How the Colorado system works
Nearly all Colorado employers must carry coverage, administered by the Division of Workers' Compensation with disputes before the Office of Administrative Courts. Colorado's system moves on formal admissions: the insurer files a General Admission when it accepts the claim and a Final Admission when it thinks the case is done — and each document starts clocks that run whether or not you understand them.
Every deadline that matters
| What | Deadline | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Written notice to your employer | 10 days | Short and written — a same-day text or email covers it. Late notice can cost benefits for the delay period. |
| File a Worker's Claim for Compensation | 2 years (3 with a reasonable excuse) | The formal Division filing — voluntary payments don't replace it. |
| Object to a Final Admission of Liability | 30 days | Colorado's signature trap — miss it and the case closes on the insurer's numbers. Details below. |
The Final Admission trap
When the insurer files a Final Admission of Liability (FAL), it's stating what it believes your case is worth — impairment rating, benefits, everything — and if you do nothing for 30 days, the case closes automatically on those terms. To keep your claim alive you must file a written objection within 30 days, and if you disagree with the impairment rating, also request a DIME in time. The FAL arrives looking like routine paperwork with a check attached. It is actually the endgame document. Never let one sit.
The designated provider list
Your employer must give you a list of designated medical providers (in most areas at least four, meeting independence rules) — and you choose your treating doctor from that list. You get one change to another listed provider within 90 days of injury, largely on request. If the employer never furnished a proper list in time, the choice of doctor may pass to you — a detail worth checking with the Division, because it flips the most important lever in the claim.
To challenge the treating doctor's impairment rating or MMI finding, Colorado routes you through a Division Independent Medical Examination — a neutral doctor selected through the Division. The DIME's opinion carries heavyweight legal status: it can only be overcome by "clear and convincing evidence." That makes the DIME request — its timing, and preparing your records for it — one of the highest-stakes moves in the system.
The benefits
| Benefit | What it pays |
|---|---|
| Medical care | All reasonable and necessary treatment through your designated provider — plus mileage. |
| Temporary Total (TTD) | Two-thirds of your average weekly wage within state caps, after a 3-day waiting period (retroactive past two weeks). |
| Permanent impairment | Scheduled awards for extremities; whole-person impairment benefits (age-and-rating formula) for torso, head, and unscheduled injuries. |
| Disfigurement / death benefits | Separate awards for visible scarring; survivor and burial benefits. |
How Colorado disputes get resolved
- 1
Admissions and objections
The insurer admits or denies in writing; you object in writing. The paper record is the case.
- 2
DIME when ratings are disputed
The neutral exam whose findings take clear and convincing evidence to overturn.
- 3
Hearing and appeals
Administrative law judge hearing, review by the Industrial Claim Appeals Office, then the courts. Settlements need Division or judge approval.
Free official help
- Colorado Division of Workers' Compensation — customer service, forms, and premium-free dispute resolution: cdle.colorado.gov/dwc (303-318-8700).
- Office of Administrative Courts — where contested hearings happen.
Any Final Admission you're unsure about (within the 30 days), DIME strategy, low ratings, denied claims, and all settlements. Fees are contingency percentages capped by statute; consultations typically free — and worth it before the FAL clock runs, not after.