Car Accident Claims in Colorado
Minimum car insurance in Colorado, whether the state is no-fault, how fault is shared, and the deadline to sue after a crash.
Short answer: A driver in a traffic crash causing injury, serious bodily injury, death, or any property damage must, after stopping and exchanging information, give immediate notice of the crash location and their information to the nearest police authority. C.R.S. §§ 42-4-1606(1), (6), 42-4-1607
| Reporting a crash to police | A driver in a traffic crash causing injury, serious bodily injury, death, or any property damage must, after stopping and exchanging information, give immediate notice of the crash location and their information to the nearest police authority. If police direct it, the driver must return to and stay at the scene until officers finish their investigation. If the driver is physically unable, another capable occupant must give the notice. Violations are a class 2 misdemeanor traffic offense. Source is the official Colorado Revised Statutes 2024 PDF for Title 42 (the 2025 edition was not available at the expected address). Officers need not investigate or report a motor vehicle crash with no injury or death if damage to any one person's property appears not to exceed $1,000, unless a participant asks or someone cannot show proof of insurance (§ 42-4-1606(4)(b)). |
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| Crash report to the DMV | Colorado's former requirement for drivers to file their own written crash report (C.R.S. § 42-4-1606(2)) was repealed in 2004. Law enforcement officers who are notified of or investigate a crash submit reports to the Department of Revenue on its form, including drivers' insurance information, within 5 days. The department may still require a driver in a reportable crash to file a supplemental report if the original is insufficient. Source is the 2024 C.R.S. Title 42 PDF; sections appear around pages for Part 16 of Article 4. |
| Leaving the scene (hit and run) | A driver directly involved in a crash causing injury, serious bodily injury, or death must stop at or return to the scene and stay until giving name, address and registration number, showing a license on request, and, where practical, giving reasonable help to the injured, including arranging transport for medical care. In a damage-only crash with an attended vehicle, the driver must stop and exchange the same information; on a divided highway, drivable vehicles should be moved off the traveled lanes to a safe spot first. For an unattended vehicle or property, the driver must find the owner or leave a note, and report the crash. Leaving the scene of an injury crash is a class 1 misdemeanor traffic offense; with serious bodily injury, a class 4 felony; with a death, a class 3 felony; the license is revoked on conviction. Leaving a damage-only crash or an unattended vehicle is a class 2 misdemeanor traffic offense. Leaving the scene only to report the crash to police after meeting the stop-and-information duties is not an offense (§ 42-4-1601(1.5)). 'Injury' includes physical pain, illness, or any impairment of physical or mental condition. |
| Minimum car insurance | Required liability coverage is at least $25,000 for injury or death of one person, $50,000 for all persons in one accident, and $15,000 for property damage (25/50/15). Source: Colo. Rev. Stat. § 10-4-620 |
| Fault rule (comparative negligence) | Modified comparative negligence (50% bar). An injured person can recover if his or her negligence was not as great as the negligence of the person being sued; damages are reduced by the injured person's percentage of fault. If the injured person's share is equal to or greater than the defendant's, the court enters judgment for the defendant. Each defendant generally pays only its own percentage of fault. |
| Deadline to sue for an injury | Most tort lawsuits, including negligence claims for personal injury, must be filed within two years after the claim accrues. Injury and property-damage claims arising from the use or operation of a motor vehicle have three years. Assault, battery, false imprisonment, libel and slander have one year. |
| Deadline to sue for property damage | Property damage from a car accident (a tort arising from use or operation of a motor vehicle) must be filed within three years, as must actions for taking, detaining or converting personal property. Other tort claims for property damage, such as negligence or trespass not involving a motor vehicle, have two years. |
More Colorado personal injury & wrongful death
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- Wrongful Death Lawsuits in Colorado
- Medical Malpractice Rules in Colorado
- Dog Bite Liability in Colorado
- Slip, Trip and Fall Injuries in Colorado
- Sidewalk and Public Property Falls in Colorado
- Motorcycle Accident Claims in Colorado
- Pedestrian Accident Claims in Colorado
- Bicycle Accident Claims in Colorado
- Uber and Lyft Accident Claims in Colorado
- Truck Accident Claims in Colorado
- Construction Site Injuries in Colorado
- All Colorado personal injury & wrongful death rules
FAQ
When do you have to report a car accident to the police in Colorado?
A driver in a traffic crash causing injury, serious bodily injury, death, or any property damage must, after stopping and exchanging information, give immediate notice of the crash location and their information to the nearest police authority. If police direct it, the driver must return to and stay at the scene until officers finish their investigation. If the driver is physically unable, another capable occupant must give the notice. Violations are a class 2 misdemeanor traffic offense.
Do you have to report a car accident to the DMV in Colorado?
Colorado's former requirement for drivers to file their own written crash report (C.R.S. § 42-4-1606(2)) was repealed in 2004. Law enforcement officers who are notified of or investigate a crash submit reports to the Department of Revenue on its form, including drivers' insurance information, within 5 days. The department may still require a driver in a reportable crash to file a supplemental report if the original is insufficient.
What are your duties after a car accident in Colorado?
A driver directly involved in a crash causing injury, serious bodily injury, or death must stop at or return to the scene and stay until giving name, address and registration number, showing a license on request, and, where practical, giving reasonable help to the injured, including arranging transport for medical care. In a damage-only crash with an attended vehicle, the driver must stop and exchange the same information; on a divided highway, drivable vehicles should be moved off the traveled lanes to a safe spot first. For an unattended vehicle or property, the driver must find the owner or leave a note, and report the crash. Leaving the scene of an injury crash is a class 1 misdemeanor traffic offense; with serious bodily injury, a class 4 felony; with a death, a class 3 felony; the license is revoked on conviction. Leaving a damage-only crash or an unattended vehicle is a class 2 misdemeanor traffic offense.
What is the minimum car insurance required in Colorado?
Required liability coverage is at least $25,000 for injury or death of one person, $50,000 for all persons in one accident, and $15,000 for property damage (25/50/15).
Can you recover damages if you were partly at fault in Colorado?
Modified comparative negligence (50% bar). An injured person can recover if his or her negligence was not as great as the negligence of the person being sued; damages are reduced by the injured person's percentage of fault. If the injured person's share is equal to or greater than the defendant's, the court enters judgment for the defendant. Each defendant generally pays only its own percentage of fault.
What is the statute of limitations for personal injury in Colorado?
Most tort lawsuits, including negligence claims for personal injury, must be filed within two years after the claim accrues. Injury and property-damage claims arising from the use or operation of a motor vehicle have three years. Assault, battery, false imprisonment, libel and slander have one year.
How long do you have to sue for property damage in Colorado?
Property damage from a car accident (a tort arising from use or operation of a motor vehicle) must be filed within three years, as must actions for taking, detaining or converting personal property. Other tort claims for property damage, such as negligence or trespass not involving a motor vehicle, have two years.
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.