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Westminster, Colorado roadway. CGH Injury Lawyers represents hit-and-run accident victims throughout Westminster and Adams County.
Westminster, Colorado

Westminster Hit and Run Accident Lawyers Who Make Your Own Insurance Pay What It Owes

When a driver ran a red on US 36 and vanished, or sideswiped you on I-25 and fled before you got a plate, Colorado law treats that driver as uninsured. That means your UM coverage should pay. Serving Westminster from our Denver office at 2701 Lawrence St. No fee unless we win.

No fee unless we win
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Serving Westminster 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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  • When a driver flees a Westminster crash without stopping, Colorado treats them as uninsured. Your own uninsured motorist (UM) coverage is usually the primary path to recovery, and every auto insurer in the state must offer UM coverage equal to your bodily injury liability limits (C.R.S. 10-4-609).
  • Under C.R.S. 10-4-609(4), buying UM automatically gives you underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage as well. Both come from your own policy, and the claim is filed against your own carrier, not the driver who fled.
  • Economic damages such as medical bills and lost wages are never capped in Colorado. 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), and compensation for physical impairment or disfigurement is not capped at all.

Westminster drivers face real crash risks on I-25, US 36, Wadsworth Boulevard, and 120th Avenue every day. When someone hits your vehicle and drives away, you are not without options. CGH Injury Lawyers pursues UM claims against your own insurer, challenges low offers, and prepares every case for arbitration or trial when the carrier refuses to be fair. We serve Westminster from our Denver office at 2701 Lawrence St., Suite 201. You pay nothing unless we recover for you.

Who we represent

Westminster hit-and-run victims who qualify for a UM claim

A hit-and-run is one of four situations where UM coverage becomes the recovery. Knowing which one fits your Westminster crash is the first step.

We represent Westminster victims in these situations

  • The at-fault driver fled the scene before you could get a plate number or exchange information.
  • The driver stopped briefly, gave a false name or insurance card, then left before police arrived.
  • A phantom vehicle ran you off US 36 or Wadsworth Boulevard without making contact, then disappeared.
  • The driver was identified after the fact but carried no insurance at the time of the crash.
  • The driver had insurance, but their policy limit was too low to cover your documented losses (UIM territory, also covered by C.R.S. 10-4-609(4)).

Cases that fall outside this practice

  • You were fully at fault for the crash and the other driver had nothing to do with your injuries.
  • You validly rejected UM coverage in writing, and the rejection was properly executed under C.R.S. 10-4-609 (we will verify the rejection form before making that call).
  • Your injuries occurred in a situation the policy's contractual exclusions clearly cover and no arguable exception applies.

We do not take cases we cannot honestly stand behind. If your situation falls outside what UM coverage reaches, we will tell you that in the free review rather than sign you up and let the case stall. When the law is on your side, we fight hard. When it is not, you deserve to hear that early, for free.

The law that governs your Westminster claim

Colorado's uninsured motorist law decoded for hit-and-run victims

Three statutes shape every Westminster hit-and-run claim. Understanding them before you talk to the adjuster is the difference between a fair recovery and a denied claim.

C.R.S. 10-4-609: the UM/UIM mandate

  • Every auto insurer in Colorado must offer UM/UIM coverage equal to your bodily injury liability limits.
  • Any rejection must be in writing and signed by the named insured to be valid. An improperly executed rejection can be challenged.
  • Under C.R.S. 10-4-609(4), buying UM automatically includes UIM coverage. Most Westminster policyholders have both even if they never asked for UIM by name.
  • A 2007 amendment to C.R.S. 10-4-609, effective January 1, 2008, restored the right to stack UM/UIM limits across multiple vehicles or policies when separate premiums are charged. Insurers can no longer prohibit stacking by policy language in those circumstances.

C.R.S. 13-21-111: the fault rules that affect your payout

  • Colorado follows modified comparative negligence with a 50 percent bar.
  • If you are found less than 50 percent at fault, you can recover damages, but your award is reduced by your percentage of fault.
  • If you are 50 percent or more at fault, you recover nothing.
  • Adjusters routinely try to inflate your share of fault on a UM claim to shrink the payout, even when a driver fled the scene. Challenging that assignment is central to protecting your recovery.

C.R.S. 13-80-107.5 and the filing deadline

Colorado UM/UIM claims are governed by C.R.S. 13-80-107.5, the statute the Colorado Supreme Court applied in Pham v. State Farm, 2013 CO 17. The deadline turns on the procedural history of your underlying claim, which means it is fact-specific. Your auto policy may also impose a contractual notice deadline shorter than the statute. Missing that shorter deadline can hand the insurer a defense, so mapping every deadline early is essential.

Statutory bad faith: C.R.S. 10-3-1115 and 10-3-1116

When your own insurer unreasonably delays or denies a UM/UIM claim it knows or should know is valid, Colorado gives you a separate statutory bad-faith cause of action under C.R.S. 10-3-1115 and 10-3-1116. Documenting the carrier's conduct from the first letter is how we preserve that claim if we need it, and the threat of a documented bad-faith argument is often the single most effective tool for moving a carrier off a low number.

Local Knowledge

Westminster's courts, trauma centers, and high-risk corridors

A Westminster hit-and-run case lives on Westminster's roads and in Westminster's courts. Here is the ground your case runs on.

Courthouse

Adams County District Court, 17th Judicial District

Because Westminster sits primarily in Adams County, most personal injury cases arising from crashes in Westminster are filed in Adams County District Court, part of Colorado's 17th Judicial District, located at 1100 Judicial Center Dr., Brighton, CO 80601. Jefferson County may also have jurisdiction for crashes on the Jefferson County side of Westminster's split boundary. Local court procedure, local judges, and local defense firms matter. We practice in both jurisdictions.

Trauma Care

St. Anthony North Hospital and North Suburban Medical Center

Westminster's nearest trauma resources are St. Anthony North Hospital, a CDPHE-designated Level III Trauma Center, and North Suburban Medical Center in adjacent Thornton, a CDPHE-designated Level II Trauma Center. Seriously injured hit-and-run victims may be transferred to higher-level trauma centers depending on the severity of injuries. Every medical record from these facilities becomes the backbone of your damages claim, documenting the scope of your injuries from the first moment of care.

High-Risk Roads

I-25, US 36, Wadsworth Boulevard, 120th Avenue, and Federal Boulevard

Westminster's major corridors carry significant crash histories. The US 36 and Church Ranch Boulevard interchange has documented multi-vehicle crashes including a road rage fatality. The I-25 and US 36 interchange produces high-speed merge conflicts, and a pedestrian fatality was recorded near I-25 and 144th Avenue. Wadsworth Boulevard (SH 121) carries documented crash frequency at multiple cross-street intersections. A fatal crash was recorded near 120th Avenue and Lowell Boulevard. A deadly crash on Federal Boulevard (US 287) was documented by Westminster Police. Winter black ice on I-25 and US 36, flash flooding along Big Dry Creek and Little Dry Creek, and Front Range hailstorms add further crash risk across the city.

Westminster is Colorado's eighth most populous city, with roughly 116,317 residents as of the 2020 U.S. Census. High pedestrian and cyclist traffic at Standley Lake Regional Park, the Butterfly Pavilion near the US 287 and US 36 corridor, Downtown Westminster's mixed-use redevelopment adjacent to US 36, and the Westminster Promenade entertainment district all generate dense points of vehicle-pedestrian conflict. After a crash anywhere in these corridors, the investigation clock starts immediately: witnesses move on, dashcam footage overwrites, and physical evidence disappears. We secure it fast.

Why CGH

Why Westminster hit-and-run victims choose CGH Injury Lawyers

We are trial lawyers, not a settlement mill. We handle the full fight against your own insurer, including the bad-faith argument when the carrier refuses to be reasonable. No fee unless we win.

The Statute

C.R.S. 10-4-609

Your insurer must offer UM/UIM coverage equal to your liability limits. We confirm every policy, every stacking opportunity, and every contractual deadline before the first letter goes out.

Denver Office, Westminster Cases

No Westminster office. No pretending otherwise.

We serve Westminster from our office at 2701 Lawrence St., Suite 201, Denver, CO 80205. Every Westminster file is handled by a licensed Colorado attorney, not a paralegal or a call center. You can reach us at (303) 209-9395.

Bad Faith Pressure

Your carrier answers to us.

Unreasonable delay or denial adds a statutory bad-faith claim under C.R.S. 10-3-1115 and 10-3-1116. We document the file from day one so that option is always ready.

Trial-Ready

ABOTA advocate on the team. 25-plus verdicts.

Managing Partner Kevin Cheney is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates. When we are genuinely prepared to take a case to an Adams County jury, insurers respond differently to a demand.

Stacking Analysis

Every declarations page, every policy.

Colorado law restored stacking rights effective January 1, 2008 (C.R.S. 10-4-609). If you have multiple vehicles or multiple policies with separate premiums, those limits may combine. We pull every declarations page before we send any demand.

Bilingual

Hablamos espanol.

Spanish-speaking staff and attorneys serve Westminster's Spanish-speaking community. Your injury claim should never be complicated by a language barrier.

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 verdict. The financial risk stays with us, not with you.

After the Crash

What to do after a hit-and-run in Westminster

The first 24 hours after a Westminster hit-and-run determine how strong your UM claim is. Here is the order that matters.

  1. Call 911 and report the crash

    A police report confirming the hit-and-run is essential for your UM claim. Westminster crashes are handled by Westminster Police Department. Give officers every detail you can: vehicle color, make, direction of travel, partial plate if you have one. Ask for the report number before you leave the scene.

  2. Get medical care

    Go to St. Anthony North Hospital or North Suburban Medical Center in Thornton for serious injuries, or your nearest urgent care for injuries that feel minor but need documentation. Do not skip the ER because symptoms seem manageable. Traumatic brain injury, internal injuries, and spinal damage often feel dull in the hours immediately after a crash. Your medical records from this visit anchor the damages section of your claim.

  3. Photograph everything at the scene

    Photograph your vehicle, the road, any debris trail the fleeing vehicle may have left, skid marks, traffic signals, and nearby businesses or residences that might have security cameras. Note the exact location, time, weather, and road conditions. If you are on Wadsworth Boulevard, 120th Avenue, or near the US 36 corridor, identify any CDOT cameras overhead.

  4. Identify witnesses

    Witnesses corroborate a phantom-vehicle or hit-and-run claim where no plate was captured. Get names and phone numbers before they leave. Bystanders at the Westminster Promenade or near Butterfly Pavilion may have seen the crash and the fleeing vehicle.

  5. Report the crash to your insurer, but do not give a recorded statement yet

    Your policy likely requires prompt notice of a hit-and-run. Report it, but do not give a recorded statement before speaking with an attorney. Adjusters use recorded statements to lock you into preliminary answers before your medical picture is complete. Call us first at (303) 209-9395.

  6. We take it from here

    We pull every declarations page, confirm your UM/UIM coverage and any stacking opportunity, investigate the crash independently, develop the medical record with your treating providers, build the demand package, and negotiate with your insurer, with bad faith documented every step of the way. If the carrier refuses to settle fairly, we file suit in Adams County District Court or invoke the arbitration clause.

Compensation

What compensation can Westminster hit-and-run victims recover?

Colorado divides damages into two broad categories. Both can be reached through a UM claim, and caps apply very differently to each.

Economic damages (never capped)

  • Emergency room care, surgery, and hospitalization at St. Anthony North or North Suburban Medical Center
  • Follow-up treatment, physical therapy, and specialist care
  • Lost wages and lost earning capacity
  • Future medical costs and long-term rehabilitation
  • Vehicle repair or replacement and other out-of-pocket losses

Non-economic damages (capped at $1.5 million for 2025+ claims)

  • Pain and suffering
  • Emotional distress and anxiety, common after a violent crash where someone fled
  • Loss of enjoyment of life
  • Permanent physical impairment or disfigurement (NOT subject to the cap under C.R.S. 13-21-102.5(5))

For claims accruing on or after January 1, 2025, Colorado caps non-economic damages such as pain and suffering at $1.5 million under C.R.S. 13-21-102.5, with inflation adjustments beginning in 2028. Two categories are never capped: economic damages such as medical bills and lost wages, and compensation for physical impairment or disfigurement, which are expressly excluded from the cap by C.R.S. 13-21-102.5(5). Because UM coverage also has its own policy limits, the full damages picture depends on every policy in play, including any stacking available under the 2007 C.R.S. 10-4-609 amendment.

What the insurer will argue

Defenses and tactics Westminster UM carriers use, and how we answer them

Because you are filing against your own insurer rather than the driver who fled, the playbook that adjusters use on third-party claims gets pointed directly at you. These are the moves we see most often.

  1. "We need a recorded statement before we can process your claim"

    A recorded statement taken before your medical picture is complete locks you into preliminary answers. Adjusters use these to argue that symptoms not mentioned in the first call are pre-existing or fabricated. You may have a cooperation duty under the policy, but that does not mean guessing about injuries you have not yet had diagnosed. Call us before any recorded statement.

  2. "The crash was partially your fault"

    Under C.R.S. 13-21-111, adjusters can reduce your payout dollar-for-dollar by any percentage of fault assigned to you. Inflating your share of fault, even when a driver fled the scene, is a standard tactic to shrink the number. We challenge every fault assignment with the accident report, physical evidence, witness statements, and where necessary, an independent accident reconstructionist.

  3. "Your injuries are pre-existing"

    Blanket medical authorizations that reach back many years let the insurer sift your entire medical history for anything to call pre-existing. We limit the scope of those authorizations, work with your treating providers to establish the crash as the cause of each injury, and document the difference between a pre-existing condition that was aggravated by the crash, which is fully compensable, and one that is simply old.

  4. "You rejected UM coverage"

    A valid rejection must be in writing and signed by the named insured under C.R.S. 10-4-609. Improperly executed rejections have been successfully challenged in Colorado courts. We review the rejection form before accepting any insurer's claim that no UM coverage exists.

  5. "There is no corroborating evidence of a phantom vehicle"

    Colorado allows UM recovery in some phantom-vehicle cases, but you typically need corroborating evidence such as a witness or video. When the crash happened near the US 36 and Church Ranch interchange, along Wadsworth Boulevard, or near the Westminster Promenade, security camera footage from nearby businesses is often available for a short window. We move fast to preserve it.

The claim is against your own carrier

What Westminster hit-and-run victims need to understand about their own insurer

You pay your premiums every month. When a driver flees the scene, you expect your carrier to be on your side. Here is why that assumption is the most dangerous one you can make.

  • Your auto insurer is not your ally in a UM transaction. Every dollar it pays on your claim comes off its bottom line. The same delay tactics, low first offers, and recorded-statement traps used on third-party claims are used against you.
  • Colorado requires insurers to offer UM/UIM coverage (C.R.S. 10-4-609), but it does not require them to pay a fair amount without being pushed. The threat of a statutory bad-faith claim under C.R.S. 10-3-1115 and 10-3-1116 is often the most effective pressure available.
  • If the carrier unreasonably delays or denies a claim it knows or should know is valid, you have a separate cause of action beyond the original UM claim. That exposure changes the calculus for adjusters and their supervisors.
  • You may also have coverage available through a household member's policy, an employer's policy, or coverage connected to the vehicle you were in. A full coverage review finds every policy before any demand goes out.
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Questions

Westminster hit-and-run accident, frequently asked questions

The driver fled and I have no plate number. Can I still recover anything in Westminster?

Yes. Colorado treats a fleeing, unidentified driver as uninsured, which means your uninsured motorist (UM) coverage can pay your damages. Under C.R.S. 10-4-609, every auto insurer in the state must offer UM coverage equal to your bodily injury liability limits. You file against your own carrier, not the driver who ran. Report the crash promptly to Westminster Police and to your insurer, and preserve whatever evidence you have: dashcam footage, witnesses, and descriptions of the vehicle all strengthen the claim.

Where would my Westminster hit-and-run case be filed in court?

Most Westminster personal injury cases are filed in Adams County District Court, part of Colorado's 17th Judicial District, located at 1100 Judicial Center Dr., Brighton, CO 80601. Westminster straddles Adams and Jefferson counties, so crashes on the Jefferson County side may be filed in Jefferson County District Court instead. Most UM/UIM claims resolve in arbitration rather than court, but knowing the correct jurisdiction matters for filing deadlines and procedural rules.

What is the deadline to file a UM/UIM claim after a Westminster hit-and-run?

Colorado UM/UIM claims are governed by C.R.S. 13-80-107.5, the statute the Colorado Supreme Court applied in Pham v. State Farm, 2013 CO 17. The deadline is fact-specific and turns on the procedural history of your underlying claim. Your auto policy may also impose a contractual notice deadline shorter than the statute, and missing that shorter deadline can hand the insurer a defense. Speak with an attorney early so every deadline can be mapped to your case.

Does Colorado cap what I can recover from a hit-and-run UM claim?

Two different caps matter. First, your own UM/UIM policy limit caps the coverage available from your insurer. Second, Colorado caps non-economic damages such as pain and suffering at $1.5 million for claims accruing on or after January 1, 2025 (C.R.S. 13-21-102.5). But economic damages such as medical bills and lost wages are never capped, and compensation for physical impairment or disfigurement is expressly excluded from the cap by C.R.S. 13-21-102.5(5). Together, economic damages and physical impairment often make up the largest portion of a serious-injury claim.

Can I stack UM coverage across my two vehicles to increase my recovery?

Possibly. Colorado law restored the right to stack UM/UIM limits through a 2007 amendment to C.R.S. 10-4-609, effective January 1, 2008. When separate premiums are charged on multiple vehicles or policies, insurers can no longer prohibit stacking by policy language. Whether stacking applies depends on the specific policy language and household facts. We pull every declarations page and endorsement before any demand goes out to make sure we have captured all available coverage.

What if I previously rejected UM coverage? Is there any way to still make a claim?

A valid UM/UIM rejection must be in writing and signed by the named insured under C.R.S. 10-4-609. If the rejection form was improperly executed, it may be challengeable. We review the actual rejection document before accepting an insurer's conclusion that no UM coverage is available. Even when your own policy has a valid rejection on file, coverage may still be available through a household member's policy, an employer's policy, or the vehicle owner's policy.

My own insurer is offering me a low number on my Westminster UM claim. What can I do?

You have two paths. First, you can reject the offer, demand arbitration under your policy's arbitration clause, or file suit in Adams County District Court. Second, if the insurer's conduct in evaluating or handling your claim was unreasonable, you may have a separate statutory bad-faith claim under C.R.S. 10-3-1115 and 10-3-1116. A documented bad-faith argument changes the negotiating dynamic significantly. We document the file from the first contact for exactly this reason.

Can the insurer reduce my payout because I was partially at fault in the Westminster crash?

Yes. Colorado follows modified comparative negligence with a 50 percent bar under C.R.S. 13-21-111. If you are found less than 50 percent at fault, your damages are reduced by your percentage of fault. If you are 50 percent or more at fault, you recover nothing. Adjusters commonly try to inflate your share of fault, even in hit-and-run cases, to shrink the payment. We challenge fault assignments using the accident report, physical evidence, witness accounts, and independent reconstruction when needed.

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CGH Injury Lawyers · 2701 Lawrence St., Suite 201, Denver, CO 80205 · Serving Westminster, Colorado