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Understanding the Colorado Statute of Limitations After an Injury Accident

scales of justice on desk in courtroom | Colorado Statute of LimitationsThe statute of limitations in Colorado is a set time limit by which an injured accident victim must pursue a legal claim. If you miss this deadline, you will forever be barred from filing a future claim. In most circumstances, injured persons in Colorado have two years from the date on which they were injured to file a lawsuit against their injury-causing party. 

While two years seems like a long time, that time might pass quickly. Statutes of limitations are strictly applied by Colorado courts, except in very limited circumstances. This means that if someone misses the deadline by even one day, they will not be able to pursue their legal claim. 

Additionally, statutes of limitations begin running on the date the injury was suffered or when it could reasonably have been discovered—not on the date that all the symptoms presented themselves.

For example: If an individual does not recognize or know about their injury immediately after they suffer it but later symptoms and discovers that they were injured, their statute of limitations period will not begin to run until they can prove that they had a reasonable chance of knowing that the injury was caused by their accident.

The only exception exists when an individual is under the age of 18 at the time of the accident. If this is the case, the injured accident victim has until one year after the age of 18 to pursue a claim or a personal injury lawsuit.  

Why Do Statute of Limitations Exist? 

Statutes of limitations exist to ensure fairness. They offer defendants reasonable notice about allegations made against them and how long they have to defend themselves. Statutes of limitations are also intended to ensure an orderly, efficient judicial process by requiring claimants to assert their claims in a timely manner. Statutes of limitations encourage injured accident victims to bring cases when they are able and ready, rather than gambling on the possibility that evidence might be lost or become more difficult to obtain with time.  

There are many deadlines associated with filing an injury claim. To avoid missing critical deadlines, it is important to contact an experienced and skilled Colorado Springs car accident lawyer today. Your attorney can begin collecting evidence and building your case to ensure that you get the money you need to put your life back together again after a serious crash. 

Contact Our Colorado Springs Car Accident Law Firm Today

Greg Green of the Green Law Firm, P.C. sitting on a white porch while wearing a gray suit coatDid you or someone you love get injured in a car accident in Colorado Springs? Is the insurance company giving you the runaround? If so, we can be there to help! Contact the Green Law Firm, P.C. today by calling (719) 694-8515, or by filling out the contact form on this page, to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation and discuss your case.