Sheridan Boulevard in Mountain View, Colorado. CGH Injury Lawyers represents families who lost a loved one to fatal negligence in Mountain View and Jefferson County.

Mountain View, Jefferson County, Colorado

Mountain View Wrongful Death Lawyers Representing Families When Fatal Negligence Strikes Jefferson County

When a crash on Sheridan Boulevard, a collision at West 44th Avenue, or any other act of negligence in or around Mountain View takes a family member, Colorado law gives surviving spouses, children, and parents the right to pursue civil accountability. CGH Injury Lawyers serves Mountain View families from our Denver office. We handle the standing analysis, the damages calculation, and the trial when an insurer will not be fair. You pay nothing unless we win.

No fee unless we win

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It's More Than Money.

Serving Mountain View 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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The Colorado Wrongful Death Act (C.R.S. 13-21-201 through 13-21-204) gives surviving family members the right to pursue civil compensation after a fatal act of negligence. Mountain View wrongful death claims that go to court are filed in Jefferson Combined Court, 100 Jefferson County Parkway, Golden, CO 80401, in the First Judicial District.
The general deadline to file a Colorado wrongful death claim is two years from the date of death (C.R.S. 13-80-102). If the responsible party is a government entity, a written notice of claim is required within 182 days of discovering the injury under C.R.S. 24-10-109(1), and missing that notice bars the claim entirely.
Who has the right to file depends on Colorado's strict standing hierarchy: the surviving spouse holds exclusive standing in the first year. If no spouse files in year one, children may join in year two. Parents may file only when no surviving spouse or children exist. The hierarchy controls the entire claim, and the wrong filer can put the family's recovery at risk.

Mountain View is a 12-square-block Jefferson County enclave of 541 residents bordered by Sheridan Boulevard to the east and West 44th Avenue to the north, two of the most heavily traveled and crash-documented arterials in the northwest Denver metro. Sheridan Boulevard has logged 123 documented serious injuries or fatalities in recent years. When fatal negligence strikes on or near those corridors, the path forward for a surviving family involves Colorado statutory deadlines, a standing analysis, and a damages framework that is meaningfully different from a personal injury claim. CGH Injury Lawyers serves Mountain View families from our Denver office at 2701 Lawrence St., Suite 201. We carry the legal weight so you can focus on your family.

Civil versus criminal: two different systems, two different purposes

A Colorado wrongful death claim is a civil action. It can move forward even if the person who caused the death was never charged, or was charged and acquitted. The civil and criminal systems run on separate tracks.
Civil wrongful death cases require proof by a preponderance of the evidence, a lower standard than the criminal system's proof beyond a reasonable doubt. The family controls whether to settle or go to trial in Jefferson Combined Court.
The Act is codified at C.R.S. 13-21-201 through 13-21-204. It sets out exactly who may file, when they may file, and what categories of loss are compensable. Every Mountain View wrongful death claim runs through those provisions.

Year one: the surviving spouse holds exclusive standing

During the first year following the death, only the surviving spouse may file. This exclusive standing applies even if adult children, parents, or siblings are also grieving. The surviving spouse may choose to include children or other heirs in the claim, but no one else can file without the spouse's involvement during that first year.
Year two: children and the spouse may both file

If the surviving spouse does not file within the first year after the death, or if there is no surviving spouse, the right to file passes to the deceased's children. In the second year, both the surviving spouse and the children hold standing and may both be parties to the claim.
Parents, when no spouse or children survive

If the deceased left no surviving spouse and no surviving children, the right to file passes to the deceased's parents. This scenario arises most often when a young adult or single individual is killed, a situation that can occur in the kinds of high-speed corridor crashes that happen on Sheridan Boulevard and West 44th Avenue.
Siblings, under the 2024 update to the Act

Under HB 24-1472, siblings now hold standing, but only when the deceased left no surviving spouse, no surviving children, and no surviving parents. This legislative change closed a gap that previously left some single adults and individuals without close family in a position where no eligible claimant existed under the prior statute.

Because the standing hierarchy is time-sensitive and unforgiving, families should confirm who holds the right to file well before the first year runs. A procedural error in standing does not get fixed later. We help families identify the correct claimant at the outset, so a technical misstep never closes the door on an otherwise meritorious claim.

Where fatal crashes happen

Sheridan Boulevard and West 44th Avenue: Mountain View's documented danger corridors

Sheridan Boulevard runs the entire eastern boundary of Mountain View and connects to I-70 to the north. City safety studies have documented 123 serious injuries or fatalities on the Sheridan corridor in recent years, with pedestrian crossing deficiencies, speeding, and red-light running identified as contributing factors. West 44th Avenue, Mountain View's northern boundary, absorbs I-70 overflow traffic during peak commute hours, documented as 7:30 to 9:00 a.m. eastbound and 4:30 to 6:00 p.m. in both directions. Lakeside Amusement Park in adjacent Lakeside generates documented seasonal traffic surges on Sheridan Boulevard near Mountain View's northern boundary during summer evenings. Berkeley Lake Park, immediately east at Tennyson Street and West 46th Avenue, adds pedestrian and recreation traffic to the Sheridan corridor. The entire town covers 12 square blocks bounded by Sheridan Boulevard to the east, West 44th Avenue to the north, West 41st Avenue to the south, and Fenton Street to the west. These dimensions mean every resident routinely crosses arterial streets carrying commuter-level volume.

Courthouse

Jefferson Combined Court, First Judicial District, Golden

Mountain View is in Jefferson County. A wrongful death lawsuit arising from a death in Mountain View is filed in Jefferson Combined Court, located at 100 Jefferson County Parkway, Golden, CO 80401. Jefferson Combined Court is part of the First Judicial District, which serves both Jefferson and Gilpin Counties. The local procedures, jury pool, and defense firms active in that courthouse are Jefferson County specifics, not Denver specifics. CGH Injury Lawyers handles Jefferson County wrongful death cases directly, including filing and appearing in Golden.

Trauma care

St. Anthony Hospital and Denver Health: where fatal-injury victims are taken

The closest Level I Trauma Center to Mountain View is St. Anthony Hospital in Lakewood, designated by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. It is the primary trauma destination for crashes along the Sheridan Boulevard and I-70 corridor. Denver Health, verified by the American College of Surgeons and the State of Colorado as a Level I Adult and Level II Pediatric Trauma Center, also receives serious crash victims from the northwest Denver metro. In a wrongful death case, the trauma records from either facility are central to establishing what happened between the injury and the death, what medical expenses the estate incurred, and what pain the deceased endured, all of which belong to the survival action that is typically filed alongside the wrongful death claim.

No local office

We serve Mountain View from Denver. That is the honest answer.

CGH Injury Lawyers does not have a Mountain View office. We serve Mountain View families from our Denver office at 2701 Lawrence St., Suite 201, Denver, CO 80205, telephone (303) 209-9395. Our attorneys handle Jefferson County wrongful death cases directly, appear at Jefferson Combined Court in Golden, and meet you where it works for your family during this difficult time. If a firm claims a Mountain View address, look it up before you sign a retainer.

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Solatium is governed by C.R.S. 13-21-203.5. For claims accruing on or after January 1, 2024, the certified amount is $135,990. This payment is guaranteed once liability is established. It is paid in addition to economic damages, not instead of them.
Electing solatium can protect a family's privacy. A traditional non-economic damages claim invites the defense to investigate the marriage or relationship through depositions, subpoenas of private communications, and other invasive discovery. Solatium lets a family skip that process entirely, replacing it with a fixed amount the statute certifies.
Choosing solatium does not reduce economic damages. Lost income, pre-death medical bills, and funeral costs remain fully recoverable and are not capped, regardless of the solatium election.
Solatium is not always the right choice. When the non-economic losses in a case clearly exceed $135,990, pursuing a traditional non-economic damages claim may recover more, even after accounting for the more invasive defense process. We walk every Mountain View family through both options before making a recommendation.

Economic damages (not capped)

Net pecuniary loss: the income, benefits, and financial support the deceased would have provided over their working life
Pre-death medical expenses incurred between the injury and the death
Funeral and burial costs
Loss of household services the deceased provided, such as childcare and home maintenance

Non-economic damages (capped)

Grief and emotional suffering of the surviving family
Loss of companionship
Loss of consortium for a surviving spouse
Loss of care, protection, and guidance for surviving children

For claims accruing on or after January 1, 2025, the non-economic cap under C.R.S. 13-21-203 is $2,125,000. That cap disappears entirely if the death was caused by a felonious killing. Lower caps apply to deaths occurring before 2025 and to deaths caused by medical malpractice, so the date of death and the nature of the negligence both matter. Economic damages are never capped, regardless of the amount. When a crash on Sheridan Boulevard kills a family's primary earner, the uncapped economic category, including decades of projected lost income and benefits, typically far exceeds the non-economic cap in dollar terms. Punitive damages may also be available under C.R.S. 13-21-102 when the at-fault party acted with willful and wanton disregard for the safety of others. We calculate every category before we discuss settlement.

For the surviving family

The wrongful death claim

Brought by surviving family members for the losses they personally suffered: lost financial support, lost companionship, and loss of the deceased's care and guidance. The beneficiaries are the spouse, children, or parents as defined by the First Year Rule standing hierarchy. Recovery goes to the family, not the estate.

For the estate

The survival action

Brought on behalf of the deceased's estate for losses the deceased personally suffered before dying: pre-death medical bills from St. Anthony Hospital or Denver Health, lost wages between the injury and the death, and pain and suffering during that period. Proceeds are distributed under the will, or through Colorado intestacy law if no will exists.

Consider a victim who is struck on Sheridan Boulevard and survives in St. Anthony Hospital's ICU for nine days before passing away. The pain and pre-death medical costs from those nine days belong to the survival action. The next twenty-five years of income and family support belong to the wrongful death claim. Filed together, both claims pursue the full picture of what the family and the estate lost. We handle both in parallel so neither path is left on the table.

Modified comparative fault: C.R.S. 13-21-111

Colorado follows a modified comparative negligence rule. Surviving families can recover as long as the deceased was less than 50 percent at fault for the incident that caused the death. If a jury finds the deceased 49 percent at fault, the family recovers 51 percent of the total award. If the deceased is found 50 percent or more at fault, the family recovers nothing. On a documented high-crash corridor like Sheridan Boulevard, insurers routinely argue that the deceased was speeding, failed to yield, or was distracted in order to push their fault percentage toward or past that bar. We build the counter-narrative from the police report, traffic data, witness accounts, and reconstruction evidence.
Government entity involvement: CGIA notice requirements

Mountain View sits at the edge of an I-70 corridor managed by CDOT Region 6. If a government-owned vehicle, a publicly maintained road defect, or a government employee's negligence contributed to the death, the Colorado Governmental Immunity Act (CGIA) imposes an additional procedural hurdle. Under C.R.S. 24-10-109(1), a written notice of claim must be filed within 182 days of the date the family discovered the injury, not the date of death. Missing that 182-day notice deadline bars the claim against the government entity entirely, even if the general two-year wrongful death statute has not run. The CGIA also imposes separate damage caps, currently $505,000 per person and $1,421,000 in the aggregate for claims on or after January 1, 2026, under C.R.S. 24-10-114. If any public entity or government employee was involved in the death, contact us immediately to preserve the notice deadline.

Preserve evidence from the scene immediately

Surveillance camera footage from Sheridan Boulevard businesses and nearby intersections is overwritten in days or weeks. Physical evidence at the crash site changes quickly. If the death occurred on or near Mountain View's boundary streets, request evidence preservation from businesses, municipalities, and any witnesses before that window closes. We send preservation letters on day one.
Obtain the police report and request the medical records

The Jefferson County crash report and the trauma records from St. Anthony Hospital or Denver Health form the foundation of both the wrongful death claim and the survival action. Request these records as soon as the facility allows. The pre-death medical records are particularly important if the deceased survived for any period before passing, because those records feed the survival action's damages calculation.
Identify whether a government entity was involved

If a CDOT-maintained road defect, a Jefferson County vehicle, or a government employee contributed to the death, the 182-day CGIA notice deadline under C.R.S. 24-10-109(1) begins running from the date the family discovered the injury. That clock is running right now if a government entity was involved. Contact an attorney before the 182 days are gone.
Confirm who holds the right to file

The First Year Rule standing hierarchy controls the entire claim. If the deceased left a surviving spouse, that spouse holds exclusive filing rights during the first year. No one else can file during that window. An attorney should verify standing before anyone contacts an insurer or signs anything. Filing out of turn, or representing yourself as a party who does not yet hold standing, creates procedural problems that can harm the entire family's recovery.
Do not accept an early offer from the at-fault party's insurer

Insurance adjusters representing the at-fault driver or property owner may contact the family quickly with an early settlement offer. Those offers are almost always below the full value of the claim, and accepting one before the complete scope of economic loss is calculated can permanently bar additional recovery. Do not sign anything or give a recorded statement before speaking with an attorney. Call (303) 209-9395 first.

Trial Ready

Over 25 cases taken to verdict.

Managing Partner Kevin Cheney is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) and has tried over 25 cases to jury verdict, including in Jefferson County. Insurers treat trial-ready firms differently, especially in wrongful death cases where the stakes are high.

No Local Office

Serving Mountain View from Denver. That is the honest answer.

CGH Injury Lawyers does not have a Mountain View office. We serve Mountain View residents from our Denver office at 2701 Lawrence St., Suite 201, Denver, CO 80205. Call us at (303) 209-9395. Our attorneys handle Jefferson County wrongful death cases directly, including filing and appearing at Jefferson Combined Court in Golden. If another firm claims a Mountain View address, check it before you sign anything.

Full Damages Calculation

Every category, before we talk settlement.

We calculate economic losses across the full projected earning life of the deceased, plus non-economic losses, solatium eligibility, and survival-action damages, before any offer is evaluated. Leaving a category on the table is how families end up accepting less than what they deserve.

Standing Analysis

We confirm who holds the right to file.

The First Year Rule hierarchy is unforgiving. We verify the correct claimant at the outset so a procedural error never closes an otherwise strong claim. This is not a step families should navigate without counsel.

Best Lawyers in America

Recognized 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 wrongful death case is handled by a licensed Colorado attorney, not a paralegal or case manager.

Bilingual

Hablamos espanol.

Spanish-speaking staff and attorneys serve Mountain View and the northwest Denver metro area in English and Spanish.

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 jury verdict in your family's favor.

ABOTA trial advocate on the team Tim Tarr: Best Lawyers in America since 2023 Jefferson County cases handled directly Bilingual EN / ES Free, confidential consultation No fee unless we win

How long does a family in Mountain View have to file a wrongful death claim?

The general deadline is two years from the date of death under C.R.S. 13-80-102. That clock runs from the death itself. However, if a government entity, government vehicle, or public road defect contributed to the death, a separate written notice of claim must be filed within 182 days of the date the family discovered the injury under C.R.S. 24-10-109(1). Missing that notice deadline bars the claim against the government defendant entirely, even if the two-year wrongful death period has not run. Contact an attorney as soon as possible to confirm which deadlines apply to your specific situation.

Who is allowed to file a wrongful death lawsuit for someone killed near Mountain View?

Colorado follows a strict standing hierarchy under the Wrongful Death Act. In the first year after the death, only the surviving spouse may file. If no spouse files in year one, both the surviving spouse and children may file in year two. If there is no surviving spouse and no surviving children, parents may file. As of January 1, 2025, siblings hold standing only when no spouse, children, or parents survive the deceased. Filing by the wrong party at the wrong time can put the entire family's claim at risk. An attorney should confirm standing before any pleading is filed.

What is the non-economic damages cap in a Colorado wrongful death case?

For wrongful death claims accruing on or after January 1, 2025, the non-economic cap under C.R.S. 13-21-203 is $2,125,000. That cap is removed entirely if the death resulted from a felonious killing. Lower caps apply to claims that accrued before 2025 and to deaths caused by medical malpractice, which are governed by separate limits. Economic damages, including lost income, pre-death medical expenses, and funeral costs, are never capped regardless of amount. If a death resulted from gross negligence or willful and wanton conduct, punitive damages may also be available under C.R.S. 13-21-102.

What is solatium, and should a Mountain View family elect it?

Solatium is a statutory fixed payment available to a surviving spouse (and in some cases parents) under C.R.S. 13-21-203.5. For claims accruing on or after January 1, 2024, the certified amount is $135,990. It is paid in addition to economic damages once liability is established. Electing solatium avoids the invasive defense discovery that a traditional non-economic damages claim invites. However, solatium is not always the better choice. When provable non-economic losses significantly exceed $135,990, a traditional claim may recover more. We analyze both paths for every Mountain View family before making any recommendation.

Can a Mountain View family still recover if the deceased was partly at fault?

Yes, as long as the deceased was less than 50 percent at fault. Colorado follows a modified comparative negligence rule under C.R.S. 13-21-111. The family's recovery is reduced by the deceased's share of fault. If the deceased is found 49 percent at fault, the family recovers 51 percent of the total award. If the deceased is found 50 percent or more at fault, the family recovers nothing. Insurers frequently try to push the deceased's fault percentage above 50 percent to eliminate the claim. Reconstruction evidence, traffic data from Sheridan Boulevard, and witness testimony are the tools we use to counter that argument.

Does CGH Injury Lawyers have an office in Mountain View?

No. CGH Injury Lawyers does not have a Mountain View office. We serve Mountain View and all of Jefferson County from our Denver office at 2701 Lawrence St., Suite 201, Denver, CO 80205. We file wrongful death cases in Jefferson Combined Court in Golden, appear there directly, and meet Mountain View families where it works best for them. Call us at (303) 209-9395 for a free, confidential consultation.

Mountain View

Statewide wrongful death practice

Nearby Jefferson County cities

Firm

It's More Than Money.

You lost someone near Mountain View. We carry the legal weight from here.

Free consultation. No fee unless we win. Serving Mountain View from our Denver office. Jefferson County wrongful death cases handled directly.

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

Prefer to read first? See how Colorado wrongful death law works statewide.

CGH Injury Lawyers · 2701 Lawrence St., Suite 201, Denver, CO 80205 · Serving Mountain View, Jefferson County

Mountain View Wrongful Death Lawyers Representing Families When Fatal Negligence Strikes Jefferson County

What the Colorado Wrongful Death Act means for Mountain View families

Civil versus criminal: two different systems, two different purposes

The First Year Rule: who can bring a Mountain View wrongful death claim

Year one: the surviving spouse holds exclusive standing

Year two: children and the spouse may both file

Parents, when no spouse or children survive

Siblings, under the 2024 update to the Act

Mountain View courts. Trauma care. Fatal-crash corridors.

Sheridan Boulevard and West 44th Avenue: Mountain View's documented danger corridors

Jefferson Combined Court, First Judicial District, Golden

St. Anthony Hospital and Denver Health: where fatal-injury victims are taken

We serve Mountain View from Denver. That is the honest answer.

The solatium election: a privacy shield and guaranteed payment for grief

What a Mountain View wrongful death claim can recover

Economic damages (not capped)

Non-economic damages (capped)

Wrongful death claim versus survival action: understanding both

The wrongful death claim

The survival action

Comparative fault and government defendants in Mountain View wrongful death cases

Modified comparative fault: C.R.S. 13-21-111

Government entity involvement: CGIA notice requirements

What Mountain View families should do in the days after a fatal incident

Preserve evidence from the scene immediately

Obtain the police report and request the medical records

Identify whether a government entity was involved

Confirm who holds the right to file

Do not accept an early offer from the at-fault party's insurer

Why Mountain View families choose CGH Injury Lawyers for wrongful death