Colorado
Personal Injury Lawyers
It has been said that Colorado personal injury lawyers practice
law from Grand Junction to Pueblo and from Colorado Springs to
Fort Collins and Denver and everywhere else there are clients
in need. Steeped in the Rocky Mountains, the Colorado personal
injury lawyers practice their craft in relation to some rather
unique laws within the state.
There are three categories of active membership in the Colorado
Bar Association, based on the number of years a member has been
licensed to practice law in any jurisdiction, not just in Colorado.
The Senior category is for attorneys who have been licensed more
than 8 years. The Intermediate category is for attorneys licensed
more than 4 years but less than 8 years. The Junior category is
for attorneys who have been licensed less than 4 years.
It is important to remember that the number of years is based
on and attorney’s first date of admission, which may or may
not be in Colorado. For example, if an attorney was first licensed
to practice in Kansas in 1990 and then in Colorado in 1995, that
attorney would be a Senior member.
All Senior, Intermediate and Junior CBA members who live in Colorado
must also belong to at least one of the 27 local bar associations
across the state. This is required to maintain CBA membership.
Colorado
Personal Injury Lawyers
The statute that has been in place in Colorado, known as "No-Fault"
has been repealed. In the past, this statute has allowed for individuals
that had been in a vehicular accident to automatically receive
benefits from the other driver's insurance company. Due to this
repeal, this is no longer the case. Colorado personal injury lawyers
need to be aware of this new repeal due to the fact that it may
affect the damages their client's receive.
Under the Colorado "No-Fault" law, a standard policy
would allow for up to $50,000 in medical bills. Currently any
medical bills are to be paid by the other driver's insurance company
up to $25,000 and any costs after that will be taken from the
injured party's health benefits.
However, if the other driver is found legally liable, the costs
that the injured party has paid can be recovered from the driver
or the driver's insurance company. These costs can be recovered
either at the time the claim is settled or when a verdict is determined.
The Colorado personal injury lawyer that is working for the injured
person will be a big help in recovering these costs.
The purpose of damages awarded is to get the injured person back
to the form they were in before the accident occurred. This includes
medical bills, permanent injury, physical impairment, pain, suffering,
and loss of quality of life. The damages awarded are not considered
limitless and do have boundaries. The cap is generally $366,250.
These damages can be doubled by the court under the term "non-economic
damages." If the case is for medical malpractice the cap
is usually $250,000.
The State of Colorado is hoping that the repeal for the "No-Fault"
law will help prevent plaintiffs that want to sue for amounts
that are far beyond the scope of their injuries. Colorado personal
injury lawyers have sometimes sued for these amounts on the demands
of their clients. By adding the inclusion that any costs over
the amount of $25,000 can be recovered at a later date, it still
provides plaintiffs that have true claims to recover any damages
that they are entitled.
|
