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US 287 and SH 119 corridor in Longmont, Colorado. CGH Injury Lawyers represents people injured by commercial trucks on Longmont roads.

IT'S MORE THAN MONEY.

Longmont Truck Accident Lawyers Who Hold Carriers Accountable

A commercial truck crash on US 287, SH 119, or I-25 near Longmont is not a bigger car accident. It is a federal-regulation case with multiple defendants, fast-disappearing evidence, and an insurer with a team of defense lawyers already working the file. CGH Injury Lawyers serves Longmont from our Denver office, investigates the carrier and every party behind the driver, and prepares every case for trial in Boulder County court. No fee unless we win.

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A commercial truck crash on US 287 through Longmont or on SH 119 (the Diagonal Highway) is governed by a layer of federal and state law that ordinary car crash claims never touch. When you understand that framework, your legal options expand. When you do not, the carrier's insurer counts on that gap.

  • Interstate commercial trucks operating on US 287 and I-25 near Longmont must follow Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) rules in Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Parts 350 to 399, covering driver hours, brakes, maintenance, and electronic logging devices required since December 2017.
  • Colorado adds its own commercial vehicle requirements under C.R.S. 42-4-235, and the CDOT Code 16 chain law applies on mountain corridors trucks use to reach Longmont from Denver and the I-70 corridor during winter months.
  • Motor vehicle injury claims in Colorado, including those from truck crashes, must generally be filed within three years of the crash (C.R.S. 13-80-101(1)(n)). Engine control module black-box data can be overwritten in as few as 30 days, so a spoliation demand must go out within the first 72 hours of engaging a lawyer.

CGH Injury Lawyers serves Longmont and Boulder County from our Denver office. We investigate the carrier, the broker, the maintenance contractor, and the shipper, not just the driver. We secure the electronic data before it disappears, file at the Boulder County Combined Court in Longmont when needed, and prepare every case to go before a jury in the 20th Judicial District. You pay nothing unless we recover for you.

Why these cases differ

Why a truck crash on US 287 or SH 119 is not a car accident case

Longmont sits at the junction of US 287 and SH 119, two of Boulder County's highest-crash corridors and two of the most heavily used freight routes in the northern Colorado Front Range. When a commercial truck causes a crash on those roads, the claim carries more defendants, more regulations, and more time-sensitive evidence than any ordinary collision.

More parties can share the blame

  • The driver, for their own negligence behind the wheel on US 287 or SH 119
  • The trucking company, for negligent hiring, training, supervision, or maintenance of the vehicle
  • Cargo loaders, freight brokers, and third-party maintenance contractors serving Longmont-area freight routes
  • The truck or parts manufacturer when a defective component contributed to the crash

Critical evidence disappears fast

  • Electronic logging device (ELD) data showing actual hours driven versus what the carrier logged, required under 49 CFR Part 395, Subpart B
  • Engine control module (ECM) black-box data recording speed, hard-braking, and throttle inputs before a Longmont crash, often retained for only 30 days
  • Forward-facing and driver-facing dashcam footage, typically overwritten in 30 to 90 days
  • Maintenance records revealing deferred brake or tire repairs on the specific truck involved

Federal law requires carriers to retain ELD data for six months, but companies frequently allow electronic data to be overwritten on shorter cycles unless a formal preservation demand forces them to act. Acting within the first 72 hours after a Longmont truck crash is the single biggest factor in preserving the data that decides the case.

Federal and state law

The trucking rules that apply to Longmont crash cases

Carriers operating on US 287 through Longmont or on I-25 to the east run under a dual-jurisdiction framework: FMCSA federal standards govern interstate operations, and Colorado statutes add mountain-grade and equipment duties. A carrier's violation of either layer is the foundation of liability.

Federal Hours of Service (49 CFR Part 395)

  • 11-hour driving limit after 10 consecutive hours off duty
  • 14-hour on-duty window that cannot be reset by mid-shift breaks
  • 30-minute break required after 8 cumulative hours of driving
  • 60 hours on duty in 7 days, or 70 hours in 8 days
  • Electronic logging devices mandatory since December 2017 (49 CFR Part 395, Subpart B)

Colorado-specific commercial vehicle standards

  • C.R.S. 42-4-235 sets minimum commercial vehicle safety equipment standards; a breach can constitute negligence per se under Colorado law
  • CDOT Code 16 chain law requires commercial trucks to chain up when activated on I-70 and other mountain passes trucks use to reach the Longmont area from the Western Slope
  • Chains must be carried on I-70 between September 1 and May 31
  • Weight limits of 80,000 pounds gross, 20,000 per single axle, and 34,000 per tandem axle on interstate highways including I-25 east of Longmont
  • C.R.S. 42-4-1010 governs mandatory brake check stations before major downgrades on mountain routes trucks traverse before reaching the Front Range

Regulatory violations become evidence in a Longmont truck case

When a carrier's ELD records show that the driver exceeded the 11-hour driving limit before a crash on US 287, or when brake maintenance records reveal deferred repairs on the specific truck that struck your vehicle on SH 119, those regulatory violations are the evidence that supports both negligence and, in egregious cases, a claim for punitive damages. Colorado's modified comparative negligence rule (C.R.S. 13-21-111) assigns fault percentages across all parties. A carrier found at fault cannot reduce your recovery unless the evidence shows you were 50 percent or more responsible for the crash, which is a bar carriers work hard to manufacture.

How we handle your case

How CGH builds a Longmont truck accident claim from day one

We represent people hurt by commercial trucks on Longmont roads and the families of those killed. From the moment you contact us, the priority is securing the evidence and identifying every party that shares responsibility before that evidence is gone.

  1. Free case evaluation

    We review the facts of your Longmont crash, explain your rights under Colorado and federal law, and answer your questions at no cost and no obligation. If you were treated at Longmont United Hospital after the crash, we can start reviewing your medical records from there immediately.

  2. Send preservation demands within 72 hours

    We send formal spoliation demands to the carrier, its insurer, and every potentially responsible party within the first 72 hours. Those demands cover ELD data, driver logs, ECM black-box data, dashcam footage from all truck-mounted cameras, and the full maintenance history for the specific truck involved in your Longmont crash.

  3. Investigate every party behind the driver

    We examine the carrier's safety rating and Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) score history, investigate the broker and cargo loader, subpoena maintenance contractor records, and work with accident reconstruction specialists to show exactly how the crash on US 287 or SH 119 happened and who bears the fault.

  4. Map regulatory violations to liability

    Every FMCSA Hours of Service violation, brake maintenance gap, or load-securement deficiency gets mapped to the legal theory that proves negligence. When the carrier's conduct was sufficiently egregious, the same violations support a claim for punitive damages under C.R.S. 13-21-102, which requires proof of willful and wanton conduct.

  5. Build the full damages picture

    We document every category of loss the law allows: medical costs at Longmont United Hospital and any specialty care, future rehabilitation, lost wages, diminished earning capacity, and the non-economic losses Colorado allows including the uncapped category of physical impairment or disfigurement.

  6. Negotiate and try the case in Boulder County court

    We negotiate from a position of trial readiness, not a willingness to accept a lowball first offer. When a carrier and its insurer refuse to be fair, our trial lawyers file at the Boulder County Combined Court at 1035 Kimbark St, Longmont, CO 80501, and try your case before a 20th Judicial District jury.

We also manage the financial pressure you face while recovering. Your health insurance or auto MedPay coverage typically handles initial medical bills, and we work with providers to arrange deferral of payment to settlement proceeds so your treatment continues while your Longmont truck case moves forward.

Who is liable

Holding the trucking company accountable, not just the driver on US 287

Carriers operating through Longmont on US 287 and SH 119 frequently label drivers as independent contractors to limit their exposure. They structure leases through shell companies to hide behind the Graves Amendment. Both defenses can be challenged.

  • Courts look past the "independent contractor" label to the real operational relationship. When the carrier controls the work, it can be vicariously liable under respondeat superior for what the driver did on a Longmont road.
  • Even a truly independent driver does not shield the carrier from direct liability for negligent hiring, negligent training, inadequate supervision, or deferred maintenance on the truck itself.
  • The Graves Amendment (49 U.S.C. 30106) protects truck rental and leasing companies from vicarious liability, but it does not cover a lessor that was negligent in maintenance or knew the driver was unqualified before putting the truck on US 287.
  • Federal leasing regulations (49 CFR Part 376) impose recordkeeping and control duties that often expose the carrier's true operational control over the truck, piercing the independent-contractor shield.

Colorado's modified comparative negligence framework (C.R.S. 13-21-111) distributes fault across all parties. A plaintiff who is less than 50 percent at fault recovers, with the award reduced by their share. A plaintiff found 50 percent or more at fault recovers nothing. Carriers and their insurers use this rule aggressively after Longmont crashes, arguing that intersection behavior, lane position, or speed on SH 119 contributed to the collision. We counter those arguments with the same electronic data carriers hope you never subpoena.

Compensation

What you can recover after a Longmont truck accident

Commercial truck crashes on US 287 and SH 119 tend to produce severe, long-term injuries because of the weight and speed differentials involved. Colorado law allows injured people to recover economic and non-economic losses, with significant categories that are not capped at all.

Economic damages (never capped)

  • Emergency treatment and hospital care at Longmont United Hospital and any referral facilities
  • Ongoing specialist care, surgery, and long-term rehabilitation
  • Future medical costs projected over your remaining lifetime
  • Lost wages and missed workdays during recovery
  • Diminished earning capacity from permanent injury
  • Property damage to your vehicle

Non-economic and additional damages

  • Physical pain and suffering (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)
  • Emotional distress and trauma from the Longmont crash
  • Loss of enjoyment of life
  • Physical impairment or disfigurement, which is not subject to any cap under C.R.S. 13-21-102.5(5)
  • Punitive damages in cases where the carrier's conduct was willful and wanton, which cannot exceed the amount of actual damages (C.R.S. 13-21-102(1)(a))

Physical impairment and disfigurement are not capped under Colorado law, which is why serious truck crash cases, particularly those involving spinal injuries, traumatic brain injury, or limb loss on US 287 or SH 119, often build their core value in the uncapped category. A carrier with poor CSA safety scores, a pattern of falsified inspection logs, or weigh-station evasion on Front Range freight routes can also face punitive damages, which both punish the conduct and deter future violations on Longmont-area roads.

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Local knowledge

Longmont courts. Longmont trauma care. Longmont truck corridors.

Your Longmont truck accident case lives in Longmont: the road where it happened, the hospital that treated you, and the courthouse where the lawsuit would be filed. Here is the ground we work on. CGH Injury Lawyers does not keep a Longmont office. We serve Boulder County clients from our Denver office and file Longmont cases directly in the 20th Judicial District.

Where Your Lawsuit Would Be Filed

Boulder County Combined Court, Longmont (20th Judicial District)

A Longmont truck accident lawsuit that exceeds the county-court jurisdictional limit is filed in the 20th Judicial District of Colorado at the Boulder County Combined Court, 1035 Kimbark St, Longmont, CO 80501, reachable at (720) 564-2522. The court is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. The 20th Judicial District handles civil claims over $15,000, including truck accident cases. The local jury pool, local defense firms that represent major carriers, and the procedural calendar of the 20th Judicial District all differ from other Colorado venues, and we file and try Boulder County cases directly from our Denver office.

Where Longmont Crash Victims Receive Trauma Care

Longmont United Hospital (CommonSpirit Health), Level III Trauma Center

Longmont United Hospital at 1950 Mountain View Ave, Longmont, CO 80501 is designated a Level III Trauma Center by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and is also certified as a DNV Comprehensive Stroke Center. When a commercial truck crash on US 287 or SH 119 sends an injured person to Longmont United, those emergency and trauma records become the foundation of the damages claim. We work directly with the hospital's records and billing systems from the start of every serious Longmont case to build a complete picture of the injury from the day of the crash through projected future care.

The Truck Corridors Where Longmont Crashes Happen

US 287, SH 119 (Diagonal Highway), SH 66, SH 52, and I-25

US Highway 287 runs through Longmont as Main Street, an undivided highway corridor with no median barrier between northbound and southbound lanes. CDOT data shows the Erie-to-Boulder County line segment averages approximately 830 crashes per year and accounts for 29 percent of all fatal crashes in Boulder County. Commercial trucks on this corridor with no separation from oncoming traffic create severe head-on and left-turn crash risk. SH 119, known locally as Ken Pratt Boulevard and the Diagonal Highway, carries the highest rate of severe crashes per mile in unincorporated Boulder County and connects Longmont with Boulder at high speeds. The intersection of US 287 and SH 119 has been identified by Longmont traffic engineers as the city's highest-crash intersection, recording over 290 crashes in a recent five-year period with more than 70,000 vehicles per day. SH 66 and SH 52 add additional arterial freight movement through Longmont, and I-25 to the east is a major truck artery that feeds Longmont freight activity from the north-south Front Range corridor.

Your team

Trial lawyers who know the federal trucking rulebook

CGH Injury Lawyers is a Colorado firm founded in 2016, formerly Cheney Galluzzi & Howard, LLC. 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. Our Longmont truck accident attorneys understand the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations, the chain of responsibility behind a commercial carrier, and the 20th Judicial District procedure. Every Longmont case is handled by a licensed Colorado attorney from our Denver office. We do not keep a Longmont office, and we do not claim one.

ABOTA member on the team Tim Tarr: Best Lawyers in America since 2023 Over 25 cases to verdict FMCSA and FMCSR focused 20th Judicial District, Boulder County Bilingual EN / ES Free consultation No fee unless we win

Related injury cases

Other Longmont and Colorado injury cases we handle

Commercial truck crashes often overlap with other serious injury claims. If your situation is broader than a single collision, these practice areas connect to it.

Frequently asked questions

Longmont truck accident questions, answered

Does CGH Injury Lawyers have an office in Longmont?

No. CGH Injury Lawyers has one physical office, at 2701 Lawrence St., Suite 201, Denver, CO 80205. We serve Longmont and Boulder County clients from that Denver office, file Longmont truck accident cases at the Boulder County Combined Court at 1035 Kimbark St, Longmont, CO 80501, and meet you wherever is convenient. You can reach us at (303) 209-9395.

How long do I have to file a truck accident lawsuit in Longmont?

Colorado gives you three years from the date of the crash to file a lawsuit for injuries arising out of the use or operation of a motor vehicle, including a commercial truck, under C.R.S. 13-80-101(1)(n). If a government entity or government-operated vehicle is involved in your Longmont crash, you must also file a written notice of claim within 182 days of discovering the injury under the Colorado Governmental Immunity Act (C.R.S. 24-10-109(1)). Missing that notice deadline bars the claim entirely, regardless of how strong the underlying facts are. Confirm your specific deadlines with an attorney as early as possible.

Who is liable for my Longmont truck crash, the driver or the trucking company?

Often both, and sometimes additional parties as well. The driver is liable for their own negligence on US 287 or SH 119. The trucking company can be vicariously liable under respondeat superior when the driver is an employee, or directly liable for negligent hiring, inadequate training, poor supervision, or deferred vehicle maintenance. Cargo loaders, freight brokers, and third-party maintenance shops can also share liability depending on the facts of the Longmont crash. We investigate every party in the chain, not just the name on the truck door.

What evidence from the truck is most important and how fast does it disappear?

The most time-sensitive evidence is the truck's electronic logging device data, which federal law requires carriers to retain for six months but which is often overwritten unless a formal preservation demand arrives within days. Engine control module black-box data recording speed and braking inputs before the crash on US 287 or SH 119 may be kept for only 30 days, and dashcam footage for 30 to 90 days. We send formal spoliation demands within the first 72 hours of engagement to preserve every piece of that data before it is gone.

Can I still recover if I was partly at fault for the Longmont truck crash?

Often yes. Colorado follows a modified comparative negligence rule under C.R.S. 13-21-111. If your share of the fault is less than 50 percent, you can still recover, though your award is reduced by your percentage of fault. If you are found 50 percent or more at fault, you recover nothing. Carriers and their insurers routinely try to shift blame onto Longmont crash victims, arguing that intersection behavior or speed on SH 119 contributed to the collision. We counter those arguments with the same ELD and ECM data we subpoena from the carrier.

What are the Hours of Service rules that limit truck drivers on US 287 and I-25?

Federal Hours of Service rules under 49 CFR Part 395 limit commercial drivers to 11 hours of driving after 10 consecutive hours off duty, within a 14-hour on-duty window. Drivers must take a 30-minute break after 8 cumulative hours of driving and cannot exceed 60 hours on duty in any 7-day period or 70 hours in any 8-day period. These rules exist to prevent fatigue-related crashes. When ELD data shows a driver on your Longmont route exceeded any of these limits before the collision, that violation is direct evidence of negligence and often of the carrier's failure to supervise.

Does Colorado cap what I can recover from a truck accident?

Economic damages such as medical bills at Longmont United Hospital, future care costs, lost wages, and diminished earning capacity are never capped under Colorado law. 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 beginning in 2028. Compensation for physical impairment or disfigurement is not capped at all under C.R.S. 13-21-102.5(5), which is why serious truck crash cases on US 287 and SH 119 often build their largest recovery in that uncapped category.

Should I accept the trucking company's first settlement offer after a Longmont crash?

No. A quick offer from a carrier's insurer almost never reflects the full value of your Longmont truck accident claim. Adjusters are trained to close files fast and cheap, before you understand the full scope of your injuries or the regulatory violations that support your case. Accepting a settlement waives your right to pursue additional recovery even if your condition worsens. We evaluate any offer against the full documented damages, the regulatory violation evidence, and the value a Boulder County jury would place on your injuries before we recommend any resolution.

IT'S MORE THAN MONEY.

Hurt by a truck on US 287 or SH 119. We hold the carrier accountable.

Free consultation. No fee unless we win. Serving Longmont and Boulder County from our Denver office.

Start your free Longmont truck accident case review

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Read next: Colorado truck accident law explained

CGH Injury Lawyers · Serving Longmont from 2701 Lawrence St., Suite 201, Denver, CO 80205

5-star rated on Google ABOTA trial advocate on the team 20th Judicial District, Boulder County No fee unless we win Bilingual EN / ES