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Adams County, Colorado. CGH Injury Lawyers represents Northglenn wrongful death families from our Denver office.
Northglenn, Colorado

Northglenn Wrongful Death Lawyers for Families Who Deserve Answers and Justice

When a family member dies because of someone else's negligence in Northglenn, Colorado law gives surviving spouses, children, and parents a narrow path to accountability. CGH Injury Lawyers serves Northglenn wrongful death families from our Denver office, manages every aspect of the Adams County District Court process in Brighton, and pursues the full economic and non-economic value of your loss. No fee unless we win.

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Serving Northglenn 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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  • Colorado's wrongful death statute (C.R.S. 13-21-202) gives the surviving spouse or children exclusive standing to bring a wrongful death claim in the first year after death. If no spouse or children survive, parents and siblings may bring the claim. The family's relationship to the deceased and the timing of the claim determine who can file and what categories of damages are available in an Adams County wrongful death case.
  • The statute of limitations for a wrongful death claim in Colorado is two years from the date of the decedent's death (C.R.S. 13-80-102(1)(d)). Missing this deadline extinguishes the family's right to recover, regardless of how clear the negligence was. Early retention allows the legal team to preserve physical evidence, secure eyewitness accounts, obtain medical records from North Suburban Medical Center or other treating facilities, and commission expert analysis before evidence is lost.
  • Colorado wrongful death damages include uncapped economic losses, a non-economic cap of $2,125,000 for claims accruing on or after January 1, 2025 (C.R.S. 13-21-203(1)(a)), with no cap if the death resulted from a felonious killing and with inflation adjustments beginning in 2028, and a solatium amount for grief, loss of companionship, and emotional distress fixed at $135,990 per C.R.S. 13-21-203.5; this amount is set by statute with no further upward adjustment regardless of the facts of the case. Physical impairment damages, where applicable, are uncapped under C.R.S. 13-21-102.5(5).

Colorado wrongful death law is structurally different from a personal injury claim in ways that affect who can file, what can be recovered, and when the window closes. A Northglenn family navigating the death of a loved one is simultaneously managing grief and facing a legal framework with strict standing rules and a two-year deadline. CGH Injury Lawyers manages every part of the legal process from the first call, so the family can focus on their loss while we build the case that holds the responsible party accountable.

Who can file a Colorado wrongful death claim

Standing rules under C.R.S. 13-21-202

Colorado's wrongful death statute creates a specific hierarchy of eligible claimants. Understanding where a family member falls in that hierarchy determines whether they can file, when they can file, and alongside whom they must file.

  1. First year: surviving spouse and children have exclusive standing

    In the first year after the decedent's death, only the surviving spouse or surviving children (or both jointly) have standing to bring a wrongful death action under C.R.S. 13-21-202(1). Parents and siblings are excluded from filing independently during this period. If the spouse and children disagree about whether to file or how to proceed, Colorado courts must resolve the dispute within the structure of the statute. This exclusivity period reflects Colorado's policy of concentrating wrongful death recovery in the decedent's immediate family unit during the first year.

  2. Second year: parents and siblings gain standing if no spouse or children survive

    If the decedent has no surviving spouse or children, or after the first year has passed without a claim being filed by a spouse or child, the decedent's parents or siblings may bring the wrongful death action under C.R.S. 13-21-202(2). Families with more complex structures, such as estranged spouses, minor children from multiple relationships, or adult children who are themselves deceased, require careful analysis of the standing hierarchy before any claim is filed to ensure the right parties are bringing the action and that the claim will survive any standing challenge.

  3. Two-year statute of limitations

    The statute of limitations on a Colorado wrongful death claim is two years from the date of the decedent's death (C.R.S. 13-80-102(1)(d)). This deadline is hard. Colorado courts do not routinely toll it for grief, financial hardship, or family disputes about whether to file. The practical implication is that a Northglenn family should contact a wrongful death attorney as soon as possible after the death to allow adequate time for investigation, evidence preservation, and filing before the deadline expires.

  4. Government-entity claims require 182-day notice

    If the wrongful death involves a government entity, such as Adams County, the City of Northglenn, the Colorado Department of Transportation, or a public hospital, a notice of claim must be filed within 182 days after the family discovers the injury as a condition of bringing suit under the Colorado Governmental Immunity Act (C.R.S. 24-10-109(1)). Missing the 182-day notice window bars the claim entirely, even if the two-year statute of limitations has not yet run. Government-entity wrongful death cases require immediate legal attention to protect the family's right to file.

Local knowledge

Where a Northglenn wrongful death case is filed and what happens after the fatal event

Courthouse

Adams County District Court (17th Judicial District)

Northglenn is in Adams County, part of Colorado's 17th Judicial District. A wrongful death lawsuit filed on behalf of a Northglenn family is filed at the Adams County District Court, 1100 Judicial Center Dr., Brighton, CO 80601. The 17th Judicial District handles wrongful death litigation from I-25 North corridor crashes, workplace fatalities in Adams County, and medical malpractice deaths in area hospitals. CGH Injury Lawyers files and litigates 17th Judicial District wrongful death cases from our Denver office at no additional charge to Northglenn families.

Medical Facilities

North Suburban Medical Center and SCL Health Good Samaritan Medical Center

North Suburban Medical Center is the closest acute-care hospital for Northglenn and Thornton residents. SCL Health Good Samaritan Medical Center provides additional surgical and critical-care capacity for the area. When a fatal incident occurs in Northglenn, the decedent is typically transported to one of these facilities for emergency treatment. Medical records from the treating facility, including emergency department records, imaging, operative reports, nursing notes, and medication records, document the nature and severity of the injury that led to death. These records are essential evidence in any wrongful death claim and must be obtained and preserved early in the case.

Common Causes

I-25, 104th Avenue, and 120th Avenue fatal crash corridors

The I-25 North corridor, the 104th Avenue commercial strip, and the 120th Avenue arterial through Northglenn are the highest-risk roads for fatal crashes in the city. High-speed freeway collisions on I-25 and left-turn crashes on the commercial arterials are among the most common causes of traffic fatalities in the Northglenn area. Fatal crashes on these corridors generate Colorado State Patrol crash reports, traffic camera footage, and, in commercial vehicle cases, electronic logging device data from the truck's onboard recorder, all of which must be obtained and preserved before they are overwritten or lost.

What a Northglenn wrongful death case can recover

Colorado wrongful death damages under C.R.S. 13-21-203

Economic damages (no cap)

  • All reasonable medical expenses from the injury event to death, including emergency transport, hospital stays, surgery, ICU care, and any treatment from the date of the fatal injury through the date of death
  • Lost wages and future earning capacity the decedent would have earned over a full working life, based on age, education, occupation, salary history, and actuarial life-expectancy data
  • The economic value of household services the decedent provided, including childcare, home maintenance, financial management, and other contributions to the family home that survivors must now pay others to perform
  • Funeral and burial expenses necessarily incurred as a result of the wrongful death

Non-economic and solatium damages

  • Non-economic damages for grief, loss of consortium, loss of companionship, and pain and suffering, capped at $2,125,000 for claims accruing on or after January 1, 2025 (C.R.S. 13-21-203(1)(a)), with no cap if the death resulted from a felonious killing; inflation adjustments begin in 2028
  • Solatium damages for grief, loss of companionship, and emotional suffering fixed at $135,990 per C.R.S. 13-21-203.5; this amount is set by statute with no further upward adjustment regardless of the facts of the case
  • Physical impairment damages, to the extent applicable in cases where the decedent survived the initial injury for a period and suffered documented physical impairment before death, are exempt from the non-economic cap and recoverable without limit under C.R.S. 13-21-102.5(5)
Two distinct claims from one fatal event

Wrongful death claim vs. survival action: Northglenn families often have both

A single fatal incident in Northglenn can give rise to two separate legal claims with different purposes, different claimants, and different channels for distributing any recovery. They are typically filed together at the Adams County District Court in Brighton to capture every available category of loss.

The wrongful death claim: for surviving family members

  • Brought by eligible surviving family members under C.R.S. 13-21-201 through 13-21-204, following the standing hierarchy described above. The surviving spouse, children, parents, or siblings file on their own behalf for the losses they personally suffered as a result of the death.
  • Recovers the economic support the deceased would have provided over a working lifetime, the loss of companionship and guidance, grief and emotional suffering, and the solatium amount available under C.R.S. 13-21-203.5. The non-economic cap of $2,125,000 applies here for claims accruing on or after January 1, 2025 (C.R.S. 13-21-203(1)(a)), which disappears entirely if the death was a felonious killing, but economic damages remain uncapped.
  • Any settlement proceeds or jury verdict flows directly to the eligible family members, not through the deceased estate. The family controls the decision to settle, accept the solatium election, or take the case to trial in the 17th Judicial District. We present that choice with a clear analysis of the tradeoffs before any filing is made.

The survival action: for the estate of the deceased

  • Brought on behalf of the deceased estate for losses the deceased personally suffered before death. These include pre-death medical bills incurred at North Suburban Medical Center or any transferring facility, wages lost between the injury and the date of death, and the pain and suffering the deceased endured during that period.
  • Proceeds flow through the estate and are distributed under the will or, if no will exists, under Colorado intestacy law. The personal representative of the estate typically brings the survival action on behalf of all estate beneficiaries in Adams County court.
  • In a Northglenn I-25 crash where the victim survived for days in North Suburban Medical Center before dying, the survival action can recover substantial pre-death medical bills and lost income in addition to what the wrongful death claim recovers for surviving family members. Filing both claims together in Adams County avoids leaving any category of recovery on the table.

We evaluate both claims at the outset of every Northglenn wrongful death engagement and file them together at the Adams County District Court in Brighton when both apply. The standing hierarchy, deadlines, and evidence requirements are tracked across both claims from the first consultation, so a Northglenn family does not have to choose between them or manage the procedural complexity on their own.

Common causes of wrongful death in Northglenn

What we investigate when a Northglenn family loses a loved one

Motor vehicle crashes

  • Speeding, impaired driving, and distracted driving on I-25, US-36, 104th Avenue, and 120th Avenue resulting in fatal collisions
  • Commercial truck driver fatigue, hours-of-service violations, and carrier negligent hiring producing fatal semi-truck or delivery vehicle crashes in the Northglenn area
  • Failure to yield at left turns and intersection collisions on the 104th and 120th Avenue commercial corridors

Medical malpractice and premises fatalities

  • Surgical errors, misdiagnosis, and medication administration failures at area hospitals and clinics resulting in death
  • Fatal slip-and-fall, structural failure, or negligent security incidents on commercial property along Northglenn's commercial corridors
  • Workplace fatalities involving defective equipment, inadequate safety protocols, or third-party negligence on commercial or industrial sites in the Adams County area
Your team

The CGH team handling your Northglenn wrongful death case

CGH Injury Lawyers is a eight-attorney Colorado firm founded in 2016. Managing Partner Kevin Cheney is a member of ABOTA and has tried over 25 cases to verdict. Timothy G. Tarr has been recognized by Best Lawyers every year since 2023. We do not have a Northglenn office. We serve Northglenn wrongful death families from our Denver office at 2701 Lawrence St., Suite 201, Denver, CO 80205, file at the Adams County District Court in Brighton, and come to you when meetings are needed.

ABOTA member on the team Best Lawyers in America (Tim Tarr, 2023+) Over 25 cases to verdict 17th Judicial District experience We advance all expert costs Bilingual EN / ES No fee unless we win

When a Northglenn family contacts us after a wrongful death, the first consultation is free and there is no obligation. We explain the standing rules, the two-year filing deadline, and what evidence we need to build the case. If we take the case, we advance all costs, including expert forensic economists, accident reconstruction specialists, and medical experts. You pay nothing out of pocket until a settlement or jury verdict in your favor. We handle everything from evidence preservation orders and medical record requests to the distribution hearing at the Adams County District Court in Brighton once a recovery is reached. Every Northglenn wrongful death family we represent receives direct attorney contact from the lawyers handling their case, not just updates from a case manager.

The knowledge, dedication, and compassion of this law firm are unparalleled.
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Frequently asked questions

Northglenn wrongful death frequently asked questions

Who can file a wrongful death claim in Colorado after a Northglenn death?

Under C.R.S. 13-21-202, the surviving spouse and children have exclusive standing to file in the first year after the decedent's death. If there is no surviving spouse or children, or after the first year, the decedent's parents or siblings may bring the claim. Who has standing depends on the specific family structure and the timing of the filing. An attorney can confirm standing and ensure the claim is brought by the correct parties before the two-year limitation period expires.

How long does a Northglenn family have to file a wrongful death claim?

The statute of limitations for a Colorado wrongful death claim is two years from the date of the decedent's death (C.R.S. 13-80-102(1)(d)). If the responsible party is a government entity such as Adams County or the Colorado Department of Transportation, the family must also file a notice of claim within 182 days after discovering the injury, under the Colorado Governmental Immunity Act (C.R.S. 24-10-109(1)). Missing either deadline can bar the claim entirely. Contact an attorney as soon as possible after the death.

What damages can a Northglenn wrongful death claim recover?

Colorado wrongful death damages include: uncapped economic losses such as medical bills, lost earning capacity, and the value of household services; non-economic damages for grief and loss of companionship capped at $2,125,000 for claims accruing on or after January 1, 2025 (C.R.S. 13-21-203(1)(a)), with no cap for felonious killings; and a solatium for grief and emotional suffering fixed at $135,990 under C.R.S. 13-21-203.5. Physical impairment damages, where applicable, are uncapped under C.R.S. 13-21-102.5(5). Funeral and burial costs are also recoverable as economic damages.

What is solatium in a Colorado wrongful death case?

Solatium under C.R.S. 13-21-203.5 is a specific statutory award for the grief, loss of companionship, and emotional suffering experienced by the surviving family members. The solatium amount is fixed by statute at $135,990 and does not increase based on the specific facts of the case or the particular severity of the family's grief. It is separate from the non-economic damages cap that applies to pain and suffering more broadly. An attorney can explain how solatium interacts with the other damage categories in your specific Northglenn wrongful death case.

Where would a Northglenn wrongful death lawsuit be filed?

Northglenn is in Adams County, Colorado's 17th Judicial District. A wrongful death lawsuit for a Northglenn family is filed at the Adams County District Court, 1100 Judicial Center Dr., Brighton, CO 80601. CGH Injury Lawyers files and tries 17th Judicial District wrongful death cases from our Denver office at no additional charge to Northglenn families.

Does CGH Injury Lawyers have a Northglenn office?

No. CGH Injury Lawyers has one office, at 2701 Lawrence St., Suite 201, Denver, CO 80205, (303) 209-9395. We serve Northglenn wrongful death families from that office, file at the Adams County District Court in Brighton, and come to you when meetings are needed. There is no added charge for Northglenn clients. We are available in English and Spanish.

For the controlling text of any statute cited here, see the Colorado Revised Statutes.

Keep reading

Related Northglenn pages and Colorado practice areas

Northglenn

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It's More Than Money.

Lost a family member in Northglenn? We handle every part of the legal process so you can focus on your family.

Free consultation. No fee unless we win. Serving Northglenn and Adams County from our Denver office. Available in English and Spanish.

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