If you are considering seeking compensation after a car accident, time is of the essence. Filing deadlines might apply to your case that restrict when you can pursue an insurance claim or lawsuit. You might also lose access to essential evidence if you wait too long to initiate a case.
Is there a time limit on car accident claims? Flesch Law Denver Injury Accident Lawyers explains the statute of limitations in Colorado and other potential time considerations you need to know.
Deadline for Filing Insurance Claims After a Car Accident in Colorado
The exact deadline that might apply to a car accident insurance claim in Colorado depends on the policy terms. Many companies do not impose strict time limits on insurance claims. However, timely filing is generally preferable to keep things moving along.
Insurance claims often take weeks or even months to resolve. If you file within a few days of your accident, you can streamline the process of pursuing compensation to help pay for medical bills and damage to your vehicle.
If you are wondering about your insurance provider’s specific car accident claim deadline, speak with an adjuster.
Colorado’s Statute of Limitations for Personal Injury Cases
Is there a time limit on car accident claims in Colorado? To answer this question, it’s important to understand how the state’s statute of limitations applies to legal cases.
In Colorado, a plaintiff has three years from the date of the car accident to file a personal injury or property damage claim. This differs from the two-year statute of limitations that typically applies to personal injury cases.
A few exceptions may apply to this legal time frame:
- Discovery rule: In some cases, the statute of limitations does not begin to run until the injured party becomes (or reasonably should have been) aware of the injury.
- Mental incompetency: If the injured party was mentally incapacitated after the accident, the statute of limitations may not start until their condition stabilized.
- Minors: If an injured party was under 18 years old when the crash occurred, the statute of limitations may not begin until their 18th birthday.
Colorado’s Accident Reporting Deadline
You should also be aware of the deadline to file a written report after a car accident that involved injuries or property damage worth more than $1,000. In Colorado, you have 60 days from the accident to file a report with the Colorado DMV.
If the police responded to the accident scene, they likely filed this initial report. If not, you will need to submit a written report to the DMV yourself.
Filing an accident report within this time gives you evidence to use as part of your insurance claim or potential lawsuit. If you wait longer than 60 days to file the report, you risk forgetting essential details or losing credibility.
Why Pursue a Claim As Soon As Possible?
Certain deadlines may apply to filing a car accident claim in Colorado. However, even waiting until the end of the deadline may not be wise.
Initiating a claim or car accident lawsuit as soon as possible might be beneficial for several reasons:
- Helps with evidence preservation: Generally, the sooner you file an accident claim, the more evidence you may have access to to strengthen that claim. For example, witnesses may be able to remember the accident more clearly within the months after the crash rather than potentially waiting years.
- Speeds up the recovery timeline: The sooner you file, the sooner you can potentially recover damages for medical bills, lost wages, and other expenses resulting from the accident.
- Strengthens the credibility of the claim: The insurance company or court may question why you waited so long to file a claim and assume you do not actually need the requested compensation.
- Prevents you from missing deadlines: By filing a claim or legal action as soon as possible, you avoid missing any time limits on the car accident claim that you were unaware of.
Start Your Claim With the Help of Experienced Legal Professionals
Is there a time limit on car accident claims? The three-year statute of limitations in Colorado likely applies to your car accident case, along with other potential deadlines.
Flesch Law Denver Injury Accident Lawyers can help you understand the deadlines that apply to car crashes and other types of accidents. Call 303-218-9394 for a consultation.