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.
Drunk Driving Accident Statistics in Colorado Springs, CO
El Paso County recorded more impaired-driving deaths in 2025 than any other county in Colorado. That figure comes from the Colorado Department of Transportation, and it describes the roads our clients drive every day. A Colorado Springs drunk driving accident lawyer at Ganderton Law Personal Injury Law Firm follows this data because it shows how often these crashes happen here.
- CDOT county data shows that 29 people died in El Paso County crashes involving an impaired driver in 2025.
- Weld County followed with 25 deaths, Denver County had 22, and Adams County had 21.
- Statewide, preliminary CDOT figures count 234 deaths in crashes involving an impaired driver in 2025.
- Impaired drivers were involved in 34% of Colorado traffic deaths in 2025, which is above the 30% national average.
- A state report cited by CDOT found that 18% of drivers arrested for DUI tested positive for more than one substance, a pattern federal safety officials address in their guidance on drug-impaired driving.
These numbers count deaths only. Many more people survive a collision with neck injuries, broken bones, or head trauma, and they never appear in a fatality table. Colorado law enforcement made 5,275 DUI arrests during the 2025 enforcement periods alone. The state updates its fatal crash data throughout the year.
Mistakes That Can Damage Your Drunk Driving Accident Claim
The other driver’s arrest does not win the civil claim for you. Insurers still examine what you said, what you signed, and when you saw a doctor.
- Assuming the criminal case covers your losses. The prosecutor represents the state, not you. A criminal sentence does not pay for your pain, your lost income, or your future care. A civil claim does that work.
- Waiting to see a doctor. Insurers treat delayed medical care as evidence that the crash did not cause the injury. Go the same day if you can.
- Giving a recorded statement. The impaired driver’s insurer may call within days. We advise clients to decline a recorded statement until a lawyer has reviewed the claim.
- Cashing an early check. Depositing a settlement check can close the claim permanently, including for treatment you have not yet received.
- Overlooking your own coverage. The impaired driver may carry only minimum insurance, or none at all. Their policy limits can fall well short of a hospital bill, and your own underinsured motorist coverage may fill the gap.
- Posting about the crash online. Adjusters and defense lawyers read social media. A single photo from a family event can be used to question how badly you were hurt.
- Downplaying symptoms that seem minor. Soft tissue injuries and back injuries can worsen over several weeks. Tell every provider about every symptom so that your records are complete.
- Settling before treatment ends. A demand sent too early leaves future surgery, therapy, and time away from work out of the number. We wait until your doctors can describe what recovery will require.
- Letting evidence disappear. Bar receipts, dash camera video, and surveillance footage from nearby businesses may be overwritten within days. In hit-and-run accidents, that footage may be the only way to identify the driver.
- Waiting too long to hire counsel. Colorado generally allows three years to file a motor vehicle injury claim. Witnesses move and records are purged long before that deadline arrives.
Colorado Springs Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer FAQs
How Much Does a Colorado Springs Drunk Driving Accident Attorney Cost?
The first consultation at Ganderton Law Personal Injury Law Firm is free. We explain our fee arrangement in writing during that meeting, before you decide whether to hire us. You pay nothing to have your crash reviewed.
Do I Have a Case if the Drunk Driver Was Not Convicted?
Yes. A civil claim is decided separately from the criminal charge. Breath or blood test results, the officer’s observations, and witness accounts can establish negligence even when the criminal case ends in a plea to a lesser offense or a dismissal.
How Long Do I Have to File a Claim in Colorado?
The Colorado Revised Statutes generally give an injured person three years from the date of a motor vehicle crash to file suit. Some claims carry shorter deadlines. We confirm the date that applies to you during the first meeting.
What if I Was Partly at Fault?
You can still recover compensation if your share of fault is less than 50 percent. Under the state’s comparative fault rule, your award is reduced by your percentage of fault. Insurers raise this argument often, even against people hit by an impaired driver.
Can I Recover Punitive Damages From a Drunk Driver?
Possibly. Colorado allows exemplary damages when an injury results from willful and wanton conduct. They are not automatic, and the evidence must support the request. A very high blood alcohol level or prior DUI convictions can strengthen it.
Is There a Limit on Pain and Suffering Damages?
Colorado caps noneconomic damages in most injury cases. House Bill 24-1472 raised that cap to $1.5 million for cases filed on or after January 1, 2025. The cap does not limit economic damages such as medical bills and lost wages.
What if the Drunk Driver Has No Insurance?
Your own uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage may pay for your losses. Some Colorado motorists drive without insurance, so we review every policy in your household at the start of the case.
Can I File a Claim if I Was a Passenger in the Drunk Driver’s Car?
Yes. A passenger’s claim is usually made against the driver’s insurance policy. The insurer may argue that you knew the driver was impaired, which is a comparative fault argument that we prepare to answer.
Will My Case Go to Trial?
Many claims resolve through a settlement with the insurer. If the offer does not cover your losses, a Colorado Springs, CO drunk driving accident lawyer from our firm files suit in El Paso County District Court and prepares the case for trial.
What if I Was Walking or Riding a Motorcycle?
The same rules apply. Pedestrian accident and motorcycle accident claims against an impaired driver often involve more severe injuries, and the damages tend to be higher as a result.
What Can a Family Do After a Fatal DUI Crash?
Certain family members can bring a civil claim for their loss. That claim moves forward separately from the criminal case, and it does not depend on a conviction.
Important Resources for Colorado Springs Drunk Driving Accident Cases
Most Dangerous Locations for Drunk Driving Accidents in Colorado Springs, CO
These corridors carry heavy traffic, higher speeds, or late-night activity.
Streets:
- Tejon Street and downtown. Bars and restaurants are concentrated here, and foot traffic is heavy late at night.
- Academy Boulevard. This commercial corridor has frequent signals, where an impaired driver’s slow reaction causes rear-end collisions.
- Platte Avenue. T-bone accidents happen when a driver runs a red light at crossings such as Circle Drive.
Highways:
- Interstate 25. Wrong-way drivers on I-25 cause head-on collisions at highway speed.
- U.S. Highway 24. This route connects the city to Manitou Springs and Woodland Park to the west and Falcon to the east.
- Powers Boulevard. Speeds are high between the signals on State Highway 21.
What Are Important Local Resources for Colorado Springs Drunk Driving Accident Cases?
People with serious injuries are usually taken to one of the city’s trauma centers. These organizations can also help after a crash with an impaired driver.
- Colorado Springs Police Department: The non-emergency line is (719) 444-7000.
- UCHealth Memorial Hospital Central: This Level I trauma center can be reached at (719) 365-5000.
- 4th Judicial District Attorney: Victim advocates provide updates on the criminal case at (719) 520-6000.
- Mothers Against Drunk Driving: The 24-hour victim help line is 1-877-623-3435.
Ganderton Law Personal Injury Law Firm does not endorse these organizations and is not affiliated with them. This list is provided for information only.
About Ganderton Law Personal Injury Law Firm
Founder David Ganderton was a prosecutor before he represented injured people. He served as an Assistant State Attorney in Sarasota, Florida, beginning in 2007, and he prosecuted felony cases as a Deputy District Attorney in Colorado from 2009 to 2011. That work shaped his commitment to victims and to building cases from the ground up. Our results include a $1.6 million policy-limits recovery in a rear-end collision and a $275,000 policy-limits recovery for a pedestrian struck by a car.
What Our Clients Say
★★★★★
“Exceptional performance from the legal and paralegal sides. I felt heard and fought for. Will definitely recommend them to anyone who asks.” – Mellissa Torres
Read more reviews on our Google Business Profile.
Additional Resources for Colorado Springs Drunk Driving Accident Cases
- Common Mistakes to Avoid After a Car Accident
- Why Are Car Accidents More Common at Night?
- What’s the Difference Between At-Fault and No-Fault Accidents?
- How Long Colorado Personal Injury Claims Take
- Proving Lost Income in a Colorado Injury Case
Contact Ganderton Law Personal Injury Law Firm
If an impaired driver injured you or someone in your family, a drunk driving accident attorney in Colorado Springs will review what happened. The initial consultation with Ganderton Law Personal Injury Law Firm is free. We go over the crash report, your medical care, the available insurance coverage, and the status of any criminal case. Contact us to schedule a time to talk further.
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