FAQs

What do I do after a car accident in Colorado?

Right away, you should seek medical care. Safety and your health are most important, and you should seek medical attention even if your injuries feel minor. If you are still at the scene, collect names and contact information, including insurance, for everyone involved, including witnesses. If it’s safe to do so, take photos of the scene, the vehicles involved, and any damage or debris. You can also take photos of any injuries. After you seek medical care and are stable, make sure the collision has been reported to the authorities and that your statement is documented. You will also want to be cautious about talking to insurance adjusters, since any statements you make can be used to evaluate your claim later, including who is at fault and how injured or impacted the people involved are. A lawyer can help you navigate all of the complexity that comes after a car accident, so you can focus on recovery.

Why choose Ready Law?

We have successfully recovered millions of dollars for Colorado clients across a range of personal injury, wrongful death, and civil rights cases. If you have a serious injury that was caused by someone else, you probably find yourself near the beginning of what could be a long path to full and fair compensation. You should be looking for someone you get along with well, someone who is easy to communicate with, and someone who is willing to learn about your life and your losses, to lead you toward full compensation for what was wrongfully taken from you. The road to your best outcome will have so many exit opportunities along the way. If we work together, we can help you stay on course. Vern Ready has been that leader and guide for many injured people and their families. You don’t have to take our word for it. Have a look at what some of our injury clients have had to say.

What types of cases does Ready Law handle?

At Ready Law we handle cases involving wrongful injury and death, including motor vehicle collisions, slip/trip and falls, civil rights, and more. You should be selective about who you work with, and we are, too. We have represented all kinds of people who needed help with a huge range of causes across Colorado. When choosing to work with a client or their family, Vern Ready finds it especially meaningful to be a true believer in his chosen causes. That means all of them. We are motivated to help people who have been wronged, have had their lives disrupted, and are now being pushed around and taken advantage of. Our clients want and deserve fair outcomes, and we find joy and satisfaction in helping them get those fair outcomes. It feels right to us. These are just starting points for how we decide whether to accept a case, but they have become non-negotiable starting points, and we are better advocates as a result.

Call to see if we are a good fit. If we are not able to help you for whatever reason, we will do our best to help and refer you to someone who can. You have nothing to lose by reaching out.

Can I handle my personal injury case on my own?

Yes. But if the question is, can I maximize the value of my case on my own, the answer is no. You can read more in our blog here or by watching this video, but the short answer is that in most cases, hiring an experienced personal injury lawyer can make a significant difference. Insurance companies often take advantage of people who do not know the full value of their claims or how to challenge a low offer. Although personal injury attorneys typically receive a percentage of the recovery, a lawyer can investigate and fully develop your case, negotiate with the insurance company, and file a lawsuit when necessary to pursue fair compensation. Handling your case on your own may mean that you get less money. Because most personal injury lawyers offer free, no-obligation consultations, you can learn how an attorney may help with your specific situation before deciding whether to hire one.

Do I need to see a doctor even if I feel fine after a crash or fall?

Yes. It is always a good idea to get evaluated, even if you think the injuries are minor. Many injuries, especially after car crashes, can feel worse days after the collision, after the adrenaline has worn off and soreness really develops. Many injured people also don’t realize that they may have suffered a concussion or Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), and these symptoms can make themselves known after a delay. Give all details of what you experienced and are feeling to any medical providers, including if you felt anything physically during the incident and if you blacked out or felt confused after. A medical provider can help you know what care you may need in the coming days and weeks, and, if you are injured, wanting to “walk it off” and delaying treatment can harm your case down the road.

How do I pay my medical bills before my case settles or resolves at trial?

Short answer: In most Colorado injury cases, your medical bills get covered upfront by some combination of your own MedPay on your auto policy, your health insurance, or a lien or letter of protection with a provider. You may also incur out-of-pocket costs, and you should keep careful records and receipts for everything you have paid for yourself. You should know that the at-fault party pays at the end of your case, out of the settlement or verdict, not on day one. This should NOT prevent you from getting medical treatment.

Long answer:

• MedPay (medical payments coverage). If you were hurt in a car crash, this is usually the first place we look. Colorado law requires your auto insurer to include at least $5,000 in MedPay unless you signed a written rejection, so most people have it even when they do not realize it. Your own auto policy can also cover you if you were a pedestrian or on a bike or scooter, if a vehicle was involved in your injury. MedPay pays your accident-related medical bills regardless of who caused the crash, it usually has no deductible, and it covers you and your passengers. One of the best parts is that you do not have to pay MedPay back out of your settlement the way you often do with health insurance. A lot of people carry more than the $5,000 minimum without knowing it, so checking your policy is worth doing early.
• Your health insurance. Your regular health insurance can and often should be used to cover accident-related treatment. The thing to understand is that your health insurer may later ask to be paid back out of your settlement, which is called subrogation. That repayment obligation is normal, and it is also negotiable in a lot of situations, which is part of what we handle for our clients, so you keep as much of your recovery as possible.
• Liens or a letter of protection. If you do not have MedPay or health insurance, some providers will agree to treat you now and wait to be paid out of your eventual settlement. That happens through a medical lien or a letter of protection. It lets you get the care you need without paying up front, but the amount owed comes out of your recovery at the end, so it needs to be set up carefully.
• Out of pocket, tracked carefully. If you pay for anything yourself, keep every bill and receipt. Those costs can generally be claimed later as part of your case.

Here is the part I want you to take away from all of this. Colorado is an at-fault state, but that does not mean the other driver’s insurance company starts paying your doctors right away. There is almost always a gap between when you need treatment and when your case actually resolves, and figuring out how to bridge that gap is one of the first things we sort out together. At the end of the case, we also work to reduce the liens and reimbursement claims so that more of the settlement stays with you, where it belongs. If you are worried about how you are going to afford care right now, call me at 303-339-8846. That conversation is free, and it is exactly the kind of thing I can help you make sense of.

The insurance company offered to settle now and pay “all reasonable medical expenses” going forward. Should I take it?

Be very careful about this and talk to a lawyer before you agree to anything. This is a new trend that we’re seeing in insurance and the injury landscape, and it usually doesn’t mean that an injured person will get full and fair compensation. The short story is that this is usually not the good deal it sounds like. Almost every version of it asks you to sign a release, which permanently closes your claim, in exchange for a small check now plus a promise to reimburse future medical bills, usually that are qualified as “reasonable and necessary.” The promise usually comes with strings that leave you paying out of your own pocket anyway, because the insurance company can then argue that your care wasn’t needed or it was too expensive. Insurance companies are moving fast on these offers. Don’t be tempted to sign up without talking to a personal injury lawyer first, and remember, it’s a free consultation. Call Vern Ready today if you are in this situation for guidance.

What is negligence in the context of Colorado personal injury law?

In Colorado, negligence generally occurs when a a person, government, company, etc., fails to act with the level of care that a reasonable person would exercise under similar circumstances. To successfully sue for negligence, the person who was harmed will need to prove that the wrongdoer had some sort of duty to act reasonably, and their actions must have caused the harm or loss to the person who is seeking justice. In personal injury cases, negligence is often a key factor in determining liability. However, there are exceptions, and sometimes Colorado law imposes liability under a different set of rules.

What are economic and non-economic damages in personal injury cases?

Economic damages are financial losses caused by an injury, which are usually quantified in advance for the jury. Common examples are medical expenses, lost wages, and property damage. Sometimes it helps to think of economic damages as something a person could show invoices or receipts for. Sometimes jurors view economic damages as more straight-forward because someone who is not involved in the case has already calculated their value.

Non-economic damages, on the other hand, are losses like pain and suffering, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life. Non-economic damages are compensation for harms that are every bit as real as economic damages, and they are constantly under attack from insurance companies and wrongdoers who have a strong interest in selling the lie that your pain has no value.

How much is my personal injury case worth in Colorado?

It depends! Only the insurance companies use a formula or algorithm to decide the value of your claim. We consider all of the aspects of your injury, including both economic (we can show receipts for these) and non-economic damages (we cannot show receipts, but they have a ton of value), when we determine what your case is worth. With the right lawyer, you should expect to wait until your full condition is understood, which includes all medical care, future care needs, and the impact on your life. This may take weeks, months, or even years. This is your one chance at justice, and taking a quick, early check may mean you miss out on full, fair compensation for your losses.

Are there caps on damages in Colorado personal injury cases?

Yes. Colorado law caps some damages, and does not allow us to inform jurors of that fact. Essentially, the law requires courts to ask jurors to determine, based on all the facts and evidence in front of them, what the fair and correct amount of compensation is. Jurors are NOT told that some lawmakers decades ago decided that already, at least when it comes to certain types of damages. Caps are typically only applicable to non-economic damages. Fortunately, those caps also adjust every couple of years for inflation. As of the time of this writing, the non-economic caps for Colorado personal injury cases varies based on when the injury occurred, when a case is filed, and sometimes based on the type of of loss (wrongful death has different caps, as do medical malpractice cases). Courts have some discretion to increase that cap based upon the evidence.

How long do I have to file a personal injury lawsuit in Colorado?

Most lawsuits involving injuries suffered in a motor vehicle collision must be filed within three years in Colorado. However, there are earlier deadlines for different types of cases. Many are two years after the injury, and some cases must be filed with the court no more than a year after the injury. Cases involving the government can come with notice requirements that are even shorter, and failure to meet any of these requirements can result in a complete loss of the claim. Given the consequences of being wrong on this, do not attempt to determine the deadlines applicable to your claim and your case without talking to an attorney. If you have a question about whether there is still time to file your claim, or how soon you must do so, or how much time you have to file a formal lawsuit, do not delay. Contact an attorney to discuss the specific facts of your case.

Will my personal injury case go to trial?

Most do not, but yours could. The insurance companies involved in personal injury cases have a strong self-serving interest in seeing what they can get away with. They sell insurance by promising to pay when they’re needed. When the time comes to keep that promise, the often prefer to argue and avoid their responsibility to pay full value for a loss. We always do everything we can to show them that they aren’t going to get away with that. Sometimes we need to have a jury show them instead. If we consistently accept whatever an insurance company decides to offer, the outcomes quickly become very unfair for everyone, including you. If the insurance companies are not concerned about losing at trial, they would simply refuse to pay, or deliberately underpay, valid claims. Trial is not a threat. It is our right. Fortunately, the justice system is not set up to ask the wrongdoer how much they think is owed, and just leave the outcome at that. We are entitled to present your true damages and losses to our neighbors (jurors), who are generally people just like us who want to see the right thing done.

Getting your losses in front of those jurors can be a long process that will, at various points along the way, require your participation, and your commitment to a fair outcome. There will be countless opportunities to settle your case along the way, for some amount the insurance company is willing to pay. If you work with Ready Law, we will seriously consider every reasonable offer, and my injured clients always have the option to accept any offer the insurance company makes. When insurance companies try to take advantage of people for their own profit, and when those people choose not to allow them to get away with that, we turn to jury trials to get a fair and just outcome.

What can I expect during a free case consultation?

• Talking directly to a lawyer immediately. Many firms will first send you through an intake process, and you will talk to other people at the firm before you talk to an attorney. At Ready Law, you will meet attorney Vern Ready immediately and get advice and guidance from a lawyer without waiting.
• Useful information. There is no obligation to hire us after we meet. We almost always have beneficial information to provide you about how Colorado law and courts handle the type of case you are considering pursuing. We can discuss potential strengths and weaknesses of your case based on your specific facts. Vern Ready can provide you an explanation and overview of the pre-litigation injury claims process, as well as what you can likely expect if your case requires a formal lawsuit. We can cover the risks of pursuing a claim and lawsuit, and we can go into as much detail as you like about how we get paid if we end up working together, the difference between case costs and attorney fees, etc. One of the main purposes of a consultation is that you have questions and we want to provide answers without charging you anything for the consultation. We love to be helpful.
• A casual, comfortable discussion. Who actually wants a stuffy and unapproachable lawyer? Maybe that is exactly the kind of attorney mega-companies want to have supervising their mega-mergers. If you are looking for someone who can connect with a jury and tell your story, you should consider seeking an attorney who can connect with you and who cares about your story. If I was injured, I would look for someone who is energetic, capable, and excited about the work. However, I would also want to work with someone I felt comfortable with on a human-to-human level. Your personal injury attorney should be someone you feel comfortable trusting with your cause, and your questions, and your feeling about how your life has been impacted. What better way to find out whether that kind of connection exists, than simply meeting and talking about what happened to you, and what you might be able to do about it?
• No obligation to continue. Almost every person who meets with Vern Ready for a free consultation tells us at some point that they found it helpful. We do not push people to hire us, or even to pursue their case. We are happy to simply meet and talk about your injuries. The decision to pursue a case, or to pursue a case with Vern Ready, is entirely yours.

How are personal injury attorneys paid?

Most personal injury attorneys get paid a percentage of whatever they recover for you. At Ready Law, our fee is 33.33% of the total amount recovered. Some law firms charge more if a case goes into litigation, and 40% fees are not uncommon. We always charge a third for our fee, regardless of litigation, so our clients are not punished with a higher percentage fee if a case takes a long time or goes all the way to trial.

This system benefits society, courts, attorneys and you. Check out our blog post on this subject by clicking here.

There are case costs involved in any case, which is not income for the attorney. Case costs are just expenses that we paid to get your medical records, pay experts, etc., and we usually cover these on your behalf. During our free consultation, Vern Ready will explain the difference, and how everything is paid. For purposes of this FAQ, you should know that you get to start your case without paying anything up front.

How long will it take to resolve my personal injury case?

Sometimes this can be answered by estimating how long your medical treatment will take and adding a couple of months to gather records and negotiate with the insurance company. Many cases are more complex, require longer negotiations, involve unstable medical conditions and monitoring of ongoing treatment and symptoms over time. Some cases require expert evaluations and future care projections, and so on. Some cases require formal litigation because the insurance company doesn’t want to pay what it should. Those cases often take years.

Justice involves a diligent pursuit of full and fair compensation. Time should never be wasted, and your attorney should always be motivated to move your case forward. However, there are very good reasons for some cases to take longer than others. There are many firms that prioritize faster settlements and a much higher volume of cases. For some people, any quick outcome is acceptable. If getting the fastest possible outcome is more important to you than getting your best outcome, you may find another Colorado personal injury law firm to be a better fit for you. The goal at Ready Law is to get your best outcome.

Can I still recover compensation if I was partially at fault for my injuries?

Yes. However, you should expect your compensation to be reduced by the percentage of fault the jury assigns to you. In Colorado, if you are assigned more than 49% of the fault for your injuries, you will recover nothing. This rule is known as comparative negligence, and it allows injured parties to recover damages even if they were partially responsible for the injury.

What should I do if the insurance company offers me a settlement?

The initial offer usually does not fully compensate you for your injuries and losses. You may not even know what your full injuries and losses are when the first offer comes in. Insurance companies know this, and some see quick offers as a way for them to avoid paying what they really owe. Ready Law offers free consultations. We can talk about your case, your injuries, your treatment, and your options without any cost or obligation to you. If you choose not to speak with me about your case, at least speak to another Colorado personal injury lawyer. People who have help with their cases generally recover more, and the insurance company’s first offer is rarely full or fair compensation.

I am not a greedy person, and I certainly don’t want to have to sue anyone. How can I make sure I’m not being taken advantage of?

Short answer: Get help. You have the attitude and goals of our ideal clients, and you should call us. This question is basically the song of our people. 🙂 We know you just want to be treated fairly, but you should know that if your injuries are serious, you are unlikely to be treated fairly if you do not get some help.

Not the short answer: The story sold by insurance companies and their lobbyists is that people who sue are greedy. People who sue are fakers and takers. The insurance companies have entire law departments, and many of them have multiple law firms in the Denver area who are fully committed to convincing juries that injured people are lying about their injuries, seeking a payment they shouldn’t get, or are just wrong about what caused their injuries (they argue the true cause is anyone or anything they wouldn’t have to pay for). They sell the story that the people who stand up for themselves are fakers and takers.

These companies selling that story to the public are doing that to profit at your expense. They tell a version of that insurance story in courtrooms around the country every day. They tell that story about thousands of people just like you. Now they are preparing to tell that insurance story about you, too. Do not make it easier for them to profit from their insurance story by accepting it yourself. Do not make it easier for them to take advantage of your loss by being shy about standing up for yourself, or by hesitating to pursue what you know to be fair. Do not empower them to profit off the losses of others tomorrow, by allowing them to take advantage of you today.

Our joint mission has nothing to do with dancing in a shower of cash or so-called “jackpot justice”. When we look away from insurance smoke and mirrors and toward truth (which is clearer because it is real), we know you never wanted to be hurt. None of the people we help are takers or fakers. None of our clients ever wanted to have to sue anyone. Most hate the idea. If personal injury verdicts were a lottery, which the insurance companies want to portray them to be, not one of our clients would have bought a ticket. But now that your injuries and all the life impacts that come with them have been thrust upon you, the insurance company may see an opportunity for financial gain. Sometimes they gamble by refusing to pay what they promised to pay when they sold the policy and when they collected payments on that policy. They win if you allow them to. Don’t buy into the insurance story. Let’s tell the truth instead.

We hope this FAQ answers some common questions about personal injury cases in Colorado. If you have a question that is not answered here, call 303-339-8846 now or submit our web form to get help.

Updated September 2026