Brighton Car Accident Attorney

Are You Feeling Overwhelmed Following Your Car Accident?

You may be surprised at the depth of emotional distress you have experienced following your car accident. Following serious physical injury from a car accident, many victims notice signs of increased stress, anxiety, depression, fearfulness, and more. Not only are car accident victims left to deal with significant physical injuries—perhaps so severe that it keeps them from returning to their normal daily activities—they must also deal with emotional trauma as well.

Add to this, dealing with an insurance company that refuses to pay you a settlement that will fully cover your injuries and lost wages, and you can see why you need a fierce advocate in your corner. Once you have a Brighton car accident attorney from the Law Offices of Dianne Sawaya in your corner, you can truly begin to heal. While your attorney fights for you and a fair settlement, you can recover from your physical and mental injuries. Don’t try to deal with your car accident on your own—get the help you need and deserve from attorney Dianne Sawaya.

How Can a Brighton Car Accident Attorney Help?

Feeling stressed, anxious, and frustrated following your car accident are is normal. Remember, though, you do not have to face this on your own. The experienced Brighton car accident attorneys from the Law Offices of Dianne Sawaya are compassionate and experienced. We will aggressively pursue a fair settlement on your behalf, helping you through this tough time in the best way possible. The Law Offices of Dianne Sawaya:

• Have more than 200 positive Google reviews
• Bring a smart, aggressive, compassionate legal team to the table
• Maximize your settlement
• Offer 100 percent free consultations
• Will help you get the medical treatments you need
• Charge no fee unless they secure a recovery

Our knowledgeable car accident attorneys will help you get your life back to the way it was before your accident. Attorney Dianne Sawaya will give you the attention you deserve and need as we work hard to secure the compensation you need—and deserve. Dianne has devoted her law practice to victims of car accidents and other personal injuries.

More than two decades of Dianne Sawaya’s 30-year practice have been devoted to achieving personal injury settlements for accident victims. When you are facing uncertainty following your car accident, the Law Offices of Dianne Sawaya can help.

About Brighton, Colorado

Brighton is a northeastern suburb of Denver that sits along the banks of the South Platte River. Combining a small-town atmosphere with rich cultural and historical roots, Brighton is a home rule municipality city located in Weld and Adams counties. With a population of about 41,000, Brighton is the county seat of Adams County. Brighton hosts the Adams County Fair (that includes the infamous tomato-throwing contest) every year. Brighton is an agricultural center, filled with farm tours, farm stands, farmer’s markets, U-pick farms, and harvest festivals.

Outdoor enthusiasts can head to Barr Lake State Park, where they can jog, hike, view wildlife, ride horses, bike, fish, and boat. The Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory is located at Barr Lake State Park and is home to 300 different species of birds. Brighton’s downtown area boasts galleries, shops, breweries, and fine dining, while the Armory Performing Arts Center offers concerts, art shows, and other special events. While residents of Brighton enjoy the beauty and small-town feel—along with big-city amenities—car accidents are a fact of life, even in Brighton.

What Should I Do Following a Car Accident in Brighton?

Your first concern following a car accident is to assess your own injuries, as well as any injuries to your passengers and those in the other vehicle. A car accident gives the body a rush of adrenaline that can potentially hide the symptoms of injury. This means that while you might think you are “fine” following your car accident, hours or days later you may realize you were actually injured in the collision. If you are unsure whether you sustained injuries from the car accident, see a doctor to be sure. Contact the police immediately following your car accident.

In some cases, the other driver may ask that you not contact the police. A driver who is driving on a suspended license, driving while impaired, or driving without insurance may not want the police investigating the accident. No matter how persuasive the driver is, always call the police so you can have a police report on file. The other driver could assure you they will pay for your damages, then you might find it impossible to locate them. If the other driver does not have insurance, you may have to file with your own insurance company—providing you have uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage.

Once you have been medically attended to and talked to the police, if you are able, take photos with your phone of the scene of the accident. Include the damage to your own car as well as those to the other car, along with anything at the scene that could have contributed to the accident. If there were witnesses to your accident, obtain contact information from them—your attorney may want to question them later. Once you are home, take the time to write down every detail you can remember about the accident. Even the smallest detail could end up being important, so don’t leave anything out.

Next, contact a car accident attorney from the Law Offices of Dianne Sawaya. The sooner you have a car accident attorney on your case, the better outcome you can expect. Having a car accident attorney who will aggressively fight for your rights and a good settlement can be invaluable. You can take the time you need to heal from your car accident injuries while attorney Dianne Sawaya looks out for your future.

What if I Was Partially at Fault for an Accident?

The state of Colorado is a modified comparative negligence state. This means that you could be up to 49 percent responsible for the accident and still seek damages from the defendant. Your damages would be reduced by the amount of fault assigned to you. If another driver ran a stop light, crashing into the side of your car—but you were exceeding the speed limit—then you might be assigned 15 percent of fault for the accident. 

Is the Rear Driver Always Liable for a Rear-End Collision?

In most cases, the rear driver is liable for a rear-end collision. This is because the rear driver should be following at a safe distance, giving themselves plenty of time to stop in a hurry when necessary. Courts and insurance companies generally find the rear driver at fault unless the front driver suddenly slammed on their brakes, or their brake lights were non-functional. When the front driver fails to use a turn signal, fault could be assigned to them as well. Depending on the circumstances of the accident, both drivers could be found to be partially at fault for the rear-end collision.    

How Long Do I Have to File My Car Accident Claim?

Each state sets its own statutes of limitations. These are time limits for filing a car accident or other type of accident. In the state of Colorado, under Colorado Revised Statute 13-80-101(1), you have three years to file a lawsuit regarding the injuries you sustained in the car accident. After the three years have elapsed, the courts will typically deny your claim as a matter of course, unless certain (very rare) exceptions apply.

What is My Car Accident Claim Worth?

The amount of money your car accident claim is worth will depend on many issues. Of course, the extent of your injuries is probably the biggest factor associated with what your car accident claim is worth. How long will you be dealing with the aftermath of your injuries? Will those injuries cause long-term problems or disabilities? How long will you be away from work as a result of your injuries? Are there accompanying emotional damages (pain and suffering)? All of these issues will be taken into consideration when determining the worth of your car accident.

Injuries that “appear” more serious are usually given more weight—which is not always a fair assessment. As an example, whiplash is a serious injury that can cause long-term symptoms, yet insurance companies and juries tend to discount whiplash injuries. Even when a case never goes to trial, both sides will consider how a jury would react. This is because if nothing can be worked out through negotiation, a jury would be the ultimate decider.

Fair or not, you will likely be offered a higher settlement if:

• Your injuries are visible and “look” serious
• You have had to undergo required procedures that are particularly invasive or complex
• You did not respond well to treatment, taking many months or years to heal.

Both sides will differ in how they estimate the dollar amount of your injuries, looking at actual medical costs, along with pain and suffering. Pain and suffering can include actual physical pain, along with emotional pain and trauma—depression, anxiety, and PTSD related to the accident. Your attorney will calculate the cost of your injury based partly on how it affected your life. This involves factors such as how your injuries interfere with your day-to-day life, and how those injuries affect your ability to work.

How a Brighton Car Accident Attorney from the Law Offices of Dianne Sawaya Can Help

Attorney Dianne Sawaya is passionate about bringing every tool in her firm’s arsenal on behalf of her clients. Dianne values the trust her clients place in her, always working hard to keep that trust. When you have been injured in a car accident, you need an attorney who will fight for you every step of the way, ensuring you receive a full and fair settlement. When your life seems to be going south, and you are unsure what you need to do to protect your future, contact the Law Offices of Dianne Sawaya.