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I-25 and US-34 interchange near Loveland, Colorado. CGH Injury Lawyers represents DUI accident victims in Loveland and Larimer County from our Denver office.
Loveland, Colorado

Loveland DUI Accident Lawyers Who Pursue the Driver, the Bar, and Every Dollar You Are Owed

A drunk or drugged driver at the I-25 and US-34 interchange, on Eisenhower Boulevard, or anywhere in Loveland can destroy your health and your finances in seconds. The criminal case punishes the driver. Your civil claim is the separate legal process that puts money in your hands for medical bills, lost income, and everything you have lost. CGH Injury Lawyers serves Loveland DUI accident victims from our Denver office, files in the 8th Judicial District at the Larimer County District Court when insurers refuse to be fair, and collects nothing unless we win for you.

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Serving Loveland from our Denver Office CGH Injury Lawyers 2701 Lawrence St., Suite 201 Denver, CO 80205 (303) 209-9395 Se habla espanol
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  • Loveland DUI accident cases are filed at the Larimer County District Court, 201 LaPorte Ave., Fort Collins, CO 80521, in Colorado's 8th Judicial District. CGH Injury Lawyers files and tries 8th Judicial District DUI injury cases directly from our Denver office. CGH Injury Lawyers does not have a Loveland office. We serve Loveland and Larimer County from Denver.
  • Colorado gives you three years from the date of the crash to file a lawsuit against the at-fault driver for injuries caused by a motor vehicle (C.R.S. 13-80-101(1)(n)). A dram shop claim against any bar or restaurant that overserved the driver runs on a far shorter clock: the lawsuit must be filed within one year after the alcohol was sold or served (C.R.S. 44-3-801(3)(a)(II)). Do not wait for the criminal case to close before acting on either of those deadlines.
  • Colorado follows modified comparative fault (C.R.S. 13-21-111): you can recover as long as you were less than 50 percent at fault for the crash. If you are found 50 percent or more at fault, you recover nothing. Against an impaired driver, that fault argument rarely holds, but insurers raise it on busy corridors like the I-25 and US-34 interchange and on Eisenhower Boulevard every time.

The I-25 and US-34 interchange at the northern edge of Loveland is a documented crash cluster on the Northern Front Range, funneling high-speed freeway traffic into the arterial street network at a point where impaired drivers create catastrophic collision risk. When a drunk or drugged driver makes that risk a reality, you face emergency bills from UCHealth Medical Center of the Rockies, lost income, and an insurer that is already building its defense. CGH Injury Lawyers pursues the driver, the bar or restaurant that put them on the road, and your own uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage when no one else can pay. We serve Loveland from Denver, and you owe nothing unless we recover for you.

The law that governs your case

Why a DUI driver in Loveland is already presumed at fault: negligence per se

An ordinary crash in Loveland requires you to prove the other driver was careless. A DUI crash is different. Driving while impaired is a violation of a safety law written to protect the public, and that distinction changes what you have to prove in your civil case.

Colorado follows the doctrine of negligence per se. When a person violates a safety statute designed to prevent the kind of harm that occurred, to a person the statute was meant to protect, that violation can itself establish negligence. Drunk and drugged driving laws exist precisely to keep impaired drivers from injuring other people on roads like the I-25 and US-34 interchange and Eisenhower Boulevard in Loveland. An impaired driver who causes a crash fits that doctrine squarely.

In practical terms, you usually do not have to argue about whether the driver did something wrong. The fact of impairment, once established through toxicology and arrest records, does most of that work for you. The real fight in a Loveland DUI injury case is almost always about the full value of your harm and which insurance policies are responsible for paying it. That is where we focus from day one.

Every source of recovery

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

The impaired driver is the obvious defendant. But in Loveland, where the bars and restaurants that line the US-34 Eisenhower Boulevard commercial corridor are minutes from the I-25 interchange, the establishment that overserved the driver may share responsibility. And your own insurance may be the real source of recovery when the driver carries little or no coverage.

Dram shop liability: the bar or restaurant

  • 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 who then caused the harm you suffered.
  • The same statute covers serving anyone under 21. A private social host can also face liability under C.R.S. 44-3-801(4) for giving a minor alcohol or a place to consume it.
  • A dram shop recovery is in addition to what you can collect from the driver, giving you a second source of compensation on top of the driver's own policy.
  • The catch is a strict one-year filing deadline: the dram shop lawsuit must be commenced within one year after the alcohol was sold or served (C.R.S. 44-3-801(3)(a)(II)), regardless of when the criminal case ends. Bar video and point-of-sale receipts from Eisenhower Boulevard venues are overwritten within weeks. Acting fast is not optional.

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 shoes and pays your damages directly from your own policy.
  • If the driver carried insurance but not enough to cover your losses, your underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage fills the gap between what their policy pays and what you are owed.
  • 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. That deadline is separate from the three-year clock against the at-fault driver.
  • We check every policy that could respond to your Loveland crash, including coverage on other vehicles in your household that you may not realize applies to this claim.

Many Loveland DUI victims wait for the criminal case to wrap up before thinking about who else to pursue. By the time the criminal court is done, the one-year dram shop window has often quietly closed. We map every potential defendant and every deadline on day one so nothing is forfeited by waiting.

Two separate legal tracks

The criminal case against the drunk driver versus your civil claim in the 8th Judicial District

After a DUI crash in Loveland, two legal processes run on parallel tracks at the same time. They have different goals, different parties, and different outcomes. Knowing the difference is often the first thing our Loveland DUI clients need explained.

The criminal case

  • Brought by the State of Colorado through the Larimer County District Attorney's office, not by you personally.
  • The goal is to punish the driver: jail time, fines, license revocation, and probation.
  • You are a witness and a victim in the criminal case, not a party who controls the outcome or the timeline.
  • A conviction or guilty plea can become powerful evidence in your civil claim, but it is not required for you to prevail in the civil case.
  • The court may order criminal restitution, but restitution is limited to documented out-of-pocket losses and almost never covers your full harm.

Your civil claim

  • Brought by you against the driver, any overserving bar or restaurant, and any other responsible party.
  • The goal is money: medical bills, lost income, pain and suffering, and the full range of losses the law recognizes.
  • You control the decisions about whether to settle or take the case to trial at the Larimer County District Court in Fort Collins.
  • In the vast majority of cases, compensation is paid by insurance, which has the funds that criminal restitution almost never does.
  • Your civil claim can proceed and win even if the criminal case results in a reduced charge or acquittal.

The criminal case must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Your civil claim only has to prove fault by a preponderance of the evidence, meaning more likely than not. That lower standard is why some drivers who avoid a criminal conviction are still fully liable to you in the civil case. We do not wait for the Larimer County District Attorney's office to finish before protecting your civil rights and your compensation.

Where Loveland DUI crashes happen

Loveland roads where impaired driving produces the most serious injury claims

Impaired driving is dangerous on any road, but certain Loveland corridors create conditions where a drunk driver's slowed reaction time and compromised judgment turn a manageable situation into a catastrophic one. Understanding where your crash happened shapes how we build the liability side of your case.

  1. The I-25 and US-34 Interchange: Loveland's Primary Crash Cluster

    The interchange where I-25 meets US-34 at the northern edge of Loveland is a documented crash concentration point on the Northern Front Range. Vehicles transitioning between freeway speeds on I-25 and the arterial network on US-34 encounter merge conflicts, rear-end chains, and signal-timing failures that are physically distinct from the broader I-25 corridor. An impaired driver with reduced reaction time at this interchange has far less margin to handle those transitions safely. When a road design factor or a failure to maintain adequate signage at this interchange contributed to a DUI crash, CDOT or a local government entity may share responsibility, which triggers a written notice requirement within 182 days of discovering the injury under the Colorado Governmental Immunity Act (C.R.S. 24-10-109(1)).

  2. US-34 (Eisenhower Boulevard): Commercial Corridor and DUI Origin Zone

    US-34, known locally as Eisenhower Boulevard, is Loveland's primary east-west commercial artery. It carries heavy vehicle volumes through a long stretch of retail developments, strip centers, restaurants, and bars. That same corridor is where impaired drivers frequently enter the road immediately after leaving a Loveland venue. An impaired driver on Eisenhower Boulevard faces high-volume access points, left-turn conflicts, pedestrian crossings, and the demands of commercial traffic, conditions that a sober driver navigates carefully and an impaired one often cannot manage. When we investigate a crash on Eisenhower Boulevard, we identify every venue the driver may have visited, secure point-of-sale records, and request surveillance video before the retention window closes.

  3. US-287: North-South Arterial and Speed-Transition Exposure

    US-287 runs through the Loveland area as a high-volume north-south route connecting communities along the Northern Front Range. Like US-287 segments elsewhere in Colorado, the Loveland stretch carries a mix of commuter, commercial, and recreational traffic. Intersections along US-287 and its transitions to local Loveland streets create documented exposure for angle collisions and turning-movement crashes. An impaired driver on US-287 has to manage speed transitions and intersection judgments that their impairment has already compromised.

  4. Winter Conditions on Loveland's Highway Network

    Loveland sits at the base of the Colorado Rocky Mountains, where weather can shift rapidly. Ice and packed snow on I-25, US-34, and US-287 reduce traction and extend stopping distances, elevating the consequences of every error an impaired driver makes. A drunk driver whose reaction time is already compromised is especially dangerous on a frost-covered Eisenhower Boulevard or an icy I-25 off-ramp. When weather is a factor in a DUI crash, CDOT road condition records and local weather data at the time of the crash become part of how we document the collision and who bears responsibility for the outcome.

After a DUI crash in Loveland

What to do after a drunk driving accident in Loveland

The hours after a DUI crash in Loveland shape how strong your case can become. Evidence of the driver's impairment and your injuries must be captured before it disappears. These steps protect both your health and your claim.

  1. Call 911 and make sure impairment is on the record

    A Loveland Police Department or Larimer County Sheriff report that documents the driver's impairment, including field sobriety test results, a BAC reading, or an arrest, becomes the foundation of both the criminal prosecution and your civil claim. Ask the responding officer for the report number before you leave the scene so you can obtain it promptly.

  2. Get evaluated at UCHealth Medical Center of the Rockies

    UCHealth Medical Center of the Rockies is a Level II Trauma Center located in Loveland, providing comprehensive trauma care around the clock, including surgical services and intensive care. The adrenaline and shock that follow a violent crash can mask serious injuries for hours. Traumatic brain injury, internal bleeding, and spinal damage often do not produce obvious symptoms at the scene. Getting evaluated immediately protects your health and creates a medical record that ties your injuries to the crash at the exact time they occurred. McKee Medical Center is a second Loveland-area hospital providing acute care when needed.

  3. Document impairment evidence at the scene

    If it is safe to do so, note any open containers in the other vehicle, the smell of alcohol, the driver's speech and behavior, and the name of any bar or restaurant the driver mentioned. Photograph the vehicles, road conditions, traffic signals, and your visible injuries. Collect contact information from every witness before they leave. At the I-25 and US-34 interchange and along Eisenhower Boulevard, commercial and traffic cameras may have captured the crash. Those recordings are often overwritten within days.

  4. Act on the dram shop deadline immediately

    If you know or suspect the driver was drinking at a Loveland bar or restaurant before the crash, the one-year dram shop clock under C.R.S. 44-3-801(3)(a)(II) is already running from the moment the last drink was served. Surveillance video from Eisenhower Boulevard venues is typically overwritten within 30 to 90 days. Point-of-sale receipts may last longer but require a formal legal preservation demand. We send those demands within days of taking a case so nothing is lost.

  5. Do not give a recorded statement to any insurer

    The at-fault driver's insurer is not on your side. Neither is your own insurer on a UM or UIM claim. Do not agree to a recorded statement or sign any release before speaking with an attorney. On a high-volume corridor like US-34, adjusters contact victims quickly to lock in a version of events that limits the insurer's exposure.

  6. Call CGH Injury Lawyers for a free Loveland DUI case review

    The three-year filing deadline under C.R.S. 13-80-101(1)(n) gives you time to recover before filing suit against the driver, but the dram shop clock and the evidence preservation window do not wait. A free consultation costs you nothing and starts the process of protecting every claim you have, including claims you may not yet know exist.

Compensation

What you can recover after a DUI crash in Loveland

Colorado law recognizes two broad categories of compensatory damages after any serious crash, and DUI conduct opens a door to a third category that ordinary crash cases rarely reach. Understanding how each category works in a Larimer County claim shapes what your case is actually worth.

Economic damages (never capped)

  • Emergency treatment, surgery, and hospitalization at UCHealth Medical Center of the Rockies or, if injuries required transfer, at a Level I facility in Denver or Aurora
  • Future medical and rehabilitation costs, including physical therapy, neurological care, and any assistive devices your injury requires
  • Lost wages for every day missed from work during recovery
  • Reduced future earning capacity when a permanent injury limits what you can earn going forward
  • Property damage to your vehicle and related out-of-pocket costs
  • In a fatal DUI crash, funeral expenses and the surviving family's financial losses

Non-economic and other damages

  • Pain and suffering from the crash and the recovery process
  • Emotional distress and PTSD, which are common after a violent DUI crash on a high-speed corridor like the I-25 and US-34 interchange
  • Loss of enjoyment of life when your injuries prevent activities that were important to you before the crash
  • Permanent scarring, disfigurement, and physical impairment. Colorado does not cap compensation for physical impairment or disfigurement at all, which often makes these categories the core of a high-value DUI injury recovery.

Punitive damages for DUI conduct, and how the caps apply in Loveland cases

  • Drunk driving is the kind of willful and wanton conduct that can support punitive, or exemplary, damages on top of your compensatory recovery. Punitive damages in Colorado generally cannot exceed the amount of actual compensatory damages awarded (C.R.S. 13-21-102), and they require proof of willful and wanton conduct. We evaluate whether the specific facts of your Loveland case support a punitive claim and pursue it where the evidence is strong enough.
  • For compensatory non-economic damages such as pain and suffering, Colorado caps recovery at $1.5 million for claims accruing on or after January 1, 2025 (C.R.S. 13-21-102.5). Economic damages such as medical bills, lost wages, and future care costs are never capped. Compensation for physical impairment or disfigurement is also not capped, which is why catastrophic DUI injury cases in Larimer County often build their core value in those uncapped categories.
Fault and the insurer playbook

What happens if the insurer says you were partly at fault for the Loveland DUI crash?

Even when their driver was drunk, insurers look for ways to reduce or eliminate what they owe you. The most common tool is comparative fault. Knowing exactly how that rule works under Colorado law is how we keep your claim at full value.

Colorado follows modified comparative fault under C.R.S. 13-21-111. You can recover damages even if you were partly at fault for the crash, as long as your share of fault is less than 50 percent. If you are found 50 percent or more at fault, you recover nothing. If a jury finds you 20 percent at fault and awards $600,000, you collect $480,000, which is the award reduced by your 20 percent share. Against an impaired driver, the argument that you bear significant fault rarely holds up when the crash reconstruction and toxicology evidence are properly presented, but insurers on Eisenhower Boulevard and the I-25 interchange raise it routinely because it costs them nothing to try.

  1. "You were speeding on US-34"

    We use the toxicology report, the DUI arrest record, and crash reconstruction to establish that the impaired driver's compromised judgment and slowed reaction time were the primary cause of the collision. A DUI driver's physical impairment is a documented fact that outlasts a speed allegation against the victim when the evidence is properly built.

  2. "Your injuries came from something that happened before the crash"

    We build a complete medical record from your treatment at UCHealth Medical Center of the Rockies forward, documenting the specific new injuries and any aggravation of prior conditions, to establish precisely what the DUI crash caused and what it costs to address.

  3. "You should have avoided the drunk driver"

    At a controlled intersection or a merge point on the I-25 and US-34 interchange, the victim often had a green light or the right of way when the impaired driver ignored it. We obtain any available camera footage before it is deleted and use the physical evidence from the scene to place the fault where it belongs.

Local knowledge

Loveland courts. Loveland trauma care. Loveland DUI crash corridors.

A Loveland DUI injury case lives in Loveland: the road where the crash happened, the hospital that treated you, and the courthouse where the lawsuit would be filed. Here is the ground we work on for every Larimer County DUI client.

Courthouse

Larimer County District Court, Fort Collins (8th Judicial District)

Loveland DUI injury lawsuits above the county-court jurisdictional limit are filed in the 8th Judicial District of Colorado at the Larimer County District Court, 201 LaPorte Ave., Fort Collins, CO 80521. Loveland is in Larimer County, and all Larimer County District Court civil cases are handled at this Fort Collins courthouse. Loveland shares this courthouse with Fort Collins and the rest of Larimer County. The 8th Judicial District draws its jury pool from Larimer County residents, applies its own local civil procedure, and involves the specific defense firms that insurers retain for Northern Front Range cases. CGH Injury Lawyers files and tries 8th Judicial District DUI injury cases directly from our Denver office, with no additional cost to Loveland clients. Most cases settle before any lawsuit is filed, but knowing which court applies and who sits on that jury pool shapes how we build every Loveland DUI claim from day one.

Trauma Care

UCHealth Medical Center of the Rockies (Level II Trauma Center, Loveland)

After a serious DUI crash in Loveland, patients are most often treated at UCHealth Medical Center of the Rockies, a Level II Trauma Center located in Loveland. A Level II designation means the facility provides comprehensive around-the-clock trauma care including surgical services, intensive care, and specialist coverage. The trauma records from Medical Center of the Rockies documenting your injuries are the foundation of your damages claim in every DUI case we handle in Larimer County. When injuries are catastrophic enough to require Level I care, patients may be transferred to a Level I facility in Denver or Aurora, and we coordinate records across every treating facility from the start. McKee Medical Center is a second Loveland-area hospital providing additional acute care capacity in the community. We work directly with hospital records and billing systems to build a complete medical picture of your injury from the day it happened through projected future treatment.

High-Risk DUI Corridors

I-25 and US-34 Interchange, Eisenhower Boulevard (US-34), and US-287

The interchange where I-25 meets US-34 is a documented crash cluster on the Northern Front Range, producing a disproportionate share of serious Loveland collision claims. Vehicles moving between freeway and arterial speeds at this interchange encounter merge conflicts and timing failures that an impaired driver cannot safely manage. US-34, locally known as Eisenhower Boulevard, is Loveland's primary east-west commercial artery, carrying heavy traffic through a long corridor of bars, restaurants, retail developments, and cross-street intersections. The combination of high-volume access points and the number of licensed drinking establishments along Eisenhower Boulevard makes this corridor the most common origin zone for drivers who drink and then enter a Loveland road. US-287 adds north-south arterial exposure, connecting Loveland to the broader Northern Front Range and creating additional intersection conflict points. Together, these three corridors generate the majority of serious crash claims in Larimer County that originate in or near Loveland.

Your team

The Loveland DUI accident team behind your case

CGH Injury Lawyers is a eight-attorney Colorado firm founded in 2016, formerly Cheney Galluzzi and Howard. 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 Loveland DUI accident case is handled by a licensed Colorado attorney who files and tries cases in the 8th Judicial District at the Larimer County District Court, not by a paralegal.

ABOTA member on the team Tim Tarr: Best Lawyers in America since 2023 Over 25 cases to verdict 8th Judicial District experience Bilingual EN / ES Free consultation No fee unless we win

One thing we tell every Loveland client upfront: CGH Injury Lawyers does not have a Loveland office. We serve Loveland and Larimer County DUI accident clients from our Denver office at 2701 Lawrence St., Suite 201, Denver, CO 80205. We come to you for meetings when needed, we file at the Larimer County District Court in Fort Collins, and we try cases in the 8th Judicial District. What you get is the work and the result, not a storefront on Eisenhower Boulevard.

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Frequently asked questions

Loveland DUI accident: frequently asked questions

How long do I have to file a DUI injury claim after a crash in Loveland?

The deadline depends on who you are pursuing. The claim against the at-fault driver must be filed within three years of the crash under Colorado's motor vehicle statute (C.R.S. 13-80-101(1)(n)). A dram shop claim against any Loveland bar or restaurant that overserved the driver runs on a far shorter clock: you must file within 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 its own separate deadline under C.R.S. 13-80-107.5. Because these clocks start from different events and can run at the same time, the safest step is to have an attorney confirm every deadline that applies to your specific crash as early as possible after the collision.

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

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 served anyone under 21, who then caused the crash. Loveland's Eisenhower Boulevard commercial corridor has numerous bars and restaurants where overservice claims arise. A dram shop recovery is on top of what you can recover from the driver directly, giving you a second source of compensation. The strict one-year filing deadline under C.R.S. 44-3-801(3)(a)(II) is why these claims must be investigated immediately while surveillance video and receipts still exist.

Should I wait for the criminal case to finish before starting my civil DUI claim?

No. The criminal case and your civil claim are separate legal tracks running at the same time. Waiting for the criminal case to close is one of the most expensive mistakes a DUI victim can make because the one-year dram shop deadline can expire while you wait. Surveillance video from Loveland venues and camera footage from the I-25 and US-34 interchange area disappears within weeks. We start protecting your civil rights immediately while the Larimer County District Attorney handles the criminal prosecution on a separate schedule. Any conviction or guilty plea that results can later strengthen your civil case.

What if the drunk driver who hit me in Loveland had no insurance?

This situation is common, and it is where your own uninsured motorist (UM) coverage becomes the real source of recovery. If you carry UM coverage, your insurer steps into the at-fault driver's shoes and pays your damages. If the driver had some coverage but not enough, underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage fills the gap. Both types of 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 every available policy, including coverage on other vehicles in your household, to make sure no available dollar is left behind.

Can I recover punitive damages against the drunk driver who hit me in Loveland?

Sometimes. Drunk driving is the kind of willful and wanton conduct that can support punitive damages on top of your compensatory recovery. Under Colorado law, punitive damages generally cannot exceed the amount of actual compensatory damages awarded (C.R.S. 13-21-102), and they require proof of willful and wanton conduct. We evaluate whether the facts of your specific Loveland DUI crash support a punitive claim and pursue it where the evidence is strong enough to meet that standard.

Does Colorado cap what I can recover after a DUI crash in Loveland?

Economic damages such as medical bills, lost wages, and future care costs 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 (C.R.S. 13-21-102.5). Compensation for permanent physical impairment or disfigurement is not capped at all, which is why serious DUI injury cases in Loveland often build their core value in those uncapped categories. Punitive damages, if the evidence supports them, are separately governed by C.R.S. 13-21-102 and generally may not exceed your compensatory damages.

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Related Loveland pages and Colorado DUI practice areas

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CGH Injury Lawyers · 2701 Lawrence St., Suite 201, Denver, CO 80205 · Serving Loveland and Larimer County