IT'S MORE THAN MONEY.
When a driver looking at a phone hits you on US-36 or Wadsworth Bypass, you are dealing with serious injuries, lost work, and an insurer that started building its defense before you left the hospital.
No fee unless we winIf you were hurt by a distracted driver in Westminster and were treated at St. Anthony North Hospital, this page covers the law that governs your claim and what CGH Injury Lawyers does to build it.
Who we help
A driver who causes a crash in Westminster while distracted can generally be held liable for your injuries under ordinary motor vehicle negligence law, once fault, causation, and damages are established. That potential liability doesn't depend on who you were in the vehicle, or whether you were in a vehicle at all.
If you're not sure which category you fall into, that's a question for a free case review, not something to self-diagnose before calling.
The law that governs your case
Winning a distracted driving claim generally means proving four elements. Colorado does not have a stand-alone civil cause of action titled "distracted driving"; a phone-related crash is typically evaluated under the same negligence framework as any other motor vehicle collision, with the distraction offered as evidence of breach.
Every driver in Westminster owes every other driver, passenger, and pedestrian a duty to pay attention and drive with reasonable care. This duty exists automatically the moment someone gets behind the wheel; you don't have to prove it applies, only that it was breached.
A driver who looks at a phone, types a text, or otherwise takes their attention off the road can be found to have breached that duty. We build the breach case with phone carrier records, in-vehicle event data, and witness accounts of what the driver was doing in the moments before impact.
It isn't enough that the driver was distracted; their distraction has to be what caused your specific injuries. We connect the breach to the collision with crash reconstruction and medical causation evidence where the link isn't obvious on its own.
You have to show real, documented harm: medical bills, lost income, and the effect of the injury on your life. A treating medical record strengthens every category of damages, including pain that is otherwise hard to quantify.
Colorado law generally follows a modified comparative fault rule. You can typically recover after a Westminster crash even if you share some blame, as long as your share of fault stays under 50 percent, subject to attorney confirmation of the current statutory language. Your award is reduced by your percentage of fault. An insurer trying to push your fault share above that line, even by a few percentage points, can significantly reduce or eliminate your recovery, which is why we push back on fault allocation early rather than after a lowball offer arrives.
Colorado law generally gives you three years from the date of the crash to file a lawsuit for injuries from a motor vehicle collision, subject to exceptions an attorney should confirm for your specific facts. If the at-fault driver was a government employee or operating a government vehicle, a separate and much shorter written notice deadline may apply, on the order of 182 days from when you discover the injury. Missing either the three-year window or the shorter government-claim window can end your case regardless of how strong the underlying claim is. Phone records and traffic camera footage that could prove distraction disappear fast, often within days or weeks depending on the carrier's or camera operator's retention policy. We send evidence preservation letters the same day we're retained, not after the initial paperwork is done.
Local knowledge
A Westminster distracted driving case is built on local specifics: the roads where these crashes happen, the hospital that treats the injuries, and the courthouse where a lawsuit would land.
High-Crash Corridors
Westminster sits mostly in Adams County, with portions extending into Jefferson County, and which county a crash falls in determines where the case files. On the Adams County side, cases file at the Adams County Justice Center, 17th Judicial District, 1100 Judicial Center Drive, Brighton, CO 80601. On the Jefferson County side, cases file at the Jefferson Combined Court, 1st Judicial District, 100 Jefferson County Parkway, Golden, CO 80401.
Trauma Care
St. Anthony North Hospital, a Level III trauma center, serves Westminster directly and is a likely destination for crash injuries in the city.
Courthouse
Interstate 25 and US Highway 36, the Denver-Boulder Turnpike, both run through Westminster and carry high-speed commuter traffic. US-287 covers Federal Boulevard and the Wadsworth Bypass, while State Highway 128 (120th Avenue), State Highway 121 (Wadsworth Boulevard), and State Highway 95 (Sheridan Boulevard) are corridors we look at closely in distracted-driving cases at their signalized intersections.
Serving Westminster From Denver
We serve Westminster clients from our Denver office, file in the appropriate judicial district based on where the crash occurred, and meet clients where it's convenient for them rather than requiring an office visit.
Why CGH
A team built to try cases, bilingual staff, and no fee unless we win. We don't promise a number before we know your case; what we promise is that we won't let an insurer decide your case's value unchallenged. Card 1: The Rule C.R.S. 13-21-111 (subject to attorney confirmation) Colorado's modified comparative fault rule generally means the insurer's first move is to argue you share more blame than you actually do. We know the rule and we don't let a fault allocation stand unchallenged just because an adjuster asserted it. Card 2: Footage Disappears Fast We move before it's gone. Traffic camera and dashcam footage from Westminster's corridors gets overwritten on a schedule the operator controls, not you. We send preservation letters the same day we're retained. Card 3: The Phone We know how to get the records. A distracted driver's phone records are often the single clearest piece of proof in the case. We know how to request carrier records and, where necessary, subpoena them. Card 4: Real Trial Lawyers 8 trial attorneys. Kevin Cheney, our Managing Partner, is an ABOTA member who has tried more than 25 cases to verdict. An insurer that knows a firm actually tries cases negotiates differently than one it expects to settle cheap. Card 5: Serving Westminster From Denver No storefront, no delay. We don't have a Westminster office. We serve Westminster clients from our Denver office, file in the appropriate judicial district based on where the crash occurred, and meet clients where it's convenient for them rather than requiring an office visit. Card 6: Bilingual Hablamos español. Our team serves clients in English and Spanish, from the first call through the final settlement or verdict. Card 7: No Win, No Fee Contingency only. You pay no attorney fee up front, and none unless we recover for you.
The Rule
Colorado's modified comparative fault rule generally means the insurer's first move is to argue you share more blame than you actually do. We know the rule and we don't let a fault allocation stand unchallenged just because an adjuster asserted it.
Footage Disappears Fast
Traffic camera and dashcam footage from Westminster's corridors gets overwritten on a schedule the operator controls, not you. We send preservation letters the same day we're retained.
The Phone
A distracted driver's phone records are often the single clearest piece of proof in the case. We know how to request carrier records and, where necessary, subpoena them.
Real Trial Lawyers
Kevin Cheney, our Managing Partner, is an ABOTA member who has tried more than 25 cases to verdict. An insurer that knows a firm actually tries cases negotiates differently than one it expects to settle cheap.
Serving Westminster From Denver
We don't have a Westminster office. We serve Westminster clients from our Denver office, file in the appropriate judicial district based on where the crash occurred, and meet clients where it's convenient for them rather than requiring an office visit.
Bilingual
Our team serves clients in English and Spanish, from the first call through the final settlement or verdict.
No Win, No Fee
You pay no attorney fee up front, and none unless we recover for you.
After the crash
Screenshot what you can, get checked out, and call us before any adjuster reaches you. Here are the steps that typically strengthen a case. Call 911 and get medical care, even if you feel fine at first. Adrenaline masks injury, and a documented ER or urgent care visit anchors your medical record from day one. Photograph the scene, the vehicles, and your injuries before anything is moved or repaired. Get the other driver's information and any witness contacts. A witness who saw the other driver looking at a phone can be the difference in a disputed liability case. Do not give a recorded statement to the insurance company before speaking with a lawyer. Adjusters are trained to ask questions that create fault admissions you don't realize you're making. Ask us to send evidence preservation letters before traffic camera footage is overwritten on the operator's normal retention schedule. Let us build your claim while you focus on recovering. We handle the insurer, the records requests, and the deadline tracking.
Adrenaline masks injury, and a documented ER or urgent care visit anchors your medical record from day one.
A witness who saw the other driver looking at a phone can be the difference in a disputed liability case.
Adjusters are trained to ask questions that create fault admissions you don't realize you're making.
We handle the insurer, the records requests, and the deadline tracking.
Compensation
The damages cap explained. For claims accruing on or after January 1, 2025, Colorado law is understood to cap non-economic damages at $1,500,000, with inflation adjustments beginning in 2028, subject to attorney confirmation of the current figure and effective date. Economic damages are generally not subject to that cap, no matter how high the medical bills or lost income run. Punitive damages may be available separately when a defendant acted with fraud, malice, or willful and wanton disregard for others. A physical-impairment or disfigurement exemption from the non-economic cap may also apply depending on your injuries; we confirm eligibility case by case. Claims that accrued before January 1, 2025, fall under an earlier, lower cap figure, which we confirm against the specific accrual date of your crash.
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Insurer defenses
Adjusters inflate your share of fault because every percentage point shifted onto you reduces what they owe, and enough of them can eliminate the claim entirely under Colorado's 50 percent bar. We counter with scene evidence, witness statements, and crash reconstruction where the facts are genuinely contested.
Phone carrier records, in-vehicle event data recorders, and traffic camera footage from Westminster's corridors can establish what the other driver was doing in the seconds before impact, even when there's no admission.
Insurers look for any gap in treatment or prior medical history to argue your injury isn't from this crash. Medical records and treating-physician testimony establish what actually changed after the collision.
Fault and coverage
Frequently asked questions
Phone carrier records, in-vehicle event data recorders, witness statements, and traffic camera footage from US-36 or Wadsworth Bypass can all establish what the other driver was doing before the crash. We request this evidence immediately because most of it has a limited retention window before it's deleted or overwritten.
Colorado law generally allows three years from the crash date to file a personal injury lawsuit for a motor vehicle collision. If a government vehicle or employee was involved, a separate and much shorter notice deadline, on the order of 182 days, may apply on top of that. Waiting to talk to a lawyer risks both deadlines and the evidence that fades well before either one arrives.
You can typically still recover as long as your share of fault stays under 50 percent, with your award reduced proportionally under Colorado's modified comparative fault rule. Because that line can determine whether you recover anything at all, we push back hard on any fault percentage an insurer tries to assign you.
It depends on where in Westminster the crash happened. On the Adams County side, cases file in the 17th Judicial District at the Adams County Justice Center in Brighton. On the Jefferson County side, cases file in the 1st Judicial District at the Jefferson Combined Court in Golden.
Non-economic damages, like pain and suffering, are generally understood to be capped at $1,500,000 for claims accruing after January 1, 2025, with inflation adjustments beginning in 2028. Economic damages, like medical bills and lost wages, are generally not capped regardless of how high they run.
Your own uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage may apply to fill the gap. We identify every policy, including your own, that could respond to your claim before we send a demand to anyone.
St. Anthony North Hospital, a Level III trauma center, is a likely destination for Westminster crash injuries.
Yes, though a police report makes the claim easier to prove. Without one, witness statements, photos you took at the scene, and medical records documenting your injuries become more important to establishing what happened.
No. CGH Injury Lawyers does not have a Westminster office. We serve Westminster from our Denver office at 2701 Lawrence St., Suite 201, Denver, CO 80205.
IT'S MORE THAN MONEY.
H2: Hit by a distracted driver in Westminster? We handle the insurance company so you don't have to. Body: Free consultation. No fee unless we win. Available in English and Spanish. We serve Westminster from our Denver office. Start a free case review or call (303) 209-9395. CGH Injury Lawyers, 2701 Lawrence St., Suite 201, Denver, CO 80205 Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Every case turns on its own facts, injuries, and available insurance coverage. Attorney Advertising. CGH Injury Lawyers.
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CGH Injury Lawyers · Serving Westminster from our Denver office at 2701 Lawrence St., Suite 201, Denver, CO 80205
