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Your Lovell 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 Lovell, 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.
Before You Hire: Questions For A Lovell Attorney
Whoever you speak to, a few answers tell you a lot:
- 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)).
- Any ceiling. Ask whether anything caps what you could recover. The Wyoming Constitution says no law may limit the damages for causing injury or death (Wyoming Constitution Article 10, section 4(a)).
- 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).
- Who will work on it. Ask who handles your file day to day and how fast messages are answered.
- Fees and costs. Ask what the fee is, when it is paid, and which expenses are deducted from a settlement.
Injury Claims People Ask About
Vehicle crashes
Whether the collision was minor or serious, the same early steps help: get checked by a doctor, photograph the vehicles and the scene, exchange insurance information and keep any repair estimates.
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
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 someone you love died because another person was careless or at fault, the law treats it separately. 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 Lovell? Get matched with an attorney now.
Fault Shared Among Several People
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.
Is There A Limit On The Award?
Many states limit pain and suffering awards. Wyoming’s Constitution takes a different position: no law shall be enacted limiting the amount of damages to be recovered for causing the injury or death of any person (Wyoming Constitution Article 10, section 4(a)). That means compensatory damages in an ordinary injury or death claim are not capped by a statute.
Claims against a governmental entity are different. Under the Governmental Claims Act, liability is generally limited to $250,000 for any claimant for claims arising out of a single transaction or occurrence, and $500,000 for all claims of all claimants from that occurrence (W.S. 1-39-118(a)), subject to the exceptions written into the statute.
When the Clock Starts and Stops
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.
What The Other Driver’s Policy Must Cover
Under W.S. 31-9-405(b), an owner’s motor vehicle liability policy must provide at least $25,000 for injury to one person, $50,000 for injury to two or more people in one accident, and $20,000 for property damage. Those figures are floors, and a serious injury can cost more than the other driver’s policy pays.
If your bills pass that limit, it helps to know early what other coverage may exist, including your own policy. Ask your attorney to look at every policy that could apply.
Courts and Hospitals in Lovell
Lovell is in Big Horn County, and the Wyoming Judicial Branch’s court locator shows that county’s district court in Basin, at 420 West C Street, Basin, WY 82410. On the state’s list of designated trauma centers, Lovell is shown with North Big Horn Hospital District, designated a Trauma Receiving Facility.
Records matter later. Get the complete chart and an itemized bill from each place that treated you, and write down the date of every visit, including any transfer to another facility.
Getting Started With Your Claim In Lovell
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 Lovell 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
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).
How long does an injury settlement take?
It varies with the injury and the insurer. Many claims wait until treatment has finished so the full cost is known, which can take months, and a lawsuit takes longer.
How long do I have to file an injury lawsuit in Wyoming?
For most injury claims, four years from when the claim accrues (W.S. 1-3-105(a)(iv)(C)). A wrongful death action must be commenced within two years after the 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.
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.
Do I have to give the other insurer a recorded statement?
Not right away. You may decline a recorded statement until you have talked to someone about your options, and saying so is fine.
Injury Attorney Pages For Other Wyoming Communities
If your injury happened outside Lovell, one of these pages may fit better.
