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Your Telluride Personal Injury Attorney
The short answer. In Colorado most injury claims must be filed within two years, and three years for injuries from a motor vehicle (C.R.S. §§ 13-80-102 and 13-80-101). The trial court for San Miguel County sits in Telluride, at 305 W. Colorado Ave., Telluride, CO 81435. To talk it through, send the form on this page and we will work to connect you with an attorney in our network.
An injury changes the pace of your days. Medical visits, paperwork and worry about money can crowd out everything else. If you were hurt in Telluride because of another person’s actions, this page explains how Colorado treats injury claims so you can plan your next step.
NeedAnAttorney.net is a matching service. It does not give legal advice about your case. What follows is general information about Colorado injury law, taken from the text of the statutes, so you know which questions to ask. The form at the top of the page connects you with an attorney when you are ready.
What To Ask Before You Choose An Attorney In Telluride
A short list of questions can sort out who is right for you:
- The date. Ask the attorney to name the exact last day to file in your case. Colorado allows two years for most injury claims and three years when the claim comes from the use or operation of a motor vehicle (C.R.S. § 13-80-102, C.R.S. § 13-80-101).
- Your share of fault. Ask how a finding that you were partly at fault would change the numbers. In Colorado your recovery is reduced by your share, and a claim can fail if your share is equal to or greater than the share of the person you are suing (C.R.S. § 13-21-111).
- Punitive damages. Ask whether the facts could support them. Colorado calls them exemplary damages, they require fraud, malice or willful and wanton conduct, and they must be proved beyond a reasonable doubt (C.R.S. § 13-21-102, C.R.S. § 13-25-127).
- Fees and costs. Ask what the fee is, when it is paid, and which expenses are deducted from a settlement.
- Who will work on it. Ask who handles your file day to day and how fast messages are answered.
Injury Claims People Ask About
Vehicle crashes
Vehicle injuries start with the same few steps: medical care first, then photographs of the scene, names and numbers of anyone who saw it, the other driver’s insurance information and any estimates for repairs.
Pedestrian and bicycle injuries
If a driver hit you while you were on foot or on a bike, note exactly where it happened, what the signals and lighting were like, and who saw it. Ask the people who stopped to leave their names and numbers.
Falls and unsafe property
Slips, trips and falls come from spills, uneven surfaces, poor lighting and broken stairs. What matters is who controlled the place and how long the problem was there, so document the hazard and tell the owner or manager promptly.
Wrongful death
When a death is caused by someone else’s wrongful act or neglect, the claim works differently from an injury claim. Colorado law lets an action for damages go forward even though the injured person has died, when the death was caused by a wrongful act, neglect or default that would have entitled the person to sue had death not occurred (C.R.S. § 13-21-202), and the time to sue is set by the general limitation statute (C.R.S. § 13-21-204). This is a hard moment to decide anything, and an attorney can walk you through the steps without hurrying you.
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How Shared Fault Is Counted
Blame is counted by percentage in Colorado. The jury, or the court if there is no jury, finds the total damages and the percentage of negligence or fault of each party and of any nonparty the defendant has properly named (C.R.S. § 13-21-111.5).
Those percentages decide who pays what. A defendant is liable only for the degree of fault attributable to that defendant, with an exception for people who consciously conspire and deliberately pursue a common plan to commit a tortious act (C.R.S. § 13-21-111.5). Your own percentage also matters, because a share equal to or greater than the defendant’s ends the claim against that defendant (C.R.S. § 13-21-111).
Punitive Damages And Public Claims
A claim for exemplary damages cannot be part of the first complaint. It may be added by amendment only after the exchange of initial disclosures, and only if the plaintiff shows prima facie proof of a triable issue (C.R.S. § 13-21-102).
If a city, county, school district or other public body may be responsible, a separate notice rule applies. A written notice must be filed within 182 days after the date of discovery of the injury, and failing to comply forever bars the action (C.R.S. § 24-10-109).
Time Limits To Know
The standard deadline depends on the kind of claim: two years for most tort actions (C.R.S. § 13-80-102), three years for a motor vehicle tort action (C.R.S. § 13-80-101), and one year for assault, battery or false imprisonment (C.R.S. § 13-80-103).
Claims against a public body add a notice step, a written notice within 182 days after the injury is discovered (C.R.S. § 24-10-109). Because the limits differ by claim, ask early which one fits your facts.
Insurance Minimums in Colorado
Colorado requires liability coverage of at least $25,000 for bodily injury or death to any one person in an accident, $50,000 to all persons in one accident, and $15,000 for property damage (C.R.S. § 10-4-620). Those are minimums, and a serious injury can cost far more.
Your own policy matters too. A motor vehicle liability policy must provide uninsured motorist coverage in the limits set in C.R.S. § 42-7-103, unless the named insured rejects it in writing (C.R.S. § 10-4-609).
Courts and Hospitals Near Telluride
San Miguel County is the county the Census Bureau assigns to Telluride. The Colorado court directory lists the 7th Judicial District district court for San Miguel County in Telluride, at 305 W. Colorado Ave., Telluride, CO 81435. The state trauma list shows TELLURIDE REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER in Telluride as a Level V trauma center.
Keep copies of everything the hospital or clinic gives you, ask for an itemized bill, and note each appointment as it happens. If you moved between facilities, collect the records from each one.
Taking The First Step From Telluride
Fill in the form at the top of this page. NeedAnAttorney.net reviews your details and works to match you with an attorney in our network who may handle cases in Colorado. The form is free to use, and sending it does not mean you have hired anyone.
Before the first call, collect the basics: the date, the place, names of witnesses, your medical visits and your missed work. A single folder for bills, letters and photographs saves time later.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where would my injury case be filed?
That depends on the defendants, the amount at stake and where the injury happened, so ask the attorney you speak with to name the court and explain why. The courts named in the section above are the ones listed by the state judiciary for this area.
What is the deadline to sue for an injury in Telluride?
Two years for most tort actions (C.R.S. § 13-80-102), and three years for a tort action arising out of the use or operation of a motor vehicle (C.R.S. § 13-80-101). A wrongful death action has two years from the date of death (C.R.S. §§ 13-80-102, 13-80-108).
Can I still recover if the accident was partly my fault?
Sometimes. Colorado reduces damages in proportion to your negligence, but a share equal to or greater than the defendant’s ends the claim against that defendant (C.R.S. § 13-21-111).
Is there a limit on punitive damages in Colorado?
Generally yes. The amount may not exceed the actual damages awarded, though a court may increase it to as much as three times the actual damages if the defendant kept up the behavior or aggravated the harm during the case (C.R.S. § 13-21-102).
How much liability coverage must a Colorado driver carry?
The minimums are $25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident and $15,000 for property damage (C.R.S. § 10-4-620).
What should I save for my claim?
Save treatment records and bills, photographs, the report number if there is one, pay stubs that show lost work, estimates for repairs, and every letter or email from an insurance company.
Do I have to give the other insurer a recorded statement?
Not right away. You may decline a recorded statement until you have talked to someone about your options, and saying so is fine.
Is a claim against a public body different in Colorado?
It is. The notice must be filed within 182 days after discovery of the injury, even if you did not yet know all the elements of a claim (C.R.S. § 24-10-109).
Serving Injured Clients Across Colorado
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