In Colorado’s personal injury legal landscape, the phrase “the strong arm lawyer colorado” has become synonymous with Franklin D. Azar and the firm he founded, Franklin D. Azar & Associates, P.C. Operating under the registered trademark The Strong Arm®, the firm has represented plaintiffs in car accidents, truck collisions, product liability disputes, and class actions for nearly four decades. This article examines the firm’s background, its role within Colorado’s established legal frameworks, and the practical impact of personal injury representation on injured individuals and families.
Background of Franklin D. Azar
Franklin D. Azar was born in 1957 in Pueblo, Colorado, and raised in Trinidad. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree, cum laude and with Phi Beta Kappa honors, from the University of Colorado in 1979. In 1982 he received his Juris Doctor from the University of Denver College of Law. Before entering private practice, Azar served as an assistant district attorney for the Third Judicial District in southern Colorado, becoming the youngest attorney appointed to that position at the time.
In 1987 Azar established Franklin D. Azar & Associates, P.C., with the stated goal of advocating for individuals injured through the negligence of others. He has maintained active bar admissions in Colorado and Texas, as well as before the United States District Courts for the District of Colorado, the Northern and Southern Districts of Texas, and the Northern District of California, along with the Tenth and Ninth Circuit Courts of Appeals. Azar holds membership in the Colorado Bar Association, the Colorado Trial Lawyers Association, the Texas Trial Lawyers Association, the Minnesota Trial Lawyers Association, and the American Association for Justice.
Growth and Structure of Franklin D. Azar & Associates
Since its founding, the firm has expanded into the largest plaintiff-centered personal injury practice in Colorado. It maintains offices in Aurora (headquarters), Boulder, Colorado Springs, Denver, Fort Collins, Glenwood Springs, Greeley, Grand Junction, Lakewood, Littleton, Longmont, Pueblo, and Thornton. The firm reports having represented more than 50,000 clients and having recovered more than $2.3 billion in verdicts and settlements across personal injury, class action, and mass tort matters.
The firm’s practice encompasses motor vehicle accidents (including car, truck, motorcycle, pedestrian, and rideshare cases), product liability, insurance bad faith claims, wage-and-hour class actions, and multidistrict litigation involving defective medical devices and pharmaceuticals. Its attorneys have served as class counsel in more than twenty employment-related class actions and have participated in national multidistrict litigations, including appointment to the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee in litigation concerning DePuy Pinnacle hip implants.
Colorado Personal Injury Law: Core Principles and Procedures
Colorado law governs personal injury claims through statutes and judicial precedents that balance the rights of injured parties against principles of fault allocation and timely filing. The state follows a modified comparative negligence rule codified at Colorado Revised Statutes (C.R.S.) § 13-21-111. Under this framework, a plaintiff may recover damages if his or her percentage of fault is less than 50 percent. Any award is then reduced by the plaintiff’s proportionate share of fault. If the plaintiff is found 50 percent or more at fault, recovery is barred entirely. This rule requires courts and juries to apportion fault among all parties based on evidence presented during litigation.
The statute of limitations also plays a critical role. Most negligence-based personal injury claims must be filed within two years under C.R.S. § 13-80-102. However, actions arising from the use or operation of a motor vehicle for bodily injury or property damage carry a three-year period under C.R.S. § 13-80-101. Failure to file within the applicable period typically results in dismissal of the claim, underscoring the importance of prompt legal consultation after an incident.
Insurance bad faith claims add another layer. Colorado law imposes duties of good faith and fair dealing on insurers, both toward their own policyholders and, in certain circumstances, toward third-party claimants. The Colorado Unfair Claims Settlement Practices Act (C.R.S. § 10-3-1104) prohibits practices such as misrepresenting policy provisions, failing to investigate claims promptly, or attempting to settle for less than reasonably owed without substantial evidence. Violations can support separate statutory or common-law bad faith actions, potentially allowing recovery of attorney fees and, in some cases, punitive damages.
Typical case progression in Colorado courts involves several stages: initial investigation and demand to the at-fault party’s insurer; filing of a complaint in district or county court if settlement is not reached; discovery (exchange of documents, depositions, and expert reports); pretrial motions; and, if necessary, trial before a judge or jury. Many cases resolve through settlement negotiations or mediation, but experienced counsel must prepare every matter for trial to maintain leverage during those discussions.
Practice Areas and Representative Matters
Franklin D. Azar & Associates concentrates on cases where insurance companies or corporate defendants allegedly deny, delay, or undervalue legitimate claims. Motor vehicle collisions remain the firm’s primary focus, reflecting the high volume of such incidents reported annually to the Colorado Department of Transportation. The firm also litigates product liability claims involving allegedly defective consumer goods, vehicles, or medical devices.
Class action and mass tort work has produced some of the firm’s most widely reported results. Beginning in the mid-1990s, the firm filed wage-and-hour lawsuits against Walmart on behalf of Colorado employees. These actions expanded to twenty-six states and yielded jury verdicts or settlements totaling more than $750 million nationwide, including a $50 million Colorado settlement in 2000, a $172 million California verdict in 2005 (later settled on appeal), and a $78 million Pennsylvania verdict in 2006 that increased to $188 million with interest and fees. The litigation addressed off-the-clock work and missed rest breaks, prompting changes in national retail labor practices.
In product liability, the firm secured an $11.5 million verdict in 2013 in Trinidad, Colorado, against Riddell for a football helmet failure case. The firm has also handled thousands of claims involving pharmaceuticals such as PPA, Fen-Phen, and Rezulin, as well as defective medical devices.
More recently, the firm has participated in multidistrict litigation and has represented individual clients in high-value motor vehicle and bad faith matters. Publicly reported examples include multimillion-dollar verdicts or settlements in head-on collision, motorcycle, and trucking cases. These outcomes illustrate how experienced plaintiff firms navigate Colorado’s fault-allocation rules, damage caps (non-economic damages currently capped at $1.5 million for cases filed on or after January 1, 2025, subject to statutory adjustments), and insurance defense strategies.
The Practical Impact on Injured Individuals
For many Coloradans, an injury from a car accident or defective product creates immediate medical expenses, lost wages, and long-term uncertainty. Insurance adjusters often begin claims adjustment by assessing comparative fault, requesting medical records, and offering settlements that may not fully account for future needs. Legal representation at this stage allows for independent investigation, retention of accident reconstruction experts and medical specialists, and structured negotiations grounded in Colorado’s evidentiary standards.
Firms like Franklin D. Azar & Associates operate on a contingency-fee basis in most personal injury matters, meaning clients pay no attorney fees unless recovery is obtained. This arrangement aligns incentives but requires clear fee agreements compliant with Colorado Rules of Professional Conduct. Clients retain control over settlement decisions, while counsel handles procedural requirements, discovery deadlines, and trial preparation.
Conclusion
Franklin D. Azar & Associates, operating as The Strong Arm®, has participated in Colorado’s personal injury system for more than thirty-five years. The firm’s history reflects broader trends in plaintiff advocacy: aggressive investigation, preparation for trial, and pursuit of accountability from insurers and corporate defendants. Colorado’s modified comparative negligence statute, statutes of limitation, and bad faith protections provide the legal structure within which such representation occurs.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Individuals who have suffered injuries should consult a licensed attorney to evaluate their specific circumstances and applicable deadlines. Court decisions and statutes may change, and outcomes depend on the unique facts of each case.
You may also like: Navy Federal EFTA Settlement 2026: Payout Dates & Eligibility