Douglas County · Colorado premises liability law
Parker Premises Liability Lawyers
Parker premises liability claims turn on your status as a visitor. Free consultation. No attorney fee unless we recover for you.
How Colorado Law Classifies Your Visit
Colorado does not use a one-size-fits-all rule for property injury claims. Under C.R.S. § 13‑21‑115, a landowner's duty depends on why you were on the property when you got hurt. The statute sorts injured people into three categories: invitees, licensees, and trespassers, and each category carries a different legal standard.
If you were an invitee, meaning you were on the property for a reason connected to the owner's business, such as shopping at a Mainstreet retailer or visiting a business near Parker Road, the owner owes you reasonable care against dangers they actually knew about or should have known about. If you were a licensee, such as a social guest at a private home, the duty is narrower. The owner must use reasonable care for dangers they created and actually knew about, or warn you of unusual dangers they did not create but actually knew about. That is not the same inspection duty owed to a customer, and the difference matters to how we build your case.
Trespassers face the toughest standard. A trespasser can generally only recover if the landowner willfully or deliberately caused the harm. Not every trespasser is barred from recovery, but the bar is high. We start every premises case by pinning down exactly which category applies, because that determines what we have to prove.
Building the Case Under Colorado's Duty Standards
Because your legal status drives the standard of care, we look closely at why you were on the property, what the owner knew, and when they knew it. That means gathering incident reports, maintenance and inspection records, prior complaint history, surveillance footage, and witness statements from anyone who saw the condition that caused your fall or injury. For invitee claims, we focus on what a reasonable inspection would have uncovered. For licensee claims, we focus on what the owner actually knew.
Medical records tying your injuries to the incident matter regardless of category, and we often work with records from providers like AdventHealth Parker to document the connection between the property condition and your treatment. We also document the scene itself, photographing hazards near locations such as E-470 access points, Lincoln Avenue storefronts, or Lone Tree-area properties before conditions change or get repaired.
- Note exactly where on the property you were and why, since this affects your legal status
- Photograph the hazard and surrounding area before it is fixed or removed
- Get contact information for any witnesses
- Keep all medical records connecting your injury to the incident
- Avoid giving recorded statements to an insurer before speaking with us
Handling Premises Claims in Parker and Douglas County
Parker premises liability cases we handle come from retail centers, restaurants, and private residences throughout town, including areas around Mainstreet, Parker Road, and Lincoln Avenue. Whether you were injured as a customer at a business or as a guest at a home near Lone Tree, we evaluate your status under Colorado law and build the claim around the correct standard of care.
If a lawsuit becomes necessary, Douglas County premises cases are typically filed and heard at the Douglas County Justice Center. We also handle matters from our Denver, CO office when it's more convenient for a client's schedule or the property's location near E-470 corridors.
What You May Be Able to Recover
- Medical treatment and related expenses
- Lost income from time away from work
- Pain and suffering
- Ongoing care needs if your injury requires future treatment
- Other out-of-pocket costs tied directly to the incident
What clients say about McCormick & Murphy
Real outcomes and reviews. Check Google reviews for the office that serves Parker — 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.
Parker Colorado premises liability law FAQ
Am I automatically considered an invitee if I was injured on someone's property in Parker?
No. Colorado law does not treat every visitor as an invitee. Your status depends on why you were there, such as shopping, visiting socially, or being on the property without permission, and that status changes what the owner owed you.
What's the difference between an invitee and a licensee under Colorado law?
An invitee, like a customer at a Parker business, is owed reasonable care against dangers the owner knew or should have known about. A licensee, like a social guest, is owed a narrower duty tied to dangers the owner actually knew about, not one that requires the same level of inspection.
Can a trespasser ever recover for a premises injury?
It's possible but limited. A trespasser generally can only recover if the landowner willfully or deliberately caused the harm, which is a much higher bar than the standards applied to invitees or licensees.
What if the property owner didn't know about the hazard?
It depends on your status. For an invitee, we can still argue the owner should have known about the danger through reasonable inspection. For a licensee, the duty generally requires the owner's actual knowledge, so what they knew becomes central to the claim.
Do I need to prove the same things in every premises case?
No. Because Colorado ties the duty of care to your legal status, what we have to prove for a store customer differs from what we prove for a social guest or someone injured while trespassing. We identify your status early so we can focus the evidence correctly.
Discuss a Parker premises injury
Free consultation. No attorney fee unless we recover for you.