Colorado Minimum Car Insurance Requirements If You're Hurt

Quick Answer

Colorado requires every driver to carry liability insurance of at least $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for bodily injury, plus $15,000 for property damage. That coverage pays other people when you cause a crash. It does not pay your own medical bills. Your own care is paid by Med-Pay, which is included in Colorado policies at $5,000 unless you rejected it in writing, or later by the at-fault driver's insurance.

Required: 25/50/15 liability. It protects the people you hit, not you.
Med-Pay of $5,000 is included in Colorado policies unless you rejected it in writing.
Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage is also included unless you rejected it in writing.
If the driver who hit you carries only the minimum, $25,000 is the most their policy pays for your injuries.
Your declarations page shows exactly what you have.

Most pages about Colorado minimum car insurance requirements are written for people shopping for a policy. This one is for people who were just in a crash and need to know what those numbers mean for their medical bills.

What are Colorado's minimum car insurance requirements?

Colorado law requires liability coverage on your vehicle. The Colorado Division of Insurance lists the minimum limits as:

$25,000 for bodily injury to one person
$50,000 for bodily injury to everyone hurt in one accident
$15,000 for damage to someone else's property

25/50/15

Colorado minimum liability limits

In thousands of dollars: per person, per accident, and property damage.

Does minimum coverage pay my own medical bills?

No. Liability coverage pays for injuries and damage you cause to someone else. Colorado is an at-fault state and has not had no-fault (PIP) coverage since 2003, so nothing in the required minimum pays for your own treatment. That gap is what Med-Pay is for.

What is Med-Pay, and do I have it?

Medical payments coverage, or Med-Pay, pays reasonable medical expenses for you and your passengers after a crash, no matter who was at fault. In Colorado, $5,000 of Med-Pay is included in your policy unless you rejected it, either in writing or in the same way you applied for the policy. Many drivers have it without knowing. For how to use it, see Colorado Med-Pay explained.

How much Med-Pay coverage do I need?

There is no single right number, and we are not insurance agents. But $5,000 goes quickly after a crash. An ambulance ride, an ER visit with imaging, and a few weeks of follow-up care can use most of it. Things to weigh when you talk to your agent:

Your health insurance deductible. Med-Pay can cover costs before that deductible is met.
Who rides with you. Med-Pay covers your passengers too.
Whether you could pay for several weeks of care while a claim against the other driver is pending.
The price. Raising a Med-Pay limit usually adds little to a premium, but ask for a quote.

What if the driver who hit me only has minimum coverage?

Then their insurer pays at most $25,000 for your injuries, and at most $50,000 for everyone hurt in the crash combined. If your bills go past that, underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage on your own policy can make up the difference, up to your limit. If the other driver has no insurance at all, uninsured motorist (UM) coverage does the same job. Colorado insurers include UM/UIM unless you rejected it in writing.

The other driver's insurer also does not pay your bills as they come in. It usually pays once, in a settlement, after treatment is finished. That is another reason Med-Pay matters: it pays during treatment.

How do I check what coverage I have?

Look at your declarations page, the one or two page summary at the front of your policy or in your insurer's app. Find these lines:

Bodily injury liability
Property damage liability
Medical payments, or Med-Pay
Uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM)

If you cannot find it, call your insurer and ask whether you have Med-Pay and what the limit is. If you were a passenger, the Med-Pay on the car you were riding in may apply to you.

I was just in a crash. What should I do about coverage?

Get checked first. Coverage questions should not delay care. See the first 72 hours after a car accident.
Open a claim with your own insurer and get the claim number.
Ask whether you have Med-Pay and UM/UIM, and what the limits are.
Give the claim number to your provider so Med-Pay can be billed directly.
If you are still in treatment, talk to a personal injury attorney before accepting a settlement.

Not legal or insurance advice

This article is general information about Colorado auto coverage. Your policy controls what is covered. For advice about a claim, talk to your insurer, your agent, or a personal injury attorney.

Not sure what your policy covers?

We verify your coverage before your first visit and tell you what care will cost, which for most auto injury patients is nothing out of pocket. Your consultation is free. Call (303) 577-2040 or book online in Aurora, Denver, or Wheat Ridge. We handle the paperwork. Hablamos español. Chúng tôi nói tiếng Việt.

Colorado Minimum Car Insurance Requirements: What 25/50/15 Covers If You're Hurt