Member of the Colorado Bar Association since 2014. Attorney, Christopher M. Nicolaysen focuses primarily on helping those injured in Colorado car accidents, other auto accidents, and Colorado personal injury incidents.
This article has been written and reviewed for legal accuracy and clarity by the team of writers and attorneys at Springs Law Group and is as accurate as possible. This content should not be taken as legal advice from an attorney. If you would like to learn more about our owner and experienced Colorado personal injury lawyer, Christopher Nicolaysen, you can do so here.
Springs Law Group does everything possible to make sure the information in this article is up to date and accurate. If you need specific legal advice about your case, contact us. This article should not be taken as advice from an attorney.
Filing a car accident case in Colorado Springs means a claim is beyond the point where a settlement could happen.
If the negotiation process has broken down and the two sides cannot come to an agreement, the injured party may file a complaint against the at-fault party, as long as they are still within the statute of limitations.
In order to recover compensation under these circumstances, a person injured in a car accident in Colorado Springs should have an attorney file a complaint on their behalf.
Within the complaint, they are going to make general allegations, state information about themselves and the defendant, and seek an amount of damages for the defendant’s alleged misconduct.
A typical complaint in a Colorado Springs car crash case will provide a breakdown of facts, talk about who bears liability for the collision in question, and similar issues.
At the end of the complaint, the plaintiff and their attorney would then make their claim for legal relief.
A lot of times, a legal claim for damages is based on negligence.
It follows that filing an auto collision case in Colorado Springs requires an understanding of relevant state laws regarding legal negligence and options for recovery.
It is also necessary to provide an itemized list of compensation they want for specific damages.
In most cases, this would include economic and non-economic damages, attorney’s fees and court costs, pre- and post-judgment interest, and similar expenses.
A plaintiff can also request a trial by jury within the state of Colorado when submitting a formal legal complaint.
Prior to filing, attorneys usually try to meet with clients before active negotiations have broken down and the parties cannot reach a settlement.
During this meeting, they would talk frankly about litigation and what that looks like, as well as review everything they received in terms of evidence up to that point in the case, such as medical records, medical bills, police reports, photographs, and witness statements.
Based on the evidence collected to date, attorneys and plaintiffs can perform a cost-benefit analysis together of going into court versus going to trial.
In either scenario, the client is involved every step of the way, and before the complaint is filed, they get an opportunity to review the complaint, ask questions, and make sure that the information there is correct.
In Colorado Springs, car accident claims are filed in a district court for the Fourth Judicial District.
There are two counties in the fourth Judicial District—El Paso County and Teller County—and each has their own district court.
After a plaintiff files an action, they do not forfeit their rights to negotiate outside of court.
Negotiations can and often do continue even after the case is filed, and just because the case is filed does not mean that it will always proceed all the way to trial.
A lot of times, cases still settle even after a complaint has been filed.
That being said, it is important to retain experienced Colorado Springs legal counsel when filing a car accident claim, because Colorado Springs trial attorneys are in court all the time.
They know the judges, they understand the process, and they speak the language of the court that is used when trying to admit a piece of evidence or make a standing objection.
That is a specific skill that a trial attorney has that an individual plaintiff usually does not.
If you try to file a claim for your Colorado Springs car accident case on your own, it can be a very difficult and intimidating process, which is why the help of an attorney can be very beneficial both in and out of the courtroom.
While individual parties are focused on their issues in their cases, attorneys are focused on achieving a positive outcome for their clients.
Skilled lawyers know how to work cases, know the law, and know the facts.
They speak the language and understand the process, whereas a party without an attorney would have to learn all of that on their own.
Based on that alone, hiring legal counsel before filing a claim is recommended in almost all circumstances.
Partner
Attorney, Christopher M. Nicolaysen focuses primarily on helping those injured in car accidents due to no fault of their own.
The personal injury matters include auto accidents, bicycle accidents, pedestrian accidents, and trucking accidents.
Chris truly enjoys helping clients through a difficult time and helping them get the compensation they deserve.
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I was uneasy about reaching out to a law firm after being in an accident that left me injured and my vehicle totaled. I don’t care for the idea of suing for what was very clearly an accident. However, after learning more about the overall process of working with a professional team to navigate the murky waters of the insurance world, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the experience wasn’t as gross as I’d originally felt about it.
Springs Law is very friendly and professional. I always felt that they were on my side and cared about my injury and what I was going through. I highly recommend them.
Springs Law Group is an amazing group to work with! I got into a rough accident, and they never ceased to let me know they were there working hard to help me in my hour of need. It was always very easy to reach out to someone if I had any questions, and they were always happy to answer any questions I had.
I never have a problem with getting a response when I need them – which is not the case with most other firms. They really truly care about each client. As a plus, they always have positive attitudes, which matters tremendously when you are in a stressful legal situation.
Big thanks to Mr. Jake Kimbell and his team for their assistance with my case. He helped me through an incredibly challenging part of my life, and most importantly helped navigate through the convoluted legal channels of my case. I cannot thank him and his team enough for their support.
The entire team at Springs Law group has been nothing but amazing. Jake and the rest of the staff were great to work with and extremely professional. They were very attentive and answered any questions and concerns I had. I was always able to contact them and they were very responsive and communicated with me.
Springs Law Group is an amazing group to work with! I got into a rough accident, and they never ceased to let me know they were there working hard to help me in my hour of need. It was always very easy to reach out to someone if I had any questions, and they were always happy to answer any questions I had.