Reckless Driving Accident Attorney

When reckless drivers cause your accident, you face mounting medical bills, lost wages, and pain, while dangerous motorists may face minimal consequences for their destructive choices. At Mintz Law Firm, our experienced auto accident attorneys understand the serious impact of reckless driving crashes and fight to hold negligent drivers accountable for the devastating harm their dangerous behavior causes.

What Constitutes Reckless Driving

Colorado law defines reckless driving as operating a vehicle with willful disregard for the safety of people or property, creating substantial risks that reasonable drivers would avoid. This legal standard goes beyond simple negligence or careless mistakes, requiring proof that drivers consciously chose dangerous behaviors despite knowing the risks involved.

Common reckless driving behaviors include excessive speeding in dangerous conditions, aggressive lane changes without signaling, tailgating at unsafe distances, and running red lights or stop signs. Street racing, driving under the influence, road rage incidents, and distracted driving also constitute reckless conduct under Colorado law, particularly when drivers fail to adjust for weather conditions on mountain highways.

Serious Injuries from Reckless Driving Crashes

Reckless driving accidents typically involve higher speeds and more violent impacts than ordinary traffic collisions, resulting in more severe injuries requiring extensive medical treatment. Traumatic brain injuries frequently occur when high-speed crashes cause occupants to strike interior surfaces, while spinal cord damage may result from crushing forces and rapid deceleration, potentially causing permanent paralysis affecting every aspect of daily life.

Reckless driving represents one of the leading causes of traffic fatalities in Colorado, destroying families through completely preventable tragedies. Multiple bone fractures, internal organ damage, severe lacerations, and burn injuries also occur frequently in these high-impact accidents, often requiring multiple surgeries and leaving permanent scarring that affects both physical function and emotional well-being.

Proving Reckless Driving in Personal Injury Cases

Successful reckless driving claims require demonstrating that drivers consciously chose dangerous behaviors rather than simply making careless mistakes or errors in judgment. Police reports often contain valuable evidence about accident circumstances, traffic violations, and officer observations about driver behavior, while criminal charges for reckless driving provide strong support for civil claims.

Witness testimony from other motorists and bystanders can provide crucial details about driving behavior leading up to crashes, including speeding, aggressive lane changes, or other dangerous maneuvers. Traffic camera footage, dashboard cameras, and vehicle damage patterns help demonstrate impact speeds and forces involved in crashes, proving that accidents resulted from reckless behaviors rather than simple negligence.

Enhanced Damages for Reckless Conduct

Colorado law allows enhanced damage awards in cases involving particularly egregious conduct, including reckless driving that demonstrates conscious disregard for public safety. These additional damages punish dangerous behavior while providing greater compensation for victims who suffer serious injuries due to intentional misconduct.

Insurance coverage complications often arise in reckless driving cases when policies exclude coverage for intentional acts or criminal behavior. However, reckless driving may still fall under standard liability coverage, and multiple insurance sources may provide compensation for your injuries, particularly when overlapping violations demonstrate multiple forms of driver negligence.

Criminal vs. Civil Cases

Criminal reckless driving prosecutions focus on punishment and public safety, while civil personal injury claims seek compensation for victims' medical expenses, lost income, and pain and suffering. These cases proceed independently, and criminal case outcomes don't determine civil liability or damage amounts, as civil cases require lower standards of proof.

Civil claims can succeed even when criminal charges are dismissed through plea bargaining, and insurance companies must still pay valid claims regardless of criminal case results. Restitution ordered in criminal cases rarely covers full damages from serious injury accidents, making civil claims essential for securing adequate compensation for medical bills and future care needs.

Protecting Your Rights After Reckless Driving Accidents

Document accident scenes thoroughly by photographing vehicle damage, skid marks, traffic control devices, and visible injuries before evidence disappears. These photographs provide valuable evidence for proving accident circumstances and driver behavior, while witness contact information ensures testimony remains available for legal proceedings.

Seek immediate medical attention even if you don't initially feel seriously injured, as adrenaline can mask symptoms that develop over time. Avoid giving recorded statements to insurance companies without legal representation, as adjusters often use these statements to minimize claim values or dispute injury severity.

Injured in a Car Accident? Mintz Law Firm Can Help Now

Reckless driving accidents require aggressive legal representation to hold dangerous drivers accountable and secure maximum compensation for your injuries. Our team has over 300 years of combined experience fighting for accident victims throughout Colorado, and we've recovered more than $20 million annually for our clients since 2016.

Founder David J. Mintz has represented injured people for more than 35 years, while managing attorney Eric C. Staton brings over 15 years of experience helping victims of serious motor vehicle accidents. We work on a contingency fee basis, so you won't pay any attorney fees unless we successfully recover compensation for your case. Contact us today at (303) 462-2999 or through our online contact form to schedule your free consultation and learn how we can help hold reckless drivers accountable for your injuries.