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Your Cheyenne 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 Cheyenne, you are allowed to take your time understanding your options before you sign or say anything.
Nothing on this page is legal advice, and NeedAnAttorney.net is not a law firm. It is a service that connects injured people with attorneys. The rules described here are quoted or summarized from Wyoming’s own statutes so that you can check them yourself.
Questions Worth Asking In Cheyenne
Bring these to your first call, whoever it is with:
- The date. Ask for the specific last day to file in your case. The general rule is four years (W.S. 1-3-105(a)(iv)(C)).
- If you were partly to blame. Ask what happens to your award if a jury assigns you a percentage of fault (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.
Injury Claims People Ask About
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
A collision on foot or on a bicycle is easy to dispute afterward. Record where it happened, what the road and signals were like, and who saw it, and keep any damaged clothing, helmet or equipment.
Falls and unsafe property
Falls on someone else’s property usually depend on what the owner knew or should have known about the hazard. Photograph the spot before it changes, report the fall in writing, and keep the shoes you were wearing.
Wrongful death
If a loved one died because of another person’s wrongful act or omission, a different set of rules applies. 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). This is a hard moment to decide anything, and an attorney can walk you through the steps without hurrying you.
Injured in Cheyenne? Get matched with an attorney now.
When You Were Partly At Fault
Many people stay quiet because they think any mistake of their own ends a claim. In Wyoming it does not, up to a point. W.S. 1-1-109 provides that contributory fault is not a bar if the claimant’s fault is not more than fifty percent of the total fault of all actors, and any damages allowed are diminished in proportion to the fault attributed to the claimant.
An actor under that statute includes a person whose fault helped cause the injury whether or not that person is part of the lawsuit. Each defendant answers only for its own proportion of the total fault.
No Constitutional Room For A Damages Cap
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.
How Long You Have To File
Wyoming allows four years for most injury claims that do not arise on a contract (W.S. 1-3-105(a)(iv)(C)), but only two years after the death for a wrongful death action (W.S. 1-38-102). Missing the date usually ends the case, so ask any attorney to name the exact last day for yours.
A minor or a person under a legal disability may have more time: W.S. 1-3-114 gives three years after the disability is removed or any other statutory period, whichever is greater. Health care claims are carved out of that rule.
Insurance Minimums 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.
Medical Care and the Courthouse for Cheyenne
For Census purposes Cheyenne is part of Laramie County. Look up Laramie County in the Wyoming Judicial Branch’s court locator and you find the First Judicial District’s district court in Cheyenne, at 309 West 20th Street, Room 3205, Cheyenne, WY 82003. Cheyenne Regional Medical Center in Cheyenne appears on the Wyoming Department of Health list of designated trauma centers, with the designation Regional Trauma Center.
Keep copies of everything the hospital or clinic gives you, ask for an itemized bill, and note each appointment as it happens. If you moved between facilities, collect the records from each one.
Starting The Personal Injury Attorney Wyoming Cheyenne Intake Process
Use the form at the top of the page to tell us what happened. We connect you with an attorney who takes injury cases in the Cheyenne area. There is no charge to submit it, and submitting it does not hire anyone.
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 if a city, county or other government body caused my injury?
Yes. The claim must first be presented to the entity as an itemized written statement within two years of the act, error or omission (W.S. 1-39-113(a)), and suit must be commenced within one year after the claim is filed (W.S. 1-39-114).
When will I know what my claim is worth?
It depends on how long you need treatment and how the insurer responds. Settlement usually comes after your condition is clear, and a lawsuit adds time.
What is the deadline to sue for an injury in Cheyenne?
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)).
If I was partly responsible, can I still recover something?
Yes, if your fault is not more than fifty percent of the total fault of all actors. Your damages are then reduced by your percentage (W.S. 1-1-109(b)).
Is there a limit on damages for an injury in Wyoming?
No statutory ceiling applies to ordinary injury or death claims, because Article 10, section 4(a) of the Wyoming Constitution forbids one. Governmental entities are the exception, with limits in W.S. 1-39-118(a).
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 documents should I keep after an injury?
Medical records and bills, photographs, the police or incident report number, pay stubs showing missed work, repair estimates and every letter or email from an insurer.
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.
Help Elsewhere in Wyoming
If your injury happened outside Cheyenne, one of these pages may fit better.
