Colorado car accident laws

The rules in one table

Deadlines can be shorter or longer for minors, for injuries found later, and for claims against a government. A lawyer licensed in Colorado can tell you the date that applies to you.

Next steps after a Colorado crash

Questions

Sources

1. Deadline to sue for an injury (Colo. Rev. Stat. § 13-80-101(1)(n)(I)): colorado.public.law/statutes/crs_13-80-101

   (1) The following civil actions, regardless of the theory upon which suit is brought, or against whom suit is brought, shall be commenced within three years after the cause of action accrues, and not thereafter: [...] (I) All tort actions for bodily injury or property damage arising out of the use or operation of a motor vehicle including all actions pursuant to paragraph (j) of this subsection (1).

2. Deadline for vehicle damage (Colo. Rev. Stat. § 13-80-101(1)(n)(I)): colorado.public.law/statutes/crs_13-80-101

   (1) The following civil actions, regardless of the theory upon which suit is brought, or against whom suit is brought, shall be commenced within three years after the cause of action accrues, and not thereafter: [...] (I) All tort actions for bodily injury or property damage arising out of the use or operation of a motor vehicle including all actions pursuant to paragraph (j) of this subsection (1).

3. Deadline for a wrongful death claim (Colo. Rev. Stat. § 13-80-102(1)(d)): colorado.public.law/statutes/crs_13-80-102

   (1) The following civil actions, regardless of the theory upon which suit is brought, or against whom suit is brought, must be commenced within two years after the cause of action accrues, and not thereafter: [...] (d) All actions for wrongful death, except as described in subsection (2) of this section;

4. Claims against a government body (Colo. Rev. Stat. § 24-10-109(1)): colorado.public.law/statutes/crs_24-10-109

   (1) Any person claiming to have suffered an injury by a public entity or by an employee thereof while in the course of such employment, whether or not by a willful and wanton act or omission, shall file a written notice as provided in this section within one hundred eighty-two days after the date of the discovery of the injury, regardless of whether the person then knew all of the elements of a claim or of a cause of action for such injury. Compliance with the provisions of this section shall be a jurisdictional prerequisite to any action brought under the provisions of this article, and failu…

5. Insurance system (Triple-I, Background on: No-fault auto insurance): www.iii.org/article/background-on-no-fault-auto-insurance

   Twelve states and Puerto Rico have no-fault auto insurance laws. Florida, Michigan, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania have verbal thresholds. The other seven states—Hawaii, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Dakota and Utah—use a monetary threshold. Three states have a "choice" no-fault law. In New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Kentucky, motorists may reject the lawsuit threshold and retain the right to sue for any auto-related injury.

6. If you were partly at fault (Colo. Rev. Stat. § 13-21-111(1), (3)): colorado.public.law/statutes/crs_13-21-111

   (1) Contributory negligence shall not bar recovery in any action by any person or his legal representative to recover damages for negligence resulting in death or in injury to person or property, if such negligence was not as great as the negligence of the person against whom recovery is sought, but any damages allowed shall be diminished in proportion to the amount of negligence attributable to the person for whose injury, damage, or death recovery is made. [...] but, if the said proportion is equal to or greater than the negligence of the person against whom recovery is sought, then, in such…

7. Minimum liability coverage (Colo. Rev. Stat. § 42-7-103(2)): colorado.public.law/statutes/crs_42-7-103

   (2) "Automobile liability policy" or "bond" means a liability policy or bond subject, if the accident has resulted in bodily injury or death, to a limit, exclusive of interest and costs, of not less than twenty-five thousand dollars because of bodily injury to or death of one person in any one accident and, subject to said limit for one person, to a limit of not less than fifty thousand dollars because of bodily injury to or death of two or more persons in any one accident, and, if the accident has resulted in injury to or destruction of property, to a limit of not less than fifteen thousand d…

8. Dog bites (Colo. Rev. Stat. § 13-21-124(2)): colorado.public.law/statutes/crs_13-21-124

   (2) A person or a personal representative of a person who suffers serious bodily injury or death from being bitten by a dog while lawfully on public or private property shall be entitled to bring a civil action to recover economic damages against the dog owner regardless of the viciousness or dangerous propensities of the dog or the dog owner's knowledge or lack of knowledge of the dog's viciousness or dangerous propensities.

9. Cap on pain-and-suffering damages (Colo. Rev. Stat. § 13-21-102.5(3)(a)(II) as amended by HB24-1472): leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/2024a_1472_signed.pdf

   IN ANY CIVIL ACTION FILED ON OR AFTER JANUARY 1, 2025, AND BEFORE JANUARY 1, 2026, OR ANY CLAIM FOR RELIEF THAT ACCRUES ON OR AFTER JANUARY 1, 2025, OTHER THAN ANY CIVIL ACTION OR BINDING ARBITRATION FOR DAMAGES IN TORT BROUGHT AGAINST A HEALTH-CARE PROFESSIONAL, AS DEFINED IN SECTION 13-64-202 (4), OR A HEALTH-CARE INSTITUTION, AS DEFINED IN SECTION 13-64-202 (3), OR WRONGFUL DEATH ACTION, IN WHICH DAMAGES FOR DERIVATIVE OR DIRECT NONECONOMIC LOSS OR INJURY MAY BE AWARDED, THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF SUCH DAMAGES THAT MAY BE AWARDED MUST NOT EXCEED THE SUM OF ONE MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS…

Read October 2, 2026. Laws and fees change; the linked page is the authority.