After a wrongful death in Colorado, important things to do include contacting an attorney and understanding who is allowed to file a wrongful death claim. Colorado law may give your family members the right to pursue legal action.
Losing a loved one due to someone else’s carelessness is incredibly hard. Grieving makes it difficult to gather evidence and find who is responsible. An attorney can help your family with each step while you focus on healing.
Our wrongful death lawyers in Colorado Springs have recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for accident victims and their families. We understand what you and your loved ones are going through, and we’re here to help. Call today to schedule your free consultation.
1. Find Out Who Can File a Wrongful Death Claim in Colorado
In Colorado, only certain people can file a claim after someone dies. During the first year, only the surviving spouse can file. If there is no spouse, or if the spouse allows it in writing, adult children can also file after the first year.
Parents of an unmarried adult child may file if there is no surviving spouse or child. The law creates a hierarchy, and knowing specific family members stand in that hierarchy is one of the first things to determine.
Sometimes, the family member most capable of managing a wrongful death claim has no right to bring one. Our legal team helps families coordinate their strategy and seek justice when a loved one passes away due to the negligence of another person.
For a free legal consultation, call (719) 520-99092. Request the Death Certificate and Official Reports
The death certificate is an important document in any wrongful death case. You need it to support your claim, and it often includes details about the cause of death that relate to liability.
If someone died in a car accident or due to a crime, there may be a police report attached to the incident. This document shares what investigators initially found.
Getting records early can help you avoid delays later on. Some reports take time to process, and waiting until you need them urgently can slow down your entire case. A skilled attorney can help speed up this process.
3. Consult with a Wrongful Death Attorney
Families often do not realize the true value of a wrongful death claim. The financial support that the deceased provided, the loss of years of support, and the emotional toll on family members all play a role in determining the claim’s worth.
Valuing a claim accurately requires more than adding up bills. Economists, life care planners, and other experts are sometimes needed to project future losses and present them in a way that holds up in court or at the negotiating table.
An attorney who handles wrongful death cases regularly will know which experts to involve and how to present the full scope of your family’s loss. That preparation directly affects what your family recovers.
Click to contact our personal injury lawyers today4. Limit Contact With Insurance Companies
Once you have legal representation, all communication goes through your attorney. That removes the pressure from your family and ensures that nothing is said or signed that could hurt.
Insurance adjusters often reach out to surviving family members quickly after a fatal accident. They may seem sympathetic, but their goal is to resolve the claim for as little money as possible. Anything you say can be used to minimize or deny the claim.
You are not required to speak with the other party’s insurance company. Politely declining and directing them to your attorney is entirely appropriate and often the smartest move you can make.
Complete a Free Case Evaluation form now5. Gather and Preserve Evidence
Following a fatal accident, crucial evidence may be lost. Surveillance footage might get overwritten, and witnesses may move away. Physical evidence at the scene could be cleaned up or tampered with.
Your attorney can send preservation letters to businesses, employers, or other parties who may hold relevant records. This makes them aware that evidence must be kept.
You can help by saving any communications, photographs, or documents you already have. If you received any paperwork from a hospital, police department, or insurance company, hold onto all of it and bring it to your first meeting with an attorney.
Let Us Help After a Wrongful Death
After a wrongful death in Colorado, it is often smart to contact an attorney as soon as possible. Preserve evidence and request important documents that you will need for your case. Your lawyer can provide important guidance during this difficult time.
The period after a wrongful death is one of the hardest things a family can go through. You are managing grief and a legal process that most people have never encountered before. The decisions you make in the early weeks can have a lasting impact on your family‘s future.
At Heuser & Heuser, LLP, we understand what is at stake. We work with families in Colorado to investigate wrongful death claims, identify every responsible party, and pursue the full compensation the law allows. Call now for your free consultation.
Reviewed by Attorney Brennan Heuser August 2026
Call or text (719) 520-9909 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form