Lafayette, Colorado

Lafayette Bicycle Accident Lawyers Who Fight Back Against Insurers That Blame the Rider

A collision on the Coal Creek Trail, at the US 287 and Arapahoe Road intersection, or along Baseline Road can leave a cyclist with serious injuries and an insurance company already building a case that the rider was at fault. We serve Lafayette and all of Boulder County from our Denver office. You pay nothing unless we win.

No fee unless we win

Call (303) 209-9395 Get my free Lafayette bike case review

It's More Than Money.

Serving Lafayette From Our Denver Office CGH Injury Lawyers 2701 Lawrence St., Suite 201 Denver, CO 80205 (303) 209-9395 Se habla espanol

5-star rated on Google CDOT Vulnerable Road User Safety Task Force ABOTA trial advocate on the team 8 attorneys, bilingual EN / ES

Lafayette has one of the most active cycling communities on the Front Range, with the Coal Creek Trail, the Waneka Lake loop, and a growing network of on-street bike lanes. It also has US 287 running through the middle of the city, a documented fatal-crash corridor where cyclists share pavement with commercial trucks and fast-moving commuter traffic. When a driver hits a cyclist on any of these roads or trail crossings, the insurance company's first move is almost always to question what the rider was doing wrong.

Under Colorado's Safety Stop law (C.R.S. 42-4-1412.5), cyclists may treat stop signs as yield signs and may proceed through a red light after stopping when it is safe to do so. Riding through a stop sign slowly and checking for traffic is not running a stop sign.
Drivers must give cyclists at least three feet of clearance when passing on any Lafayette road (C.R.S. 42-4-1003). A 3-foot violation is direct evidence of negligence in a crash claim and can shift fault decisively back onto the driver.
Colorado uses modified comparative fault. You can recover damages as long as you were less than 50 percent responsible for the crash (C.R.S. 13-21-111), and your own auto insurance UM/UIM coverage may pay even though you were on a bike when a hit-and-run driver struck you.

CGH Injury Lawyers represents injured cyclists and their families across Lafayette and Boulder County. Our attorneys serve on the CDOT Vulnerable Road User Safety Task Force, and we use Colorado's cyclist-protective statutes to push fault back onto the driver. We serve Lafayette clients from our Denver office and file in Boulder County Combined Court in the 20th Judicial District. No fee unless we win.

At stop signs

A cyclist may treat a stop sign as a yield sign.
You must slow down and check for cross-traffic before entering the intersection.
You must yield to vehicles and pedestrians who already have the right of way.
You are not required to put a foot down when the intersection is clear.

At red lights

You must come to a complete stop at the line.
After stopping, yield to all cross-traffic and pedestrians.
You may then proceed when it is safe, even if the signal has not changed.
This matters most at stale Lafayette intersections where inductive loops do not detect bicycles.

Why this law matters at Baseline Road and Arapahoe intersections in Lafayette

Along SH 7 (Arapahoe Road and Baseline Road) in Lafayette, cyclists cross busy signalized intersections at marked crossings, trail crossings, and school-zone signals near Centaurus High School. Adjusters routinely claim a cyclist proceeded improperly at one of these signals. The Safety Stop law is the statutory rebuttal. If you slowed, checked for traffic, and yielded, you were complying with Colorado law, and we document that with witness accounts, intersection camera footage, and signal-timing data.

The Safety Stop is not a blanket pass. Entering any intersection without slowing or yielding is still unlawful under C.R.S. 42-4-1412.5, and insurers will use it against you if the facts support it. That is exactly why having an attorney document the scene quickly matters so much.

The 3-foot passing rule (C.R.S. 42-4-1003)

Any driver overtaking a bicycle must leave at least three feet of clearance between the vehicle and the cyclist. On narrow stretches of Baseline Road and Arapahoe Road near Lafayette's school zones, this means a driver must change lanes or slow down and wait rather than squeeze past. A violation of the 3-foot rule is direct evidence of negligence. We reconstruct the overtaking maneuver using dashcam video, business camera footage along the corridor, witness accounts, and vehicle-damage patterns.
Right-of-way at marked trail crossings

The Coal Creek Trail crosses several Lafayette roads at marked crossings. At those crossings, cyclists lawfully proceeding on the trail have rights similar to pedestrians in a crosswalk. A driver who fails to yield at a marked Coal Creek Trail crossing is liable for the resulting collision. We obtain the CDOT and City of Lafayette engineering records for each crossing as part of the investigation.
Taking the lane on US 287 and 95th Street

Colorado law permits cyclists to occupy the center of a traffic lane when road conditions make that the safest choice. On high-speed corridors like US 287 and SH 42 (95th Street) along Lafayette's eastern boundary, a cyclist riding where it is visible and legal is not at fault. Drivers who tailgate, honk, or force a cyclist to the shoulder on these roads may share liability for any resulting crash.
Lighting and equipment rules

Colorado requires a front white light and a rear reflector for any bicycle ridden between sunset and sunrise. Riding without required lights after dark on the Coal Creek Trail or on Arapahoe Road can give an insurer an argument to reduce your recovery through comparative fault. That argument rarely defeats a claim on its own, but it is one we address upfront by documenting the conditions at the time of the crash and the actual cause of the collision.

Courthouse

Boulder County Combined Court, 20th Judicial District

A bicycle accident lawsuit arising from a crash in Lafayette is filed in the 20th Judicial District at Boulder County Combined Court, 1777 6th St., Boulder, CO 80302, phone (303) 441-3750. The local jury pool, the Boulder County judges, and the defense firms that appear there all differ from Denver or Jefferson County. We appear directly in Boulder County Combined Court on behalf of Lafayette clients without any additional admission requirement and do not need to be admitted pro hac vice to represent you there.

Trauma Care

Intermountain Health Good Samaritan Hospital

Intermountain Health Good Samaritan Hospital at 200 Exempla Cir., Lafayette, CO 80026 is a 234-bed acute-care hospital designated as a Level II Trauma Center. For a cyclist struck on US 287 or at a Coal Creek Trail crossing, this hospital is the closest major trauma facility. Cyclists hit at speed typically present with orthopedic fractures, traumatic brain injury, and road rash requiring surgical care. The hospital's trauma records become central to proving the severity of injuries in a damages claim, and we obtain those records as part of every bicycle accident case we investigate.

Roads and Trails

US 287, Coal Creek Trail, Baseline Road, and Arapahoe Road

US 287 is the main north-south arterial through Lafayette and a documented fatal-crash corridor. Cyclists use the on-street bike lane segments on US 287, but the road also carries commercial trucks and high-speed commuter traffic, and the US 287 and Dillon Road intersection has a documented history of serious collisions. The Coal Creek Trail runs through Lafayette and crosses several roads at marked crossings where driver failure to yield is a recurring cause of bicycle crashes. SH 7 runs as Arapahoe Road west of US 287 and as Baseline Road east of US 287, passing near Centaurus High School where school-zone traffic and turning vehicles create cycling hazards. SH 42 (95th Street) runs along Lafayette's eastern edge and sees rear-end and side-impact collisions involving cyclists traveling toward neighboring Louisville and Boulder County communities.

Call 911 and request police and medical response

A Lafayette Police Department or Colorado State Patrol report is your official record of the scene, the conditions, and who was present. Do not let the driver convince you to exchange information and skip the police. Even if you feel well enough to stand, get the report number before you leave the scene.
Get to Intermountain Health Good Samaritan Hospital

Intermountain Health Good Samaritan Hospital at 200 Exempla Cir. in Lafayette is a Level II Trauma Center and the closest major trauma facility to the US 287 corridor and the Coal Creek Trail crossings. Go even if you feel okay. Traumatic brain injuries and internal injuries from bicycle crashes can take hours or days to produce obvious symptoms. A gap in your treatment timeline is one of the first things an adjuster will use to minimize your claim.
Photograph everything before the scene is cleared

Photograph your bike and all damage to it, the striking vehicle, the road surface, any skid marks, lane markings, and your visible injuries. On Baseline Road or near the Coal Creek Trail crossings, capture the specific crossing or bike lane markings if it is safe to do so. Collect the driver's insurance card, plate number, and license. Get names and contact information for any witnesses before they leave.
Do not give a recorded statement to the driver's insurer

The at-fault driver's insurance company is not on your side. Do not agree to a recorded statement or sign a medical release without an attorney reviewing it. Insurers use early statements to lock in a low fault percentage before they know how seriously you are hurt. This applies whether the crash happened on US 287 or at a quiet intersection near Waneka Lake Park.
Call a Lafayette bicycle accident attorney

Camera footage from businesses along Arapahoe Road and Baseline Road is typically overwritten within 7 to 30 days. CDOT traffic data for US 287 and Coal Creek Trail crossing records must be requested promptly. If a motor vehicle struck you while you were cycling, Colorado gives you three years from the date of the crash to file a lawsuit (C.R.S. 13-80-101(1)(n)), but preservation of evidence starts on day one. A free consultation costs nothing.

Economic damages

Medical expenses, past and future, including Good Samaritan Hospital trauma care, surgery, and physical therapy
Lost wages and income during recovery
Loss of earning capacity for permanent or serious injuries
Bicycle repair or replacement
Rehabilitation and future care costs
Out-of-pocket costs tied directly to the crash

Non-economic damages

Pain and suffering
Emotional distress
Loss of enjoyment of life
Loss of consortium for a spouse or family member

Colorado's non-economic cap and what it means for cyclists

For claims accruing on or after January 1, 2025, Colorado caps non-economic damages such as pain and suffering at $1,500,000 under C.R.S. 13-21-102.5. Compensation for physical impairment or disfigurement is not capped, which matters significantly in bicycle cases involving road rash scarring, limb fractures, and traumatic brain injury. Economic damages such as medical bills, lost wages, and future care costs are never capped under any dollar amount.

Modified comparative fault and the 50 percent rule

Colorado follows a modified comparative fault rule under C.R.S. 13-21-111. You can recover damages as long as your share of fault is less than 50 percent. If you are found 30 percent at fault, for example for failing to signal before a turn, your recovery is reduced by 30 percent but you still receive 70 percent. If you are found 50 percent or more at fault, you recover nothing. Insurance adjusters routinely argue that a Lafayette cyclist was partly at fault for riding in a car door zone, proceeding through a red light, or not wearing visible clothing. We use the Safety Stop law, the 3-foot rule, and collision reconstruction to push that fault percentage back down.

Your own auto insurance may cover you on the bike

Many Lafayette cyclists do not realize that their own auto insurance policy may cover them while riding a bicycle. If an uninsured or underinsured driver hits you, your uninsured and underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage can pay for medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. This matters most in hit-and-run crashes on the Coal Creek Trail and in cases where the at-fault driver carries only minimum limits. We identify every available insurance source, including homeowner and umbrella policies, to reach the full recovery the law allows.

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Filing deadlines that can end your case

If a motor vehicle struck you while you were cycling, the claim is governed by the motor vehicle statute of limitations: three years from the date of the crash (C.R.S. 13-80-101(1)(n)).
If a Lafayette city maintenance vehicle, a Boulder County road crew truck, or any other government-operated vehicle caused the crash, a written notice of claim must be filed within 182 days of discovering the injury (C.R.S. 24-10-109(1)). Miss that window and the claim is barred entirely, regardless of how serious the injuries are.
For a wrongful death arising out of a Lafayette bicycle accident, the two-year general tort period applies (C.R.S. 13-80-102(1)(d)).
The 2026 Colorado Governmental Immunity Act caps for government-entity claims are $505,000 per person and $1,421,000 per occurrence (C.R.S. 24-10-114(1)).

What the statutes say about your recovery

Economic damages such as medical bills, lost wages, and future care costs are never capped regardless of when the crash occurred.
Non-economic damages such as pain and suffering are capped at $1,500,000 for claims accruing on or after January 1, 2025 (C.R.S. 13-21-102.5). Economic damages on serious bicycle crash cases often exceed this figure on their own.
Compensation for physical impairment or disfigurement is not capped, which is especially significant in bicycle accident cases involving permanent scarring, limb damage, and brain injury.
Under the modified comparative fault rule, you recover nothing if your share of fault is 50 percent or more (C.R.S. 13-21-111). That threshold is exactly why insurers work hard to push your percentage up after a Lafayette bike crash.

Insurance adjusters understand these statutes better than most injured cyclists do. The 182-day CGIA notice window closes fast if a Lafayette city or county vehicle was involved. A trial-ready attorney on your side changes the negotiating dynamic from the first phone call.

Your team

The team handling your Lafayette bicycle accident case

CGH Injury Lawyers is a eight-attorney Colorado firm founded in 2016, formerly Cheney Galluzzi & Howard. Our attorneys serve on the CDOT Vulnerable Road User Safety Task Force, working directly with state legislators and transportation officials to strengthen protections for cyclists and other vulnerable road users. 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. CGH Injury Lawyers does not have a Lafayette office. We serve Lafayette clients from our Denver office at 2701 Lawrence St., Suite 201, Denver, CO 80205, appear directly in Boulder County Combined Court in the 20th Judicial District, and travel to clients when the case requires it. Every Lafayette bicycle 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 CDOT Vulnerable Road User Safety Task Force Over 25 cases to verdict Boulder County Combined Court Bilingual EN / ES Free consultation No fee unless we win

Meet our attorneys

How long do I have to file a bicycle accident lawsuit after a Lafayette crash?

If a motor vehicle struck you while you were cycling, Colorado gives you three years from the date of the crash to file a lawsuit (C.R.S. 13-80-101(1)(n)). If a Lafayette city vehicle or a Boulder County vehicle caused the crash, you must file a written notice of claim within 182 days of discovering the injury (C.R.S. 24-10-109(1)). Missing that 182-day government notice window typically bars the claim entirely. Do not wait to consult an attorney, because evidence preservation starts immediately and the government notice clock starts from the date you discovered the injury, not the date you contacted a lawyer.

Does CGH Injury Lawyers have a Lafayette office?

No. CGH Injury Lawyers has one office, located at 2701 Lawrence St., Suite 201, Denver, CO 80205. We serve Lafayette and all of Boulder County as a service area from that Denver office. We appear directly in Boulder County Combined Court in the 20th Judicial District on behalf of Lafayette clients and travel to clients when the case requires it. You are not paying for a storefront; you are paying for the legal work.

Can I still recover compensation if I was not wearing a helmet when I crashed?

Yes. Colorado does not require adult cyclists to wear helmets, and riding without a helmet is not automatic negligence under Colorado law. An insurance adjuster may argue that your head injuries were worsened by the absence of a helmet, which could reduce your recovery under the modified comparative fault rule (C.R.S. 13-21-111), but it does not bar your claim entirely. We work with medical experts to show that the driver's negligence caused your harm and that the injuries you sustained were a direct result of the collision, not the absence of a helmet.

What if I was partly at fault for the Lafayette bicycle crash?

Colorado follows modified comparative fault under C.R.S. 13-21-111. You can recover damages as long as your share of fault is less than 50 percent, and your award is reduced by your percentage of fault. If you are found 49 percent at fault, you recover 51 percent of your total damages. At 50 percent or more, you cannot recover. Insurance adjusters routinely try to inflate a cyclist's fault percentage on US 287 and Baseline Road crashes. We use the Safety Stop law, the 3-foot passing rule, and accident reconstruction to keep your fault percentage where the evidence actually puts it.

Can my own car insurance cover me after a hit-and-run bicycle crash in Lafayette?

Often yes. If you carry uninsured or underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage, that coverage may pay your medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering even though you were on a bicycle when the crash happened. This is especially important after hit-and-run crashes on the Coal Creek Trail crossings or after collisions where the at-fault driver carries only minimum limits. We identify every available insurance source as part of every bicycle accident case we investigate.

Is Colorado's Safety Stop law a defense if an insurer claims I ran a stop sign?

Yes, when the facts support it. Under C.R.S. 42-4-1412.5, a Colorado cyclist may treat a stop sign as a yield sign, slow down, check for traffic, and proceed without coming to a full stop when the intersection is clear. If you did that at a Lafayette intersection and a driver then struck you, you were following the law, not violating it. We reconstruct the approach, obtain witness statements, and use the statute to defeat the adjuster's fault claim. The Safety Stop law does not protect a cyclist who enters an intersection without slowing or checking for traffic.

Lafayette

Practice Area

Boulder County

Get Help

It's More Than Money.

A Lafayette driver hit you on your bike. We handle everything that comes next.

Free consultation. No fee unless we win. Serving Lafayette and all of Boulder County in English and Spanish.

Call (303) 209-9395 Get my free Lafayette case review

Prefer to read first? See how Colorado bicycle accident law works.

CGH Injury Lawyers, serving Lafayette · 2701 Lawrence St., Suite 201, Denver, CO 80205

Lafayette Bicycle Accident Lawyers Who Fight Back Against Insurers That Blame the Rider

The Safety Stop law and what it means for your Lafayette bicycle accident claim

At stop signs

At red lights

Why this law matters at Baseline Road and Arapahoe intersections in Lafayette

Cyclist rights and driver duties on Lafayette roads

The 3-foot passing rule (C.R.S. 42-4-1003)

Right-of-way at marked trail crossings

Taking the lane on US 287 and 95th Street

Lighting and equipment rules

Lafayette courts. Lafayette trauma care. Lafayette roads and trails.

Boulder County Combined Court, 20th Judicial District

Intermountain Health Good Samaritan Hospital

US 287, Coal Creek Trail, Baseline Road, and Arapahoe Road

What to do immediately after a bicycle accident in Lafayette

Call 911 and request police and medical response

Get to Intermountain Health Good Samaritan Hospital

Photograph everything before the scene is cleared

Do not give a recorded statement to the driver's insurer

Call a Lafayette bicycle accident attorney

What can a Lafayette bicycle accident victim recover under Colorado law?