Colorado car accident questions, answered straight.

Get to safety, call 911 and get medical care. Then document what you can: photos of the vehicles and scene, witness names, the other driver's insurance and license plate. Our step-by-step guide to what to do after a car accident in Colorado walks through each step.

It helps. A police report documents the scene, the drivers, statements and often the responding officer's view of what happened. Insurers lean on it. If police did not come to the scene, preserve your own documentation and report the crash to your insurer — Matlin can help fill the gaps.

Yes. Adrenaline can mask injuries, and symptoms like whiplash, concussions and soft-tissue damage often surface days later. Early treatment protects your health and creates the medical record your claim may depend on. Gaps in treatment give insurers an argument.

Call 911 and report it right away. Don't chase. Write down everything you remember — partial plate, vehicle color and make, direction of travel. If the driver is never identified, your own uninsured motorist coverage may apply. Matlin handles hit-and-run accident claims across Colorado.

No — not before getting advice. You generally don't owe the other driver's insurer a recorded statement, and adjusters may use your words to shrink the claim. Talk to a lawyer first. Matlin's consultation is free.

MedPay is medical payments coverage on your own auto policy — and it pays medical bills regardless of who caused the crash. Colorado law requires insurers to offer at least $5,000 in MedPay coverage (C.R.S. 10-4-635), so many drivers carry it without realizing. Check your declarations page, or ask Matlin to review it.

Your own uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage may step in. Colorado insurers must offer UM/UIM matching your bodily-injury limits, and it can only be rejected in writing (C.R.S. 10-4-609) — so many drivers have it without knowing. See how uninsured motorist claims work, or let Matlin review every policy that may apply.

Matlin works on contingency: no fee unless we win. The consultation is free and there are no upfront costs. Any fee comes out of the recovery — not your pocket.

Colorado generally allows three years to file a motor-vehicle accident injury claim (C.R.S. 13-80-101). One major exception: claims involving government vehicles or public entities often require written notice within 182 days under the Colorado Governmental Immunity Act. Deadlines can vary with the facts, so confirm yours early.

You may still recover. Colorado follows modified comparative negligence (C.R.S. 13-21-111): your recovery is reduced by your percentage of fault, and barred entirely if you're 50% or more at fault. Insurers know this and may try to push fault onto you — don't accept a fault assignment without advice.

Colorado's minimum liability limits are 25/50/15: $25,000 bodily injury per person, $50,000 per accident and $15,000 property damage. Serious injuries can exceed those numbers fast. Some crashes involve larger policies — commercial vehicles or Uber and Lyft rides, for example — and your own UM/UIM coverage may add another layer.

No. Colorado is an at-fault (tort) state. The driver who caused the crash — usually through their liability insurer — is responsible for the resulting damages. That means proving fault matters, and the evidence you preserve early can shape the whole car accident claim.

A conversation, not a sales pitch. You tell Matlin what happened. We ask about your injuries, treatment, insurance and evidence, then give you a straight read on your options. No obligation, no fee to talk. Call, text or send the contact form.

It depends — on how long treatment lasts, whether fault or coverage is disputed, and whether the insurer negotiates fairly. Some claims resolve in months; others take longer. The bigger risk is settling before you understand your injuries. A settlement is final.