Posted on August 24, 2022 in Car Accident

The only thing worse than getting hurt in a motor vehicle accident is having to deal with the party who caused to accident trying to lie their way out of it. You know that you had the right of way, but the responsible driver is making the same claim. Unfortunately, this is a very common situation. Much as most criminal defendants plead “not guilty” even if they were caught red-handed, quite a few drivers accused of causing a wreck will refuse to admit fault. Of course, like their criminal counterparts, these careless drivers rarely get their way. The truth does often come out, although it may require a skilled investigation by a well-qualified lawyer. Our firm can help you gather the proof you need to recover compensation whether the liable driver wants to cooperate or not. 

Proving Which Driver Was At Fault for Your Crash

If you spoke to the other driver at the scene, you may or may not have been able to get a “read” on them. If you get the sense right away that they are going to try blaming the accident on you, it is very important that you call a lawyer right away - ideally that same day. Some types of evidence need to be collected, documented, or preserved almost immediately. The evidence your lawyer might use to show that the other driver is lying could include: 

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on August 17, 2022 in Car Accident

While children are young and still developing, the impact of being hit by a car or involved in a motor vehicle accident can have a lasting impact. When an adult who is already settled in a career is badly or permanently injured, it is fairly easy to quantify damages like lost wages and lost future earnings. It can be harder to quantify the harm done to a child whose future is yet unknown. 

Yet children are just as entitled as adults to receive full and complete compensation for the harm that another party has carelessly caused to them. If your child has suffered a lasting injury caused by a negligent driver, our attorneys can help you fight to receive the compensation your child needs. 

How to File a Claim for a Child

Children cannot file a lawsuit on their own behalf. A legal representative will need to be appointed to handle the child’s claim. This is usually the child’s parent or another responsible adult in the child’s life.  If the responsible party offers an acceptable settlement on behalf of the child, it will likely need to be approved by a court before it is finalized. 

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on August 10, 2022 in Workplace Injury

Depending on where you get your information, you may have read some false information about workers’ compensation. If most of what you know about workers’ compensation was told to you by your employer, friends who have never personally used it, or popular media, odds are that you are familiar with at least one of a few common myths. Having the correct information about workers’ compensation is the key to making sure that you are adequately compensated after a workplace injury. After learning what is true about workers’ compensation and what is a myth, you may be ready to go ahead and file a claim and our attorneys can help. 

Workers’ Compensation Myths and Facts

Many of the myths going around about workers’ compensation have some truth to them but are still inaccurate. Some half-truths and myths you might have heard about using workers’ compensation include: 

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on August 03, 2022 in Car Accident

In most rear-end collisions, the driver in the rear vehicle is almost automatically considered at fault. Usually, rear-end collisions occur when the driver in the back was tailgating and could not stop in time, or failed to factor slippery road conditions into their stopping distance. However, there are instances where the driver in front is completely at fault for causing a rear-end collision. If you are in the odd position of having been forced to hit the vehicle in front of you, you may be able to recover compensation from the driver who actually caused the car accident. Because these circumstances are rare - although not nearly as rare as one might think - proving that the driver ahead was at fault may be challenging. You will need a skilled Colorado personal injury attorney to help you gather and submit the evidence you need. 

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on July 29, 2022 in Car Accident

Some people prefer not to deal with the police at all, even if they are positive they have not broken the law. This is understandable. However, if you have been involved in a traffic accident, notifying law enforcement is a necessity. In Colorado, drivers who have been involved in a collision are required to report it promptly. Even if the accident was minor - or it seems minor until your neck starts hurting the next day - filing a police report can protect you. Trying to file a claim for compensation is going to be a lot more difficult if you did not call the police right away. While you may not want to, it is crucial that you make the call. Your next phone call should be to a lawyer. 

Colorado Law Requires You to Call the Police After an Accident

According to state law, drivers who have been involved in a motor vehicle collision that causes injury or property damage must immediately report it to law enforcement. The only way you can legally avoid calling the police after an accident is if the collision was so minor that there is no damage at all to either vehicle. 

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on July 22, 2022 in Car Accident

A hit-and-run accident can be very frustrating, but there is greater hope of being able to identify the responsible driver based on damage to their vehicle. When another driver forces you to crash your car without actually hitting you, it can be trickier trying to identify them. It can also be even more frustrating knowing that the driver who caused your accident got away with not so much as a ding on their car, while you are left injured on the side of the road. There are still strategies an attorney can use to help you recover compensation for a miss-and-run collision. Identifying the liable driver may not be as impossible as it seems. Even if it does prove impossible, you may still be able to recover compensation using your own uninsured motorist insurance. Our firm can help you explore your options and discover the best way to get the compensation you need. 

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on July 14, 2022 in Car Accident

During the summer, people tend to gather for outdoor events. People have barbecues, picnics, get-togethers at the lake, and bonfires. Summer holidays like the 4th of July tend to be some of the most popular drinking days of the year. While summer can be a lot of fun, it can also be dangerous when it comes to being on the roads. Fatalities and injuries associated with drunk drivers increase during the summer. Because drunk drivers can be so erratic in their movements, there is little that sober drivers can do to protect themselves against those who are intoxicated. If you have been injured by a drunk driver or have lost a close family member to a drunk driver, you may be entitled to recover compensation. 

Why There Are More Drunk Drivers in the Warmer Seasons

There are a number of reasons that drunk driving tends to spike in the summer. These reasons include: 

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on July 08, 2022 in Workplace Injury

Since 2018, Colorado has specifically extended Worker’s Compensation protection to undocumented workers. While it may be illegal for a U.S, company to employ undocumented immigrants, if they do, and one gets hurt, the injured worker is just as entitled to receive Workers’ Compensation as a U.S. citizen. If being undocumented is holding you back from pursuing compensation after a workplace injury, it should not. While seeking Workers’ Compensation may be intimidating for undocumented individuals, you should know that you have rights. Our law firm has handled workplace injury claims for undocumented workers before, with great success. If you were injured at work, we may be able to help you receive the compensation you deserve. 

How Can I be Sure That I am Eligible to Receive Workers’ Compensation?

Look no further than Colorado Revised Statue section 8-40-202. The law in this state explicitly states that for the purposes of Workers’ Compensation eligibility, the term “employee” includes foreign nationals. There is no distinction between those who are lawfully present in the country and permitted to work and those who entered the country unlawfully and are not legally eligible for employment. Therefore, all that matter is that you are, in fact, an employee working for and being paid by an employer. 

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on June 28, 2022 in Car Accident

What you do not do after a car accident is just as important as what you do. Taking the right steps is important, but so is avoiding the wrong steps. Doing the wrong thing after a negligent driver crashes into you could end up costing you. There are a few common mistakes that car accident attorneys see over and over again, all of which could potentially reduce the amount you can recover or even prevent you from winning your claim. Calling a lawyer immediately is never the wrong answer when you have been hurt in a crash. You may not be thinking clearly after being injured in such a sudden and potentially traumatic way. Insurance companies may take advantage of this by contacting you quickly, possibly while you are still recovering in the hospital. It is better to have legal counsel take over sooner rather than later. 

5 Actions You Should Never Take in the Aftermath of a Car Wreck

From the moment your vehicle comes to a stop, your course of action can affect your ability to recover complete compensation. A mistake could be very costly. If you were hurt in a car accident, make sure you do not: 

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on June 22, 2022 in Car Accident

After a car accident, you may not feel up to tackling the legal side of the aftermath right away. You probably want to rest and recover. You may even still be in the hospital if your injuries were very serious. However, there are certain types of evidence that need to be collected promptly. That is where a good lawyer comes in. An attorney can take over the process of investigating and collecting evidence very quickly. It is important that you do not wait too long to get in touch with a lawyer. Some physical evidence at the crash scene may be cleaned up or washed away by the weather very quickly. Other evidence, like witness reports, tend to rapidly diminish in quality and reliability. Ideally, you should make the call to a law firm like Hoggatt Law Office, P.C. on the day of the accident if you are able to. 

What Time-Sensitive Evidence Needs to Be Preserved Quickly?

Some types of evidence will still be available a week later. If your vehicle was totaled, there may not be a huge rush to go document all the damage. For other types of evidence, the window to preserve it is much shorter. Types of time-sensitive evidence that need to be gathered quickly after a car accident include: 

Continue Reading ››