Sharing the road with cars and trucks on Fort Collins streets can feel routine until a driver looks at a phone instead of the crosswalk or passes just a little too close. In a bicycle accident, the person on the bike almost always absorbs the worst of the impact, which can mean fractures, head trauma, and long recoveries that interrupt work and family life. However, Colorado law entitles you to compensation if someone else’s negligence caused the incident.
In these cases, working with our Fort Collins car accident lawyers means you get a legal team that treats bicycle cases seriously. Boesen Law knows how to work with Colorado crash reports, highlight traffic law violations, and explain to adjusters and juries exactly how the driver’s conduct caused the crash. Your attorney will back your claim with thorough evidence gathering, trusted expert support, and strategic negotiation, making clear why your injuries deserve full compensation.
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 Boesen Law Helps After a Bicycle Accident in Fort Collins
From the first meeting, your attorney will focus on documenting the full story of your crash and injuries so that the insurance company cannot reduce the case to a few lines on a claim form. Here is how we typically approach a Fort Collins bicycle accident claim:
- Thorough investigation of the collision: We review police reports, body-cam footage, intersection or business surveillance, and any GPS data available. In many cases, we also work with accident reconstruction experts who can use skid marks, impact points, and lane design to show how the driver caused the incident.
- Using Colorado traffic law to your advantage: Your attorney will identify specific violations, such as unsafe passing, failure to yield, or distracted driving, that strengthen your claim and make it harder for the insurer to shift blame onto the cyclist.
- Documenting the full medical and financial impact: We coordinate with your treating doctors and, when appropriate, medical experts to project future care needs and connect them clearly to the crash. Our team also gathers employment records, self-employment documentation, and caregiver costs so lost income and support are fully accounted for.
- Handling communications with insurers: Your attorney will take over all conversations with insurance adjusters, respond to fault arguments using Colorado’s traffic code, and prevent offhand comments from being twisted into admissions.
- Preparing every claim as if trial is possible: While many cases resolve through negotiation, our firm’s record of taking serious injury cases to court gives us leverage because insurers know we’re fully prepared for trial and face greater risk if they don’t negotiate fairly.
Our goal in every bicycle case is straightforward: prove what the driver did wrong, show how that conduct changed your life, and pursue compensation that reflects both immediate losses and long-term consequences.
Bicycle Accident Injuries We See in Our Cases
Because cyclists have minimal physical protection, the injuries in these cases can be wide-ranging, from relatively isolated fractures to life-changing trauma that affects work, mobility, and independence. Common injuries include:
- Fractures of the wrist, collarbone, ribs, pelvis, or legs
- Traumatic brain injuries and concussions, even when a helmet is worn
- Spinal injuries, including herniated discs and, in severe cases, spinal cord damage
- Internal organ injuries and internal bleeding
- Severe road rash, lacerations, and cosmetic scarring
- Shoulder injuries, such as rotator cuff tears from instinctive bracing
Boesen Law works to ensure that treating providers clearly describe each injury’s effects in your records so that they can be presented in negotiations or at trial. In higher-severity cases, your attorney will also consult with life-care planners and vocational experts who can quantify future medical needs, reduced employability, or the cost of retraining.
Types of Compensation Available After a Bicycle Crash
A key part of our work is to identify every category of recoverable damage and support it with thorough documentation. Depending on the incident’s specific circumstances, recoverable compensation may include:
- Medical expenses: Emergency care, hospitalization, surgery, specialist visits, physical and occupational therapy, assistive devices, and prescription medications. We also address future medical needs, such as additional surgeries or ongoing therapy.
- Lost income and reduced earning capacity: Time away from work while you recover, as well as long-term impact if you cannot return to your prior job or must reduce hours.
- Property damage: Repair or replacement of your bicycle and related equipment, including helmets and other gear.
- Non-economic damages: Pain, suffering, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life, and the impact on hobbies and relationships.
- Punitive damages in rare cases: In cases involving egregious conduct, such as intentional aggression toward cyclists or extremely reckless driving, Colorado law allows additional damages designed to punish and deter such behavior.
Our case results include substantial settlements for clients hit while biking, including a $750,000 recovery for a cyclist struck in a crosswalk and a $500,000 settlement for a client attacked by a dog while biking. When we evaluate your case, we use experiences like those to calibrate expectations and give you a realistic sense of what your claim may be worth.
We invite you to contact Boesen Law today for a free initial consultation to discuss your bicycle accident claim and explore your legal options with no obligation.
Colorado Bicycle Laws and Deadlines That Can Affect Your Claim
Colorado’s traffic code contains specific rules for bicycle operation, and those rules often play a central role in liability arguments. Under C.R.S. § 42-4-1412, bicycles are treated as vehicles for most purposes, and cyclists usually must ride as far right as practicable, except when passing, preparing for a left turn, or when hazards make the right side unsafe. We often use this statute to rebut claims that a cyclist who took the lane acted improperly.
Additionally, Colorado follows a modified comparative negligence rule. Under C.R.S. § 13-21-111, an injured person can recover damages as long as they are less than 50 percent at fault, but their award is reduced by their share of fault. Insurance companies frequently try to increase the cyclist’s percentage, so part of our job is to push back with thorough evidence and compelling arguments.
On the other hand, deadlines to file a lawsuit are strict. Many bicycle injury cases fall under Colorado’s three-year limit for motor-vehicle-related claims in C.R.S. § 13-80-101, while other personal injury claims have a two-year limit under C.R.S. § 13-80-102. Waiting can weaken evidence and make the claim harder to prove, so it’s recommended to seek legal counsel as soon as possible after the incident.
What To Do After a Bicycle Accident in Fort Collins
If you are physically able, it helps to:
- Call 911 and wait for law enforcement: A formal accident report documents the scene, identifies the driver and any witnesses, and becomes a key piece of evidence later.
- Document the scene: Take photos or video of vehicle positions, damage, skid marks, traffic signals, weather and lighting conditions, and your injuries.
- Collect contact information: Get the driver’s name, license plate, insurance details, and contact information, as well as the names and phone numbers of any witnesses who stopped.
- Seek prompt medical care: See a doctor or visit an emergency department the same day if possible. Early documentation of symptoms and physical findings ties your injuries to the crash and closes the door on arguments that you were hurt somewhere else.
- Avoid giving detailed statements to insurers before legal advice: Even casual answers about speed, visibility, or where you were riding can be used to assign blame.
- Consult a Fort Collins injury lawyer experienced with bicycle cases: Boesen Law can evaluate liability, handle communications, and begin protecting evidence from the very beginning.
Our team can help secure copies of the police report, coordinate with medical providers to obtain thorough documentation of your injuries, and handle all communication with insurance adjusters so you can focus on recovery.
From the first consultation through settlement or trial, your bicycle accident attorney at Boesen Law is with you at every stage, translating complex legal procedures into clear action items and advocating tirelessly for the compensation you deserve.
Why Choose Boesen Law for Your Bicycle Accident Claim
When you work with our Fort Collins personal injury attorneys, you can expect:
- A detailed intake process that listens to your account of the crash, your riding habits, and how the injury is affecting your life.
- A strategy tailored to the specifics of your bicycle case.
- Access to experts in accident reconstruction, biomechanics, and medicine when the case calls for technical support.
- Regular communication about negotiations, litigation options, and likely timelines so you can make informed decisions.
- Representation backed by over a decade of experience and a history of significant settlements and verdicts.
Talk to a Fort Collins Bicycle Accident Lawyer
After a bicycle accident in Fort Collins, Boesen Law can step in immediately to investigate the collision, assemble a solid strategy, and build a claim that reflects the full costs of the crash. Your attorney will negotiate from a position grounded in evidence and Colorado law, and if the insurance company refuses to be reasonable, we are prepared to take your case to court.
Plus, our firm works on a contingency fee basis, which means you pay no attorney’s fees unless we secure compensation for you. Start by reaching out to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation with a lawyer on our team.
Frequently Asked Questions About Bicycle Accidents in Fort Collins
Do I still have a case if I was not wearing a helmet?
Yes, you may still have a case even if you were not wearing a helmet. Colorado law does not require adult cyclists to wear helmets; however, the defense may argue that some head injuries could have been reduced with a helmet.
What if the driver who hit me left the scene or had no insurance?
If the driver fled or carried no insurance, you may still recover compensation through your own uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage, which often applies even when you’re on a bike. Coverage may also extend through a household member’s policy.
How long do I have to file a bicycle accident lawsuit in Colorado?
In many bicycle cases involving motor vehicles, you may have up to three years from the date of the crash to file a lawsuit, while some non-vehicle injury claims have a two-year deadline.
What if I were partially at fault for the crash?
Colorado’s modified comparative negligence system allows injured people to recover damages as long as they are less than 50 percent responsible for the accident, but the fault percentage reduces their compensation proportionally.
How much is my Fort Collins bicycle accident case worth?
Case value depends on many variables, including the severity and permanence of your injuries, the amount of available insurance, your wage loss, your future medical needs, and how clearly the driver’s negligence can be proven.
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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