Evans Car Accident Lawyer
Car accidents occur very frequently throughout Evans, Colorado. Not only could an accident cause damage to your physical and emotional being, it may also take a toll on your finances as well. Reliant upon the specific circumstances of your case, you may be able to obtain a significant compensation award with the help of an Evans car accident lawyer. A detail-oriented attorney could sit with you to analyze the facts of your crash, document the scene of an accident, and work on your behalf to get you a favorable outcome.
Assigning Liability in Evans
Colorado adheres to the fault system of assigning financial responsibility for damages following a car accident. This means that whoever causes the collision is also liable for the costs of damages the injured party or parties sustain in the course of the crash. The defendant’s insurance company is responsible for covering these losses, up to and until the policy limits are exhausted.
Comparative Fault Laws
Colorado courts are subject to the comparative or proportional fault rule when awarding damages to someone injured in an auto accident. According to Colorado Revised Statutes §13-21-111, the injured party can recover damages from anyone else who is at least more at fault for the crash than they are. However, any awarded compensation would be reduced by the individual’s percentage of fault. They would recover nothing if they are 50 percent or more to blame for the accident.
Deadline for Filing an Auto Claim
Drivers, passengers, or pedestrians injured in an Evans car accident have three years from the date of the crash to file suit against the at-fault motorist. For families who have lost a loved one due to a motorist’s negligent driving, they have two years from the decedent’s date of death to file suit.
Settling an Auto Accident Claim
Most auto accident cases settle out of court, primarily due to the fact that most car crash damages are easily quantifiable, and the costs associated with litigation can be extremely high. Instead of leaving the case up to a jury verdict, an out-of-court settlement is often preferable to allow both parties a say in the matter’s conclusion.
Colorado laws do not mandate a settlement, but they do offer a considerable incentive to settle out of court as stated in C.R.S. §13-17-202. The law states that if one party makes a settlement offer preferable to the jury verdict and the other party rejects it, the latter would be required to pay for court costs.
For instance, if the at-fault party’s insurance company offers the injured party $50,000 to settle, but the injured individual rejects this offer and is later awarded only $40,000 by the jury, they would have to cover the costs of both sides’ legal fees. A seasoned Evans car accident lawyer may be able to analyze the details of a settlement and advise you on whether the amount offered should be accepted.
Contact an Evans Auto Accident Attorney
If you feel overwhelmed in the wake of an auto collision, you do not have to deal with the legal process alone. An Evans car accident lawyer could guide you throughout the legal process to assert your claim against the responsible parties. However, the sooner you get in touch with an attorney, the better the outcome may be for your case. Schedule a consultation as soon as possible to learn more about your eligibility to receive compensation.
