Fort Collins Car Accident Attorney

How Can a Fort Collins Car Accident Affect Your Life and Your Future?

According to an Esurance report, 77 percent of all drivers have been involved in at least one car accident. If you are taking a trip, your chances of being involved in a car accident during a 1,000-mile trip are 1 in 366. It is further estimated that the “average” driver will file an insurance claim for an auto collision once every 17.9 years. Those who obtained their driver’s license around the age of 16 will likely have 3-4 car collisions over the course of their lifetime.

Having a car accident can alter the course of your life, depending on how serious your injuries are. You may find yourself so badly injured that you are unable to return to work and pay your normal monthly expenses. You may also have emotional and mental issues related to your injuries that you must deal with. If you find yourself in such an untenable position, having a strong advocate can really make a difference.

A Fort Collins car accident attorney from the Law Office of Dianne Sawaya can guide you through the car accident claim process, ensuring you receive a fair amount that fully covers your injuries. Attorney Dianne Sawaya has been helping people who find themselves in similar situations for two decades and she and her experienced legal team can help you.

How Fort Collins Car Accident Attorney Dianne Sawaya Can Help

Choosing a Fort Collins car accident attorney can seem like one more chore that you must attend to at a time when you are injured and doing your best to heal from those injuries. The Law Offices of Dianne Sawaya have attorneys who are smart, aggressive, and compassionate.

We believe in you, your health, and your financial future. We will go out of our way to ensure you receive the medical treatments you need—the treatments that will help you heal and get back to your life. With more than 200 positive Google Reviews, our goal is to maximize the settlement you deserve.

If we do not recover a settlement on your behalf, you owe us nothing. We also offer a 100 percent free consultation—always. The skills, experience, and knowledge of our attorneys make a positive difference in the outcome of your car accident. When you want an attorney that offers you highly individualized attention from a well-respected law firm, your choice is simple—the Law Offices of Dianne Sawaya.

About Fort Collins, Colorado

Fort Collins is the most populous municipality in Larimer County, with a city population of about 170,000. As the principal city in the Fort Collins Metropolitan Statistical Area, Fort Collins is also the fourth most populous city in the state of Colorado.

Colorado State University brings a large college-age population to Fort Collins which significantly influences the music in the area, not to mention the brewery and cycling industries. Fort Collins is a vibrant city, yet the busy streets dictate there will be car accidents in the city. If you have been involved in a Fort Collins car accident, attorney Dianne Sawaya can help you get your life back on track. 

Do You Have to Call the Police Following a Minor Car Accident?

In the state of Colorado, the law (Colorado 42-4-1606) requires drivers to report accidents resulting in property damage or injury. This does not necessarily mean that the office will write a report for a minor accident, but those involved in the crash must nonetheless report the accident to law enforcement. Since virtually every accident involves property damage, injury, or both, this means most every accident should be reported to the police.

If you do not have a cell phone, or it was damaged in the crash, it is legal in the state to briefly leave the scene of the accident to make the report. You are required to make the report of the accident in the most expeditious manner possible. If the police arrive and find no injuries and the damages to the vehicles appear to be less than $1,000, they may choose not to make a report. If, however, one of the parties involved in the accident is unable to show proof of insurance, the police must make a report.

If you fail to report a car accident in Colorado, you will face a Class Two misdemeanor traffic offense. The maximum penalty for a conviction of this offense is up to 90 days in jail and a fine of up to $300. The offense becomes much more serious if someone was injured in the accident. You could face Class One misdemeanor charges if another person was injured, and you fail to report the accident—or a Class Four felony charge if the injuries were severe.

How Do You Prove Fault Following a Car Accident in Fort Collins?

In order to prove fault in a Colorado car accident, you must be able to show that the other driver acted negligently and that negligence caused the accident. To show that a driver acted negligently, you must show that the individual failed to operate their car in a reasonably safe manner—or in the same way that another reasonable driver would have done, given the same circumstances. To back up your claim that the other driver was negligent—and that the driver’s negligence caused your injuries—you must seek medical care.

Not only is seeking prompt medical care important for your physical well-being, but it is also important for your legal case. When you put off going to see a doctor following your car accident, the other driver’s insurance company may argue that your injuries are not as severe as you claim. If you are physically able, take photos at the scene of the accident with your cell phone.

If there were witnesses to the accident, get their contact information—this information could prove to be invaluable to your claim. Always get a copy of the police report. In some cases, this report will document how the accident occurred. If you have a police report that clearly states the accident was the other driver’s fault, this will definitely help you show negligence.   

Is a Rear-End Accident Always the Fault of the Rear Driver?

In most cases, the driver in the rear is at fault for an accident because it is the responsibility of the rear driver to follow at a safe distance and maintain control of the vehicle. If the traffic in front comes to an abrupt stop, the driver in the rear must be able to stop safely. There are certain instances in which the driver in the front is at fault. The reasons the driver in front might be at fault include:

• Non-functional brake lights
• A sudden stop for no reason
• Failure to use a turn signal
• A sudden stop on the highway when traffic is otherwise moving well.

Since the state of Colorado is a modified comparative fault state, if you were 49 or less percent responsible for the accident, you can still file a claim against the other driver. So, if the driver in the rear was driving too fast and following too closely, but your brake lights were not working properly, you might be judged to be 20 percent responsible for the accident. This would reduce your settlement amount by 20 percent (i.e., if you were awarded $100,000 for your injuries and damages, you would only receive $80,000).

How an Experienced Fort Collins Car Accident Attorney from the Law Offices of Dianne Sawaya Can Help

Following your Fort Collins car accident, it can be extremely beneficial to speak to an attorney at the Law Offices of Dianne Sawaya. At our firm, we know that your car accident is unique, requiring highly individualized attention. We provide that attention throughout the process of your car accident claim. Attorney Dianne Sawaya is both a highly experienced negotiator as well as an aggressive litigator.

When you’ve been injured by the negligent actions of another driver, you may be entitled to a financial settlement for your injuries and other damages. You deserve someone who truly cares about your recovery, as well as your future. A Fort Collins car accident attorney from the Law Offices of Dianne Sawaya is ready to help you now—contact us today.