Hundreds of Denver residents choose to bike to work each day and many more enjoy biking to run their errands and for other quick trips.
You can also take a beautiful 36-mile ride to Chatfield Reservoir or bike the scenic 48-mile loop to Golden and back.
Suppose you are up for a longer ride. In that case, the 101 miles that circle from Denver to Chatfield State Park, up to Golden, over to Commerce City, down to Aurora, and back to Denver is a beautiful but challenging ride that will leave you feeling exhilarated.
There is no doubt that biking is fun and beneficial to your health and our environment. However, biking can also be dangerous when drivers and other parties are negligent, reckless, or worse. When that happens, an enjoyable ride can become deadly.
If you lost a loved one due to another party’s fault, you have the right to seek compensation. No amount of money can bring back your loved one or heal your broken heart.
However, over the past 40 years we have represented many wonderful people who have suffered this ultimate loss, the wrongful death of a loved one. And in every case our clients looked back at the end of the case and were glad that they had pursued the civil wrongful death case.
It felt right to them that those who had caused the death of their loved one be required to accept full responsibility for that. And sometimes the wrongful death claim can help to make society safer and help protect others. And the monetary compensation that we maximize for our clients often helps them rebuild their lives after the devastation caused by a wrongful death.
We want to help if your loved one was fatally injured in a Denver bicycle accident due to another party’s fault. Contact our Denver wrongful death attorneys today at (303) 770-5551 or visit our contact page to schedule a free consultation to discuss your case. We will compassionately listen to you, answer your questions, explain your rights, and help you determine your next steps.
Common Causes of Denver Wrongful Death Bicycle Accidents
There are many ways a Denver wrongful death bicycle accident could happen. Some of the most common causes include:
- Negligent drivers may follow or pass cyclists too closely, fail to yield the right of way at an intersection, and generally fail to respect the rights of cyclists to share the road.
- Defective parts of a driver’s car or a cyclist’s bike could cause a deadly accident. In this situation, the victim’s loved ones may be able to file a claim against the manufacturer of the defective parts.
- Dangerous bike trails or paths can create hazardous conditions that lead to fatal accidents. In some cases, the party responsible for maintaining the trails could be responsible. Depending on the circumstances, a property owner could be liable in a premises liability claim
- Many fatal bicycle accidents in Denver have occurred when a driver or passenger of a vehicle opens their door blocking the path of a cyclist. When the cyclist collides with a door they may fall and suffer a fatal head injury or be thrown into traffic and struck by other vehicles.
Important Denver, CO Wrongful Death Laws
Some important considerations in a Denver wrongful death case are who may file the claim and the statute of limitations.
In Colorado, only certain people can file a wrongful death claim.
If the deceased was married, had children, or had designated a beneficiary, then:
In the first year after death, a claim may only be brought by the surviving spouse, unless the surviving spouse gives the right to file to the surviving children or chooses to file jointly with them.
If there is no surviving spouse, a wrongful death claim may be brought by the surviving children or designated beneficiary.
After the first year, any of the following may file a wrongful death case:
- The surviving spouse
- The surviving children
- The surviving spouse and children together, or
- The eligible designated beneficiary and the surviving children
If the surviving children bring a wrongful death lawsuit, the surviving spouse and the designated beneficiary have ninety days to join the suit.
If the deceased was unmarried and had no children or designated beneficiary, then the parents may file a wrongful death action.
A new Colorado law (HB 24-1472) gives siblings and their heirs (nieces/nephews) limited rights to file a wrongful death claim.
For cases arising after January 1, 2025, Siblings and their heirs can file a wrongful death claim if the person who was killed does not have a spouse, an heir or a designated beneficiary, or is an unmarried minor without a father or a mother, or is an unmarried adult without a mother, father or descendants, siblings and their heirs the siblings and other heirs of the deceased may be able to file a claim.
What is the Statute of Limitations for a Denver Bicycle Accident Wrongful Death Claim?
Wrongful death lawsuits in Denver generally must be filed within two years of the death. However, there are some exceptions. You must discuss the specific facts of your case with an experienced Denver wrongful death attorney to understand your options and rights.
You need to act quickly in a wrongful death case. In addition to the statute of limitations factor, important evidence may be lost or diminished if it is not gathered and preserved quickly. The sooner you contact Dan Caplis, the sooner we can begin building your strongest case.
Contact Our Denver Fatal Bicycle Accident Attorneys Today
If you have lost a loved one in a Denver wrongful death bicycle accident, our attorneys want to help you. Give us a call at (303) 770-5551 or visit our contact page today to schedule a free consultation.
We will listen to you, answer your questions, explain your options, and help you take the next steps. Dan Caplis Law is a serious firm for serious cases. We win big for our clients and we want to help you achieve justice and the maximum compensation you deserve for the loss of your loved one.