Car accidents happen daily across Lakewood — on Wadsworth Boulevard, along Colfax Avenue, at the busy 6th Avenue and Kipling Street interchange, and on the C-470 corridor connecting the city to the southwest metro. When a serious crash occurs, the insurance company often calls within hours, ready to offer a settlement that won’t begin to cover the actual cost of the injuries.
Our boutique personal injury firm represents Lakewood-area drivers, passengers, and pedestrians who’ve been seriously hurt in collisions that weren’t their fault. With small caseloads and partner-led litigation, we give every case the close attention it deserves. We prepare each claim for trial from the start.
Success for Lakewood-Area Car Accident Injury Victims
Our Firm handles cases involving individuals who have been severely injured in accidents requiring extensive treatment and recovery. We don’t do what large firms do and settle quickly for a low dollar amount. We try every case as if it were going before a jury. That willingness to go to trial gives us real leverage in settlement negotiations. Our attorneys have successfully recovered substantial amounts for injured clients throughout the Denver metro area by conducting comprehensive crash reconstructions, utilizing expert medical analysis, and thoroughly preparing cases. The goal is not a quick settlement. It is to recover what fully reflects the long-term financial, physical, and emotional impact of what happened.
Race Discrimination and RetaliationWe represented an HR assistant against a large company
Bicycle AccidentWe represented a cyclist who was hit by a car
Sex DiscriminationWe represented a former police officer against a municipality
Navigating the Lakewood Car Accident Claims Process
No two crashes are the same, and Colorado law recognizes that. Filing a claim is a formal legal process meant to recover the damages owed when someone else’s negligence caused your injuries. The value of a claim depends on more than the sum of medical bills. It accounts for your ability to work, the impact on your family, your physical recovery, and the long-term effect on your daily life. At Arckey & Steele, we look beyond the immediate emergency to calculate what a settlement needs to cover over the next several decades, not just the next several months.
Serious crashes can produce catastrophic injuries like traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord damage, and severe orthopedic trauma. These usually require ongoing care, sometimes for life. Our firm works with medical experts to document the full picture. When a crash results in death, surviving family members can bring a wrongful death claim to recover both financial losses and the emotional weight of losing a loved one.
Representation for Automobile Accidents in Colorado
Types of Lakewood Car Accident Claims We Handle
Dealing with the aftermath of a Lakewood collision requires real experience with Colorado’s insurance laws and an attorney who’s been through the fight before.
Car Collisions
Most Lakewood crashes happen on the city’s high-traffic corridors — Wadsworth, Colfax, Kipling, Alameda, and Union Boulevard. Our attorneys investigate driver negligence, review crash reports from Lakewood PD or the Colorado State Patrol, and work with reconstruction experts to establish liability.
Truck Accidents
Commercial truck crashes along the I-70 and 6th Avenue corridors often involve federal motor carrier regulations and multiple potentially responsible parties — the driver, the trucking company, the freight broker, and sometimes the cargo loader. We handle the federal compliance issues these cases require.
Motorcycle Accidents
Riders face dramatically higher injury risk in any collision with a passenger vehicle. We build motorcycle cases with medical records, accident reconstruction, and expert testimony to push back on the bias that often comes into play with insurance adjusters and juries.
Bicycle Accidents
Lakewood has a growing bike network, but driver inattentiveness remains a serious issue for cyclist injuries. We file claims against drivers who aren’t sharing the road safely.
Pedestrian Accidents
Crashes involving people on foot — especially on Colfax, in school zones, and around the Belmar district — can result in catastrophic injuries. Our attorneys investigate driver conduct, traffic patterns, and roadway design to establish liability.
Uninsured Motorist Coverage
When the at-fault driver has no insurance, we turn to your own UM coverage. We pursue the full benefits you’ve been paying for.
The minutes and hours after a crash can be chaotic, but the steps you take can have a big impact on your legal rights later. Smart decisions early on can protect your health and preserve the integrity of your claim. Good decisions made early protect your health and the integrity of your claim.
11 – Call 911 and Get Off the Road
Pull over to a safe location if you can. Call 911 immediately — both for medical safety and to make sure a police report is generated. Lakewood PD or the Colorado State Patrol will document the scene. Be honest with officers, but don’t speculate about fault or make statements about who caused the crash. Right after a collision, your perception is rarely fully accurate.
22 – Document Everything You Can
If you’re able, take photos of vehicle positions, damage, skid marks, road conditions, and the surrounding area before vehicles get moved. Exchange contact and insurance information with the other driver. Get the contact information of any witnesses, because independent witness accounts often make the difference in disputed liability cases.
33 – Seek Medical Attention Right Away
Get yourself medically checked out within 24 hours, even if you feel okay. Adrenaline can mask injuries. Concussions, internal bleeding and soft tissue damage can take days to fully present. A medical record right after the crash creates the strongest possible connection between the crash and your injuries.
44 – Speak With a Lawyer Before the Insurance Company
Insurance adjusters often call within 48 hours of a serious crash. Don’t give a recorded statement or accept any offer without legal counsel. Early in a case, even routine questions are designed to gather information that will be used to reduce your recovery later. We handle all communication with the insurance carriers from the moment you retain us.
Don’t Settle for Less Than You Deserve
Compensation for Car Accident Injuries in Lakewood
Drivers, passengers, and pedestrians injured in Lakewood crashes may be entitled to recover several categories of damages, depending on the severity of the injuries and the circumstances of the crash.
Economic DamagesMedical bills, hospital stays, rehabilitation, prescription costs, and lost wages. When injuries impact future earning capacity, that loss can also be recovered.
Non-Economic DamagesPain and suffering, emotional distress, anxiety, and loss of enjoyment of life caused by long-term physical limitations.
Physical Impairment or DisfigurementColorado law allows separate compensation for permanent injuries — scarring, disfigurement, long-term disability — caused by a crash.
Schedule a Free Case Strategy Session
Ready to Get the Insurance Companies Off Your Back?
Don’t let a Lakewood insurance adjuster dictate what your recovery is worth. Put your case in the hands of a trial-ready team that knows how to neutralize their tactics and secure your financial future.
How Long Do You Have to File a Car Accident Claim in Colorado?
Colorado gives injured drivers three years from the date of the crash to file a motor vehicle injury lawsuit. Miss that deadline and you typically lose the right to pursue any compensation, regardless of how strong the case might have been. But waiting until the deadline approaches usually costs people money. Over time, witness memories fade, skid marks disappear, electronic vehicle data gets overwritten, and surveillance footage from nearby businesses gets recorded over.
If the crash involved a government vehicle, such as a city truck, state vehicle, or RTD bus, much shorter notice deadlines apply under the Colorado Governmental Immunity Act. You generally have 182 days to file a formal notice of claim. Calling a lawyer in the first few weeks after a serious crash ensures no critical deadlines are missed.
Our Process
What to Expect When Starting a Car Accident Claim with Us
Every case is different, but most car accident cases move through a similar sequence. Here’s what the process generally looks like for our Lakewood clients.
1Investigating the Crash
We collect crash reports, witness statements, surveillance video, and electronic vehicle data. In serious crashes, we use accident reconstruction experts to document exactly what happened. The strength of the case is often decided in the investigation phase.
2Submitting the Claim
Once we establish fault and document your injuries, we send a formal demand to the at-fault driver’s insurance company. The demand sets out exactly what we believe your case is worth and the reasons why.
3Negotiating a Settlement
Most car accident cases are settled out of court. But only if the insurance carrier gets a full picture of what the crash has cost – current medical care, future treatment needs, lost income, and how the crash will affect your life down the road. This step is not rushed, especially in cases where ongoing care is involved.
4Litigation, If Necessary
When the insurance company won’t pay a fair settlement, we file suit and try the case before a Jefferson County jury. We try cases when that is what the case calls for.
Trial-Ready Advocacy
Choosing a Lakewood Car Accident Lawyer
Insurance companies often try to resolve car accident claims fast with settlements that don’t reflect the long-term cost of serious injuries. Without attorneys who are ready for trial, people who are injured are pressured into accepting compensation that doesn’t cover medical bills and lost income. Each of our attorneys begins with a trial-ready strategy for every case. We prepare every case as if it’s going to a jury, which puts our clients in a better negotiating position. We are familiar with personal injury litigation in Colorado courts and understand how cases are reviewed in Jefferson County and other nearby courts. Insurance carriers know that we will try matters and that changes how they negotiate settlements.
Why Choose Us
Why Choose Arckey & Steele for Your Car Accident Case in Lakewood
Our goal is simple: do fewer cases, and do them exceptionally well.
Small caseloads, focused attention
We deliberately limit the number of cases we take so each client gets the time, focus, and resources their matter actually deserves.
Direct access to your attorney
When you call our firm, you work directly with the lawyer handling your case.
Proven track record
Our attorneys bring decades of combined experience and a strong record in serious injury and litigation-focused cases. Our goal is simple: do fewer cases and do them exceptionally well.
Meet Our Team
Our Trusted Lakewood Car Accident Attorneys
When you hire Arckey & Steele, you work directly with experienced attorneys who are personally invested in your case.
Founder & PartnerEric S. Steele
Eric handles personal injury, business, and employment matters. He has significant experience securing meaningful recoveries for seriously injured clients.
Thomas brings over three and a half decades of litigation experience and a strategic approach shaped by years of representing individuals and businesses, often in the courtroom.
That depends on factors specific to your crash and your injuries. We’ll evaluate the full picture and tell you honestly what we think the case is worth. We’ve secured six-figure recoveries for clients with serious injuries, but every case is different.
If the at-fault driver is uninsured or underinsured, we look to your own Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM) coverage. We make sure you actually receive the benefits you’ve been paying for.
Yes. Internal injuries, soft tissue damage and concussions may not appear for hours or days after the crash. The medical exam protects your well-being and makes a record of your injuries from the crash.
It might. We prepare every case as if it will, which usually leads to better settlement outcomes. When trial is necessary, we’re ready to go.
Resources
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Areas We Serve
Serving Car Accident Victims Across Colorado
If you are seriously injured in a crash caused by a negligent driver, our firm can represent you. These cases generally involve extensive medical treatment, rehabilitation, and financial stress from lost income and ongoing care needs. Our lawyers seek compensation for medical costs, long-term care, and the lasting effects of serious injuries.
If you were injured in a car accident in Lakewood or the surrounding areas, the attorneys at Arckey & Steele are available to review your case. We offer free consultations so you can talk through your injuries, your legal options, and the potential value of your claim. There’s no obligation to move forward, and you’ll have the chance to speak directly with an attorney about your situation.
