Denver Hit and Run Attorney — Bodily Injury (Misdemeanor)

C.R.S. 42-4-1601(1)

Leaving the scene of a crash involving bodily injury is a Class 1 misdemeanor traffic offense in Colorado — one of the highest misdemeanor levels. Even if injuries are minor, prosecutors and judges take these cases seriously because someone was hurt.

As a Denver Hit and Run Attorney, I defend drivers in these high-stakes cases and work to protect your license, record, and future.

🚨 Understanding Hit-and-Run Injury Charges in Colorado

When bodily injury occurs, the law requires more than just “stopping.” It requires staying, assisting, and exchanging specific identifying information — and reporting the accident to law enforcement.

The charge becomes:

➡️ Hit and Run – Bodily Injury

Class 1 Misdemeanor Traffic Offense

Punishable by:

• 10 days to 1 year in jail
• $300–$1,000 fines
• 12 DMV points (often = license suspension)

You need a defense strategy before speaking to investigators.

✅ What Colorado Law Requires

C.R.S. 42-4-1601 + 42-4-1603 + 42-4-1606

If you are involved in a crash that causes any bodily injury, the law requires that you:

1. Stop at the scene (or as close as safely possible).

C.R.S. 42-4-1601(1)

2. Remain at the scene

until the required duties are completed.

3. Perform all duties under C.R.S. 42-4-1603(1):

• Give your name, address, and vehicle registration number
• Show your driver’s license upon request
• Render reasonable assistance, including arranging transportation for medical care if needed or requested

If no injured person can receive your information and no police officer is on scene:

➤ Under C.R.S. 42-4-1603(2), you must report the crash to law enforcement and provide your identifying information.

And separately:

➤ Under C.R.S. 42-4-1606, the driver must report the accident to law enforcement.

This duty does not disappear just because someone else called 911 or police are already responding.

Colorado places the duty to report on the driver.

You can comply with the law without making statements about fault, intoxication, or why you left.

You have:

• a legal duty to stop, remain, provide information, and report, and
• a constitutional right not to incriminate yourself.

Both can be honored without volunteering information.

🚓 How Hit-and-Run Investigations Actually Start

Hit-and-run investigations often begin before charges are filed, through:

• License plate reader data
• Surveillance / parking garage video
• Insurance claim activity
• A letter from the Denver Traffic Investigations Unit requesting a vehicle inspection
• Police visits to home / calls / texts

Do not give statements, authorize inspection of your vehicle, or write an apology text to the other driver before speaking to a lawyer.

As a Denver Hit and Run Attorney, my first goal is preventing the case from turning into a felony or a warrant.

✅ My Role in Pre-Charge Intervention

I take control of the narrative before detectives do.

• I communicate with investigators so you don’t have to
• I coordinate surrender (if necessary) — no surprises, no home visit
• I protect your constitutional rights while you meet your legal obligations

Quiet → Controlled → Strategic

⚖️ What the Prosecution Must Prove

To convict, the state must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that you:

1. Were the driver of a vehicle
2. Were involved in an accident that caused bodily injury
3. Failed to comply with statutory duties

A defense strategy often revolves around weakening one or more elements:

Defense angles I explore:

• Identity
  • Can they prove who was driving?
• Causation
  • Did your vehicle actually cause the injury?
• Procedural errors
  • Illegal search? Unlawful seizure of the vehicle?
• Evidentiary weaknesses
  • Conflicting witness statements
  • No medical documentation of injury

A single point of failure in the state’s evidence can mean leverage — or dismissal.

📉 Collateral Consequences (Beyond Court)

A conviction can create consequences you don’t see coming:

• 12 DMV points → often = automatic suspension
• Restitution (medical bills, deductible, lost wages)
• Insurance consequences (policy cancellation or SR-22)
• Permanent criminal traffic conviction

Your defense begins long before the first court date.

👤 Why Experience Matters

Hit-and-run injury cases are emotional and pressured — officers and victims want answers now.

With over 20 years defending DUI and traffic-related criminal cases, I know how these cases are built and how to dismantle them.

When you hire me as your Denver Hit and Run Attorney, you speak directly with me.

Not a case manager. Not an associate you’ve never met.

📞 Call Me Today

If you’re being investigated — or already charged — timing matters.

Call Denver Hit and Run Attorney Monte Robbins today:

303-355-5148

Free and confidential.

You speak directly with me, not a screener.