Greenwood Village DUI Accident Lawyer

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

A drunk or drugged driver who violates Colorado's impaired-driving laws and causes a crash can be treated as negligent through the doctrine of negligence per se. The civil claim you bring is entirely separate from the criminal case the district attorney files, and you can pursue it whether or not the driver is ever convicted.
Colorado gives you three years from the date of your crash to file a lawsuit against the at-fault driver (C.R.S. 13-80-101(1)(n)). A separate, much shorter clock applies if you need to sue the bar or restaurant that served the driver: that dram shop claim must be commenced within one year after the alcohol was sold or served (C.R.S. 44-3-801(3)(a)(II)).
Under Colorado's modified comparative negligence rule, you can recover as long as your share of fault is less than 50 percent, and your award is reduced by your percentage of fault (C.R.S. 13-21-111). At 50 percent or more, you recover nothing. Against an impaired driver, that defense rarely has solid footing.

Fiddler's Green Amphitheatre events on Arapahoe Road, after-work drinking near the Denver Tech Center, and the volume of approximately 246,000 vehicles per day on the I-25 DTC corridor make Greenwood Village a place where impaired-driver crashes happen on a predictable cycle. CGH Injury Lawyers serves Greenwood Village from our Denver office at 2701 Lawrence St., Suite 201. We pursue the at-fault driver, any bar or restaurant that put them on the road, and your own uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage when it has to step in. Your first consultation is free, and you pay nothing unless we win.

When a driver violates a safety statute designed to protect the public from a specific kind of harm, and you are the kind of person that statute was meant to protect, the violation itself can establish negligence. Colorado's impaired driving laws are exactly that type of safety law. The driver who ran the red light on Arapahoe Road after leaving a DTC bar did not just make a bad judgment call. They violated a statute built to prevent the injury you are now living with.

In practical terms, you usually do not need to argue about whether the drunk driver did something wrong. Once impairment is established, that issue is largely settled. The real fight moves to the value of your harm, which insurance policies have to pay it, and whether a bar or restaurant that overserved the driver bears additional responsibility. That is where we focus our effort from day one.

The criminal case

Brought by the State of Colorado through the district attorney in Arapahoe County, not by you.
The goal is to punish the driver with jail, fines, license consequences, and probation.
You are a witness and a crime victim in this case, not a party who controls the decisions.
A conviction or guilty plea becomes powerful evidence in your separate civil claim.
The court may order criminal restitution, but that is limited in scope and is not full compensation.

Your civil claim

Brought by you against the driver and any other responsible party, such as a bar that overserved them.
The goal is money to make you whole: medical bills, lost income, pain, suffering, and future losses.
You control the decisions, with your attorney's guidance.
Recovery comes primarily from insurance in most cases, not out of the driver's personal funds.
It can proceed, and it must proceed, on its own timeline regardless of what happens in the criminal case.

The criminal case uses a beyond-a-reasonable-doubt standard. Your civil claim only requires a preponderance of the evidence, meaning more likely than not. That lower standard is one reason a driver can walk away from a criminal charge and still be fully liable to you in the civil case. We never wait for the criminal case to resolve before protecting your civil rights, because the dram shop clock and the evidence preservation window do not pause for the DA's docket.

The bar or restaurant: dram shop liability

Colorado's Dram Shop Act (C.R.S. 44-3-801) lets injured people 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 situation 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.
A dram shop claim adds a second source of compensation on top of the driver's own coverage, and DTC bars and concert-venue operators typically carry commercial liquor liability policies.
The catch: this claim must be commenced within one year after the alcohol was sold or served (C.R.S. 44-3-801(3)(a)(II)). That clock does not pause for the criminal case.

Your own coverage: UM and UIM

If the drunk driver had no insurance, your uninsured motorist (UM) coverage steps into the at-fault driver's role.
If the driver had insurance but not enough to cover your losses, your underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage fills the gap.
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. Do not assume this deadline matches the three-year clock against the driver.

Fiddler's Green Amphitheatre at 6350 Greenwood Plaza Blvd hosts 18,000-capacity national events from May through September. Those events concentrate alcohol service and create exactly the conditions the Dram Shop Act addresses. Many victims of post-concert DUI crashes never know they could have pursued the venue's commercial liquor policy in addition to the driver's coverage. By the time they find out, the one-year window has often passed. We map every potential defendant and every deadline at the very beginning of a case, not after the clock runs out.

Where your lawsuit is filed

Arapahoe County District Court (18th Judicial District)

Civil injury claims arising in Greenwood Village, an Arapahoe County municipality, that exceed the county-court jurisdictional limit are filed in the Arapahoe County District Court, part of Colorado's 18th Judicial District, located at 7325 S. Potomac Street, Centennial, CO 80112. The local jury pool, local procedural rules, and the defense firms that regularly appear in that courthouse all affect how your DUI injury case develops. We practice in the 18th Judicial District and know what that courtroom demands.

Nearest Level I Trauma Center

HCA HealthONE Swedish Medical Center and UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital

Seriously injured DUI crash victims from the Greenwood Village area are frequently transported to HCA HealthONE Swedish Medical Center (501 East Hampden Avenue, Englewood, CO 80113), a Level I adult and pediatric trauma center with a Level I burn center. For the most critical cases, UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital Trauma Center (12505 E. 16th Avenue, Aurora, CO 80045), also a Level I Trauma Center, serves the region. The emergency, surgical, and toxicology records from these facilities document the full scope of your injuries and form the foundation of your damages claim. DUI crash victims often sustain traumatic brain injuries, spinal injuries, and internal injuries that do not appear fully on initial imaging, making complete medical documentation essential.

High-Risk Corridors for Impaired Drivers

I-25 DTC, Arapahoe Road (CO 88), and C-470

Interstate 25 through the Denver Tech Center carries approximately 246,000 vehicles per day, including a significant volume of late-night and post-event traffic when impaired driver risk is highest. Colorado State Patrol has run coordinated enforcement operations along the I-25 corridor between mileposts 164 and 179 specifically because of documented crash patterns, including fatalities, in this segment. Arapahoe Road (CO 88) meets I-25 at Exit 197 and funnels traffic from Fiddler's Green Amphitheatre events directly onto a high-speed interchange. C-470 forms the southern boundary of the metro and intersects I-25 near the Greenwood Village and Lone Tree border. Each of these corridors has a distinct impaired-driver crash profile and requires specific investigation tactics to build the strongest possible claim.

The DTC Bar Scene and Event Venue Risk

Fiddler's Green Amphitheatre and Denver Tech Center venues

Fiddler's Green Amphitheatre at 6350 Greenwood Plaza Blvd is an 18,000-capacity outdoor concert venue that runs national touring events from May through September. After-concert traffic on Arapahoe Road and at the I-25 interchange combines with alcohol service from the venue to create concentrated impaired-driver exposure windows. The Denver Tech Center corridor also contains a dense concentration of office-campus bars and restaurants that generate after-work drinking patterns. When we investigate a Greenwood Village DUI crash, we immediately obtain bar and restaurant point-of-sale records and video surveillance before they are overwritten, because that evidence drives the dram shop claim.

Call 911 and get a police report

A police report documents signs of impairment, creates an official crash record, and often triggers a DUI arrest if the driver is still on scene. On I-25 through the DTC, Colorado State Patrol is typically the responding agency. Request the report number before leaving the scene. The DUI arrest record and toxicology results that follow from that call become powerful evidence in your civil case.
Get medical care immediately

For serious injuries, HCA HealthONE Swedish Medical Center (501 E. Hampden Avenue, Englewood) is the nearest Level I trauma center. See a doctor even if you feel fine at the scene. Concussion, traumatic brain injury, and internal injuries can take hours or days to fully present, and a gap in treatment gives the insurer a weapon to minimize your claim.
Note where the driver came from

If you know or can determine which bar, restaurant, or event the impaired driver came from before the crash, note it and preserve everything you can. Time-stamped receipts, witnesses who saw the driver drinking, and venue surveillance footage disappear quickly. This information opens the dram shop track, which runs on a one-year clock (C.R.S. 44-3-801(3)(a)(II)).
Document the scene

Photograph vehicles, road conditions, skid marks, and any debris. On I-25, note the milepost. On Arapahoe Road, photograph the intersection signal and any nearby business signage. Collect names and contact information for witnesses while they are still at the scene.
Do not give a recorded statement

The impaired driver's insurer will call quickly, sometimes before you have a full diagnosis. Do not agree to a recorded statement, sign any release, or accept any settlement offer without attorney review. Early offers in DUI cases are almost always far below full value.
Contact CGH Injury Lawyers

Multiple deadlines begin running after a DUI crash in Greenwood Village, and the dram shop clock is the shortest of them -- it runs from the date the alcohol was sold or served (C.R.S. 44-3-801(3)(a)(II)), not from when you retain an attorney or receive a diagnosis. We begin evidence preservation and deadline mapping immediately. A free consultation costs you nothing, and you pay no fee unless we win your case.

Economic damages (no cap)

Emergency care, surgery, and trauma treatment at Swedish Medical Center or UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital
Future medical and rehabilitation costs
Lost wages during recovery
Lost earning capacity if your injuries affect your ability to work
Vehicle repair or replacement and other out-of-pocket expenses
In a fatal crash, funeral expenses and the family's ongoing financial losses

Non-economic damages (capped at $1.5M for 2025+ claims)

Pain and suffering
Emotional distress and PTSD, which are common after the violence of a DUI collision
Loss of enjoyment of life
Loss of consortium for a spouse or family member

Physical impairment and disfigurement (uncapped under Colorado law): Permanent scarring, disfigurement, and physical impairment are not subject to the $1.5M non-economic cap. These damages are entirely outside the capped pool and are uncapped under C.R.S. 13-21-102.5(5).

Punitive damages and how the caps work in a Greenwood Village DUI case

Drunk driving is the kind of willful and wanton conduct that can support punitive damages on top of your compensatory recovery. Punitive damages in Colorado generally cannot exceed the amount of actual damages awarded (C.R.S. 13-21-102), and they require proof of willful and wanton conduct. We evaluate the specific facts of your Greenwood Village crash and pursue a punitive claim when the evidence supports it.
For compensatory non-economic damages such as pain and suffering, Colorado applies a cap of $1.5 million for claims accruing on or after January 1, 2025 (C.R.S. 13-21-102.5). Lower inflation-adjusted caps apply to claims that accrued before that date.
Economic damages such as medical bills and lost wages are never capped, and compensation for physical impairment or disfigurement is also not subject to the non-economic cap. In serious DUI injury cases, the uncapped categories typically represent the bulk of the recovery.

We structure the claim so that every category of harm you suffered, capped and uncapped alike, is documented and pursued. We never leave an uncapped category on the table to make the case easier to settle.

"You were partly at fault too"

Colorado uses modified comparative fault (C.R.S. 13-21-111). You can still recover as long as your share of fault is less than 50 percent, and your award is reduced by your percentage of fault. At 50 percent or more, you recover nothing. Insurers push this defense aggressively, arguing that your speed on I-25 or your lane position on Arapahoe Road contributed to the collision. Against a driver who was legally impaired, that argument usually has little traction, and we use the crash reconstruction and the DUI evidence to keep fault on the driver.
"Your injuries are not that serious"

DUI crashes on high-speed corridors like I-25 through the DTC regularly produce traumatic brain injuries, spinal injuries, and soft-tissue damage that are not fully visible on initial imaging. Insurers minimize what they cannot see on a single X-ray. We build the complete medical record with treating-physician opinions and, where needed, life-care planning that quantifies future costs in detail.
"The criminal case will take care of everything"

Criminal restitution is limited in scope and paid by the driver personally, often slowly and partially. It does not pay for pain and suffering or future losses. Your civil claim is the separate process built to recover full compensation, and we make sure it is not quietly abandoned while the Arapahoe County criminal docket moves at its own pace.
"There is no coverage to pay you"

When the driver is uninsured or underinsured, we turn to your own UM and UIM coverage and to any dram shop claim against the venue that overserved them. The defense that there is no money available is often wrong once every policy is identified and the dram shop track is evaluated.

Denver Office, Arapahoe County Cases

We serve Greenwood Village from Denver.

CGH Injury Lawyers does not have a Greenwood Village office. We serve Greenwood Village from our Denver office at 2701 Lawrence St., Suite 201. We file in Arapahoe County District Court, know the 18th Judicial District, and meet you where it works for you. Distance is not an obstacle to full representation.

ABOTA

Trial lawyers, not a settlement mill.

Managing Partner Kevin Cheney is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates and has tried over 25 cases to verdict. That trial record is why insurers take our demands seriously in DUI cases where punitive damages are on the table.

Best Lawyers in America

Recognized every year since 2023.

Timothy G. Tarr has been recognized by Best Lawyers every year since 2023. CGH is a eight-attorney Colorado firm founded in 2016, formerly Cheney Galluzzi and Howard. Every DUI case is handled by a licensed Colorado attorney, not a paralegal.

Multiple Recovery Tracks

Driver. Bar. Your own policy. We pursue all three.

Most DUI crash attorneys focus on the driver's insurance. We simultaneously identify dram shop liability against any overserving venue and activate your UM/UIM coverage when the driver's limits are too low. Stacking every available source is how we build the full recovery, not just the easy one.

Bilingual

Hablamos espanol.

Spanish-speaking staff and attorneys serve the Spanish-speaking community in Greenwood Village and across Arapahoe County.

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 in your Greenwood Village DUI case.

I wish I could leave more than 5 stars!

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

How long do I have to file a DUI crash lawsuit in Greenwood Village, Colorado?

It depends on who you are pursuing. The claim against the at-fault driver generally must be filed within three years of the crash (C.R.S. 13-80-101(1)(n)). A dram shop claim against the bar or restaurant that served the driver has a much shorter deadline of one year after the alcohol was sold or served (C.R.S. 44-3-801(3)(a)(II)). A UM or UIM claim under your own policy runs on a separate clock under C.R.S. 13-80-107.5. Because the dram shop deadline is so short, you should have an attorney confirm every clock that applies to your specific Greenwood Village crash as early as possible.

I was partly at fault in the DUI crash. Can I still recover in Colorado?

Yes, as long as your share of fault is less than 50 percent. Colorado follows a modified comparative negligence rule (C.R.S. 13-21-111). Your award is reduced by your percentage of fault. If you are found 50 percent or more at fault, you recover nothing. Against an impaired driver, assigning meaningful fault to the victim is a difficult argument for an insurer to sustain, especially when the DUI arrest and toxicology results are in evidence. We challenge any inflated fault assignment with the crash reconstruction and police report.

Can I sue the bar or restaurant in Greenwood Village that served the drunk driver?

Often, yes. Colorado's Dram Shop Act (C.R.S. 44-3-801) lets you sue a licensed vendor that willfully and knowingly served alcohol to a visibly intoxicated patron, or to anyone under 21, who then caused your harm. This includes DTC bar and restaurant venues and event operators like Fiddler's Green Amphitheatre. A dram shop claim adds a separate source of compensation on top of the driver's own coverage. The one-year filing deadline is the critical trap here, which is why the dram shop track must be evaluated immediately after the crash.

The drunk driver had no insurance. What can I do?

Uninsured drunk drivers are unfortunately common. Your own uninsured motorist (UM) coverage steps into the at-fault driver's role and can be the primary source of your recovery. If the driver had some coverage but not enough, your underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage fills the gap. These 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. We also check whether a dram shop claim against a Greenwood Village venue adds a second recovery track alongside your UM or UIM claim.

Is there a cap on what I can recover after a DUI crash in Greenwood Village?

Economic damages such as medical bills, lost wages, and future care costs are never capped. Non-economic damages such as pain and suffering are capped at $1.5 million for claims accruing on or after January 1, 2025 (C.R.S. 13-21-102.5). Compensation for physical impairment or disfigurement is not subject to that cap. Punitive damages in Colorado generally cannot exceed the amount of actual damages awarded (C.R.S. 13-21-102), and they require proof of willful and wanton conduct. Because drunk driving qualifies as that kind of conduct, punitive damages are a real part of the analysis in DUI cases.

Does CGH Injury Lawyers have a Greenwood Village office?

No. CGH Injury Lawyers does not have a Greenwood Village office. We serve Greenwood Village and all of Arapahoe County from our Denver office at 2701 Lawrence St., Suite 201, Denver, CO 80205. We file in Arapahoe County District Court (18th Judicial District) and handle cases there directly. You can reach us by phone at (303) 209-9395, and we offer free consultations for Greenwood Village DUI crash victims.

Greenwood Village

Statewide Practice Area

South Metro DUI Cities

Firm

Greenwood Village DUI Accident Lawyers Who Pursue the Driver, the Bar, and Every Dollar

Why a DUI driver is already presumed at fault: negligence per se explained for Greenwood Village victims

The criminal DUI case versus your civil injury claim in Greenwood Village

The criminal case

Your civil claim

Who can be held responsible beyond the drunk driver in a Greenwood Village DUI crash

The bar or restaurant: dram shop liability

Your own coverage: UM and UIM

Greenwood Village courts. Greenwood Village trauma care. Greenwood Village DUI crash corridors.

Arapahoe County District Court (18th Judicial District)

HCA HealthONE Swedish Medical Center and UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital

I-25 DTC, Arapahoe Road (CO 88), and C-470

Fiddler's Green Amphitheatre and Denver Tech Center venues

What to do after a DUI crash in Greenwood Village

Call 911 and get a police report

Get medical care immediately

Note where the driver came from

Document the scene

Do not give a recorded statement

Contact CGH Injury Lawyers

What compensation can you recover after a Greenwood Village DUI crash?

Economic damages (no cap)

Non-economic damages (capped at $1.5M for 2025+ claims)

Punitive damages and how the caps work in a Greenwood Village DUI case

How the other side fights a Greenwood Village DUI claim, and how we answer

"You were partly at fault too"

"Your injuries are not that serious"

"The criminal case will take care of everything"

"There is no coverage to pay you"

Why Greenwood Village DUI crash victims choose CGH Injury Lawyers

We serve Greenwood Village from Denver.

Trial lawyers, not a settlement mill.

Recognized every year since 2023.

Driver. Bar. Your own policy. We pursue all three.

Hablamos espanol.

Contingency only.

Greenwood Village DUI accident, frequently asked questions

Related pages

A drunk driver hurt you in Greenwood Village. We handle everything else.