Auto Accident Lawyer Aurora

The crash happened fast. Maybe you saw it coming. Maybe you didn’t. Either way, you’re hurt, your car is damaged, and someone from an insurance company is already calling you. They sound friendly. They want to help you get this resolved quickly. They just need a quick recorded statement. They just need you to sign a couple of forms.

Stop.

The insurance adjuster is not your friend. They work for a company that makes more money when they pay you less. Every question they ask is designed to reduce what you’re owed. Every form they send is written to protect them, not you.

You have more rights than they want you to know about. That’s where we come in.

McCormick & Murphy, P.C. has represented car accident victims across Aurora, Denver, and the surrounding areas for years. Kirk McCormick and Jay Murphy know exactly what the insurance companies will do next because they’ve seen it hundreds of times before. And they know how to fight back.

Call 888-668-1182 before you talk to any insurance adjuster. The consultation is free. The difference it makes is not.

What Happens in the First 72 Hours After a Car Accident

The hours and days right after a crash are when most people make the mistakes that cost them the most money later. Not because they’re careless. Because they don’t know what’s coming.

The other driver’s insurance company will contact you quickly. Sometimes within hours. They sound concerned. They ask how you’re feeling. They say they want to get your car fixed and your medical bills covered as fast as possible.

What they’re really doing is locking you into a story before you’ve had time to understand what happened. Before you know how badly you’re hurt. Before you realize that back pain you woke up with the next morning is from the crash. Before you understand that the “full and final release” they’re asking you to sign means you can never come back for more money, even if your injuries turn out to be worse than you thought.

Once you sign that release, it’s over. You can’t undo it. Even if you need surgery next month. Even if you can’t work for six weeks. Even if the pain never goes away.

This is why calling a car accident attorney before you talk to the insurance company matters so much. Not because you’re being difficult. Because you’re protecting your future.

The Truth About Recorded Statements

The insurance adjuster will ask for a recorded statement. They’ll say it’s just routine. Standard procedure. They make it sound like you don’t have a choice.

You do have a choice. And the answer should be no.

Every word you say in that recorded statement will be analyzed by attorneys whose entire job is finding ways to pay you less. If you say you feel “okay,” they’ll argue you weren’t really hurt. If you say the pain started “a couple days” after the crash, they’ll claim it must be from something else. If you can’t remember exactly what lane the other car was in, they’ll use that to argue you were at fault.

You’re not a lawyer. You don’t know which details matter and which ones will be twisted against you. You’re hurt, you’re stressed, and you’re being asked complicated questions about a traumatic event that happened while you were terrified.

Colorado law does not require you to give a recorded statement to the other driver’s insurance company. You have to cooperate with your own insurance company under your policy, but even then, you have the right to have an attorney present.

Let someone who knows what they’re doing handle the insurance companies. That’s what Kirk and Jay do every single day.

How Fault Gets Determined in Aurora Car Accidents

Colorado is a modified comparative negligence state. That means even if you were partly at fault for the accident, you can still recover damages as long as you weren’t more than 50% responsible. But the amount you recover gets reduced by your percentage of fault.

If the total damages are $100,000 and you’re found to be 20% at fault, you would recover $80,000. If you’re found to be 51% at fault, you recover nothing.

This is why insurance companies fight so hard to blame you for at least part of the crash. Every percentage point of fault they can shift onto you is money they don’t have to pay.

They’ll point to anything they can find. You were going five over the speed limit. You didn’t signal until the last second. Your tires were getting worn. You said you “didn’t see” the other car, which they’ll twist into proof you weren’t paying attention.

Determining fault requires evidence. Police reports. Photos of the scene. Witness statements. Damage patterns on the vehicles. Sometimes accident reconstruction experts. Cell phone records that prove the other driver was texting. Maintenance records that show their brakes were shot.

This evidence doesn’t gather itself. And it doesn’t stay available forever. Witnesses move away. Security camera footage gets deleted. Skid marks fade.

An experienced car accident lawyer knows what evidence matters and how to get it before it disappears. They know how to counter the insurance company’s arguments. They know which experts to hire. They know how to build a case that proves what actually happened.

What You Can Actually Recover After a Car Accident

Most people think a car accident claim just covers fixing the car and paying the hospital bill. The insurance company wants you to think that too. Because if you don’t know you’re entitled to more, you won’t ask for it.

Colorado law allows you to recover economic damages and non-economic damages. Economic damages are the costs you can put a specific dollar amount on. Non-economic damages are the losses that don’t show up on a bill.

Economic damages include:

• All medical expenses related to the accident, including emergency room treatment, hospital stays, surgery, physical therapy, prescription medications, and medical equipment
• Future medical costs if your injuries require ongoing treatment
• Lost wages for time you couldn’t work because of your injuries
• Loss of future earning capacity if your injuries prevent you from returning to your previous job or working at all
• Property damage to your vehicle and anything else that was damaged in the crash
• Costs you incurred because of the accident, like rideshare expenses while your car was being repaired

Non-economic damages include:

• Physical pain and suffering
• Mental and emotional distress
• Loss of enjoyment of life when your injuries prevent you from doing activities you used to love
• Disfigurement or permanent scarring
• Loss of consortium if your injuries damaged your relationship with your spouse

The insurance company’s first offer almost never includes fair compensation for non-economic damages. They’ll offer to pay your medical bills and fix your car and hope you take it. They’re betting you don’t know you’re entitled to more.

Don’t make that bet. Know what your case is actually worth before you agree to anything.

When Your Own Insurance Company Becomes the Problem

People are shocked when their own insurance company starts fighting them. You’ve been paying premiums for years. You thought they were on your side.

They’re not.

Insurance companies make money by collecting premiums and paying out as little as possible in claims. Your insurance company is no different. When you make a claim under your own policy, whether it’s uninsured motorist coverage, underinsured motorist coverage, or medical payments coverage, they become your opponent.

They’ll question your injuries. They’ll demand you see their doctors. They’ll argue your treatment was excessive. They’ll drag out the process hoping you’ll settle for less just to make it end.

This is especially common in underinsured motorist claims. That’s when the at-fault driver has insurance, but not enough to cover all your damages. Your own underinsured motorist coverage is supposed to make up the difference. But your insurance company will fight to pay as little of that difference as possible.

They have teams of lawyers working to minimize what they owe you. You need a lawyer too. One who knows how these companies operate and how to hold them to their obligations under the policy you’ve been paying for.

What Happens When the Other Driver Has No Insurance

Colorado law requires drivers to carry minimum liability insurance. But not everyone follows the law. And when they hit you, you’re the one left dealing with the consequences.

If the at-fault driver has no insurance, your options depend on the coverage you carry. This is where uninsured motorist coverage becomes critical. If you have it, your own insurance company should cover your damages up to your policy limits.

If you don’t have uninsured motorist coverage, you can still sue the at-fault driver personally. But most people who drive without insurance don’t have assets to go after. Winning a judgment doesn’t help if there’s nothing to collect.

This is why uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage matters so much. It’s not expensive. And when you need it, it’s everything.

If you were hit by an uninsured driver in Aurora, call McCormick & Murphy. We’ll review your insurance policy, explain what coverage you have, and help you pursue every dollar you’re entitled to.

How Pre-Existing Conditions Get Used Against You

You had back pain before the accident. Now it’s worse. The insurance company sees that in your medical records and claims the accident didn’t cause any new injury. They argue you’re just trying to blame old problems on the crash.

This happens constantly. And it’s wrong.

The law is clear: the at-fault driver takes you as they find you. If you had a vulnerable back and the crash made it worse, they’re responsible for that aggravation. You don’t have to be in perfect health to have a valid claim.

But proving that the accident made your pre-existing condition worse requires medical evidence and expert testimony. Your doctor needs to explain how the trauma from the crash affected your existing condition. Sometimes that means getting detailed medical records going back years to establish what your baseline was before the accident.

Insurance companies count on most people not knowing how to fight these arguments. They hope you’ll get discouraged and go away.

Don’t give them what they want. Pre-existing conditions don’t disqualify your claim. They just make it more complicated. And complicated cases are exactly what experienced attorneys handle.

Why You Need an Aurora Car Accident Lawyer

You can handle a car accident claim on your own. People do it. Some of them even get a settlement.

But they almost never get what the case is actually worth. Because they don’t know what it’s worth. They don’t know what evidence to demand. They don’t know how to calculate future medical costs or lost earning capacity. They don’t know which arguments the insurance company is legally required to accept and which ones are just noise.

The insurance adjuster knows you don’t know these things. That’s why they’re so eager to settle with you quickly, before you talk to a lawyer. Because once you have someone who knows what they’re doing on your side, the whole dynamic changes.

Kirk McCormick and Jay Murphy have handled car accident cases in Aurora, Denver, Littleton, Centennial, Lakewood, Arvada, Westminster, Thornton, Commerce City, Englewood, and throughout Colorado for years. They know the tactics the insurance companies use. They know how to counter them. They know what your case is worth, and they know how to prove it.

They don’t get paid unless you do. There’s no upfront cost. No hourly billing. They take a percentage of what they recover for you. If they don’t win, you don’t owe them anything.

That means they only take cases they believe in. Cases they think they can win. And when they take your case, they fight for every dollar you’re owed.

What Makes McCormick & Murphy Different

Plenty of lawyers handle car accident cases. What you need to know is how they handle them.

Some firms treat clients like case numbers. They sign you up, hand you off to a paralegal, and you never hear from an actual attorney until the settlement offer comes in. They’re running volume. Get as many cases in the door as possible, settle them as fast as possible, move on to the next one.

That’s not how Kirk and Jay work.

When you call McCormick & Murphy, you talk to an attorney. Not a receptionist reading from a script. Not an intake coordinator who doesn’t know the law. An actual lawyer who can answer your questions right then.

They know you’re scared. They know you’re dealing with something you’ve never dealt with before. They explain what’s going to happen next in plain language you can understand. No legal jargon. No talking down to you. Just the truth about what you’re facing and what they’re going to do about it.

They’re available when you need them. They return calls. They answer emails. They keep you updated on what’s happening with your case. Because you shouldn’t have to wonder where things stand or feel like you’re bothering your own lawyer when you have a question.

And they prepare every case like it’s going to trial. Most cases settle. But the only way to get a fair settlement is to show the insurance company you’re ready and willing to take it to a jury if you have to. Companies that know you’ll fold always push for less. Lawyers who actually try cases get better results. It’s that simple.

Serving Aurora and Surrounding Communities

McCormick & Murphy represents car accident victims throughout the Denver metro area and beyond. That includes Aurora, Denver, Wheat Ridge, Lakewood, Arvada, Westminster, Thornton, Northglenn, Commerce City, Englewood, Littleton, Centennial, Greenwood Village, Lone Tree, Parker, Highlands Ranch, Castle Rock, Broomfield, Brighton, Longmont, Boulder, Louisville, Lafayette, Superior, Erie, Golden, Morrison, Evergreen, Conifer, Bailey, Pine, Idaho Springs, Georgetown, Estes Park, Fort Collins, Loveland, and Greeley.

If your accident happened anywhere in Colorado and you’re dealing with insurance companies that won’t treat you fairly, call us. We know the local courts. We know the judges. We know how cases like yours get resolved in this state. And we know how to get you the compensation you deserve.

What to Do Right Now

If you were hurt in a car accident in Aurora, the clock is already running. Colorado gives you three years from the date of the accident to file a personal injury lawsuit, but waiting that long is a mistake. Evidence disappears. Witnesses forget details. Insurance companies interpret delays as a sign you’re not serious.

You don’t have to have all the answers before you call. You don’t have to know if you have a case. That’s what the consultation is for. Kirk and Jay will review what happened, explain your rights, and tell you what they think your options are. No pressure. No obligation. Just honest answers from attorneys who have been doing this work long enough to know what they’re looking at.

Don’t sign anything the insurance company sends you. Don’t give them a recorded statement. Don’t let them tell you what your case is worth. Find out what someone who actually represents your interests thinks it’s worth first.

Call 888-668-1182 or visit mccormickmurphy.com to schedule your free consultation.

The insurance company has a team of lawyers protecting their money. You should have someone protecting yours.