A drunk driver made a dangerous choice long before they crossed into your lane, and you are left with the hospital bills and a recovery you never planned for. The criminal case may punish that driver, but it does nothing to pay for what the crash cost your family. That gap is what a civil claim fills, and our Arvada car accident lawyers know how to pursue it.
Your civil claim is separate from the criminal case and can move forward on its own, and Boesen Law pursues the damages that, in the right case, punish the conduct. The consultation is free and in person, and you pay no attorney fee unless we recover compensation for you.
Reach out to our law firm for a no-cost, no-obligation consultation today. Call our personal injury lawyers in the state of Colorado at (303) 999-9999 or contact us online.
How an Arvada Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer Builds Your Case
A DUI crash leaves two parallel tracks, the criminal case and your civil claim, and the evidence in one can power the other. We make sure nothing is lost in the handoff.
This is what working with Boesen Law looks like:
- Obtain the full DUI investigation file. We gather the arrest report, body camera footage, field sobriety results, and the chemical or breath test data that establishes the driver was over the limit.
- Trace the alcohol back to its source. When a bar or restaurant overserved a visibly intoxicated patron, we investigate dram shop liability so an additional responsible party can be brought into the claim.
- Coordinate with the criminal case. We track the prosecution, preserve any restitution rights, and use a conviction or plea as evidence of liability in your civil claim.
- Document the human cost. We assemble the medical records, treatment timeline, and day-to-day impact that show how the crash changed your life, not just your week.
- Pursue punitive exposure. Where the conduct supports it, we plead for exemplary damages so the driver is held accountable for choosing to drive impaired.
- Stand between you and the insurers. We handle every adjuster, so you are not maneuvered into a quick settlement before your future needs are known.
Boesen Law brings decades of combined experience to impaired-driving claims, someone answers our phone at every hour, day and night, and we are glad to walk you through results we have secured for clients harmed by drunk drivers, including families left to pursue an Arvada wrongful death claim.
How Colorado Law Treats Drunk Driving Crashes
Impaired driving sits at the intersection of criminal law and civil liability, and the two systems serve different goals. Knowing how they fit together shapes how we build your claim.
The criminal case versus your civil claim
The state prosecutes the driver to punish a crime, while your civil claim exists to compensate you for your losses. A guilty plea or conviction can be powerful proof of fault in the civil case, but you do not have to wait for the criminal outcome to pursue compensation. The process of filing a lawsuit against a drunk driver in Colorado runs alongside the criminal case, not behind it.
Dram shop and third-party responsibility
Colorado law can extend responsibility to a licensed establishment that served alcohol to a visibly intoxicated person or to anyone under twenty-one. When that overservice contributes to a crash, the business may share liability, which can matter a great deal when the driver’s own coverage is thin.
Shared fault and how insurers use it
Even in a clear DUI case, an insurer may argue you carry some blame to shave the payout, an argument measured under Colorado’s modified comparative negligence rule. Your drunk driving accident lawyer answers it with the investigation file and physical evidence so the focus stays on the driver’s decision to drink and drive. If you are not sure how these pieces apply to your crash, contact Boesen Law for a free consultation.
Common Causes of Arvada Drunk Driving Crashes
Impairment shows up in predictable driving failures, and naming them helps us connect the crash to the alcohol. The most common patterns we see include:
- Wrong-way and lane-departure crashes, when an impaired driver drifts across the center line or enters a ramp the wrong way on I-70.
- Failure to stop, where a driver blows through a red light or stop sign because their reaction time is gone.
- Rear-end impacts at speed, when a driver never registers slowing or stopped traffic ahead.
- Late-night single-vehicle and pedestrian strikes, common near Olde Town Arvada where foot traffic and bar traffic mix on weekend nights.
- Speeding and erratic maneuvers, as impaired judgment leads to reckless lane changes and tailgating.
Because so many of these crashes happen late at night, witnesses and camera footage are limited, which makes early investigation the difference between a guess and a provable case. If a drunk driver hurt you in any of these ways, Boesen Law can help you assemble the proof that fixes responsibility.
Injuries Caused by Drunk Driving Crashes in Arvada
Impaired drivers rarely brake, so DUI crashes tend to be high-energy collisions with serious injuries. We often represent Arvada clients dealing with:
- Traumatic brain injuries and concussions that affect memory, mood, and the ability to work.
- Spinal cord and back injuries, including herniated discs and, in severe cases, lasting impairment.
- Broken bones and orthopedic trauma to the arms, legs, hips, and ribs that may require surgery and hardware.
- Internal injuries from belt and impact forces that demand emergency care.
- Catastrophic and life-altering harm in the worst high-speed impacts, the type our Arvada catastrophic injury lawyers handle.
- Emotional trauma, including anxiety and post-traumatic stress that follow a violent, preventable crash.
The earlier these injuries are documented and tied to the collision, the harder they are for an insurer to dismiss, and your drunk driving accident lawyer works with your physicians and outside specialists to build that record from the start.
Compensation Available After a Drunk Driving Crash in Arvada
A DUI crash often supports a wider range of damages than an ordinary collision, because Colorado law allows additional recovery when conduct is willful and wanton. We build each category deliberately.
Economic Damages
These cover your measurable losses: emergency treatment, surgery, rehabilitation, future medical care, lost wages, and reduced earning capacity when injuries keep you from returning to the same work. We support each figure with records and, where the future is at stake, expert projections.
Non-Economic Damages
These reflect pain, sleep disruption, lost enjoyment of activities, and the emotional weight of being hurt by an impaired driver. Colorado caps non-economic damages, and a higher cap becomes available when serious physical impairment is established by clear and convincing proof.
Punitive Damages
Drunk driving is the classic example of conduct that can justify exemplary damages under C.R.S. § 13-21-102. These damages punish the choice to drive impaired, and punitive damages in DUI car accidents are available only when the facts clearly support them.
By modeling damages thoroughly instead of accepting an adjuster’s opening number, Boesen Law has recovered hundreds of millions for injured people across Colorado. A free consultation is the place to talk through which categories your case may support.
Do You Have an Arvada Drunk Driving Claim?
Jon C. Boesen, founder of Boesen Law and a thirty-year Colorado civil litigator who has tried serious injury cases to verdict, notes:
*”People hurt by a drunk driver often wait, assuming they need the criminal case to wrap up first. They do not. Your civil claim stands on its own feet, and across thirty years I have watched a documented DUI become the most powerful evidence a victim can hold. What I trace is the path from the drinking to the crash to your injuries, and once that path is clear, I am not simply asking an insurer to cover bills, I am asking for accountability for a choice the driver made before the engine ever started.”*
The coverage in these cases is often layered. Beyond the driver’s liability policy, a dram shop defendant, an employer, or your own uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage may all come into play, and we pursue each one so your recovery is not limited by a single thin policy.
What Cases Like Yours Have Recovered
Boesen Law’s results in egregious-driver crashes include a $770,000 recovery for a client hit by a reckless driver who blew through a stop sign and went on to need several surgeries, and a $525,000 result for a client broadsided by a red-light runner who was left with a concussion along with significant whiplash and body pain. Our complete case results show the level of preparation we bring to these claims.
If an impaired driver hurt you or someone you love in Arvada, we will listen closely and tell you where your claim stands.
Contact an Arvada Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer at Boesen Law
Being hurt by a drunk driver carries a particular sting, because the crash never had to happen. Between the criminal proceedings, the insurance maze, and your own recovery, it is a lot to carry alone, and you do not have to. Boesen Law is a boutique firm with big results, and we put the full weight of our experience behind every impaired-driving client.
Reach out through Contact Boesen Law to schedule a free, in-person consultation. Arvada drunk driving claims are filed in the Jefferson County District Court in Golden, and we manage that process for you. We answer the phone around the clock, our Russian- and Spanish-speaking staff can help you in your own language, and you owe no attorney fee unless we recover compensation for you.
FAQs About Arvada Drunk Driving Accidents
Can I sue a drunk driver in Arvada if they are already facing criminal charges?
Yes. The criminal case and your civil injury claim are separate. The prosecution seeks to punish the driver, while your civil claim seeks compensation for your medical bills, lost income, and pain. You can file and pursue the civil claim whether or not the criminal case results in a conviction, and a guilty plea or verdict can actually strengthen your civil case as evidence of fault.
Can an Arvada bar be held responsible for overserving the driver?
Sometimes. Colorado’s dram shop law can hold a licensed establishment liable when it served alcohol to a visibly intoxicated person or to someone under twenty-one and that overservice contributed to the crash. We investigate where the driver was drinking before the collision, which can add a responsible party and additional coverage to your claim.
Are punitive damages available in a Colorado drunk driving case?
They can be. Driving while impaired is the kind of willful and wanton conduct that may support exemplary damages under C.R.S. § 13-21-102. These damages are not automatic and are decided on the facts, but a documented DUI gives a strong foundation for seeking them.
How long do I have to file a drunk driving injury claim in Colorado?
Most motor vehicle injury claims, including DUI crashes, must be filed within three years of the wreck under C.R.S. § 13-80-101. Evidence such as bar receipts and surveillance footage disappears far sooner, so it is wise to act quickly. The personal injury time limits that apply to a DUI crash leave less time than most victims expect.
What if the drunk driver who hit me had little or no insurance?
Impaired drivers are often underinsured. When that happens, your own uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage may pay, a dram shop establishment may share liability, and medical payments coverage can help with early bills. We review every available policy to maximize your net recovery.
Reach out to our law firm for a no-cost, no-obligation consultation today. Call our personal injury lawyers in the state of Colorado at (303) 999-9999 or contact us online.
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