Victims who have been in a frightening truck accident in Colorado Springs may want to focus on healing, but will be worried about everything from doctor bills, lost time at work, and repair costs. Ganderton Law LLC offers a shortcut around this frustrating mess.
We come to the rescue and fight to make sure injured victims quickly receive the support they need to rebuild their lives. We hold truck drivers and delivery companies fully responsible. Contact our offices to secure a free, no-obligation consultation with a real truck accident lawyer. Find out how to choose the fastest route to getting your life back to normal.
How Do I Know If I Need a Lawyer After a Colorado Springs Truck Accident?
If you come out of a collision with a big rig and only receive minor bruises and/or a crumpled car, you may not need an attorney’s help. But most truck accidents are more significant due to the weight and force they carry in collisions.
- Speak to a Lawyer if you have a serious injury. If you are left with a serious injury, like a broken leg, or a neck, back, or head injury, you may need a shield from shady insurance companies. Increased medical bills and longer recovery times trigger insurance companies to fight even harder to avoid accepting responsibility.
- Protect yourself from blame. Insurance companies often stand up for truck drivers who were reckless and find ways to make it look like you caused the crash.
- Don’t allow your injuries to be dismissed. Insurance adjusters may even hassle you about your injuries and try to downplay how badly you are hurt. They’ll question how much money you’ll need to pay for medical care.
- Don’t face off with corporate lawyers without legal representation. The companies that send these tractor-trailers and delivery vans out on the roads might also be responsible for your injuries. Unfortunately, they can usually afford teams of lawyers to protect their profits and fight your claim. You’ll want an experienced lawyer on your side to even the odds.
A skilled Colorado Springs Truck Accident Lawyer is sometimes a critical protection against these common strategies meant to leave you with nothing. Your Colorado Springs Truck Accident Lawyer immediately investigates what happened and the truck driver’s work record. With evidence in hand, your lawyer can often secure much more support for you. Your take-home award is often well beyond what you could earn by filing an injury claim yourself.
Semi-Truck Accident Dangers in Colorado Springs
Plenty of large trucks use the interstates and highways that pass through Colorado Springs. Farm vehicles haul crops out of the plains on Highway 24 and up and down I-25. Logging trucks haul timber from the mountains.
Then there’s the normal 18-wheelers hauling groceries to local stores like those on Academy Boulevard. Some take up more than one lane at times and make driving to work or school a real hazard. Other big rigs are hauling packages for delivery companies like Amazon and going too fast for their size and weight.
These are just a few of the types of mistakes and carelessness that cause devastating truck accidents:
- Distracted Truck Drivers – Drivers looking at their phones, texting, or searching for entertainment. Contact with employers about routes and schedule changes takes a driver’s eyes off the road.
- Reckless Truck Drivers – Drivers going too fast and being unable to slow their massive loads in time to stop for traffic lights and traffic slowdowns. Not taking enough care on steep grades and around tight mountain curves.
- Unsafe Payloads – Tractor-trailers can be loaded improperly, causing tip-over risk on tight curves. Logging trucks, produce trucks, and dump trucks may have unsecured loads, leading to hazardous debris left on the roads for approaching drivers.
- DUI Truck Drivers – Drivers can consume alcohol or take a drug that inhibits their ability to control a massive truck. They may turn to harmful medications to keep them alert and awake as they drive.
- Drowsy Drivers — Truck drivers are subject to federal hours of service laws. Unfortunately, these rules can sometimes be broken. Drivers can also fail to get the rest they need during downtime and end up in the driver’s seat and nodding off during a day or night haul.
- Lack of Proper Maintenance – Trucking and delivery companies can fail to perform basic upkeep on their trucks. This negligence can lead to brake and tire failures and cause devastating pile-ups with much smaller cars.
It may be quite clear that a truck driver’s mistake caused your accident and injuries. Sadly, that doesn’t guarantee that commercial truck insurance providers will provide everything you’ll need to restore your normal life and stable finances.
Insurance adjusters have been taught to delay your settlement check so that you get more and more desperate for help with each doctor bill that shows up. Maybe you’ll accept less for your accident if you are made to wait. A skilled Colorado Springs big rig accident lawyer cuts through these unfair games to speed up the process. Ganderton Law LLC secures what you’ll need to heal physically and financially.
Colorado Springs Truck Accident Statistics
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) found that Colorado was the scene of 90 large truck accidents involving a fatality in 2021.
The Colorado Department of Transportation’s (CDOT) Crash Data Dashboard reports on the accidents involving medium and heavy trucks in Colorado Springs in recent years. Their figures show that 224 drivers and passengers were in collisions involving big trucks across the city in 2024. At least 17 of those victims suffered injuries in those accidents.
As our chart shows, there were more people affected by truck accidents in 2023, but fewer injuries resulted. 2022 reached shocking levels of people affected by big rig collisions. It remains to be seen if 2025 will reach higher levels when final traffic data becomes available.
Federal and Colorado Truck Driving Laws
Colorado is a state like no other, and with large trucks sometimes tackling mountain routes and curvy lanes, some unique laws have to be in place. Some of these laws involve bad weather and steep grades.
In some parts of the state, large trucks are prohibited from using the left lane on steeper sections. On some routes, trucks are required to have tire chains in order to use interstates during icy weather.
The Colorado General Assembly’s size and weight restrictions on trucks follow federal mandates in some regards, but Colorado’s limitations are different in some categories. Colorado Revised Statutes C.R.S. 42-4-502 explains the differences.
These are just a few of the variations from Federal Law:
- Overall Length: Federal laws don’t provide a length limit on most semi-trucks and tractor-trailers. Colorado sets the limit at 45‑feet for single vehicle length and 70‑feet for combination length on all roads.
- Trailer Length: Federal law says that no state can impose a length limitation of less than 48 feet on a semitrailer operating in any truck tractor‑semitrailer combination on the NHS. (Colorado sets the limit at 57.3 feet) Federal law provides that no state can impose a length limitation of less than 28 feet on a semitrailer or trailer operating in a truck tractor‑semitrailer‑trailer combination on the NHS. (Colorado sets the length at 28.5 feet)
- Truck Weight: Single Vehicle Weight w/2 Axles 36,000lbs on the National Highway System. Colorado allows 40,000lbs on state highways. Truck/Trailer or Combination of Vehicles. Federal laws limit the weight to 80,000lbs. Colorado laws limit the weight to 85,000lbs.
Colorado follows the Federal guidelines on Hours of Service for truck drivers. These are set hour limits that a truck driver can be on duty and how long a break they need to take to meet federal and safety requirements.
These are the regulations for drivers:
- may only drive up to 11 hours of the 14-hour “on‑duty” period;
- must take 10 consecutive hours of off-duty time after driving 11 hours;
- may not extend the 14-hour on-duty window with off-duty time, meals, or fuel stops; and
- may not be on duty more than 60 hours in 7 consecutive days or 70 hours in 8 consecutive days.
Drivers and companies who break these Hours of Service rules can face penalties and even criminal charges. Drivers can be placed “out-of-service” and not be allowed to work. Companies can face fines from federal and Colorado transportation authorities. A motor carrier’s safety rating can be downgraded. Criminal charges and jail time are possible if negligence causes a collision that hurts someone.
Who Is Responsible After a Colorado Springs Truck Accident?
Truck drivers who work for themselves will carry commercial accident insurance coverage. However, if the driver works for a company or corporation, victims will likely receive more in support if the employer can also be sued.
Ganderton Law LLC investigates every party that may be liable and then files claims with drivers and employers if necessary. Multiple responsible parties only increase your chances of securing the support you need to fully recover.
These are just a few of the parties that can bear financial responsibility:
Truck Driver Owner-Operators: Drivers who work for themselves or are contractors will have their own truck accident insurance to draw from. However, these policies can carry low limits and leave you short on compensation. You may be forced to use your own savings to pay medical bills and car repairs.
Trucking Companies and Corporations: These businesses that send truck drivers and delivery drivers out on Colorado Springs streets each morning should be responsible for careless drivers. After an accident, a company like Amazon, a farm owner, or a store chain could be responsible. These companies have bigger insurance policies for victims to draw from, but they can also afford corporate lawyers who do everything possible to deny your claim or to get you to accept less. A skilled lawyer in your corner can make a big difference in the settlement you are offered.
Truck Manufacturer or Parts Manufacturer: If a problem in the truck’s design or a part breakdown caused your collision, the truck maker could be held accountable. The fault may stem from a parts recall that was ignored. These companies can also afford legal defense. You should have your own attorney when having to ask major corporations for injury help.
How Much Do You Get After a Truck Accident?
The support you receive while you heal will depend on several factors. Every case is different, and a lawyer will have to investigate your case before being able to provide an accurate estimate.
In most cases, a claim should cover the totals on the medical bills you have, the paychecks you’ve lost while unable to work. A settlement should also provide financial help to assist you with the physical pain you may be left with and the emotional toll a frightening accident and difficult recovery can take.
Your lawyer helps you secure exactly what’s needed for a complete recovery. That includes a lifetime of support if you suffer an injury in a scary collision that leads to a permanent physical disability.
These factors and more should determine the level of support you can win for your injury:
- The total amount of your medical bills and estimates on the costs on the horizon
- The estimates on a lifetime of support if you suffer a permanent disability
- The total on the income and benefits you’ve had to forfeit while missing work hours and the hours you may miss in the future
- The skill of your attorney
If you need help from an attorney for your case, your lawyer should be a good investigator who compiles evidence to prevent insurers from changing the facts. Your lawyer should be an experienced negotiator who has taken on major insurers and companies and won the maximum in compensation for victims. A lawyer can also handle the most frustrating parts of your injury claim and dealing with insurers, while giving you the time to focus on healing and getting back to feeling like your old self.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will my family receive support if a loved one is struck and killed by a truck driver?
Yes, in most cases. Families can seek help with funeral expenses and in paying remaining medical bills. They should also demand help in replacing the income the victim may have provided to support the family each month. Colorado allows the spouse of a victim the exclusive right to file a wrongful death claim within the first year after a fatal accident. If the victim had no husband or wife, the children of the victim could file. If the victim has no children, the parents of the victim could file a claim. Other heirs could later file their own claims or join a spouse’s claim.
How long do injured victims have to file a claim after a Colorado Springs truck accident?
Three years. Colorado’s statute of limitations on lawsuits for truck accident injury claims is three years. You don’t want to wait years to begin exploring your options, though. Evidence can disappear, and witnesses might become harder to find.
How will I afford to pay a Colorado Springs accident lawyer?
You don’t need to have any money set aside to hire Ganderton Law to represent your case. We don’t accept any payment unless we win your case for you. Then our fee is paid out of the settlement check that a commercial truck insurance company must write for you.
Contact a Colorado Springs Truck Accident Lawyer
The victims of a careless truck driver’s mistake should never have to struggle to pay for their medical care over a collision they didn’t cause. It goes against what our law firm is all about. We stand by accident victims and make sure truck drivers and trucking companies are held fully responsible for everything a victim needs to rebuild their lives.
If you contact Ganderton Law Personal Injury Law Firm, you’ll speak to a real Colorado Springs truck accident attorney. We offer a free, no-obligation case consultation to all victims and their families. It’s a chance to go over your options and determine how to get every damage you’ve suffered compensated.
