Colorado car accident statute of limitations: three years for crashes
The Colorado car accident statute of limitations gives you three years. Call free to check your date.
Colorado sets aside a special three-year deadline for motor vehicle crashes. Most other injury claims in the state get only two. The three years cover both bodily injury and vehicle damage, under C.R.S. 13-80-101(1)(n). A death claim is the exception, with two years.
The deadlines in Colorado
| What | Time limit | Law |
|---|---|---|
| Injury lawsuit | Three years | C.R.S. 13-80-101(1)(n) |
| Car or property damage lawsuit | Three years | C.R.S. 13-80-101(1)(n) |
| Shared fault | Barred at 50 percent or more | C.R.S. 13-21-111 |
| Minimum liability cover | $25,000 / $50,000 / $15,000 | Colorado Division of Insurance |
| Notice to a public entity | 182 days | C.R.S. 24-10-109 |
| Wrongful death lawsuit | Two years | C.R.S. 13-80-102(1)(d) |
Colorado claims with a shorter fuse
Two crash claims do not get the full three years. A family suing over a death has two years, because wrongful death sits in the two-year list of section 13-80-102.
Crashes with a public vehicle are tighter still. Under the Colorado Governmental Immunity Act, written notice must be filed within 182 days of finding the injury, per section 24-10-109. Miss it and the claim is barred for good. Claims against the state go to the attorney general.
How Colorado splits the blame
Colorado lets you recover only if your negligence was not as great as the other side’s. In plain terms, 49 percent at fault still collects, cut by 49 percent. At 50 percent, you get nothing, under section 13-21-111.
The jury sets the percentages in a special verdict, so an early admission can tip a close case.
Coverage that pays after a Colorado crash
Colorado is an at-fault state. Drivers must carry at least $25,000 per person, $50,000 per crash and $15,000 for property, according to the Colorado Division of Insurance.
Two of your own coverages may help. Policies include $5,000 of medical payments cover unless you reject it and it pays regardless of fault. Uninsured and underinsured motorist cover is also included unless you turned it down in writing.
When to call a Colorado car accident lawyer
Call early if a city, county or state vehicle was involved, because 182 days goes fast. For other crashes, three years is real time, but evidence like dash video and witness memory fades first. An attorney can lock that down and file before the deadline. The call is free and the lawyer is paid only if you win.
Other states: Utah, Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, New Mexico or every state on one page.
Colorado car accident statute of limitations questions
How long do I have to sue after a car accident in Colorado?
Three years for injuries and vehicle damage, under C.R.S. 13-80-101. A death claim has two years.
Does Colorado have no-fault insurance?
No. Colorado is an at-fault state. The at-fault driver’s liability insurer pays and your own medical payments cover can handle early bills.
Can I recover if I was half at fault in Colorado?
No. You must be less at fault than the party you sue. At 50 percent, the claim fails.
What if a Colorado city bus hit me?
File a written notice within 182 days. That notice is a strict condition for any later lawsuit.
Before the clock runs out
In Colorado, being found half at fault ends the claim, so how the crash is described matters early. Call before you sign a release and a lawyer will check the offer and your deadline free.
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