Head-On Truck Collisions

A head-on collision with a commercial truck is one of the most violent, life changing events a person can survive. The forces involved are enormous. The injuries can be catastrophic or fatal. If you or a loved one were struck by a tractor trailer head-on in Colorado you need clear answers, careful preservation of evidence, and aggressive legal representation that understands both the human cost and the complicated law that governs commercial carriers and the drivers who operate their rigs. 

At Cook Bradford & Levy, our Colorado truck accident attorneys have extensive experience holding negligent trucking companies and drivers accountable. We know how to uncover the truth, work with top experts to reconstruct collisions, and pursue full compensation for medical expenses, lost income, and the lifelong impact of a serious crash. Our firm is dedicated to giving every client the personal attention and relentless advocacy they deserve.

What Makes Head-on Truck Collisions Different?

Head-on truck collisions are different from ordinary car crashes in several ways. Trucks can weigh up to 80,000 pounds when fully loaded. That mass turns an impact into a crushing event. The height and structure of a truck can cause unusual loading on a passenger vehicle, producing intrusion, rollover, and blunt force trauma that is more severe than in many car to car crashes. The sheer size of many trucks increases the risk that occupants of a smaller vehicle will suffer catastrophic injury, permanent disability, or death.

Beyond the physics, commercial truck wrecks involve a web of potential responsible parties. In addition to the truck driver, liability can fall on the trucking company, the vehicle owner, a maintenance provider, a freight broker, a shipper, or a parts manufacturer. Federal regulations and company policies about hours of service, vehicle maintenance, cargo loading, and driver qualification often play a central role in proving fault. Cook Bradford & Levy has a focused practice representing people hurt by large trucks, and our lawyers have recovered high six figure and multi million dollar results for clients in similar cases.

Common Causes of Head-on Truck Collisions

Many head-on collisions with trucks are not the result of a single mistake. They are the product of overlapping failures. Typical causes include:

Driver fatigue or impaired alertness

Long runs, skimped rest, and pressure to meet schedules can lead drivers to exceed hours of service rules or to drive while dangerously fatigued. Federal hours of service regulations set limits on how long property-carrying drivers may drive and how much rest they must receive. Violations of those rules are often strong evidence of negligence and sometimes negligence per se.

Speeding and loss of control

Excessive speed on curves or in poor conditions increases the chance a truck will drift into the oncoming lane.

Improper lane changes or passing

A wide truck may require more room to change lanes. Misjudged passing maneuvers or blind spot errors can produce a head-on impact.

Mechanical failure or maintenance lapses

Brake failure, steering defects, or poorly maintained tires may make it impossible for a driver to avoid an imminent crash. Maintenance and inspection records are critical evidence in these cases.

Improper loading or cargo shift

A load that was not secured or that is overloaded can make a vehicle unstable and prone to crossing into opposing lanes.

Distracted or impaired driving

Cell phone use, navigation distractions, substance impairment, and other forms of inattention continue to cause serious commercial vehicle collisions.

Colorado Law You Need to Understand

Colorado tort law controls both fault and compensation in head-on truck collisions. Below are the legal principles and specific authorities that commonly determine the outcome in these cases.

Negligence and its elements

A truck crash victim must prove negligence by showing duty, breach, causation, and damages. Colorado courts require proof that the defendant owed a legal duty of care, breached that duty by acting or failing to act reasonably, and that the breach was a proximate cause of injury. The Colorado Judicial Branch civil jury instruction set and published opinions explain those basics and supply the instructions juries use.

Negligence per se and regulatory violations

When a truck driver or carrier violates a statute or a safety regulation that is designed to protect the class of people injured by the violation, Colorado law often treats that violation as negligence per se. Federal motor carrier rules, including the hours of service regulations, are frequently central to trucking cases. Showing that a driver violated these federal rules can create a straightforward path to liability by establishing that the defendant failed to follow standards intended to prevent collisions.

Comparative fault and damage reduction

Colorado uses a modified comparative fault regime. That means the fact finder assigns percentages of fault among the parties and adjusts damages in proportion to each party’s share. If a plaintiff is 50 percent or more at fault they generally cannot recover. For anyone seriously injured in a head-on truck collision it is crucial to minimize any alleged fault the defense tries to assign you. The statutory scheme controlling comparative negligence in Colorado sets out how damages get apportioned.

Employer liability and direct claims against carriers

A central practical question in truck cases is whether the trucking company itself can be held responsible for the crash. Historically Colorado cases sometimes limited direct negligence claims against employers when the employer acknowledged vicarious liability. That changed in recent years both through court rulings and by legislative action. Plaintiffs can now assert direct negligence theories such as negligent hiring, negligent supervision, negligent retention, negligent entrustment, and negligent maintenance in addition to vicarious liability claims against employers and principals. The Colorado General Assembly enacted HB21-1188 to clarify that a plaintiff’s direct negligence claims against an employer are not barred solely because the employer admits respondeat superior liability. This reform restored plaintiffs’ ability to pursue discoverable evidence about a carrier’s hiring, training, and safety practices.

Negligent entrustment, supervision, and hiring

Colorado recognizes negligent entrustment as a cause of action. Under state precedent a party who supplies a vehicle may be liable if it entrusts that vehicle to someone it knows or should know is unfit and the vehicle is used in a way creating an unreasonable risk of harm. The doctrine also informs negligent hiring and supervision claims against carriers who put unqualified or unsafe drivers behind the wheel. Case law of the Colorado Supreme Court explains these principles and the proof needed to succeed.

Example cases you should know

Several controlling opinions and statutory provisions are commonly cited in truck cases in Colorado. A short list includes cases that define negligent entrustment and employer liability, and the legislative reforms that affect discovery and direct claim pleading:

• Casebolt v. Cowan confirmed that negligent entrustment is part of Colorado law and described the elements plaintiffs must prove to pursue that theory.
  
• Ferrer v. Okbamicael was a Colorado Supreme Court decision that for a time limited certain direct negligence claims against employers when the employer admitted vicarious liability. The legislature later enacted HB21-1188 to change the statutory landscape so plaintiffs may pursue direct claims alongside respondeat superior theories. Understanding Ferrer and the statutory response is essential when building claims against trucking companies and their insurers.
  
• Colorado appellate and supreme court authorities on jury instructions, new trials, and the allocation of fault appear in recent opinions such as Rains v. Barber and related instruction materials. These authorities help define how juries are instructed about comparative negligence, causation, and damages.

How We Prove Fault in Head-on Truck Collisions

Building a winning case requires more than a promise. It requires immediate evidence preservation and a targeted investigation. Typical steps include:

1. Preserving the scene and records. We arrange for early preservation of trucking company logs, electronic logging device records, driver qualification files, vehicle maintenance records, inspection and repair histories, load manifests, shipment instructions, GPS and telematics data, camera footage, and the truck’s onboard data recorder when available.
   
2. Accident reconstruction. Experienced reconstructionists recreate the crash dynamics, speeds, and the likely sequence of events. Their work shows how the collision happened and whether driver actions or equipment failure caused the truck to cross the centerline.
   
3. Expert review. We retain highway safety experts, human factors specialists, mechanics, and medical experts to explain how the crash and injuries are linked to the defendant’s negligence.
   
4. Regulatory and discoverable evidence. Federal regulations, carrier manuals, and other documentary evidence often show that a carrier failed to follow minimum safety standards. That evidence can be decisive. When the carrier has conceded vicarious liability discovery into hiring, training, and maintenance remains available under Colorado law.

Damages You Can Recover

If you prevail you may recover economic losses and non economic losses. Economic losses include medical bills, rehabilitation, lost income, future medical costs, and other out of pocket expenses. Non economic losses include pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, emotional distress, and disability. In catastrophic collision cases future care, lifetime lost earnings, and ongoing personal assistance may be major components of a claim. A careful valuation that uses life care planning and vocational experts is often required to capture the full value of catastrophic harms.

What You Should Do After a Head-on Truck Collision

Acting quickly preserves rights and evidence. The steps below are practical priorities:

1. Seek medical attention immediately. Document everything and follow doctors’ recommendations.
   
2. Preserve evidence. Keep any clothing, electronics, or items from the crash. If your phone recorded anything, do not delete records.
   
3. Get the police report. Obtain the crash report number and the investigating officer’s contact information.
   
4. Avoid recorded statements to insurers without legal counsel. Insurers seek early statements to limit or deny claims.
   
5. Contact an experienced truck collision attorney right away. There are short filing deadlines and substantial investigative evidence that can disappear fast.

Taking these practical steps helps protect your claim and your chance for full recovery.

How Cook Bradford & Levy Can Help

Cook Bradford & Levy focuses on serious injury and trucking cases. Our attorneys bring jury trial experience and the resources needed to pursue large claims against trucking companies and insurers. Brian Bradford has practiced in Colorado courts and brings trial trained experience and litigation depth to each case. Jason Levy is a trial lawyer who handles complex personal injury litigation and has significant trial experience as well. Both partners work directly with clients and with credentialed experts to develop claims that fairly value catastrophic harms.

We will:

• Conduct an immediate, trained investigation into the crash scene and the truck company’s records.
  
• Work with reconstructionists and safety experts to prove cause and liability.
  
• Handle all communication with insurers and opposing counsel, protecting your legal position.
  
• Pursue full damages through negotiation or trial when insurers refuse to pay what your case is worth.

Our truck practice has resulted in substantial settlements and verdicts in the past, including seven figure recoveries in truck cases. We handle cases on a contingency fee basis so you pay no attorney fees unless we obtain compensation for you.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long do I have to file a lawsuit for a truck collision in Colorado?

The usual limitation period for personal injury claims in Colorado is three years from the date of the injury. There are exceptions for claims against government entities and some other special rules. You should contact an attorney as soon as possible to make sure your claim is preserved and timely.

Can the trucking company be held responsible even if the driver was an independent contractor?

Potentially yes. Modern litigation examines the degree of control the carrier exercised, contract terms, and regulatory compliance. Recent statutory and case law developments also permit direct negligence claims aimed at carrier safety practices that may not depend on the classic employee-employer label. Early investigation into contracts, billing, dispatch practices, and vehicle ownership is essential.

What if the crash was partly my fault?

Colorado applies modified comparative fault. If you share fault your recovery will be reduced by your percentage of fault. If you are 50 percent or more at fault you ordinarily will not recover under Colorado law. Accurate, persuasive proof is often decisive in keeping a plaintiff’s assigned percentage well below that threshold.

Talk With Us About Your Case

If you or a family member suffered injury in a head-on collision with a commercial truck call Cook Bradford & Levy for a free consultation. We will evaluate your case, preserve evidence, and explain your legal options. 

We handle trucking cases throughout Colorado including Boulder, Lafayette, Longmont, Denver, Fort Collins and the Front Range, and we take cases on a contingency fee basis so you do not pay attorney fees unless we win compensation for you. Contact us to schedule a free, confidential review.