What Makes Accidents Involving Government Vehicles More Complicated?
Several factors can make an accident with a government vehicle more complicated than the typical car accident case.
GOVERNMENT IMMUNITY
Under the Colorado Governmental Immunity Act (CGIA) government entities and auxiliary institutions of the state have immunity from many types of lawsuits. This protection extends to county and city governments, as well as universities and colleges. If a city, county, or state employee causes an accident in the course of employment, victims can sue the government entity employer for damages. However, there are specific procedural requirements with this type of claim and the amount of damages you can recover is limited.
DIFFERENT TIME LIMITS
The statute of limitations (time limit imposed by law) in Colorado is three years from the date of injury for car accidents and two years for other types of personal injury claims. If you are involved in a crash with a government vehicle, however, you have only 180 days from the date of the accident in which to file an administrative claim with the agency concerned, after which time your claim is forever barred.
RESTRICTIONS ON FILING A LAWSUIT
In addition to the time limit for filing a claim, the CGIA places restrictions on filing a lawsuit in civil court. You are prohibited from filing suit until the responsible government agency denies your claim or 90 days have passed, whichever comes first.
DAMAGE CAPS ON CAR ACCIDENT CLAIMS AGAINST A GOVERNMENT ENTITY
In most Colorado car accident cases, injured parties (plaintiffs) are allowed to claim a sufficient amount of damages to make them “whole” again. If the at-fault driver is a Colorado government employee who was on the job when the crash occurred, damages are limited to $300,000 for one victim and $990,000 for two or more injured people.
Over $50M Recovered in the Past Seven Years
At the Tenge Law Firm LLC, our goal is to achieve the best possible result for our clients as soon as possible. Each case and each client is different, so we work directly with clients to meet their needs for medical care and personal situations. We have enjoyed great success, with exceedingly high client satisfaction, using this approach.
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$3,250,000 Rollover auto accident involving defective roof and serious injuries
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$1,500,000 Tire blowout on I-70 causing serious injuries
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$1,475,000 Auto accident with head, neck and back injuries
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$1,350,000 Auto accident with orthopedic injuries to foot, ankle, and leg
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$1,250,000 Wrongful Death
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$1,250,000 Lower Leg Orthopedic Injury Resulting in Surgery
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$1,100,000 Construction site accident
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$1,050,000 Trucking accident with low back injuries
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$1,025,000 Motorcycle accident resulting in traumatic brain injury and orthopedic injuries
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$950,000 Car accident with brain injury and orthopedic injuries
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$750,000 Policy Limits – Low speed auto accident leading to minor stroke
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$533,000 Trial Verdict - Client hit by airborne patio umbrella with facial scar and concussion.
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$450,000 Pedestrian hit by car
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$300,000 Four-car accident resulting in vertebral fracture and facial injuries
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$200,000 Auto accident with facial injuries
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$120,000 Slip-and-fall at fast food restaurant
Hundreds of 5-star Reviews. Exceptional Results
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"Definitely made it a stress-free experience"
Brenda was my attorney. She was amazing, helped me through the whole process. Definitely made it a stress-free experience, especially after going through something so traumatic! Was extremely attentive and always kept me updated on how my case was going! I would 1000% recommend them to everyone and anyone!! THANK YOU SO MUCH!
- Zitlaly O. -
"Everyone is extremely nice & very efficient"
I highly recommend this law firm! They take care of everything in a timely manner & alleviate any harassment while you recover from injuries. Everyone is extremely nice & very efficient...if you need an attorney, Tenge Law is the place to go!
- Betty C. -
"They were extremely responsive and answered my questions very well."
Paige and Nina were a delight to work with. They were extremely responsive and answered my questions very well. They made me feel like I was in good hands and could trust them!
- Rachel V. -
"They treated me like family"
Todd, Liz and Nina were amazing. They handled my case very professionally. I recommend this law firm to anyone looking for a great firm. They treated me like family
- Jenn K. -
"Would highly recommend to anyone!!"
Tenge Law Firm helped me out when I was in a accident that involved my whole family. They were great and fast with the entire process, and were awesome at keeping me updated throughout the entire process. Would highly recommend to anyone!!
- Zack K.
Types of Government Vehicle Accidents
Motor vehicle collisions can occur with all types of government vehicles in a wide range of accident scenarios. For example, you may be:
- Hit by a U.S. mail truck
- Involved in a crash with a city garbage truck
- Sideswiped by a police car careening by in hot pursuit of a criminal
- Rear-ended by a public works utility vehicle
- T-boned by a fire truck rushing to respond to an emergency
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Reviews
When our clients are happy, they say so. Whether we’re being described for how well we communicate, our responsiveness, or the quality of our service, we’re consistently rated 5.0 out of 5.0 by those we represent.
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Ratings
As an industry leader in the field of personal injury, we're proud to maintain a superb 10.0 out of 10.0 rating on AVVO.com, have a preeminent AV rating from Martindale-Hubbell, and have recently been awarded Client Champion Platinum status from Lawyers.com.
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Results
In the last ten years, we've recovered $50 million on behalf of our clients. Our motto is simple - You do what you need to do physically recover, and we'll handle the rest.
Why You Need an Attorney
Accidents with government vehicles are complex cases involving shorter time limits and different procedural requirements than the typical car accident case. There are strict filing deadlines, restrictions on when you can file a lawsuit, and limitations on how much you can recover in damages.
If you have been injured in a crash caused by the driver of a government vehicle, your best course of action is to hire a Boulder car accident lawyer with the legal knowledge and experience to effectively handle your claim.
Why Choose Our Firm
- The Tenge Law Firm, LLC was founded in 1992. Our attorneys have more than 30 years of experience.
- We have a successful track record, recovering tens of millions of dollars for our clients.
- We are a client-centered, full-service personal injury law firm. We will assist you with everything involved in your case, including medical providers, rental cars, and insurance disputes and delays, in addition to aggressively pursuing compensation for your losses.
Call us today at (303) 219-7377 to schedule a free consultation with no obligation. Our Boulder car accident lawyer can explain your options under the law.
