Personal injury lawyer help in Ouray County, Colorado

Ouray County, Colorado includes 2 named communities, the largest being Ouray. Whether an accident happened on a county road, in a small town or in one of the larger communities, the same Colorado rules apply: a 2-year filing deadline for most injury claims, modified comparative negligence (50% bar), and lawsuits filed in the Ouray County District Court. This page is the county-wide guide, with links to a page for each community.

Ask Legal Matters is a free claim-review request service, not a law firm. Requests from Ouray County may be shared with independent attorneys and legal services partners who handle car, truck, motorcycle and pedestrian accidents, slip and fall injuries, workplace injuries and workers' compensation, medical malpractice and wrongful death matters in Colorado. There is no charge to submit a request and no obligation to hire anyone.

Each community below has its own guide with the local court, insurance rules and every type of injury claim.

• Ouray, COpop. 1,008

Smaller communities in Ouray County include Ridgway. Residents of these areas follow the same Colorado rules, use the same Ouray County District Court, and can request a free claim review from anywhere in the county.

Colorado generally gives an injured person two years from the date of injury to file a personal injury lawsuit (C.R.S. § 13-80-102); medical malpractice claims generally must be filed within two years, and wrongful death claims typically run from the date of death. Injuries caused by a motor vehicle have a three-year period under C.R.S. § 13-80-101(1)(n). Claims against a city, county, school district or state agency require a formal notice of claim far sooner, sometimes within a few months. Once the deadline passes, the Ouray County District Court will dismiss the case regardless of how clear the fault was, so the practical rule in Ouray County is to get legal advice early.

Colorado follows modified comparative negligence (50% bar). In plain terms, you can recover only if you were less than 50% at fault, and your award is reduced by your share of fault. Insurance adjusters apply this rule from the first phone call, which is why the way an accident is described and documented in the days after it happens in Ouray County has a direct effect on what a claim is worth.

After a crash in Ouray County, the at-fault driver's liability insurance is the primary source of compensation. Colorado requires drivers to carry only 25/50/15 in coverage (thousands of dollars for bodily injury per person, per accident, and property damage), which serious injuries quickly exhaust. Underinsured motorist coverage on your own policy and claims against additional responsible parties often make the difference in Ouray County cases.

Lawsuits arising from accidents in Ouray County are typically filed in the Ouray County District Court, the trial court of general jurisdiction for Ouray County, although cases can sometimes be filed where the defendant resides or does business, and claims against out-of-state trucking companies or manufacturers may end up in federal court. Most claims settle before trial, but the credible ability to try a case in Ouray County is what moves insurers to pay fair value.

Employees injured on the job in Ouray County are generally covered by Colorado workers' compensation, administered through the Colorado Division of Workers' Compensation. Report the injury to your employer immediately and file a claim within the state's deadline (generally about two years). Workers' compensation does not pay for pain and suffering, so when a third party such as a subcontractor, driver or equipment manufacturer caused the injury, a separate personal injury claim is often worth pursuing alongside it.

• San Miguel County, CO
• San Juan County, CO
• Hinsdale County, CO
• Mineral County, CO

See the Colorado personal injury guide for every county in the state.