capped under that statute, and economic damages such as medical bills and lost wages are never capped. When a pedestrian accident in Fort Collins takes a life, surviving family members can pursue a wrongful death claim under Colorado law for funeral and burial expenses, loss of financial support, and loss of companionship and guidance.
Insurance adjusters reach for predictable defenses in every Fort Collins pedestrian case. Here is what each one actually requires under Colorado law, and how we push back.
The most common denial in Fort Collins cases. Adjusters use the word jaywalking loosely, hoping you accept blame and accept a lowball offer. In Colorado, every intersection where two roadways meet near a sidewalk is a legal crosswalk, painted or not. We cite C.R.S. 42-4-802 to show the driver had a duty to yield at the precise spot where you were struck. If you were crossing mid-block, comparative fault may reduce your award, but a driver who was speeding on College Avenue or distracted at Drake Road can still bear the majority of fault.
This defense argues you stepped off the curb with no warning and the driver had no time to react. We counter it with accident reconstruction that calculates the driver's stopping distance at the posted speed, traffic camera footage showing how long you were visible before impact, and injury patterns on the vehicle that show the angle of the collision. In most Fort Collins crashes on multi-lane roads, the driver had adequate time and distance to stop.
A police officer arriving after a crash makes a preliminary call from limited information, often a single witness or the driver's account. A police report is not a final legal finding of fault, and we challenge an incorrect one with camera footage, witness statements, and expert analysis.
This is the nuclear defense because Colorado's 50 percent bar eliminates recovery entirely if it sticks (C.R.S. 13-21-111). Adjusters throw it at pedestrians to pressure quick settlements. We analyze the full picture of the driver's speed, attention, and sight lines before accepting any fault allocation.
One thing we will tell you plainly in the free review: if the evidence shows your share of fault is 50 percent or greater, we will say so rather than take your case and let it stall. When the law is on your side, we fight hard. When it is not, you deserve to know early, at no cost.
I wish I could leave more than 5 stars!
Many Fort Collins pedestrian accident victims are surprised to learn that more than one insurance policy may cover their injuries, not just the at-fault driver's policy.
Insurance companies, including your own, are businesses built to minimize payouts. Before you give a recorded statement, sign a medical authorization, or accept a fast settlement, talk to an attorney who will handle those conversations for you.
Not always, but more often than most drivers admit. Pedestrians have the right of way in marked and unmarked crosswalks at intersections under C.R.S. 42-4-802. When crossing mid-block, C.R.S. 42-4-803 requires pedestrians to yield to vehicles. Even when a pedestrian breaks one of those rules, the driver still has a duty to use reasonable care to avoid striking them, and a driver who was speeding or distracted can still bear the larger share of fault.
For most pedestrian accidents in Colorado, you have three years from the date of the crash to file a personal injury lawsuit under C.R.S. 13-80-101(1)(n), which covers bodily injury arising out of the use or operation of a motor vehicle. If a government vehicle or city employee caused the crash, you must file a written notice of claim within 182 days of discovering the injury under C.R.S. 24-10-109(1), or the claim is barred entirely. Contact an attorney as early as possible to confirm your specific deadline.
Yes, as long as you are found less than 50 percent at fault under C.R.S. 13-21-111. Colorado's modified comparative negligence rule reduces your award by your share of fault but does not eliminate it below the 50 percent bar. A driver who was speeding on College Avenue or failed to brake when you were visible can still carry the majority of fault even if you were crossing mid-block.
Personal injury cases arising in Fort Collins or anywhere in Larimer County are filed in the District Court, Larimer County, 8th Judicial District, at the Larimer County Justice Center, 201 LaPorte Avenue, Suite 100, Fort Collins, CO 80521. Most pedestrian accident claims settle before a lawsuit is ever filed, but knowing where and how a case would be litigated affects everything from the jury pool to how defense counsel responds to your demand.
It can. If you carry uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage, it applies even when you were on foot and can provide compensation when the at-fault driver has too little insurance or fled the scene. Colorado UM/UIM claims are governed by C.R.S. 13-80-107.5 under Pham v. State Farm, 2013 CO 17. Check your policy declarations page or call your insurer to confirm your limits, but do not accept any UM/UIM offer without speaking with an attorney first.
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. Compensation for physical impairment or disfigurement is not subject to that cap. In most serious pedestrian accidents, the economic losses and the uncapped physical impairment damages are where the value of the case lives.
Yes. Colorado pedestrian right-of-way laws under C.R.S. 42-4-802 apply statewide, including on and around the Colorado State University campus and the College Avenue corridor. School zones and areas with high pedestrian traffic impose a heightened duty of care on drivers. If a student was struck in or near a campus crosswalk, the driver's duty to yield almost certainly applied. We handle CSU-area pedestrian cases from our Denver office.
A hit-and-run or uninsured driver does not end your claim. Your own uninsured motorist coverage under your auto policy can provide compensation even for a pedestrian accident. Colorado UM/UIM law governed by C.R.S. 13-80-107.5 allows you to make a claim against your own insurer in these situations. We identify every available coverage source and pursue each one before telling you any compensation is unavailable.
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Free case review. No fee unless we win. Serving Fort Collins and all of Larimer County from our Denver office.
Prefer to read more? See how Colorado pedestrian accident law works statewide.
CGH Injury Lawyers · 2701 Lawrence St., Suite 201, Denver, CO 80205 · Serving Fort Collins from our Denver office
