Over Labor Day weekend, Fort Collins experienced its earliest snow accumulation in over 130 years, reminding Coloradans once again of the state’s extreme weather fluctuations and the possibility for hazardous road conditions at almost any time of the year. It is never too early to start preparing for the necessary safety precautions when driving on snowy and icy roads so that you can avoid being injured in a car accident or causing a crash that injures someone else.

Precautions for Driving in Snow in Colorado

As a driver, there are many ways that you can take responsibility for preventing accidents in snowy weather, including:

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), there were more than 500 fatal vehicle crashes in Colorado in 2018. Not all car accidents lead to fatalities, but they can cause serious to permanent injuries. If you are injured in a car accident caused by another driver, seeking compensation through a personal injury claim is often a clear decision. However, if you believe you were partially at fault for the accident, your options may seem more complicated, and you may wonder if it is even possible to receive any financial relief for your injuries. The good news is that because of Colorado’s negligence laws, you can still be eligible for some compensation as long as your negligence is determined to be less than that of the other involved parties.

What Constitutes Negligence in a Colorado Car Accident?

Negligence occurs when a person or entity fails to uphold their duty of care to another, and if this negligence results in injuries, the person impacted can seek compensation for his or her damages. In the case of a car accident, negligence can include violations of traffic laws or regulations and any other unsafe driving behavior that endangers other users of the road. Common examples include speeding, following too closely, failing to signal or obey traffic signs, drunk or impaired driving, and distracted driving due to texting, eating, or anything else that removes a driver’s attention away from the road.

Everyone hopes to avoid being injured in a car accident, but in the unfortunate event that it does happen, one would hope that the other driver’s insurance would at least cover medical bills for any injuries he or she causes. However, recent statistics show that 13 percent of Colorado drivers are uninsured, and many more have policies with the state’s minimum required bodily injury coverage of $25,000 per person injured and $50,000 total, which may be insufficient in cases of severe injuries that result in long-lasting consequences. That is why it is important to seek professional legal advice after being involved in any type of vehicle collision. 

Steps to Take After a Crash

If you are injured by an uninsured or underinsured driver, you may feel stress, fear, and uncertainty as to how to proceed, but fortunately, there are a few things that you can do to protect yourself even in this difficult situation. Follow these four tips for ensuring that you receive adequate compensation:

Even though lockdowns and quarantines as a response to the coronavirus pandemic have kept many Coloradoans off the roads, the number of driving citations issued by law enforcement for speeding has not reflected this change. In fact, traffic tickets issued by police for exceeding the speed limit have actually increased with the implementation of statewide isolation orders.

While fewer people are currently on the road, incidents of reckless driving have paradoxically increased, according to the Denver-based news agency, FOX31. Not only do they report a rise in the number of speeding citations issued since 2019, but the number of car accidents has also spiked. The Colorado State Patrol (CSP) reported 6,550 car accidents in the first four months of 2019. Just one year later, this number skyrocketed to approximately 9,600 crashes in the same amount of time — a 70 percent increase in one year.

How You Can Protect Yourself

As restrictions begin to ease and lockdown orders come to an end, the roads will gradually begin to fill again. Since many drivers have not been on the roads for the past few months, there will be even more opportunities to get caught in an automobile accident. Cultivating strong, defensive driving habits now may keep you and your family safe even as the rate of accidents grows.

Following a motor vehicle collision, the drivers involved are required to remain at the scene, render any necessary aid to those who have been injured, and exchange contact information with each other. Unfortunately, some drivers choose to flee the scene of a collision, and these hit-and-run car accidents can leave victims suffering from severe or fatal injuries. The Denver Post reports that, as of Thursday, May 28, 2020, the city of Denver has recorded 1,899 hit-and-run accidents since the beginning of the year, averaging approximately 390 incidents monthly. Drivers who have been involved in these types of accidents will want to understand the steps they can take to pursue compensation if the other person leaves the scene.

Four Steps to Take After a Hit-And-Run

An automobile accident is enough to leave anyone dazed, and doubly so if the other party has left the scene. Here are four things you should do in the event you are the victim of a hit-and-run accident: