It is not that uncommon to be involved in a collision with a government vehicle.
Workers employed by colleges and universities, the city, county, state, or the federal government may drive negligently and cause accidents, the same as any other drivers.
But when a government vehicle is involved, the rules are different in a personal injury claim for compensation.
How Do Government Vehicle Accidents Happen?
Car accidents involving government vehicles can happen in any number of ways.
Maybe you were crossing the street when you were struck by a police car on its way to a call.
Maybe a USPS mail truck backed into you as you were exiting your driveway.
You may have been T-boned by a fire truck rushing to the rescue or sideswiped by an inattentive garbage truck driver.
How Are Accidents Involving Government Vehicles Different?
It is important to know that injury claims against a government agency must be handled differently, beginning with shorter filing deadlines.
While the statute of limitations (time limit imposed by law) for most car accidents in Colorado is three years, you only have 180 days from the date of the accident to file an administrative claim with the responsible government agency.
After your claim is filed, you may not file a lawsuit in court until either 90 days have passed or the agency has denied your claim, whichever comes first.
To recover compensation in most car accident cases, you deal with the insurance company of the at-fault driver.
But when the accident involves a government vehicle, you must deal with the government instead. Damages are also limited under the Colorado Governmental Immunity Act (CGIA).
When the at-fault driver is a government employee who was on the job when the accident occurred, compensation is capped at $150,000 for one accident victim and $600,000 for two or more injured people.
What Should You Do If You Have Been Hit By a Government Vehicle?
If you have been injured in a traffic crash caused by a government employee driving a government vehicle, your best course of action is to speak with an experienced car accident attorney as soon as possible.
This type of claim can be complicated.
Filing deadlines are much shorter and procedural requirements are different. It can be trickier recovering damages if the driver who hit you was operating an emergency vehicle, such as a police car or fire truck.
Our experienced Boulder personal injury lawyers have the knowledge, skills, and resources to effectively pursue the maximum compensation available in your case.
Why Choose Us?
- The Tenge Law Firm, LLC was founded in 1992. Our Boulder car accident lawyers have more than 30 years of experience representing injured people.
- We focus our practice exclusively on motor vehicle accidents and other personal injury matters.
- We are a full-service firm and will assist you with every aspect of your car accident case, including property damage, medical providers, rental cars, employment and personnel issues, health insurance delays or disputes, and protecting your credit rating.
We offer a free initial consultation with no obligation and work on a contingency fee basis.
Call us at (303) 219-7377 today to find out how we can help if you have been hit by a government vehicle.
We have offices in Denver, Boulder, and Fort Collins.
