Colorado Personal Injury Settlement Calculator
Get a rough estimate of what a Colorado personal injury or dog-bite 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.
There is no formula that predicts a settlement. This tool uses the common "multiplier method" to show the factors that drive value and a wide range — actual outcomes depend on the facts, insurance limits, the venue, and negotiation. Consult a Colorado personal-injury 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. Most personal-injury cases settle out of court; most attorneys work on a contingency fee (commonly around a third, but the rate is set by your agreement and some states regulate or cap it), and 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 settlement — every case is different and the number depends on the facts, the available insurance, the venue, and negotiation. What this calculator does is apply the multiplier method, the rough starting point insurers and attorneys use: it adds up your economic damages (medical bills, lost wages, property damage), then estimates pain and suffering as a multiple of those damages (about 1.5× for minor injuries up to 5× or more for catastrophic ones), and shows a wide range. It is a way to understand value, not a guarantee.
It then applies Colorado's fault rule, because how fault is shared directly changes what you can recover.
Colorado's Fault Rule: modified comparative negligence (50% bar)
C.R.S. 13-21-111 is a modified comparative negligence rule with a 50% bar. Contributory negligence does not bar recovery only "if such negligence was not as great as the negligence of the person against whom recovery is sought." Section (3) directs judgment for the defendant when the plaintiff's fault proportion is "equal to or greater than" the defendant's. So a plaintiff who is exactly 50% at fault recovers nothing; below 50%, damages are reduced by the plaintiff's fault percentage. Note: in multi-defendant cases, comparison is to the aggregate negligence of those against whom recovery is sought.
Damage Caps in Colorado
Colorado caps pain-and-suffering damages. Colorado caps non-economic (pain-and-suffering) damages even in routine injury cases under C.R.S. 13-21-102.5 — about $1.5M for actions filed on or after Jan 1, 2025. Economic damages are uncapped. (Inflation-adjusted; confirm the current figure.) The estimator above already reflects this ceiling.
Economic damages (medical bills, lost wages, future care) are UNCAPPED in general PI. However, Colorado does cap NON-ECONOMIC (pain and suffering) damages even in routine PI cases under C.R.S. 13-21-102.5 — an inflation-adjusted cap raised by HB24-1472 to $1.5M for actions filed on or after Jan 1, 2025 (the cap is on the non-economic portion only). Punitive/exemplary damages are capped at a 1:1 ratio of compensatory damages (C.R.S. 13-21-102). Medical malpractice: overall $1M cap with an escalating non-economic sub-cap (C.R.S. 13-64-302). This is more restrictive than most states, where general PI is fully uncapped.
Dog-Bite Liability in Colorado
C.R.S. 13-21-124 is a hybrid/mixed statute. It imposes STRICT LIABILITY but only for ECONOMIC damages (medical bills, lost wages) and only where the victim suffers "serious bodily injury or death" from a bite while lawfully on public or private property — recoverable "regardless of the viciousness or dangerous propensities of the dog or the dog owner's knowledge." Non-economic damages (pain and suffering) are NOT available under the strict-liability statute; to recover those a plaintiff must proceed on a common-law theory (e.g., the one-bite/scienter rule requiring the owner knew or should have known of the dog's dangerous propensities, or negligence). Statutory exceptions bar recovery (trespasser, posted-sign property, provocation, police/military dogs, veterinary workers, working farm/ranch/hunting/herding dogs).
Note for dog-bite claims: in Colorado the strict-liability track may cover only certain damages, so the pain-and-suffering figure the estimator shows might require separately proving negligence. Read the underlying dog bite laws by state.
Deadline to File a Claim in Colorado
Colorado generally requires a personal-injury lawsuit to be filed within 2 years of the injury (the statute of limitations). General personal-injury claims have a 2-year deadline (C.R.S. 13-80-102), but tort claims from a MOTOR-VEHICLE accident get 3 years (C.R.S. 13-80-101) — a Colorado-specific quirk that matters for auto-accident claims. Miss it and your claim is usually barred no matter how strong it is, so do not wait to talk to an attorney.
- Colorado follows MODIFIED comparative negligence with a 50% bar (C.R.S. 13-21-111): a plaintiff 50% or more at fault recovers nothing; below that, recovery is reduced by the plaintiff's fault percentage.
- General PI/negligence statute of limitations is 2 YEARS (C.R.S. 13-80-102), BUT tort claims arising from a MOTOR VEHICLE accident get 3 YEARS (C.R.S. 13-80-101) — a Colorado-specific quirk that matters for auto-accident estimates.
- Dog bites are a MIXED rule (C.R.S. 13-21-124): strict liability for ECONOMIC damages on serious bodily injury/death, but pain-and-suffering (non-economic) damages require a separate negligence/one-bite-scienter theory.
- Colorado caps NON-ECONOMIC damages even in ordinary PI cases under C.R.S. 13-21-102.5 (inflation-adjusted; raised by HB24-1472 to $1.5M for actions filed on/after Jan 1, 2025) — economic damages (medical, lost wages) are uncapped.
- Punitive (exemplary) damages are limited to a 1:1 ratio of actual damages under C.R.S. 13-21-102; medical-malpractice has its own caps under C.R.S. 13-64-302 (overall cap $1M with an escalating non-economic sub-cap).
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is my Colorado injury claim worth?
No one can tell you a number in advance. A rough estimate adds your economic damages (medical bills, lost wages) and applies a pain-and-suffering multiplier, then adjusts for fault under Colorado's modified comparative negligence (50% bar) rule. The real value depends on the facts, the insurance available, and negotiation — an attorney is the only way to value your specific case.
Does my own fault reduce my Colorado settlement?
Yes. C.R.S. 13-21-111 is a modified comparative negligence rule with a 50% bar. Contributory negligence does not bar recovery only "if such negligence was not as great as the negligence of the person against whom recovery is sought." Section (3) directs judgment for the defendant when the plaintiff's fault proportion is "equal to or greater than" the defendant's. So a plaintiff who is exactly 50% at fault recovers nothing; below 50%, damages are reduced by the plaintiff's fault percentage. Note: in multi-defendant cases, comparison is to the aggregate negligence of those against whom recovery is sought.
How long do I have to file in Colorado?
Generally 2 years from the injury. General personal-injury claims have a 2-year deadline (C.R.S. 13-80-102), but tort claims from a MOTOR-VEHICLE accident get 3 years (C.R.S. 13-80-101) — a Colorado-specific quirk that matters for auto-accident claims.
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. Treat any number here as a ballpark and consult a Colorado personal-injury 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 personal-injury claim can only be assessed by a licensed attorney reviewing your specific facts.