Lakewood Truck Accident Lawyers Who Know Where These Crashes Come From
Over $550 Million Won for Injury Victims — Including a $26.6 Million Verdict in a Truck Brake-Failure Case
Lakewood sits at the bottom of the mountains. Every loaded semi coming east on I-70 has just descended nearly 5,000 feet from the Eisenhower Tunnel, and on April 25, 2019, one of them never slowed down. Its brakes overheated on the grade, the driver passed a runaway truck ramp, and the truck plowed into stopped traffic on I-70 near Colorado Mills Parkway at more than 80 miles an hour. Twenty-eight vehicles were involved. Four people were killed.
The driver had been hired two weeks earlier. The trucking company had been cited for 30 safety violations in the prior year and a half — ten of them for brakes. That is what a truck case usually turns out to be about: not one bad moment, but a chain of decisions by a company that put the truck on the road. If you were hurt in a crash with a commercial truck in Lakewood, Jordan Law’s job is to find that chain and hold every link responsible. You pay nothing unless we win.
For a free legal consultation with a Personal Injury lawyer serving Lakewood, call (303) 465-8733
Where Truck Crashes Happen In and Around Lakewood
I-70 west of Lakewood — The mountain descent. Brakes that are out of adjustment, overloaded, or used improperly on a long grade overheat and fade, and the bottom of the hill is where Denver-metro traffic starts. Colorado requires chains and has runaway truck ramps on this stretch for a reason.
C-470 — Lakewood’s western edge and the truck route between I-70, US 285, and the south metro area. The I-70 / C-470 interchange is a tight, high-speed merge; in August 2026 a semi rolled over on the ramp from eastbound I-70 onto C-470, closing the highway.
US 6 (the 6th Avenue freeway) — Freight between I-70 and downtown Denver shares the freeway with rush-hour commuters. In May 2025 a jackknifed semi near Simms Street and Union Boulevard backed up the morning commute.
Wadsworth Boulevard, Kipling Street, and Colfax — Delivery trucks, box trucks, and tractor-trailers serving the shopping centers and the Federal Center make wide turns across multiple lanes, back into loading docks from busy roads, and double-park on narrow frontage roads.
Neighborhood streets — Amazon, FedEx, and UPS vans now make up a large share of truck traffic on residential streets. Drivers under delivery quotas back up without looking, pull out between parked cars, and rush. See our page on delivery truck accidents.
Why Truck Cases Are Built Differently
Federal safety rules. Commercial carriers and their drivers must follow the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations: limits on driving hours, electronic logging, pre-trip inspections, driver qualification files, drug and alcohol testing, and systematic maintenance — including brakes. Each rule is a record we can demand, and each violation can become evidence of negligence.
More insurance — and a harder fight for it. Colorado drivers need only $25,000 per person in liability coverage. Interstate trucking companies must carry at least $750,000, and many carry $1 million or more. That makes full recovery for a serious injury possible — and it is exactly why trucking insurers defend these claims so aggressively.
More defendants. The driver, the motor carrier, the owner of the tractor, the owner of the trailer, a freight broker or shipper, a maintenance shop, and a parts manufacturer can each share responsibility. Colorado also allows claims against the company itself for negligently hiring, training, or supervising a driver.
Products, not just people. Sometimes the truck itself is the problem. Jason Jordan describes a case the firm is handling now in which a truck driver, on a dark stretch of highway, ran into a disabled car:
“He’s in the lowest model of that truck. Every model above that has the automatic braking sensing system — but they didn’t put it in that one… It’s basically them being cheap, not putting in that extra part. It would have alerted the driver, it would have braked for him, dropped the speed, dropped the impact, and allowed him a chance to go around the threat.”
— Jason Jordan, Founding Partner, Jordan Law
That is the kind of question we ask in every serious truck case: was there a safer design, a missed recall, a brake component that should have been replaced?
Lakewood Truck Accident Lawyer Near Me (303) 465-8733
The Evidence Clock Starts at the Crash
Much of the proof in a truck case belongs to the trucking company, and a lot of it does not last. Federal rules require carriers to keep hours-of-service records for only six months, dash-cam footage is routinely recorded over, and damaged trucks are repaired or sold. Our preservation letters go out immediately and cover:
- Engine control module (“black box”) data — speed, braking, and throttle in the seconds before impact. See what truck black box data reveals.
- Electronic logging device and hours-of-service records
- Driver qualification file — hiring date, training, driving history, prior violations, and road tests
- Inspection, maintenance, and brake adjustment records for the tractor and the trailer
- Dispatch messages and delivery schedules that show the pressure the driver was under
- Post-crash drug and alcohol test results
- The truck itself, preserved for expert inspection when a mechanical failure is suspected
In the 2019 I-70 crash, the questions that mattered — how long the driver had been employed, what mountain-driving training he had, and why a carrier with ten brake citations had him on that grade — were answered by exactly these records. Learn more about how quickly evidence disappears after a truck accident.
What to Do After a Truck Accident in Lakewood
- Call 911 and accept medical care. St. Anthony Hospital, next to the Federal Center, is a Level I trauma center — where the most seriously injured people in western metro crashes are taken.
- Photograph the truck. Get the company name and USDOT number on the cab door, the tractor and trailer license plates, and any hazmat placards. Those identify who really owns and operates the vehicle.
- Note which agency responded. Lakewood Police inside the city, Colorado State Patrol on I-70 and C-470.
- Get witness names and phone numbers. In truck cases the company’s version arrives early and well-lawyered; independent witnesses matter.
- Do not give a statement to the trucking company or its insurer, and do not sign anything they send you.
- Call a truck accident lawyer right away — before the logs, footage, and the truck itself are gone.
We know that is a lot to ask of someone who has just been hurt, and that most people have never been through anything like it. Michael Harris puts it simply:
“It’s really no different than something goes wrong in my house electrically, behind the walls. I don’t know how to fix electrical issues in my home. I’m going to call an expert, and he’s going to tell me what needs to be done, and I’m going to trust him to fix it… We’ve been doing this for a long time. We’ve got decades of great settlements and verdicts and trial experience, and we really do know what we’re doing.”
— Michael S. Harris, Litigation Attorney, Jordan Law
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Colorado Law That Affects Your Truck Accident Claim
Deadlines. Three years from the crash for motor vehicle injury claims (C.R.S. § 13-80-101) and two years for wrongful death (C.R.S. § 13-21-204). If a City of Lakewood, RTD, Jefferson County, or CDOT vehicle was involved, written notice is required within 182 days (C.R.S. § 24-10-109). Because key trucking records can be destroyed after six months, the practical deadline to hire a lawyer is far shorter than the legal one.
Shared fault. Colorado’s modified comparative negligence rule (C.R.S. § 13-21-111) lets you recover as long as you were less than 50% at fault, with your damages reduced by your share. Trucking insurers routinely claim the car cut the truck off or stopped suddenly — black box and camera data are how that gets answered. See how comparative negligence affects a truck accident claim.
Damage caps. Effective January 1, 2025, noneconomic damages are capped at approximately $1.5 million, which a court may exceed on clear and convincing evidence. There is no cap on economic damages such as medical bills, lost income, and lifetime care.
Punitive damages. Available when a driver or company acted recklessly — falsified logs, a known-dangerous driver kept on the road, brakes knowingly left out of adjustment.
Where the case is heard. A Lakewood crash is filed in the 1st Judicial District at the Jefferson County Courthouse in Golden. Out-of-state trucking companies often move these cases to the U.S. District Court in Denver; we try cases in both.
Compensation in a Truck Accident Case
Truck crashes cause the most serious injuries on the road, and the claims reflect it: emergency and surgical care, rehabilitation, future medical treatment and in-home care, lost income and earning capacity, pain and suffering, permanent impairment, and — when a crash is fatal — wrongful death damages for the family. For the most severe cases, see our catastrophic injury page.
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Why Choose Jordan Law for a Lakewood Truck Accident
We’ve won these cases. Our results include a $26.6 million verdict in a truck brake-malfunction case, a $131 million verdict, and a $45 million settlement — one of the largest motor vehicle accident settlements in Colorado history. See our results.
We look past the driver. Negligent hiring, deferred maintenance, defective parts, missing safety systems — the biggest recoveries in truck cases usually come from the company and the equipment, not only the person behind the wheel.
Trucking insurers know who goes to trial. A firm with a verdict record gets a different conversation.
The resources these cases require. Accident reconstructionists, trucking-safety and brake experts, mechanical engineers, and life-care planners, brought in early.
No fee unless we win. We work on a contingency fee. Our office at 5445 DTC Parkway in Greenwood Village is about 25 minutes from Lakewood, and we meet by phone or video as well.
Lakewood Truck Accident FAQs
Who can be held responsible for a truck accident in Lakewood?
Potentially the driver, the trucking company, the owner of the truck or trailer, a freight broker or shipper, a maintenance shop, or a parts manufacturer. Colorado also allows claims against a company for negligently hiring, training, or supervising its driver.
The truck driver said the brakes failed. Does that mean no one is at fault?
No. Brakes that fail on a grade are usually out of adjustment, overloaded, poorly maintained, or used improperly, and each of those points back to the driver, the carrier, or a maintenance provider. A preserved truck and its records can show which.
How long do trucking companies keep their records?
Federal rules require hours-of-service records to be kept for only six months, and dash-cam footage is often overwritten much sooner. A preservation letter from a lawyer stops that clock.
Should I talk to the trucking company’s insurance adjuster?
No. You are not required to give a recorded statement or sign a medical release, and both are used to reduce or deny claims. Refer them to your attorney.
Which court handles a Lakewood truck accident lawsuit?
The 1st Judicial District at the Jefferson County Courthouse in Golden, unless the trucking company moves the case to federal court in Denver.
How long do I have to file a truck accident lawsuit in Colorado?
Three years from the crash for injury claims, two years for wrongful death, and only 182 days to give notice if a government vehicle was involved.
What if it was an Amazon, FedEx, or UPS delivery van?
Delivery companies often use contractors to distance themselves from liability. Who is responsible depends on who employed the driver, who owned the vehicle, and how much control the company exercised — questions we investigate from the start.
What does it cost to hire Jordan Law?
Nothing up front. The consultation is free, and we are paid only if we win or settle your case.
Hit by a Truck in Lakewood? Call Today.
The trucking company’s team is already working. Call Jordan Law at (303) 465-8733 or request a free case evaluation.
Related: Lakewood Personal Injury Lawyer · Lakewood Car Accident Lawyer · Denver Truck Accident Lawyer · Littleton Truck Accident Lawyer · Who Can Be Held Liable After a Commercial Truck Crash? · What Is a Truck’s Black Box?
