Colorado Springs Personal Injury Attorneys

Seek Compensation with Gaddis, Herd, Craw & Adams, P.C.

If you have been hurt in an unexpected accident, you likely have urgent concerns about your health, your finances, and your future. When these dangerous accidents are caused by the negligence of someone else, victims have the grounds to seek compensation for these concerns. Often, these victims must grapple with insurance providers to recover the relief they deserve—other times, they have to file suit against the negligent party themselves.

Whatever the case may be, it is recommended that you seek trusted, proven legal counsel as you approach this process. At Gaddis, Herd, Craw & Adams, P.C., our personal injury lawyers have been helping injury victims seek justice for more than 40 years. We know what it takes to secure results for our clients and how to compellingly put forth their eligibility for relief both in and outside the courtroom.

When Should I Hire an Attorney?

If you've suffered an injury or lost a loved one due to negligence, you should contact a lawyer right away! A personal injury attorney in Colorado Springs can assist you with the following:

• Filing your initial claim with the court
• Uncovering evidence to support your claim such as witness testimony and medical reports
• Ensuring you receive quality medical treatment, from a specialist of need-be.

At Gaddis, Herd, Craw & Adams, P.C., our legal team has over 150 years of experience and is prepared to fight for your maximum compensation.

How Much Is My Case Worth?

No firm can promise you an exact amount of compensation once you decide to take legal action after your accident. However, at Gaddis, Herd, Craw & Adams, P.C., we can promise that we will seek maximum compensation for our clients. This means we will work with loved ones and medical professionals as necessary to ensure that the victim's immediate and long-term needs are represented by their injury claim.

Injury victims in Colorado are eligible to seek the following damages:

• Medical costs
• Property damage
• Lost wages (present and future)
• Pain and suffering
• Loss of enjoyment
• Emotional distress
• Disability/Disfigurement
• Legal fees
• Punitive damages

You & Your Doctor(s): 5 Things to Know

You may just think about your doctor as the person who is there to help you get better. But after an injury, your doctor and care team – and the communication you have with them – can end up being one of the most important parts of your case. You can protect both your case and your care by understanding what you can do to make sure these two parts of your recovery work together.

1. Focus on Fit

ou should have the same sense of “fit” with your doctor that you (hopefully) felt when picking your lawyer. Ask yourself, do your care providers:

• Take time with you or seem rushed?
• Listen and take your concerns seriously?
• Remember what you said in earlier visits?
• Send you to other providers as needed?

If the answers to these questions don’t feel right, you and your doctor might not be a match. If it’s not a good fit, move on – now, not later.

2. Speak Up

You need to let your doctor know all the difficulties you’re having. Most importantly, doing so helps your care team provide you with complete and thorough treatment. But doing so also helps document your difficulties along the way. Your medical records are one of the first place the other side looks to fight your case. They will give you a tough time for any problems or symptoms you say you have had that aren’t in the record. So, don’t try and be brave about what’s going on. Instead, speak up and let your doctor know the symptoms, struggles, and other issues your injury has caused throughout your treatment and recovery.

3. Follow Your Doctor's Advice

The other side will make a big deal out of any doctor’s orders you don’t follow – so do your best to do what your doctors say. If you don’t understand what they want you to do, ask a follow-up question. If you disagree with the treatment plan, make sure to say something instead of just not “following through.” And if you try to follow through but have problems, be sure to let the doctor’s office know, make a note of the call, and confirm that it is in your chart on your next visit.

4. Look Out for Lawsuit Bias

Some doctors just don’t want to get involved with lawsuits. You need good providers that care about you – and that should include caring that you get the compensation you deserve if someone else is responsible for your injury. You can ask your lawyer if they know your doctor. You can also talk about it with your doctor or provider.

Questions to ask include:

• How does your office work with patients who are part of a lawsuit?
• Who is the best person to communicate with my lawyer?
• How often do you personally get involved when a patient has an injury like mine and must bring a claim?

Listen closely for the answers you get. Paying attention to tone and body language too. Together, you will figure out if the doctor has any difficulty with patients with legal claims. If you think they do or something doesn’t feel right, consider making a change or discussing the situation with your lawyers. We appreciate this can be hard in today’s challenging health insurance times, but it may be worth it because of how important it is to your health, recovery, and getting you the care you need.

5. Good Communication with Your Care Team

Going to the doctor can often be frustrating. Long waits, forgotten details, or curt staff all get harder to handle with an injury. Still, try to keep your patience because they can really help you build a strong relationship with your whole care team. Try to be on time and patient if you need to wait. Your doctor often has little control over scheduling. Take the time to learn the names of nurses and other support staff. Often, you can contact them directly and get what you need without having to involve the doctor. Always call to cancel an appointment when you have an important conflict. Doctors’ offices don’t like no shows because they can be expensive and take time from others who need care. More importantly, those “no shows” can work against your efforts to prove how much you want to do whatever is necessary to get better.

Good Communication is essential in your relationship with your care providers. Let them know your symptoms, difficulty, and how your injuries are affecting you, so you can get the best care possible and work hard to improve.

What is the Deadline for Filing a Claim?

The last thing you want to hear from your personal injury attorney is that you missed the deadline for filing a claim. Not only will you have to live with your injuries, but you won't even be able to pursue compensation.

In Colorado, the deadline for filing a lawsuit for personal injury is two years from the date the accident took place. In the case of a motor vehicle accident, you have three years.

Are you ready to start exploring your injury suit options? Our firm is ready to hear from you. Call Gaddis, Herd, Craw & Adams, P.C. today to learn more about what our firm can do to help you seek relief at this difficult time.