§ 13-21-804 — Damages - persons injured by an individual illegal drug user

Colorado § 13-21-804

• Jurisdiction: Colorado
• Title 13: Courts
• Art.: Damages

Text

(1)
Any one or more of the following persons may bring an action for damages caused
by an individual's use of an illegal drug within this state:

(a) A parent, legal guardian, child, spouse, or sibling of the individual illegal
drug user;

(b) An employer of an individual illegal drug user;

(c) A medical facility, insurer, governmental entity, employer, or other entity
that funded a drug treatment program or employee assistance program for the
individual illegal drug user or that otherwise expended money on behalf of the
individual illegal drug user or a dependent of the individual illegal drug user; and

(d) A person injured as a result of the willful, reckless, or negligent actions of
an individual illegal drug user.

(2) (a) A person entitled to seek damages under this section may seek
damages from one or more of the following:

(I) A person who sold, administered, or furnished, or is in the chain of
distribution of, an illegal drug used by the individual illegal drug user;

(II) A person who knowingly participated in the marketing or distribution in
the state of Colorado of the specified illegal drug used by an individual illegal drug
user during the individual drug user's period of illegal drug use.

(b) Nothing in this section shall be deemed to authorize a suit against an
employer of a person described in paragraph (a) of this subsection (2) if the
employer had no knowledge of the actions of the person giving rise to the claim
under this section.

(3) The standard of proof for establishing liability under this section shall be
by clear and convincing evidence.

(4) A person entitled to bring an action under this section may recover all of
the following damages:

(a) Economic damages, including but not limited to the cost of treatment and
rehabilitation, medical expenses, or any other pecuniary loss proximately caused by
an individual's use of an illegal drug;

(b) Noneconomic damages, including but not limited to pain and suffering,
disfigurement, loss of enjoyment, loss of companionship and consortium, and other
nonpecuniary loss proximately caused by an individual's use of an illegal drug;

(c) Exemplary damages;

(d) Reasonable attorney fees incurred as a result of bringing an action under
this section; and

(e) Costs of suit, including but not limited to expenses for expert witnesses
and expenses for investigative services to determine the identity of the defendants
and the location of any assets of the defendants.

Legislative History

Source: L. 99: Entire part added, p. 1262, � 1, effective June 2.