ClickCease
CGH Injury Lawyers represents injured motorcyclists in Greeley and Weld County, Colorado.
Greeley, Weld County

Greeley Motorcycle Accident Lawyers Who Fight the Bias Against Riders

When a driver fails to yield on US 34, cuts across US 85 at Spaghetti Junction, or clips a rider near the JBS USA corridor, the insurance adjuster's first move is to blame the motorcyclist. CGH Injury Lawyers serves injured Greeley and Weld County riders from our Denver office. We build the claim, defeat the bias, and try the case in Weld County District Court when an insurer refuses a fair offer. No fee unless we win.

No fee unless we win
Get My Free Case Review Why Riders Get Blamed
Or speak with our team now (303) 209-9395

Get my free Greeley motorcycle case review

100% confidential. No fee unless we win.

5-star rated on Google ABOTA trial advocate on the team Trial lawyers, not a settlement mill No fee unless we win

A motorcycle crash on Greeley's US 34 expressway or at the Spaghetti Junction interchange is rarely just a collision. It is a medical emergency at Banner North Colorado Medical Center, a potential lawsuit in Weld County District Court, and an immediate battle with an insurance adjuster who will try to blame the rider before a single fact is confirmed. The law gives you rights. The insurer's playbook depends on you not knowing them.

  • Colorado does not require helmets for riders 18 and older, but it requires eye protection for every rider regardless of age (C.R.S. 42-4-232). Both choices can be turned into a "failure to mitigate damages" argument that cuts your compensation in a Weld County claim.
  • Lane filtering became legal on August 7, 2024 under SB24-079 (C.R.S. 42-4-1503), but only in narrow conditions. Weld County insurers routinely mischaracterize legal filtering on US 34 or US 85 as illegal lane splitting to deny claims outright.
  • Colorado's modified comparative negligence rule means an insurer can assign you a percentage of fault and bar you entirely if they push your share to 50 percent or more (C.R.S. 13-21-111). Defeating a high fault assignment is often the most important work we do.

CGH Injury Lawyers serves injured riders and their families in Greeley, Weld County, and throughout northeastern Colorado from our Denver office. We handle the 19th Judicial District directly. No upfront fees and a free first consultation.

Why riders get blamed

How Weld County insurers use Colorado's gear laws against injured Greeley riders

Even when a driver clearly caused the crash on US 34 or a side street near the University of Northern Colorado, defense attorneys reach for the rider's gear and licensing choices to shift blame. Understanding where they aim is the first step to defeating it.

The helmet "mitigation" argument

  • Colorado requires helmets only for riders under 18 (C.R.S. 42-4-1502). Adult Greeley riders break no law riding without one.
  • Defense attorneys still argue an unhelmeted rider "failed to mitigate damages" and is partly responsible for injury severity, even when the other driver caused the collision.
  • We have seen adjusters attempt to cut settlement offers by claiming the rider "assumed the risk" of serious head injury.
  • A legal choice under Colorado law is not a free pass for the Weld County insurer. We fight the mitigation defense directly.

The eye-protection and license traps in Greeley cases

  • Every rider and passenger must wear eye protection, glasses, goggles, or a face shield, unless a compliant windscreen is fitted (C.R.S. 42-4-232).
  • An eye-protection violation is a Class A traffic infraction, and that citation can become evidence in a Weld County liability dispute.
  • Riding without a valid Class M endorsement is operating illegally and can be used as evidence of negligence per se.
  • If Weld County law enforcement cited you for any of these after the crash, contact an attorney before you talk to the insurer.

Here is how comparative fault math can hurt a Greeley rider. A driver runs a red light at a US 34 intersection and the collision is clearly the driver's fault. The rider was not wearing a helmet and suffered a traumatic brain injury treated at Banner North Colorado Medical Center. The defense assigns the rider 35 percent of the fault for injury severity. A 500,000 dollar verdict becomes 325,000 dollars. That reduction is not automatic or fair, and we challenge every inflated fault assignment.

The 2026 legal guide

Colorado motorcycle laws every Greeley and Weld County rider should know

Colorado motorcycle law lives mostly in C.R.S. Title 42. The rules changed in August 2024 with the new lane-filtering statute. Riding by the old rulebook risks a ticket on US 34 or, worse, a denied insurance claim from a Weld County adjuster who knows the new law better than you do.

Helmets: C.R.S. 42-4-1502

  • Riders and passengers under 18 must wear a DOT-compliant helmet that meets U.S. Department of Transportation standards.
  • Riders 18 and older may legally ride without a helmet, placing Colorado among the minority of partial helmet-law states.
  • Legal does not mean consequence-free. Weld County defense attorneys use the helmet choice to argue the rider worsened their own injuries.

Eye protection: C.R.S. 42-4-232

  • All operators and passengers must wear eye protection regardless of age.
  • Glasses, goggles, or a face shield satisfy the rule. A compliant windscreen of adequate height and transparency is an alternative.
  • A violation is a Class A traffic infraction and can be argued to have worsened your injuries in a Weld County civil case.

Lane filtering: C.R.S. 42-4-1503

  • Legal since August 7, 2024 under SB24-079, but only when traffic is completely stopped, not just slow.
  • The motorcycle must travel 15 mph or less, on a road with at least two adjacent same-direction lanes, without exceeding the posted speed limit.
  • Lane splitting, riding between lanes of moving traffic at speed, remains illegal in Colorado.

Class M license endorsement

  • Operating a motorcycle in Colorado requires a Class M endorsement, earned by passing a written test and an on-cycle skills test.
  • A motorcycle-only license is available for riders who do not also drive a standard passenger vehicle.
  • Riding without a valid endorsement in Greeley or anywhere in Weld County gives an insurer grounds to dispute your claim.

Filtering is not splitting, and the difference decides a Weld County claim

After a Greeley crash, the first question a Weld County adjuster asks is whether you were complying with C.R.S. 42-4-1503. If you were filtering at 20 mph, or if traffic on US 34 was only slow rather than stopped, the insurer will argue you broke the law and were at fault. We have seen insurers deny claims outright by mislabeling legal filtering as illegal splitting. Dashcam footage, traffic-camera data at Greeley's major intersections, and witness statements are what disprove it, and we move quickly to lock that evidence down before it disappears.

How we handle your case

How we build a Greeley motorcycle accident claim

We represent injured riders and the families of those killed in Weld County crashes. From the first days forward, the priority is preserving the evidence that defeats the rider-blame defense and proving the other driver's fault to a 19th Judicial District jury if it comes to that.

  1. Free case evaluation

    We review the facts of your Greeley or Weld County crash, explain your rights under Colorado law, and answer your questions at no cost and no obligation.

  2. Preserve the evidence fast

    We secure dashcam footage, traffic-camera data from US 34 and US 85 intersections, witness statements, and the crash scene record before they disappear or get reinterpreted by the Weld County insurer.

  3. Defeat the rider-blame defense

    We document compliance with Colorado's gear, filtering, and licensing rules so a "failure to mitigate" or "negligence per se" argument cannot hold up in Weld County District Court.

  4. Document the full damages

    We build the medical, wage, and life-impact picture from Banner North Colorado Medical Center records and other treating providers, then send a documented demand to the at-fault driver's insurer.

  5. Negotiate from trial readiness

    Most Weld County cases settle before trial. We negotiate as lawyers prepared to take your case to a Greeley jury, not as lawyers looking to take the first offer.

  6. Try the case in Weld County District Court when needed

    When an insurer refuses a fair offer, our trial lawyers are ready to present your case to a jury in Weld County District Court, 19th Judicial District, at 901 9th Ave, Greeley.

Coverage and fault in Weld County

Insurance and comparative negligence for Greeley riders

A serious motorcycle crash on US 34 or near the JBS USA corridor can run well past 100,000 dollars in medical bills, lost wages, and long-term rehabilitation at Banner North Colorado Medical Center. Colorado's minimum coverage rarely meets that, which is why your own UM/UIM coverage so often becomes the real case in Weld County.

Colorado's minimum liability limits

  • 25,000 dollars per person for bodily injury
  • 50,000 dollars per accident for bodily injury, total
  • 15,000 dollars per accident for property damage
  • If the at-fault Weld County driver carries only the minimum, you can recover far less than your actual damages from a Greeley crash.

Why UM/UIM coverage matters for Greeley riders

  • UM/UIM coverage protects you when the at-fault driver has no insurance or limits that fall short of your damages.
  • Colorado insurers must offer UM/UIM, though you can decline it in writing. We strongly advise against declining it on any motorcycle policy in Weld County.
  • Colorado UM/UIM claims are governed by C.R.S. 13-80-107.5 under Pham v. State Farm, 2013 CO 17.
  • Without UM coverage after a crash with an uninsured driver on US 85 or State Highway 257, suing that individual directly is often impractical when they have no assets.

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 for your injuries, 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. Because adjusters handling Weld County motorcycle claims routinely inflate a rider's fault percentage, an attorney who can challenge that assessment on the evidence from US 34 or US 85 often makes the difference between a fair recovery and a denied claim.

Deadlines that can end a claim

Filing deadlines every Greeley motorcycle crash victim must know

Colorado's statutes of limitations and governmental notice requirements are hard stops. Miss one and your claim is gone, regardless of how strong the evidence is. These are the deadlines that come up most often in Weld County motorcycle cases.

Motor vehicle injury: 3 years

  • Most motorcycle crash injury claims must be filed within three years of the crash date under C.R.S. 13-80-101(1)(n).
  • The clock runs from the date of the collision, not from the date you discovered the full extent of your injuries.
  • Three years sounds like a long time. Evidence disappears, witnesses move, and medical records become harder to reconstruct. Moving quickly protects the claim.

Wrongful death: 2 years

  • If a Greeley motorcycle crash causes a fatality, the family's wrongful death claim must be filed within two years (C.R.S. 13-80-102(1)(d)).
  • Non-economic damages in a Colorado wrongful death case are capped at 2.125 million dollars for claims accruing on or after January 1, 2025 (C.R.S. 13-21-203(1)(a)), with inflation adjustments starting in 2028. The cap disappears entirely if the death resulted from a felonious killing.
  • Economic damages are not capped in a wrongful death case.

Government entity: 182-day notice

  • If the crash involved a Weld County road defect, a City of Greeley vehicle, or any public entity, a written notice of claim must be filed within 182 days of discovering the injury (C.R.S. 24-10-109(1)).
  • That notice is a jurisdictional prerequisite. Missing it bars the claim entirely, even if the public entity was clearly at fault.
  • For claims accruing on or after January 1, 2026, the Colorado Governmental Immunity Act caps recovery at 505,000 dollars per person and 1,421,000 dollars per occurrence (C.R.S. 24-10-114(1)(b)).
I wish I could leave more than 5 stars!
Grace M., 5-star CGH Injury Lawyers client review

The ground we work on

Greeley and Weld County: the roads, the hospital, and the courthouse that shape your motorcycle case

Every motorcycle claim filed out of Greeley runs through local roads, a local trauma center, and a local courthouse. The Weld County defense firms you face, the jury pool your case draws from, and the emergency care that documents your injuries all differ from those in Denver. Here is the ground we work on.

Courthouse

Weld County District Court, 19th Judicial District

A Greeley motorcycle accident lawsuit that exceeds the county-court limit is filed in Weld County District Court, the 19th Judicial District. The main courthouse is at 901 9th Ave, Greeley, CO 80631, with a filing location at the Centennial Center, 915 10th Street, Greeley, CO 80631. Local civil procedure, the Weld County jury pool, and the defense attorneys and insurance adjusters you face in the 19th Judicial District all differ from those in Denver or Boulder. We handle 19th Judicial District motorcycle cases directly from our Denver office, appearing in Greeley when your case requires it.

Trauma Care

Banner North Colorado Medical Center, Level II Trauma Center

Banner North Colorado Medical Center in Greeley is a designated Level II Trauma Center, confirmed by Banner Health. That designation means on-call trauma surgeons and specialists are available around the clock for the severe orthopedic, head, and spinal injuries that motorcycle crashes produce. The trauma records from Banner North Colorado document the full scope of your injuries and become the backbone of your damages claim against the at-fault driver's insurer. We gather every record, account for every future cost, and make sure none of it is left out of the demand.

High-Risk Corridors

US 34, US 85, and the Spaghetti Junction interchange

US Route 34 is Greeley's primary east-west expressway, with documented dangerous intersections at 35th Avenue and near Weld County Road 17 where high-speed through-traffic mixes with turning vehicles. US Route 85 is the main north-south corridor through the city. Together they meet at the Spaghetti Junction interchange near Garden City, a complex multi-highway interchange with a documented crash history significant enough that CDOT launched a 4 million dollar safety improvement project there. State Highway 257 connects the city north-south and has been involved in fatal crashes near the US 34 and SH 257 junction. Every one of these corridors is a documented motorcycle hazard and a recognized crash scene in Weld County litigation.

Commercial Traffic Hazard

JBS USA and heavy truck volume on Greeley's east-side corridors

JBS USA's beef processing plant on the east side of Greeley is one of the largest meatpacking facilities in the United States and one of Weld County's largest employers. The plant generates high volumes of semi-truck and commercial vehicle traffic on local Greeley streets, especially on east-side corridors. A motorcycle crash involving a commercial truck or a vehicle turning in and out of that corridor may bring additional liability sources into play, including the carrier's commercial insurance and federal motor carrier safety regulations. We identify every policy in play before we negotiate.

Your team

The team handling your Greeley motorcycle case

CGH Injury Lawyers is a Colorado personal injury firm founded in 2016, formerly Cheney Galluzzi & Howard, LLC. We serve Greeley and Weld County clients from our Denver office at 2701 Lawrence St., Suite 201, Denver, CO 80205. 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 Weld County motorcycle accident case is handled by a licensed Colorado attorney, not a paralegal.

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

Related Greeley injury cases

Other Weld County injury cases we handle

Many Greeley motorcycle crashes overlap with other serious injury claims. If your case is broader than a single collision, these practice areas connect to it.

Frequently asked questions

Frequently asked questions about Greeley motorcycle accident claims

How long do I have to file a motorcycle accident lawsuit in Greeley or Weld County?

Colorado gives you three years from the date of the crash to file a lawsuit for injuries arising from the use or operation of a motor vehicle, including a motorcycle (C.R.S. 13-80-101(1)(n)). If the crash caused a fatality, the family's wrongful death claim must be filed within two years (C.R.S. 13-80-102(1)(d)). If the crash involved a City of Greeley vehicle, a Weld County road defect, or any public entity, a written notice of claim must be sent within 182 days of discovering the injury (C.R.S. 24-10-109(1)). That notice deadline is a hard stop. Contact an attorney as soon as possible after a Weld County crash to make sure every deadline is identified and met.

Can I still file a claim if I was not wearing a helmet when my Greeley motorcycle crash happened?

Yes. Colorado does not require helmets for riders 18 and older (C.R.S. 42-4-1502), so you did not break any law by riding without one. However, a Weld County defense attorney will likely argue that your decision not to wear a helmet contributed to the severity of your head or brain injuries, which can reduce your compensation under Colorado's comparative negligence rules. That argument is not automatic or conclusive. We fight mitigation defenses and present the evidence that separates the crash liability from the injury-severity claim.

What happens if I was partly at fault for the Greeley motorcycle crash?

Colorado follows modified comparative negligence with a 50 percent bar (C.R.S. 13-21-111). If your share of fault for the crash is less than 50 percent, you can still recover damages, but your compensation is reduced by your percentage of fault. If you are found 50 percent or more at fault, you recover nothing. Weld County insurers routinely inflate a motorcyclist's fault percentage to push it toward or past that bar. An attorney who can challenge the insurer's assessment with actual evidence from US 34, US 85, or the crash site often makes the difference between a fair recovery and a denied claim.

Is lane filtering legal in Greeley and Weld County?

Lane filtering became legal in Colorado on August 7, 2024 under SB24-079 (C.R.S. 42-4-1503), including on Greeley roads. But the conditions are narrow: traffic must be completely stopped, not just slow; the motorcycle must travel 15 mph or less; the road must have at least two adjacent same-direction lanes; and the motorcycle must not exceed the posted speed limit. Lane splitting, riding between lanes of moving traffic at speed, remains illegal. Weld County insurers sometimes mislabel legal filtering as illegal splitting to deny claims. If you were filtering legally when a Greeley crash happened, we gather the traffic data and witness accounts that prove it.

What if the at-fault driver who hit me in Greeley had no insurance or not enough coverage?

Your own uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage is the answer in most of these situations. Colorado insurers must offer UM/UIM, and if you have it, it steps in when the at-fault Weld County driver has no insurance or policy 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. Without UM/UIM coverage after a crash on US 85 or State Highway 257 with an uninsured driver, suing that individual directly is often impractical when they have no assets to recover.

Where would my Greeley motorcycle accident lawsuit be filed?

Personal injury lawsuits arising from Greeley and Weld County motorcycle crashes that exceed the county-court limit are filed in Weld County District Court, the 19th Judicial District, at 901 9th Ave, Greeley, CO 80631, with a filing location at the Centennial Center, 915 10th Street, Greeley, CO 80631. CGH Injury Lawyers handles 19th Judicial District cases directly. There is no CGH office in Greeley; we serve Weld County clients from our Denver office and come to the 19th Judicial District courthouse when your case requires it.

What should I do immediately after a motorcycle accident on US 34 or near Greeley?

Call 911 and report the crash to Weld County law enforcement. Seek medical attention right away, even if injuries seem minor. Severe injuries from Greeley motorcycle crashes are typically treated at Banner North Colorado Medical Center, a Level II Trauma Center. Document the scene with photos and gather witness contact information. Do not admit fault or give a recorded statement to any insurer before speaking with an attorney. Contact CGH Injury Lawyers as soon as possible so we can move to preserve the traffic-camera data, dashcam footage, and physical evidence from the crash site before it is lost.

Are non-economic damages in a Greeley motorcycle case capped under Colorado law?

Colorado caps non-economic damages such as pain and suffering at 1.5 million dollars for claims accruing on or after January 1, 2025 (C.R.S. 13-21-102.5), with inflation adjustments beginning in 2028. Economic damages such as medical bills, lost wages, and future care costs are never capped. Compensation for physical impairment or disfigurement is also not subject to that cap under C.R.S. 13-21-102.5(5). Because motorcycle crashes frequently produce severe and permanent physical injuries, understanding which categories of your damages are uncapped is critical to knowing the real value of your Weld County claim.

Start your Greeley claim

Get a free Greeley motorcycle case review today

Tell us what happened on US 34, US 85, or anywhere in Weld County. We review your motorcycle accident case at no cost and no obligation. We serve Greeley from our Denver office.

Free motorcycle case review

100% confidential. No fee unless we win.

IT'S MORE THAN MONEY.

You were hurt riding in Greeley. We answer the bias against you.

Free consultation. No fee unless we win. Serving Greeley and Weld County from our Denver office.

Get My Free Case Review (303) 209-9395

Read next: How Colorado motorcycle accident claims work statewide