Colorado Personal Injury Claims: Deadlines, Fault & What to Do
If you were injured in Colorado, two rules shape your claim more than any others: how long you have to file, and how shared fault is handled. Here is the general picture — and where Colorado differs from other states.
How long you have to file
Colorado generally allows 2 years from the date of injury to file most personal injury lawsuits. That is the general rule — different claim types (medical malpractice, wrongful death, property damage) often carry their own periods, exceptions can pause or shorten the clock, and deadlines change when a government entity is involved.
Claims against a city, county, or the state itself usually require a formal notice filed on a far shorter timeline — often a matter of months. If any government body might be involved in your injury, treat your timeline as urgent.
What if the accident was partly your fault?
Colorado follows modified comparative negligence (50% bar). You can generally recover if you were less than 50% at fault; at 50% or more, recovery is barred. Your award is reduced by your share of blame.
Practically, this means the percentage of fault assigned to you is negotiated, not fixed — and the insurance company’s opening position is a bargaining stance, not a ruling. Do not conclude you have no case before anyone has examined the evidence.
Worth knowing about Colorado
Colorado generally allows three years for motor vehicle claims but two for most other injuries, a distinction that regularly surprises people.
What to do now
- Get medical care and follow through with treatment — gaps in care are the most common way claims lose value
- Preserve evidence: photos, reports, witness contacts, and anything showing how the injury happened
- Be careful with recorded statements to the other side’s insurer
- Confirm your actual deadline with an attorney licensed in Colorado rather than relying on general rules
This is general information, not legal advice. Statutes of limitations and fault rules change, contain exceptions, and depend on the specific facts and claim type. The general rules above were last reviewed as of August 2026 and may not reflect later changes. BoostClaims is a lead generation and advertising service — not a law firm and not your attorney. Confirm every deadline with a licensed Colorado attorney before relying on it.