Pedestrian Laws and Safety Measures: Colorado Springs Pedestrian Accident Lawyer

Ganderton Law is dedicated to providing exceptional legal services with a personal touch. Our mission is to support our clients through challenging times with experience, communication and understanding.

Ganderton Law LLC wants to protect all pedestrian accident victims in Colorado Springs.  We demand that victims get the best care available and make sure they never worry about how medical bills will get paid or how they’ll make ends meet while missing time at work. Those costs should fall on careless drivers and their car insurance providers.

We come to the rescue and fight to make sure injured victims quickly receive the support they need to heal and get back on their feet. Contact our offices to secure a free, no-obligation consultation with a real pedestrian accident lawyer. Find out how to find the fastest route to getting your life back to normal.

How Do I Know If I Need a Lawyer After a Pedestrian Accident?

If you come out of a pedestrian accident with only some minor scrapes or bruises, you may not need the help of a lawyer. Unfortunately, when pedestrians are hit by vehicles, the results are often much more serious. When you come away with something like a broken bone or a head injury, it’s a good idea to go over your case with a legal professional.

A serious injury will mean a longer recovery. Medical expenses will skyrocket. With an eye on protecting their profits, car insurance companies will make it harder for victims to secure full compensation for their recovery costs. This is when it may pay to have a skilled Colorado Springs pedestrian accident attorney handle your case.

A skilled lawyer safeguards your interests when an insurer tries to blame you for what happened or tries to cast doubt about the severity of your injuries. Your attorney immediately investigates what happened and preserves the powerful evidence that will help you win your case. Your lawyer can often secure much more in support for you than if you filed your claim on your own.

Pedestrian Crossing the Busy Intersection at Platte Avenue and Circle Drive in Colorado Springs

The Risks When Crossing Colorado Springs Streets

Colorado Springs is a great place to live, but its sprawling layout and fast-paced traffic don’t make walking from place to place easy.

Pedestrians may feel they have to run when the “Walk” sign comes on just to make it across nine lanes of traffic at a busy intersection like Academy Boulevard and Fountain Boulevard.

It’s just one example of the sometimes scary journey for pedestrians around the city. It’s generally a driver’s lack of attention or carelessness that leads to the worst impacts.

These are just a few of the most common driver mistakes that can send those traveling on foot to UC Health Memorial Hospital:

  • Distracted drivers looking at cellphones
  • Drowsy drivers
  • Drivers passing motorists who have stopped for a pedestrian
  • Drivers speeding and going too fast to stop in time for pedestrians
  • Motorists driving aggressively
  • Drivers who pull out into crosswalks
  • Drivers who run red lights and stop signs
  • Drivers under the influence of drugs or alcohol
  • Construction projects that force pedestrians and runners out into the street

Colorado Springs Pedestrian Accident Statistics

Unfortunately, defenseless pedestrians can lose more than money and time when they are struck by a truck, car, or SUV. They can suffer devastating, life-threatening injuries.

The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) reports that Colorado Springs averaged almost 11 tragic pedestrian deaths a year over a recent five-year span (2020-2024).

Recent figures also show a climb in pedestrian fatalities in our city. In 2024, 13 people lost their lives in pedestrian accidents. That was the most people lost to collisions since 2018.

Colorado Springs recorded 13 pedestrian fatalities in 2024. That was up from 10 deaths in 2023 and 7 lost pedestrian lives in 2022.
Pictured in Chart Background: Crosswalk and Pedestrian Signal Button at the Intersection of Nevada Avenue and U.S. 25 in Colorado Springs
  • By comparison, Denver recorded 17 pedestrian fatalities in 2024.
  • CDOT found that across the state, Colorado lost 120 lives to pedestrian collisions in 2024.

Those injured by careless drivers can seek help with their many hardships. They should be fully supported to cover their doctor bills and pay their normal monthly bills while they can’t work. Families who lose a loved one in a pedestrian accident can also seek support.

Sadly, auto insurance companies don’t always make it easy for victims and their families to get the financial support they require to rebuild their lives. It sometimes takes hard evidence and legal pressure to get every benefit available. A Ganderton Law attorney can help you build a strong case that insurers can’t ignore.

Pedestrian Traffic Laws in Colorado

Perhaps the most important legal right pedestrians are given in Colorado is that they have the right-of-way at most intersections without traffic lights and pedestrian signals.

Colorado’s traffic statutes go over the responsibility of drivers at intersections when no walk signs are in place:

CO Rev Stat § 42-4-802 (2024) Pedestrian Right of Way

“(1) When traffic control signals are not in place or not in operation, the driver of a vehicle shall yield the right-of-way, slowing down or stopping if need be to so yield, to a pedestrian crossing the roadway within a crosswalk when the pedestrian is upon the half of the roadway upon which the vehicle is traveling or when the pedestrian is approaching so closely from the opposite half of the roadway as to be in danger.”

With this right-of-way, pedestrians also have a burden of responsibility. They must not step out in front of a moving vehicle in a manner that gives the driver no chance to avoid a collision. The same statute makes sure those on foot are making safe decisions:

(3) A pedestrian shall not suddenly leave a curb or other place of safety and ride a bicycle, electrical assisted bicycle, or electric scooter, or walk or run into the path of a moving vehicle that is so close as to constitute an immediate hazard.”

According to 42-4-801 pedestrians must obey traffic control devices and can face a class B traffic infraction charge when they don’t.

42-4-803 Crossing the Street Outside of a Crosswalk

“Crossing at other than crosswalks. (1) Every pedestrian crossing a roadway at any point other than within a marked crosswalk or within an unmarked crosswalk at an intersection shall yield the right-of-way to all vehicles upon the roadway. (2) Any pedestrian crossing a roadway at a point where a pedestrian tunnel or overhead pedestrian crossing has been provided shall yield the right-of-way to all vehicles upon the roadway.”

Pictured: Crosswalk at Cascade Avenue and Uintah Street near Colorado College in Colorado Springs

Can I Ask for Injury Support If I’m Struck While Jaywalking?

Yes, in some cases. Drivers can be held responsible for all or a portion of a pedestrian accident, even if the motorist had the right of way.

Due to the extreme vulnerability of pedestrians when around vehicles, Colorado drivers have a bigger responsibility to keep them safe. The Colorado Judicial Branch goes into this extra duty of care. They must always monitor the lanes for a pedestrian who might cross at any section of the street. Drivers must slow down when they see someone cross the street, no matter where, and they must go slow enough so they can stop to avoid a collision.

Even a pedestrian who crossed the street in an illegal manner can seek support from a driver who is found partially at fault. The victim might receive full compensation or partial help with medical bills and other damages. A pedestrian who is charged with crossing the street in a dangerous spot could still seek damages in some cases.

What Should I Do After a Pedestrian Accident?

You must see to your safety first. Call 911 and request an ambulance if you or anyone else is hurt. When Colorado Springs Police arrive, be sure to give them every detail you can remember about what happened.

Then, if it’s safe, and you are strong enough to move around, you should collect as much evidence as possible at the scene. If you must go to the emergency room, ask someone with you or a helpful witness to gather a few details for you.

This evidence may disappear once the site is cleared, but it could be vital to earning what you’ll need to pay for recovery in an injury claim.

  • Use your cellphone to get photos. Get shots of the scene, including lane markings and street signs. Show any damage the collision did to the vehicle. Show any visible injuries and damage to your clothing.
  • Get driver’s license and insurance information from all drivers involved. An officer may secure this information for you.
  • Get contact information from witnesses so your attorney can contact them for testimony later.
  • Note the locations of any security cameras on businesses and houses nearby that may have captured what happened. Write down the addresses. Your attorney will request copies of this video.
  • Alert your car insurance provider. You’ll want your own insurance agent to be aware of the accident if you have a policy.
  • Contact a skilled Colorado Springs Pedestrian Accident Lawyer. Tell us what happened to you and let us help you determine how to get the most to fund your physical and financial recovery. If you don’t need a lawyer for your case, we’ll tell you that and instruct you on how to file your claim. But if your injuries are serious, we can often get you much more than you could on your own. You should alert us soon after your accident, because waiting too long can mean that witnesses become hard to find, video evidence gets erased, and other evidence becomes difficult to obtain.

What Kind of Support Can I Get from a Pedestrian Accident Injury Claim?

Your attorney uses all the evidence to clearly put all fault on the driver in your case. This puts pressure on insurance companies to provide everything needed. Strong evidence also keeps them from trying to force you to accept some blame and some of the economic responsibility.

Your lawyer then makes sure every hardship you and your family have been through is documented and included in an accident claim.

There are also many things that can earn additional support in a pedestrian accident settlement check that many victims don’t know to ask for.

Your attorney would demand compensation for these factors and more:

  • Support for your current doctor bills and for any care you may need in the future
  • Enough money to cover physical therapy and rehab for as long as it’s needed
  • Support for any permanent disability your accident leaves you with
  • Support for the physical pain you may have to endure for months or for the rest of your life
  • Support for the emotional trauma left over from a frightening collision and difficult recovery
  • Support for the loss of enjoyment of life when you must be off your feet and missing out on the hobbies and family activities you love
  • Support to cover your family if your paychecks stop coming in while you can’t work
  • Wrongful death support for families if a loved one is lost in a pedestrian collision

Frequently Asked Questions

What type of documents should I bring when I meet with a pedestrian accident lawyer?

Bring a police accident report if you’ve obtained it. Bring your insurance policy. Bring your medical records. Turn over any physical and photographic evidence you collected at the scene of your collision. Give your lawyer any receipts you’ve kept from purchases you’ve made related to your accident, including doctor bills and medical equipment. If you don’t have all of these documents handy, your lawyer can also help you track them down.

How long do I have to file an injury claim after a Colorado pedestrian accident?

Three years. Colorado’s statute of limitations on lawsuits for accident injury claims is three years. You don’t want to wait years to begin exploring your options, though. Evidence can disappear, and witnesses might become harder to find.

What if I can’t afford to pay a pedestrian accident lawyer?

You don’t need to have any money set aside to hire Ganderton Law to represent your accident claim. We don’t accept any payment unless we win your case for you. Then our fee is paid out of the settlement check that a car insurance company must write for you.

Contact a Colorado Springs Pedestrian Accident Lawyer

The victims of a careless driver’s mistake should never have to struggle to pay for their medical care over a collision they didn’t cause. It goes against what our law firm is all about. We stand by pedestrian accident victims until they are back on their feet and back out walking and running again.

If you contact Ganderton Law Personal Injury Law Firm, you’ll speak to a real Colorado Springs attorney. We offer a free, no-obligation case consultation to all victims and their families. It’s a chance to go over your options and determine how to get every damage you’ve suffered compensated.