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I-25 and US 50 corridor in Pueblo, Colorado, where commercial truck crashes injure Pueblo County residents. CGH Injury Lawyers represents truck accident victims in Pueblo.
Pueblo, Colorado

Pueblo Truck Accident Lawyers Who Take On Carriers, Not Just Drivers

When an 18-wheeler or commercial truck hits you on I-25, US 50, or any Pueblo County road, the carrier's insurance team starts building its defense the same day. CGH Injury Lawyers serves Pueblo and Pueblo County from our Denver office. We go after the carrier, the cargo loaders, and the maintenance contractors, and we are prepared to try your case in the 10th Judicial District. No fee unless we win.

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  • A truck accident claim on I-25 or US 50 in Pueblo involves federal FMCSA regulations, a chain of liability that reaches beyond the driver to the carrier, cargo loaders, and maintenance contractors, and evidence that begins disappearing within 30 days of the crash. Knowing those layers is where serious compensation is found.
  • Colorado gives you three years from the date of a crash to file a lawsuit for injuries caused by a commercial motor vehicle (C.R.S. 13-80-101(1)(n)). Engine control module data may be overwritten in 30 days, so the first 72 hours after a Pueblo truck crash are the most critical window for evidence preservation.
  • 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). Economic damages and compensation for physical impairment or disfigurement are never capped, which is why severe truck crash injuries on Pueblo's freight corridors frequently produce recoveries that exceed the non-economic limit.

Pueblo, with a population of 111,876 according to the 2020 US Census, sits at the junction of I-25 and US 50, a crossing point that routes a continuous volume of commercial truck traffic through the city every day. The north-south flow of interstate freight on I-25 intersects with the east-west commercial corridor of US 50 (Pueblo Blvd.) at one of the busiest freight nodes in southern Colorado. When a carrier's truck injures someone on those corridors, the carrier's defense team is already engaged. CGH Injury Lawyers serves Pueblo and Pueblo County from our Denver office. We secure black box data, demand preservation of driver logs and dashcam footage, and build the claim against every responsible party. You pay nothing unless we win.

Why truck cases differ

Why a Pueblo truck accident claim is not a car accident claim

Commercial truck crashes carry more defendants, more regulations, and more evidence than a typical collision. Pueblo's position at the junction of two major freight routes, I-25 and US 50, means the carriers involved in crashes here often operate large regional or national fleets with experienced defense teams already on call.

More parties can be at fault

  • The driver, for their own negligence including speeding, fatigue, or distracted driving on I-25 or US 50
  • The trucking company, for negligent hiring, training, supervision, or deferred maintenance on the vehicle
  • Cargo loaders and freight brokers when improper loading shifts weight and causes a rollover or jackknife
  • The truck or parts manufacturer when a brake defect, tire failure, or steering fault contributed to the crash
  • Third-party maintenance contractors who serviced the truck before the collision

Critical evidence that disappears fast

  • Electronic logging device (ELD) data showing real hours driven versus what the carrier reported, kept under federal law for six months but routinely overwritten if no preservation demand is served promptly
  • Engine control module (ECM) black box data capturing speed, braking, and throttle position, often stored for only 30 days
  • Forward and driver-facing dashcam footage, typically deleted in 30 to 90 days
  • Maintenance records that can reveal a carrier's pattern of deferred brake, tire, or steering repairs on the truck that hit you

Courts look past the independent contractor label when determining carrier liability. When a trucking company controls the work, it can be held vicariously liable under respondeat superior. Even a truly independent driver does not shield the carrier from direct claims for negligent hiring, training, or maintenance. Acting within the first 72 hours to demand preservation of this evidence is the single most important step in a Pueblo truck accident case.

Federal and Colorado law

The trucking regulations that decide your Pueblo case

I-25 and US 50 through Pueblo are interstate and federal-aid corridors where federal FMCSA rules apply alongside Colorado-specific commercial vehicle safety standards. Violations of those rules, when linked to the crash, establish negligence and sometimes negligence per se. Knowing which rule was broken is how liability is proven in a Pueblo truck case.

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 extended by rest breaks
  • 30-minute break required after 8 cumulative hours of driving
  • 60 hours on duty in 7 consecutive days, or 70 hours in 8 days
  • Electronic logging devices required since December 2017 under 49 CFR Part 395, Subpart B, making Hours of Service falsification far harder to conceal than in the paper-log era

Colorado-specific duties on Pueblo's freight corridors

  • C.R.S. 42-4-235 sets minimum commercial vehicle safety equipment standards; a violation can establish negligence per se in a Pueblo County injury claim
  • CDOT Code 16 chain law requires commercial trucks to chain up when activated on I-70 and other designated corridors; failure on any activated corridor eliminates the bad-weather defense in litigation
  • Gross weight limits of 80,000 pounds, 20,000 per single axle, and 34,000 per tandem axle on interstate highways apply on I-25 through Pueblo County
  • C.R.S. 42-4-1010 governs mandatory brake check stations before major downgrades; trucks approaching Pueblo on I-25 from the north descend a grade where brake integrity is a documented safety requirement
  • Federal leasing regulations under 49 CFR Part 376 impose recordkeeping and control duties that often reveal a carrier's true operational control over a leased truck

Pueblo's position on I-25 makes it a through-route for trucks traveling between Denver and New Mexico, and US 50 (Pueblo Blvd.) is a primary east-west freight artery. Both corridors run trucks at highway speeds through a city with active pedestrian and vehicle cross-traffic. The FMCSA adverse-driving-conditions exception under 49 CFR 395.1(b)(1) is frequently abused by carriers and does not excuse a fatigued driver on a well-traveled, predictable freight route. When a carrier let a driver push past Hours of Service limits to make a Pueblo delivery, that decision can be proven through ELD data and used to support both the negligence claim and, in egregious cases, a punitive damage claim.

Local Knowledge

Pueblo courts. Pueblo trauma care. Pueblo truck corridors.

A Pueblo truck accident case lives in Pueblo: the freight corridor where the crash happened, the hospital that treated you, and the courthouse where the lawsuit will land. Here is the ground we work on.

Courthouse

Pueblo County District Court, 10th Judicial District

A civil personal-injury lawsuit arising from a Pueblo truck crash that exceeds the county-court jurisdictional limit is filed in the 10th Judicial District of Colorado at the Pueblo County District Court, 320 W. 10th St., Pueblo, CO 81003. Unlike many Colorado cities where residents must drive to a distant county seat to access a district court, Pueblo has its own dedicated district court in the city center. That matters for a truck accident case: the jury pool is drawn from Pueblo County residents who share the same freight corridors, the local defense firms you face know Pueblo County procedure, and the presiding judges have regular experience with commercial crash litigation. CGH Injury Lawyers does not have a Pueblo office. We serve Pueblo County from our Denver office and file and try 10th Judicial District cases directly.

Trauma Care

UCHealth Parkview Medical Center (Level II Trauma) and St. Mary-Corwin Medical Center

UCHealth Parkview Medical Center is Pueblo's primary trauma facility, designated a Level II Trauma Center, meaning it is equipped to handle the most critical injury presentations around the clock without immediate transfer to Denver. When a truck crash on I-25 or US 50 sends someone to Parkview, those trauma records, imaging studies, operative reports, and discharge summaries become the medical foundation of the damages claim. Commercial truck crashes, given the mass and speed differentials involved, produce a disproportionate share of orthopedic fractures, traumatic brain injuries, and spinal cord injuries that require extended inpatient care. St. Mary-Corwin Medical Center also serves the Pueblo community and provides additional care options for injured Pueblo residents. We work with hospital records and billing systems from Parkview and St. Mary-Corwin from the first day of every serious Pueblo truck case, building a complete medical picture that supports the full damages claim through every stage of litigation.

Truck Corridors

I-25, US 50 (Pueblo Blvd.), US 96, and Northern Avenue (SH 45)

Interstate 25 is the north-south freight spine of Pueblo, carrying commercial trucks traveling between Denver and the New Mexico state line continuously through Pueblo County. The merge and interchange zones in the Pueblo metro area, where I-25 meets US 50, concentrate traffic pressure in ways that produce rear-end, sideswipe, and jackknife crashes at elevated rates. US Highway 50, which runs east-west through the city as Pueblo Boulevard, is one of the primary commercial freight corridors in southern Colorado, with heavy truck volume at all hours crossing active commercial and residential access points. The surface-arterial nature of US 50 means trucks, passenger vehicles, cyclists, and pedestrians share intersections in ways that interstate-only corridors do not. US 96 extends east from Pueblo into the rural freight corridor, and State Highway 45 (Northern Avenue) provides a major arterial connection through the northern part of the city with frequent cross-traffic conflict points. The combination of I-25 interstate freight and the surface-level commercial truck activity on US 50 makes Pueblo one of the highest-volume truck crash environments in Colorado outside the Denver metro area.

After a truck crash

What to do after a commercial truck accident in Pueblo

The steps you take in the first 24 to 72 hours after a Pueblo truck accident determine whether critical evidence survives. Get medical care first, then protect the evidence, and call us before the carrier's team calls you.

  1. Get emergency care immediately

    Commercial truck crashes produce forces far beyond a typical car collision. Injuries that feel manageable at the scene may involve hidden spinal, nerve, or internal damage that shows up hours or days later. Go to UCHealth Parkview Medical Center, Pueblo's Level II Trauma Center, or let emergency responders transport you. St. Mary-Corwin Medical Center also serves the Pueblo community. Every medical record from that first visit forward is part of your damages case, so follow every treatment recommendation and keep all documentation.

  2. Document the scene while you can

    If you are physically able, photograph the vehicles, the road surface, any skid marks, road signs, weather conditions at the time, and your injuries. Get the truck's USDOT number from the door panel and the carrier name from the cab. Write down the name of the road or interchange, whether I-25, US 50, US 96, or Northern Avenue. Identify witnesses and get their contact information before they leave the scene.

  3. Call us within 72 hours, before evidence vanishes

    ECM black box data may be overwritten after 30 days and dashcam footage after 30 to 90 days. We send a spoliation letter to the carrier demanding preservation of ELD data, driver logs, ECM data, dashcam footage, and maintenance records. Once that letter is served, the carrier has a legal duty to preserve the evidence. Delay costs claims. Call (303) 209-9395 from anywhere in Pueblo County.

  4. Do not give the carrier's insurer a recorded statement

    Commercial carriers operating on I-25 and US 50 maintain large insurance policies and deploy experienced claims adjusters who may call within hours of a crash. Giving a recorded statement before you have an attorney is one of the most damaging steps an injured person can take. Refer all contact from the carrier or its insurer directly to our office.

  5. Know the government-entity deadline

    If a government entity owned the truck, maintained the road that contributed to the crash, or was otherwise involved, a written notice of claim must be filed within 182 days of discovering the injury under C.R.S. 24-10-109(1). That notice deadline falls well before the three-year lawsuit filing deadline and runs from the date of discovery of the injury, not necessarily the crash date. Missing it bars the government claim entirely.

  6. We investigate every party and build the claim

    We look past the driver to the carrier, cargo loaders, maintenance contractors, and parts manufacturers. We work with accident reconstruction specialists, analyze the ELD data against Hours of Service limits, and map every regulatory violation onto the legal theory that supports damages across every category Colorado law allows. Most cases settle. When a carrier refuses fair value, we file in the Pueblo County District Court and try your case before a 10th Judicial District jury.

What you can recover

Compensation after a Pueblo truck accident: what Colorado law allows

Truck crashes tend to cause severe, lasting injuries. Colorado lets injured people recover documented economic losses and the full human cost of the injury, with no cap on economic damages or on compensation for physical impairment or disfigurement.

Economic damages (never capped)

  • Emergency treatment, surgery, and hospitalization at UCHealth Parkview or St. Mary-Corwin
  • Ongoing rehabilitation, physical therapy, and specialist care
  • Future medical costs projected across the lifetime of permanent injuries
  • Lost wages during recovery and reduced future earning capacity
  • Property damage to your vehicle and personal property

Non-economic and punitive damages

  • Physical pain and suffering, capped at $1.5 million for claims accruing on or after January 1, 2025 (C.R.S. 13-21-102.5)
  • Compensation for physical impairment or disfigurement, which is not capped under Colorado law and is often the largest element in serious Pueblo truck crash cases
  • Emotional distress and psychological trauma
  • Loss of enjoyment of life, relationship impact, and family harm
  • Punitive damages in cases of egregious or willful conduct, up to an amount equal to actual damages under C.R.S. 13-21-102(1)(a), and potentially up to three times actual damages when a court finds the defendant continued willful and wanton conduct after the lawsuit was filed

Colorado's modified comparative negligence rule (C.R.S. 13-21-111) means you can still recover damages from a Pueblo truck crash even if you share some of the fault, as long as your share is less than 50 percent. If your share reaches 50 percent or more, you recover nothing. Carriers and their insurers assign blame-shifting as a standard defense tactic on busy Pueblo corridors where facts can be disputed, and countering that strategy with evidence is essential from the first day of the claim. A carrier with a poor FMCSA safety rating, falsified driver logs, or a documented pattern of Hours of Service violations may also face a punitive damage claim, which punishes the wrongdoer and deters the same conduct in future loads through Pueblo.

Who is liable

Holding the trucking company accountable, not just the driver

Carriers operating on I-25 and US 50 through Pueblo often label drivers as independent contractors to limit responsibility. Those labels are tested in litigation, and they frequently do not hold up under the full picture of how the carrier controlled the driver's work.

  • Courts look past the independent contractor label to the real relationship. When the carrier controls the driver's route, schedule, and load, it can be vicariously liable under respondeat superior regardless of how the contract is titled.
  • Even a truly independent driver does not shield the carrier from direct claims for negligent hiring, negligent retention, inadequate training, or failure to maintain the truck in a safe operating condition.
  • The Graves Amendment (49 U.S.C. 30106) protects truck rental and leasing companies from vicarious liability in some circumstances, but it does not cover a lessor who was negligent in maintenance or who knew the driver was unqualified and leased the truck anyway.
  • Federal leasing regulations under 49 CFR Part 376 impose recordkeeping and control duties that frequently reveal a carrier's true operational control and undercut the independent contractor defense.
  • When a crash involves a wrongful death, Colorado law provides separate recovery for surviving family members. Non-economic damages in wrongful death cases for claims accruing on or after January 1, 2025, are capped at $2,125,000 (C.R.S. 13-21-203(1)(a)), with no cap when the death was caused by felonious killing.

Reaching every available defendant means reaching every available insurance policy. Major carriers operating through Pueblo carry substantial commercial liability coverage, and some also carry umbrella or excess policies. Our investigation identifies the full stack of coverage before any settlement demand goes out.

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Your team

Trial lawyers who know the federal trucking rulebook

CGH Injury Lawyers is a Colorado firm founded in 2016, formerly Cheney Galluzzi and 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 truck accident attorneys understand the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations and the chain of responsibility behind a commercial crash. CGH Injury Lawyers does not have a Pueblo office. We serve Pueblo County from our Denver office at 2701 Lawrence St., Suite 201, and come to you. Every case is handled by a licensed Colorado attorney.

ABOTA member on the team Tim Tarr: Best Lawyers in America since 2023 Over 25 cases to verdict FMCSA and FMCSR focused Pueblo County and 10th Judicial District Bilingual EN / ES Free consultation No fee unless we win
Questions

Pueblo truck accident, frequently asked questions

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

Colorado gives you three years from the date of the crash to file a lawsuit for injuries arising from a commercial motor vehicle collision (C.R.S. 13-80-101(1)(n)). That deadline applies to claims against the driver and the carrier. If a government entity owned the truck, maintained the road, or contributed to the crash, a separate written notice of claim must be filed within 182 days of discovering the injury (C.R.S. 24-10-109(1)), well before the three-year filing deadline. Missing the government notice deadline bars that portion of the claim entirely, regardless of how strong the facts are. Consult an attorney as soon as possible after any Pueblo commercial truck crash.

Where is a Pueblo truck accident lawsuit filed?

Personal injury lawsuits arising from truck crashes in Pueblo that exceed the county-court jurisdictional limit are filed in the 10th Judicial District of Colorado at the Pueblo County District Court, 320 W. 10th St., Pueblo, CO 81003. Pueblo has its own dedicated district court in the city center, which means the jury pool is drawn from Pueblo County residents who live and drive on the same I-25 and US 50 corridors where truck crashes occur. We file and try 10th Judicial District cases directly.

Who is liable in a Pueblo truck accident, the driver or the company?

Both may be liable, and often more parties are involved. The driver is responsible for their own negligence behind the wheel. The trucking company can be vicariously liable under respondeat superior if the driver was an employee, or directly liable for negligent hiring, training, supervision, or maintenance of the truck. Cargo loaders and freight brokers may be liable when improper loading caused a rollover or spill. Parts manufacturers can be liable when a brake or tire defect contributed. Identifying every liable party is how a Pueblo truck accident case reaches its full value across every available insurance policy.

What is the Hours of Service rule and why does it matter for my Pueblo truck claim?

The FMCSA limits commercial truck drivers to 11 hours of driving after 10 consecutive hours off duty, within a 14-hour on-duty window, with a 30-minute break required after 8 cumulative hours of driving (49 CFR Part 395). Exceeding these limits creates driver fatigue, a leading cause of commercial truck crashes on Pueblo's I-25 and US 50 corridors. Since December 2017, electronic logging devices have recorded actual driving time, making it far harder for carriers to conceal Hours of Service violations. The ELD data from the truck that hit you is one of the most powerful pieces of evidence in a fatigue-related Pueblo claim, but it must be preserved within 30 to 90 days of the crash.

Can I still recover if I was partly at fault for a Pueblo truck crash?

Often yes. Colorado follows a modified comparative negligence rule (C.R.S. 13-21-111). If your share of fault is less than 50 percent, you can still recover damages, but your award is reduced by your percentage of fault. If your share reaches 50 percent or more, you recover nothing. Truck carriers and their insurers treat blame-shifting as a standard defense strategy, particularly on busy Pueblo corridors where multiple vehicles may be involved. Having an attorney who challenges inflated fault assignments with evidence from the outset protects the full value of your claim.

Does CGH Injury Lawyers have an office in Pueblo?

No. CGH Injury Lawyers has one office, at 2701 Lawrence St., Suite 201, Denver, CO 80205. We serve Pueblo and Pueblo County truck accident clients from that Denver office, file in the Pueblo County District Court in the 10th Judicial District, and meet you wherever is convenient. Reach us at (303) 209-9395.

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