Risks in Colorado
Motor vehicle collisions are a leading cause of death in Colorado. For instance, in 2016, Colorado's fatality rate increased to 1.5 fatalities per 100 million VMT (vehicle miles traveled) - a 6% increase from 2015. Per the Colorado Department of Transportation, total crashes in Colorado increased 26.1% between 2012 and 2016. There are many possible reasons for this increase in motor vehicle collisions including, but not limited to, impaired driving (alcohol, marijuana usage increases), speeding, inexperienced drivers, distracted driving (such as cell phone usage while driving or texting while driving), aggressive driving, sleeping at the wheel or unfamiliarity of the neighborhood/area of the collision.
Collisions such as vehicle collisions and/or auto-pedestrian collisions - all types of collisions - can result in severe injuries such as traumatic brain injuries (TBI), dismemberment, burn injuries, lacerations or severe scarring, bone fractures of dislocations, neck and spine injuries, and/or injuries to the limbs. Hiring an injury lawyer increases your chances of a successful claim and receiving fair compensation.
Trucking and commercial vehicle collisions can be more complex than automobile collisions. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) stated in 2017 that there were 4,657 fatal crashes involving 18-wheelers. And according to the Motor Carrier Management Information System (MCMIS) crash file, serious injuries resulted from 56,422 crashes that involved truckers. If you are involved in a truck collisions with an 18 wheeler or other commercial vehicle, we can assist you in pursuing your legal remedies.
Other collisions (such as those involving motorcycles, bicycles, scooters and/or similar motorized vehicles) result in more deaths than those involved in vehicle collisions. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration noted in 2017 that - on a per mile traveled basis - the number of deaths on motorcycles was 28 times that in cars. Motorcycle deaths account for 14% of all motor vehicle deaths. Bicyclists also face a higher risk of injury than occupants of motor vehicles. Per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2015 alone, over 1,000 bicyclists died and there were almost 500,000 injuries of experienced bicyclists.
We would be remiss if we did not mention the IMPORTANCE OF WEARING SEATBELTS. We cannot emphasize this enough. In Colorado, the value of your damages will be significantly reduced (if not completely eliminated) if you do not wear seatbelts when you are legally required to do so. Seatbelt usage is mandatory for drivers and all front-seat passengers in Colorado, and our child restraint law requires that children 15 years old and younger riding in a vehicle be properly secured regardless of their seating position. Despite these laws, Colorado's seatbelt usage is only 88% (which is below the national average of 90%). In 2019 alone, there were 377 total passenger vehicle deaths and of those, more than half (196) involved unbuckled drivers or passengers. Not only do seatbelts reduce your risk of injury or death in a crash by 50%, they also preserve your legal rights of recovery against at-fault parties. Travis Legal Offices, LLC takes the use of seatbelts seriously; therefore, we typically do not represent unbuckled drivers or passengers because any damages sustained by the injured party is severely restricted/completely eliminated. Take the preemptive safety step by buckling up when you enter a vehicle. You never know when a collision will occur and it is important to take steps to reduce the possibility of injury to yourself and to your passengers.
These examples show that it is very important to be aware of your surroundings when you are out and about in your community; however, no matter how safe you may be, your wellbeing may come down to the actions of other drivers. While we hope that others in our community will adhere to traffic and safety laws, that does not always happen. And when a collision occurs, you will need the assistance of an experienced attorney to fight for you, to ensure that you are treated fairly by the at-fault party and/or respective insurance carriers, and to help you receive the maximum compensation possible for your damages. Contact Travis Legal Offices, LLC for a free consultation on your specific situation. Let us help you to balance the playing field with the formidable forces of the insurance carriers on the other side of your case.