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Your Buffalo Personal Injury Attorney
Recovering from an injury is hard enough without legal confusion on top of it. If someone else’s carelessness hurt you in Buffalo, you are allowed to take your time understanding your options before you sign or say anything.
We match people with attorneys; we do not advise on cases. Treat what follows as a plain language guide to Wyoming law drawn from the statutes. When you want to talk to an attorney, the form at the top of this page is the way to start.
Questions Worth Asking In Buffalo
A short list of questions can sort out who is right for you:
- The deadline. Ask the attorney to name the exact last day to file for your claim. Wyoming’s general limit for injury claims is four years (W.S. 1-3-105(a)(iv)(C)).
- Your share of fault. Ask how a finding that you were partly responsible would change the numbers (W.S. 1-1-109).
- Limits on damages. Ask whether any limit applies to your claim; Wyoming’s Constitution bars laws that limit damages for injury or death (Wyoming Constitution Article 10, section 4(a)).
- The money terms. Ask how fees are calculated and which costs come out of a recovery.
- The people. Ask who will be in touch with you and how quickly they return calls.
Kinds of Injury Claims
Vehicle crashes
Vehicle injuries start with the same few steps: medical care first, then photographs of the scene, names and numbers of anyone who saw it, the other driver’s insurance information and any estimates for repairs.
Pedestrian and bicycle injuries
Walkers and cyclists hurt by a vehicle should write down the location, the time of day, the lighting and the signals as soon as they can. Witnesses who stopped are valuable, so ask for their contact details before they leave.
Falls and unsafe property
Slips, trips and falls come from spills, uneven surfaces, poor lighting and broken stairs. What matters is who controlled the place and how long the problem was there, so document the hazard and tell the owner or manager promptly.
Wrongful death
When a death is caused by someone else’s wrongful act or neglect, the claim works differently from an injury claim. Wyoming law requires a wrongful death action to be brought by the wrongful death representative for the exclusive benefit of the beneficiaries (W.S. 1-38-102). You do not have to sort this out alone or quickly; an attorney can explain who is allowed to act and what the dates are.
Injured in Buffalo? Get matched with an attorney now.
Sharing Blame Without Losing Your Claim
People often assume that if they made a mistake, they get nothing. Wyoming law is more forgiving. Under W.S. 1-1-109, contributory fault does not bar a recovery if the claimant’s fault is not more than fifty percent of the total fault of all actors, and the damages are diminished in proportion to the claimant’s share.
The same statute has the jury decide the total damages without regard to fault and the percentage of fault of each actor, and then the court reduces the award by the claimant’s percentage. Each defendant is liable only to the extent of that defendant’s own proportion of the total fault, so who else shares the blame matters.
Is There A Limit On The Award?
Wyoming does not put a statutory ceiling on compensatory damages for injury or death, and its Constitution forbids one (Wyoming Constitution Article 10, section 4(a)). What you can recover is a question of proof: the bills, the missed work, the lasting effects and the other person’s share of fault.
If a government body caused your injury, the Governmental Claims Act sets limits of $250,000 per claimant and $500,000 per occurrence (W.S. 1-39-118(a)), and it also sets its own filing steps, covered in the next section.
When the Clock Starts and Stops
The ordinary time limit for an injury claim in Wyoming is four years from when the claim accrues (W.S. 1-3-105(a)(iv)(C)). For a death, the limit is shorter, two years from the death (W.S. 1-38-102).
If a city, county or other governmental entity may be responsible, the steps differ. A claim has to be presented to the entity as an itemized written statement within two years of the act, error or omission, with a narrow exception for late discovery (W.S. 1-39-113(a)), and the action is barred unless commenced within one year after that claim is filed (W.S. 1-39-114).
Auto Insurance Limits In Wyoming
Wyoming’s financial responsibility law sets the minimum for an owner’s liability policy at $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for injuries, plus $20,000 for property damage (W.S. 31-9-405(b)). A crash with several injured people can use up those limits quickly.
That is why other coverage matters. Before you accept a payment, ask your attorney to check for every policy that might apply, yours included.
Where Treatment and Court Happen in Buffalo
Buffalo lies within Johnson County. The Wyoming Judicial Branch’s court locator lists the District Court of the Fourth Judicial District in Buffalo, at 620 West Fetterman Street, Suite 208, Buffalo, WY 82834. On the state’s list of designated trauma centers, Buffalo is shown with Johnson County Memorial Hospital, designated a Trauma Receiving Facility.
Ask every provider for your full records and an itemized bill, and keep a running list of appointments. A transfer between hospitals leaves two sets of records, so request both.
How The Intake Process Works In Buffalo
Start with the form at the top. It asks a few questions about the injury, and we pass your answers to an attorney who handles Buffalo cases. Using it is free, and it does not create an attorney client relationship.
Until someone calls, make a simple record: what happened, the date and time, names of anyone who saw it, the treatment you have had, and the days you missed from work. Keep every bill and letter in one place.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Wyoming’s minimum auto insurance limits?
At least $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for injuries, and $20,000 for property damage (W.S. 31-9-405(b)).
What should I save for my claim?
Save treatment records and bills, photographs, the report number if there is one, pay stubs that show lost work, estimates for repairs, and every letter or email from an insurance company.
Can I talk to the other side’s insurance company?
You can, but you do not have to give a recorded statement right away. It is fair to say you are getting advice first.
Are there special steps for claims against the government?
There are. The itemized written claim must be presented within two years of the act, error or omission (W.S. 1-39-113(a)), and the action follows within one year after filing the claim (W.S. 1-39-114).
Where do injury lawsuits from the Buffalo area go?
The court is chosen by the type and size of the case and where the people involved live or the injury happened. Ask your attorney to confirm it; the court listing described above names the local court locations.
What is the deadline to sue for an injury in Buffalo?
Four years for most personal injury claims that do not arise on a contract (W.S. 1-3-105(a)(iv)(C)), and two years after the death for wrongful death (W.S. 1-38-102(d)).
Does Wyoming bar me from recovering if I share the blame?
Not unless your share is more than fifty percent. At fifty percent or less you can recover, reduced by your share (W.S. 1-1-109(b)).
Is there a cap on what I can recover for pain and suffering?
Not for an ordinary claim. The Wyoming Constitution, Article 10, section 4(a), bars laws limiting damages for injury or death, though W.S. 1-39-118(a) limits liability of governmental entities.
Help Elsewhere in Wyoming
The same matching service covers more of Wyoming. Pick the community closest to where it happened.
