Adams County · Colorado premises liability law
Brighton Premises Liability Lawyers
Injured on someone else's property in Brighton? Free consultation. No attorney fee unless we recover for you.
How Colorado Law Classifies Your Visit to the Property
Colorado premises liability claims run through a specific statute, C.R.S. § 13‑21‑115. That law does not treat every injured visitor the same way. It sets the landowner's duty based on why you were on the property when you got hurt, and that classification often decides whether a claim succeeds.
If you were an invitee, someone on the property for a reason connected to the owner's business, such as shopping or a similar purpose, the landowner owes reasonable care against dangers it actually knew about or should have known about. If you were a licensee, more like a social guest with no business purpose, the duty is narrower: the owner must not unreasonably fail to use reasonable care for dangers it created and actually knew about, and it must warn of unusual dangers it did not create but actually knew about. That is a different, more limited standard than what a customer is owed, and we do not treat the two as interchangeable.
Trespassers face the toughest standard. Colorado law generally limits recovery to injuries the landowner caused willfully or deliberately. That does not mean every trespass claim is automatically barred, but it does mean the facts about why you were there and what the owner knew matter from the start. We work through this classification early so we know what standard applies to your Brighton case.
Building the Record Behind a Brighton Premises Claim
Because Colorado's duty standard depends on your status as invitee, licensee, or trespasser, we gather facts that establish both why you were on the property and what the owner knew or should have known. That can include photographs of the hazard, maintenance and inspection records, incident reports, and statements from anyone who witnessed the condition or the fall.
We also look at how long a dangerous condition existed and whether the property owner had any notice of it before your visit. Store surveillance footage, employee schedules, and prior complaint records can all speak to actual or constructive knowledge, which is central to an invitee claim and still relevant, in a different way, to a licensee claim.
- Photos of the hazard and the surrounding area before it changes
- Contact information for anyone who saw the condition or the incident
- Any incident report filed with the property or business
- Clothing or footwear worn at the time, unwashed
- Records of medical care received for the injury
Handling Premises Claims Across Brighton and Adams County
We handle premises liability claims arising at properties throughout Brighton, including areas near Bridge Street, Bromley Lane, and the commercial corridors along U.S. Highway 85 and I-76. These claims can involve retail stores, apartment complexes, restaurants, and other properties where the reason for your visit shapes the legal duty owed to you.
Court proceedings for Brighton-area premises cases are typically handled at the Adams County Justice Center. Injured people are often first treated at Intermountain Health Platte Valley Hospital or another nearby facility, and we work with those medical records as part of building the claim. Our office is based in Denver, and we regularly represent clients from Brighton and surrounding Adams County communities, including Commerce City.
What You Can Pursue in a Brighton Premises Liability Case
- Medical expenses related to the injury
- Lost income from time away from work
- Pain and suffering
- Costs of ongoing care or rehabilitation
- Property damage connected to the incident
What clients say about McCormick & Murphy
Real outcomes and reviews. Check Google reviews for the office that serves Brighton — and read client testimonials.
After I was hit by a drunk driver with no insurance, my own insurer refused UM benefits. McCormick & Murphy sued for uninsured motorist benefits and bad faith. A jury awarded me over $900,000.
C. O., Denver · UM / bad-faith verdict
Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Every case depends on its facts, coverage, venue, and evidence.
Brighton Colorado premises liability law FAQ
Does it matter why I was at the property when I got hurt in Brighton?
Yes. Colorado law sets a different duty depending on whether you were an invitee, a licensee, or a trespasser. That classification affects what the property owner had to do to keep you safe.
Am I automatically considered an invitee if I was on someone's property?
No. Not everyone on a property is an invitee. Social guests are typically treated as licensees, which carries a narrower duty than the reasonable care owed to a customer or business visitor.
Can a trespasser ever recover for an injury on someone else's property?
Colorado law generally limits a trespasser's recovery to injuries the landowner caused willfully or deliberately. It is a difficult standard, but it is not an automatic bar in every situation, and the specific facts matter.
What if the property owner didn't know about the hazard that hurt me?
For an invitee, the owner's duty covers dangers it actually knew about or reasonably should have known about, so evidence about notice matters. For a licensee, the standard focuses more narrowly on dangers the owner created and actually knew about, or unusual dangers it knew about and failed to warn of.
What should I do after a fall or injury on someone else's property in Brighton?
Document the scene with photos, get contact information for witnesses, and seek medical care for your injuries. Then talk with us so we can evaluate your status under Colorado's premises liability statute and what evidence supports your claim.
Discuss a Brighton premises injury
Free consultation. No attorney fee unless we recover for you.