Colorado Springs Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer

Plaintiff-focused drunk driving accident lawyers preparing every case with experience and dedication.

If you were injured by an impaired driver in Colorado Springs, an attorney can help you pursue full compensation from those responsible. These claims often move alongside a separate criminal case and involve insurers who resist paying what an injury is worth.

Our firm has spent two decades on the side of crash victims across southern Colorado. A Colorado Springs, CO drunk driving accident lawyer at Ganderton Law Personal Injury Law Firm will review your situation and explain your options at no charge.

Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer Colorado Springs, CO

When a driver gets behind the wheel after drinking or using drugs, the people they hit are left to deal with the consequences. Impaired driving remains a serious danger here, and state crash data identifies impaired driving as a leading factor in Colorado traffic deaths. A drunk driving accident claim is a civil action, separate from whatever the criminal court decides, and you can recover compensation whether or not the driver is convicted.

A drunk driving accident attorney in Colorado Springs gathers the proof of impairment, identifies every party who may owe you money, and pushes the claim forward while you focus on healing. Insurers understand these cases can carry added exposure, which often shapes how they respond.

Types of Drunk Driving Accident Cases We Handle in Colorado Springs

No two impaired-driving crashes look exactly alike, and the way a collision happens often affects who is responsible and what a claim is worth. The toll is heavy, and federal crash data counted 11,904 deaths from alcohol-impaired driving in 2024 alone. These are the drunk driving cases we take on in Colorado Springs, CO.

• Rear-end collisions. A driver who has been drinking reacts slowly to brake lights and stopped traffic. The crash that follows can throw the spine and neck into sudden motion, leaving injuries that take weeks to fully surface.
• Intersection crashes. Impaired drivers misjudge signals and roll through intersections, striking another vehicle on its side. The door and window offer little protection, so these broadside, side-impact hits often send people to the hospital.
• Head-on crashes. A driver who is confused or disoriented may drift across the centerline or travel the wrong way against traffic. With both vehicles moving toward each other, the forces involved make these among the deadliest collisions on the road.
• Pedestrian crashes. A person on foot has nothing to shield them from a vehicle, and an impaired driver’s delayed reactions leave almost no margin for error. Even at modest speeds, these crashes tend to cause lasting harm.
• Passenger injuries. Sometimes the injured person was riding alongside the impaired driver when the car ran off the road or struck an object. That passenger may have a claim against the driver who chose to take the wheel.
• Hit-and-run crashes. A driver trying to avoid a DUI arrest may leave the scene entirely. We move quickly to track down who was responsible, and where that fails, we look to uninsured motorist coverage to make a recovery possible.
• Aggravated DUI crashes. A driver with earlier convictions or a blood alcohol reading far above the limit shows a clear disregard for everyone else on the road. Conduct that serious can justify a claim for punitive damages.
• Drugged driving crashes. Alcohol is only part of the picture in Colorado, where cannabis, prescription medication, and combinations of substances factor into many crashes. The questions of fault remain the same, even when the impairment is not from alcohol.

Why Choose Ganderton Law Personal Injury Law Firm for Drunk Driving Accidents in Colorado Springs, CO?

A Plaintiff Firm With Proven Results

Drunk driving claims demand a firm that has handled severe-injury cases and knows how insurers approach them. We represent only injured people, never the companies on the other side. Over the years, our firm has obtained millions of dollars recovered through settlements and verdicts, a history that reflects steady preparation rather than any promise about your particular case. Anyone who hires a personal injury lawyer in Colorado Springs, CO from this office receives that same level of attention, and there is no charge for the first meeting.

Background, Education, and Honors

Our founder, David Ganderton, studied law at Stetson University College of Law after completing his undergraduate work at Florida State University. He holds bar admissions in three states: Colorado, Wyoming, and Florida. His work has earned a place on the National Trial Lawyers Top 100 list, and the Colorado Springs Gazette’s readers have repeatedly chosen him as Best Personal Injury Attorney in the Best of the Springs poll. Outside the courtroom, he serves as an ambassador for the Tri-Lakes Chamber of Commerce, staying connected to the businesses and families he represents. That standing carries weight when a case against an impaired driver moves toward trial.

Understanding Drunk Driving Accident Cases

Damages, Liability, and Compensation for Drunk Driving Accident Cases

What you can recover after an impaired-driving crash depends on the losses you have suffered, and Colorado sorts those losses into a few categories. A severe case may touch all of them.

The first category, economic damages, covers the costs you can add up: the ambulance ride, hospital care, follow-up treatment, missed paychecks, and the loss of earning power if you cannot return to the same job. Property damage belongs here too.

Then there are noneconomic damages, which account for the pain, the fear, and the way a serious injury reshapes ordinary life. When a crash leads to a traumatic brain injury, a spinal cord injury, or other catastrophic injuries, this part of a claim can be sizable.

Drunk driving also raises the possibility of punitive damages. Colorado law permits exemplary damages when someone behaves with willful and wanton disregard for others, and getting behind the wheel while impaired can fit that description. Public health agencies treat these crashes as entirely preventable, a point reflected in impaired driving facts published by the CDC.

Responsibility may reach past the driver. An employer whose worker was on the clock, or a business that kept serving someone clearly drunk, can sometimes share the blame. When a crash proves fatal, the family may pursue a wrongful death claim of their own.

Important Aspects of a Drunk Driving Accident Case

An impaired-driving claim comes with wrinkles that a routine car accident does not. Evidence of intoxication must be captured early, and a criminal case may be unfolding at the same time.

• The police report, breath or blood test results, and the charges filed after a DUI crash all feed into the civil claim.
• Taking the right steps early after a crash can protect both your health and your case.
• More than one party may owe you money, from the driver to an employer or a server who overpoured.
• Surveillance footage, witness accounts, and the vehicles themselves can change or disappear, so moving fast matters.

Some of the strongest evidence in these cases has a short shelf life, which is why early work pays off.

The Drunk Driving Accident Case Timeline

These claims tend to follow a recognizable path, though a parallel criminal case can slow things down. How quickly you heal usually drives the schedule.

• Getting medical care and making sure your injuries are documented.
• Building the file with the crash report, test results, and witness statements.
• Keeping an eye on the criminal proceeding against the driver.
• Sending the insurer a demand once your losses come into focus.
• Talking settlement, and filing suit if the offer falls short.

Claims that accompany a criminal prosecution, or that involve permanent injuries, usually take longer to resolve.

What to Bring to Your Drunk Driving Accident Consultation

There is no need to gather every document before we talk, but anything you already have helps. The following items are a good place to start.

• The crash report, plus any details about the other driver.
• Bills and records from the treatment you have received.
• Photos of the damage, the scene, or your injuries.
• Letters, emails, or calls from any insurance adjuster.

We will tell you honestly how your claim looks and what should happen next. Jotting down a few questions for your lawyer before you come in helps you get the most from the meeting.

Colorado Legal Resources for Drunk Driving Accident Cases

A few points of Colorado law shape every impaired-driving claim. You can look into the basics yourself using the resources below.

• The Colorado Revised Statutes, maintained by the Colorado General Assembly, hold the state’s civil laws.
• The Colorado Judicial Branch provides court forms and civil filing information for El Paso County.
• A claim from a vehicle crash, including one caused by an impaired driver, generally has to be filed within three years of the collision.
• Under the state’s modified comparative negligence rule, your recovery shrinks by your share of fault and disappears once that share reaches 50 percent.
• Colorado divides damages into economic losses, such as medical bills and lost income, and noneconomic losses, such as pain and suffering.

Reach Out to Ganderton Law Personal Injury Law Firm to Schedule a Consultation

When an impaired driver upends your life, you deserve straight answers about what you can do next. We offer a free consultation, and you will come away knowing where your claim stands. Contact us to talk with a Colorado Springs drunk driving accident lawyer about your crash.