Colorado Car Accident Settlement Calculator
Get a rough estimate of what a Colorado car-accident injury claim might be worth, based on your medical bills and losses. This is an estimate to understand the factors — not a prediction or an offer.
This is a rough estimate, not a prediction or an offer.
No tool can predict a settlement. This uses the common "multiplier method" to show the factors that drive value and a wide range — actual outcomes depend on the facts, the available insurance limits, the venue, and negotiation. Consult a Colorado car-accident attorney about your case.
Enter your medical bills and losses to see an estimated range
The multiplier method (pain-and-suffering as a multiple of your medical bills) is a common starting point, not a guarantee. A real recovery is also capped by the available insurance (the at-fault driver's limits, or your own UM/UIM coverage). Most car-accident cases settle; an attorney is the only way to value your specific claim. This tool is not legal advice and RecordingLaw.com is not a law firm.
How the Estimate Works
No tool can predict a car-accident settlement — every case is different and the number depends on the facts, the available insurance, the venue, and negotiation. This calculator applies the multiplier method: it adds your economic damages (medical bills, lost wages, vehicle damage), then estimates pain and suffering as a multiple of your medical bills (about 1.5× for minor injuries up to 5× or more for catastrophic ones), and shows a wide range. It then applies Colorado's fault rule and flags the insurance limits that cap a real payout.
Colorado Is an at-fault (tort) state
Colorado is a tort/at-fault state. The injured party recovers from the at-fault driver's liability insurer; there is no mandatory PIP and no tort threshold. Colorado was formerly a no-fault state under the Colorado Auto Accident Reparations Act, but the General Assembly repealed it effective July 1, 2003, returning the state to a pure tort/fault-based system. Mandatory liability insurance is governed by C.R.S. Title 10, Article 4, Part 6.
Minimum Insurance & UM/UIM in Colorado
A settlement is only collectible up to the available insurance. Colorado's minimum required liability coverage is $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident for bodily injury and $15,000 for property damage. Many drivers carry only the minimum, so a large claim can exceed the at-fault driver's policy. Colorado mandates minimum liability limits of 25/50/15: $25,000 for bodily injury or death to any one person, $50,000 for bodily injury or death to all persons in any one accident, and $15,000 for property damage in any one accident. Codified within the Motor Vehicle Financial Responsibility framework (C.R.S. Title 10, Art. 4, Part 6; see also Title 42, Art. 7).
Uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM): if the other driver had no insurance or fled the scene, your recovery comes from your own UM/UIM coverage. In Colorado, UM/UIM is must be offered (you may reject it in writing). UM/UIM is not mandatory but must be offered. Under C.R.S. § 10-4-609, insurers must include uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage in an amount equal to the policyholder's bodily-injury liability limits unless the named insured rejects it in writing. The Colorado Division of Insurance confirms UM/UIM is automatically part of the policy unless waived in writing by the policyholder.
Fault & Your Recovery: modified comparative negligence (50% bar)
Colorado follows modified comparative negligence (50% bar). Your award is reduced by your share of fault, and you recover nothing once you are 50% or more at fault.
Deadline to File a Colorado Car-Accident Claim
Colorado generally requires a car-accident injury lawsuit to be filed within 3 years of the crash (the statute of limitations). Colorado applies a special THREE-year statute of limitations to motor-vehicle tort claims. C.R.S. § 13-80-101(1)(n) places 'all tort actions for bodily injury or property damage arising out of the use or operation of a motor vehicle' within the three-year limitations section. The general two-year personal-injury statute, § 13-80-102(1)(a), expressly excludes motor-vehicle torts. The claim accrues when both the injury and its cause are known or should have been known with reasonable diligence (§ 13-80-108). So while general Colorado personal-injury actions are 2 years, car-accident injury/property-damage claims get 3 years. Miss it and your claim is usually barred no matter how strong it is, so do not wait to talk to an attorney.
- Colorado is a tort (at-fault) state. The at-fault driver's liability insurance pays for the other party's injuries and property damage; there is no mandatory PIP and no no-fault tort threshold (Colorado repealed its no-fault act effective July 1, 2003).
- Minimum required liability coverage is 25/50/15: $25,000 bodily injury per person, $50,000 bodily injury per accident, and $15,000 property damage (C.R.S. § 10-4-620; Colorado Division of Insurance).
- Car-accident injury and property-damage lawsuits have a 3-year statute of limitations under C.R.S. § 13-80-101(1)(n) - longer than Colorado's general 2-year personal-injury deadline, which expressly excludes motor-vehicle claims (§ 13-80-102).
- Uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage must be offered equal to your liability limits and is included automatically unless you reject it in writing (C.R.S. § 10-4-609).
- Colorado follows modified comparative negligence with a 50% bar (C.R.S. § 13-21-111): you can recover only if you are less than 50% at fault, and your award is reduced by your share of fault.
- Medical Payments (Med-Pay) coverage is optional, not required, and can supplement or stand in for health insurance after a crash (Colorado Division of Insurance / DORA).
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is my Colorado car accident claim worth?
No one can tell you a number in advance. A rough estimate adds your economic damages (medical bills, lost wages, vehicle damage) and applies a pain-and-suffering multiplier, then adjusts for fault under Colorado's modified comparative negligence (50% bar) rule. The real value also depends on the available insurance limits — an attorney is the only way to value your specific case.
Is Colorado a no-fault state?
Colorado is a tort/at-fault state. The injured party recovers from the at-fault driver's liability insurer; there is no mandatory PIP and no tort threshold. Colorado was formerly a no-fault state under the Colorado Auto Accident Reparations Act, but the General Assembly repealed it effective July 1, 2003, returning the state to a pure tort/fault-based system. Mandatory liability insurance is governed by C.R.S. Title 10, Article 4, Part 6.
Does my own fault reduce my Colorado settlement?
Yes. Colorado follows modified comparative negligence (50% bar). You recover nothing once you are 50% or more at fault.
How long do I have to file in Colorado?
Generally 3 years from the crash. Colorado applies a special THREE-year statute of limitations to motor-vehicle tort claims. C.R.S. § 13-80-101(1)(n) places 'all tort actions for bodily injury or property damage arising out of the use or operation of a motor vehicle' within the three-year limitations section. The general two-year personal-injury statute, § 13-80-102(1)(a), expressly excludes motor-vehicle torts. The claim accrues when both the injury and its cause are known or should have been known with reasonable diligence (§ 13-80-108). So while general Colorado personal-injury actions are 2 years, car-accident injury/property-damage claims get 3 years.
Is this calculator accurate?
It is a rough estimate to show the factors that drive value — not a prediction or an offer. Real settlements vary enormously and are capped by the available insurance. Treat any number here as a ballpark and consult a Colorado car-accident attorney.
Disclaimer
This estimator is for general informational purposes only and is not legal advice or a prediction of any outcome. RecordingLaw.com is not a law firm. The value of a car-accident claim can only be assessed by a licensed attorney reviewing your specific facts.