Colorado Bodily Injury Statute of Limitations

So, it happened. A screech of tires, a sickening jolt, and the world suddenly smells like burnt rubber and deploying airbags. Or maybe it was a slip on a patch of black ice the property owner knew was there, a fall that left you with a sharp, searing pain and a mountain of medical bills.

In the chaotic aftermath, you’re thinking about a thousand things—the ER, your car, your job, your family. The one thing you’re probably not thinking about is an obscure legal deadline.

And that’s exactly what the insurance company is counting on.

Because in Colorado, a cold, indifferent clock starts ticking the second you get hurt. It’s called the Colorado bodily injury statute of limitations, and it’s the expiration date on your right to seek justice. The adjuster on the phone? They know this date down to the minute. They’re watching it on their calendar like a countdown to New Year’s, just waiting for your rights to go poof.

This isn't to scare you—it's to arm you. This is your guide to beating them at their own cynical game.

Your Right to Recovery Has an Expiration Date

Picture this—a classic I-25 fender bender. You’re hurt, you’re disoriented, and within days, the at-fault driver’s insurance adjuster is on the phone. They sound so helpful, so concerned. “Just focus on getting better,” they say. “We’ll take care of everything.”

It’s a lie. A comforting, calculated lie.

They aren’t taking care of anything. They are playing a waiting game—a strategy of attrition designed to run out the clock. Their entire business model is built on one brutal tactic: delay.

They delay, you wait. They ask for another form, you comply. They promise a call back, you hang by the phone. And all the while, that invisible clock—the Colorado bodily injury statute of limitations—is ticking, ticking, ticking toward zero.

Miss that deadline, and your claim is worth nothing. Not a dime. It doesn’t matter how badly you were hurt or how negligent the other guy was. Your case is over before it even began.

The Three Timelines Every Injury Victim Must Know

Here’s the thing about Colorado law—it doesn’t treat all injuries the same. The legal system sets different deadlines for different types of harm, creating a minefield of potential errors for the uninitiated.

Knowing which clock applies to your situation is the single most important first step in protecting your claim. An insurance adjuster isn’t going to correct you if you get it wrong—they’ll just smile, nod, and wait for your time to run out.

Let’s cut through the jargon. These are the three countdowns you absolutely must understand.

Car Accidents: The Three-Year Window

This is the big one. For any injury caused by the “use of a motor vehicle”—a car, truck, motorcycle, you name it—you have three years from the date of the wreck to file a lawsuit.

That extra year compared to other injury claims exists for a reason. Wrecks are messy. It takes time to diagnose injuries, gather evidence, and fight back against insurance companies who treat paying claims like a personal insult.

With over 115,000 crashes in Colorado in 2022 alone, this three-year rule is a vital safeguard. You can discover more insights about how Colorado personal injury statutes work on our blog.

Everything Else: The Two-Year Sprint

What if you slip on an icy sidewalk outside a negligent business? Or get bitten by a dog whose owner ignored leash laws?

The clock speeds up. For most of these general personal injury claims, you only have two years to file.

That one-year difference is a canyon—a legal trap that snares countless people who assume all injury claims follow the same rules. They don’t.

Intentional Wrongs: The One-Year Clock

Then there’s the third, and most urgent, timeline. If someone hurts you on purpose—think assault/battery/libel/slander—the clock is even shorter.

Colorado gives you just one year to file a lawsuit for these "intentional torts."

The law creates an incredibly tight deadline for victims who are often still processing the trauma of the act itself. To understand the unique legal landscape of the state, it's worth looking into resources specific to Colorado.

Let’s make this painfully clear.

Type of Injury Claim	Statute of Limitations (Deadline to File Lawsuit)	Governing Colorado Statute
Motor Vehicle Accidents (Car, Truck, Motorcycle)	Three (3) Years from the date of the accident.	C.R.S. § 13-80-101(1)(n)
General Personal Injury (Slip & Fall, Dog Bites)	Two (2) Years from the date of the injury.	C.R.S. § 13-80-102(1)(a)
Intentional Torts (Assault, Battery, Slander)	One (1) Year from the date of the act.	C.R.S. § 13-80-103(1)(a)

Mixing these up is a fatal error for your case. It’s a classic, cynical insurance tactic to let you operate under the wrong assumption. Knowing the correct timeline is your first line of defense.

When the Clock Can Be Paused—Maybe

The statute of limitations sounds like an iron gate slamming shut—and most of the time, it is. But the law isn’t entirely heartless.

Certain situations can “toll”—or pause—the countdown. These aren’t loopholes; they’re critical safeguards. But convincing a court to apply one is an uphill battle you absolutely should not fight alone.

• The Discovery Rule: The clock shouldn’t start until the date you discovered—or reasonably should have discovered—your injury. This is crucial for injuries like a traumatic brain injury (TBI) whose symptoms are often delayed. You can’t sue for an injury you don’t know you have.
• Injured Minors: If a child is injured, the clock is generally paused until they turn 18. This prevents a child’s right to justice from expiring because a parent failed to act.
• Mental Incapacity: If an injury leaves a person mentally unable to manage their own affairs (e.g., from a severe TBI or a coma), the clock can be paused until their competency is restored.

Insurance companies fight these exceptions tooth and nail. They will argue you should have known about your injury sooner. They will challenge claims of incapacity. They’ll do anything to slam that gate shut.

The Government Trap: A Brutal 182-Day Deadline

If you thought the standard deadlines were tight, suing the government is a whole different level of pain—a bureaucratic maze intentionally designed to protect itself, not you.

Hit by an RTD bus? Slipped on a cracked sidewalk owned by the City of Denver? The two- and three-year statutes are basically meaningless.

You’ve just entered the world of the Colorado Governmental Immunity Act (CGIA). And its first, most unforgiving rule is this: you have just 182 days from your injury to file a formal, written Notice of Claim with the right government office.

Miss this deadline by a single day, and your right to sue is gone. Forever. No do-overs.

This isn’t just a deadline; it’s a disqualification clock. A weapon. Government entities are masters of creating confusion, hoping you’ll blow past this ruthless deadline without even knowing it was ticking. Your notice must be perfect—the right facts, the right format, sent to the right person. Get one detail wrong, and your case is toast.

This is especially treacherous in cases involving state-owned vehicles. You can learn more about claims involving state vehicles from our post on snow plow accident attorneys in Denver. The 182-day notice requirement is one of the single most devastating legal traps for injured people in Colorado.

How Insurance Companies Weaponize the Clock

Here’s the insurance industry’s darkest secret: delay is their single most profitable product. It’s the absolute core of their business model.

When an adjuster calls you—sounding so friendly, so concerned—they are not your friend. They are trained professionals in the art of feigned cooperation. Every reassuring phone call, every request for “just one more document,” every absurdly low settlement offer is a calculated move in a long game.

Their goal is to lull you into a false sense of security while they run out the clock on your Colorado bodily injury statute of limitations.

The worst insurance tactic—and the one they use most often—is using delay tactics to run out the clock. They will happily let you talk your way past your own deadline, and then they will deny your claim with zero remorse. It happens every single day.

Their playbook is brutally simple:

• Endless Paperwork: They’ll ask for the same medical records multiple times, claiming they were “lost” or “incomplete.” Each request buys them weeks.
• Shifting Adjusters: Your case gets “reassigned” to a new adjuster, forcing you to start from square one. The clock keeps ticking.
• Lowball Offers: They’ll throw out a laughably small offer, hoping you’ll either give up or waste months haggling over pennies.

You need to understand—the worst insurance tactic is using delay tactics to run out the clock. They know an unrepresented person is at a massive disadvantage. As you can see by reading about the reasons why insurance companies deny claims, their entire system is built to frustrate and defeat you.

The only way to disrupt this cynical strategy is to show them you won’t play their game.

Your Action Plan to Protect Your Claim

Knowing the rules is one thing. Using them is everything.

The insurance adjuster is banking on your inaction. It's time to build a defense against their strategy of delay and denial. Let’s get to work.

1. Seek Immediate Medical Care. Non-negotiable. Go to an urgent care or ER right after the incident, even if you feel “fine.” This creates an official medical record linking your injuries directly to the incident and shuts down the adjuster’s favorite argument—that you weren't really hurt.
2. Document Everything. Your memory fades. Start a file—digital or physical, doesn't matter. Fill it with photos of the scene and your injuries, the police report number, witness contact info, every medical bill, and a simple daily journal tracking your pain. This is your arsenal of truth. Details on how long you have to report an accident can help you meet all deadlines.
3. Say Little and Sign Nothing. Never give a recorded statement. Never say “I’m sorry” or even “I feel fine.” And never, ever sign a medical authorization or settlement release without an attorney reviewing it first. These are traps. Plain and simple. Knowing how to file court documents is a later step, but being prepared from day one is key.

The single most powerful step you can take is to contact an experienced injury attorney long before any deadline is on the horizon. It’s about leveling the playing field and forcing the insurance company to take you—and the law—seriously from day one.

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Disclaimer: This blog post is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Reading this post does not create an attorney-client relationship. Every case is different, and you should consult with a qualified attorney to discuss the specifics of your situation.

If you’ve been hurt and you’re tired of the insurance company’s games, let’s talk. I’m here to listen to your story and explain your options, with no pressure and no obligation. I’ve got you.