Clear, sourced information about what happens after a Colorado crash
One page with every rule we rely on, what it says, where it comes from, and when it was last checked.
| What the rule is | Where it comes from | State |
|---|---|---|
| In Colorado, a claim for injury or property damage arising out of the use or operation of a motor vehicle must be brought within three years. | C.R.S. § 13-80-101(1)(n) | verified 2026-09-11 |
| Most other Colorado personal injury claims carry a two-year deadline, which is why the motor-vehicle rule is the one that matters after a crash. | C.R.S. § 13-80-102 | verified 2026-09-11 |
| A claim against a Colorado public entity requires written notice within 182 days of discovering the injury, delivered by personal service or certified mail; miss it and the claim is barred no matter how strong it is. | C.R.S. § 24-10-109 | verified 2026-09-11 |
| Colorado limits who may bring a wrongful death claim: the surviving spouse, then the decedent’s heirs, meaning lineal descendants rather than parents, with parents able to sue for an unmarried minor who left no descendants. | C.R.S. § 13-21-201 | verified 2026-09-11 |
| In the first year after a death, a Colorado wrongful death claim may be brought by the surviving spouse, by the heirs only on the spouse’s written election, or, where there is no spouse, by the heirs or a designated beneficiary. In the second year the spouse, the heirs, or both together may bring it. | C.R.S. § 13-21-201(1) | verified 2026-09-14 |
| Colorado reduces damages in proportion to the injured person’s share of fault, and bars recovery altogether once that share is as great as the fault of the person being sued — half the blame, where there is a single defendant. | C.R.S. § 13-21-111 | verified 2026-09-14 |
| Not wearing a seat belt cannot be used to blame you for the crash in Colorado; it can only reduce noneconomic damages, and not damages for physical impairment or disfigurement. | C.R.S. § 42-4-237(7) | verified 2026-09-11 |
| For civil actions filed on or after 1 January 2025, Colorado’s cap on noneconomic damages rose to $1,500,000, and the wrongful death cap to $2,125,000, with inflation adjustments every two years from 2028. | HB24-1472, amending C.R.S. § 13-21-102.5 | verified 2026-09-11 |
| Every Colorado driver must carry at least $25,000 of bodily injury liability cover per person, $50,000 per crash, and $15,000 for property damage. | Colorado Division of Insurance, auto insurance requirements | verified 2026-09-11 |
| Uninsured and underinsured motorist cover is added to every Colorado policy automatically, matched to your liability limits, unless you reject it in writing. | C.R.S. § 10-4-609 | verified 2026-09-11 |
| Medical payments cover of $5,000 is included in a Colorado policy unless you turn it down, and it pays your early treatment regardless of who caused the crash. | C.R.S. § 10-4-635 | verified 2026-09-11 |
| Colorado settles crash claims on fault rather than no-fault: compulsory liability cover took effect on 1 July 2003, and the driver responsible for the crash pays. | Ch. 234, Session Laws of Colorado 2003 | verified 2026-09-11 |
| Colorado requires a helmet only for motorcycle riders and passengers under 18, but requires eye protection for every rider regardless of age. | Colorado Department of Transportation, motorcycle laws | verified 2026-09-11 |
| Colorado has no statute equivalent to the seat belt rule for motorcycle helmets, so whether helmet non-use can reduce damages is not settled by statute. | No Colorado statute located | needs review |
| A driver overtaking a person on a bicycle in Colorado must leave at least three feet of clearance, and must slow down and wait when three feet is not available. | Colorado Department of Transportation, bicycling rules | verified 2026-09-11 |
| Colorado State Patrol says crashes must be reported immediately to the agency with jurisdiction. | Colorado State Patrol, crash information | needs review |
| Colorado recorded 701 traffic deaths in 2025 on preliminary figures, up from 689 the year before. | Colorado Department of Transportation, January 2026 | verified 2026-09-11 |
Colorado does not publish freely readable statute text: the state’s own search tool sits behind a commercial database. Where we could confirm a rule on an official Colorado source — the General Assembly, the Judicial Branch, the Division of Insurance, the Department of Transportation, the State Controller — the statement carries a verification date. Where we could not, it carries a review flag instead.
A review flag does not mean the rule is wrong. It means we have not seen it on an official page ourselves, and you should not rely on it without an attorney confirming it.
A few questions about what happened, and you get the guidance that matches it. Free, no obligation, and you can stop at any point.