Do I need a lawyer after a car accident in Wyoming?
Every rule below is quoted from Wyoming law or a state agency, with a link. Checked September 17, 2026.
The short answer
We can't tell you whether you need a lawyer. We can show you the Wyoming rules that usually decide it: how fault is split, how long you have, and how injury lawyers are allowed to charge. Many people with only car damage settle directly with the insurer. People with injuries, disputed fault or a claim near a deadline often talk to a lawyer first.
How fault changes your claim
If you were partly at fault
Wyoming uses modified comparative negligence. You can recover damages as long as your share of fault is not more than half the total fault. If your fault is more than 50 percent, you recover nothing.
“Contributory fault shall not bar a recovery in an action by any claimant or the claimant's legal representative to recover damages for wrongful death or injury to person or property, if the contributory fault of the claimant is not more than fifty percent (50%) of the total fault of all actors”
How long you have
- 4 years
- to sue for injuriesWyo. Stat. § 1-3-105(a)(iv)(C)
- 4 years
- to sue for car or property damageWyo. Stat. § 1-3-105(a)(iv)(B)
- 2 years
- for a family to sue after a deathWyo. Stat. § 1-38-102(d)
- 2 years
- to notify the government if a public vehicle or road was involvedWyo. Stat. § 1-39-113(a)
Deadline to sue for injuries
You have four years from the crash to sue for your injuries.
“Within four (4) years, an action for...An injury to the rights of the plaintiff, not arising on contract and not herein enumerated”
If a government vehicle or road was involved
If a government vehicle or government owned road was involved, you must present a written, itemized claim to the government entity within two years of the crash before you can sue.
“No action shall be brought under this act against a governmental entity unless the claim upon which the action is based is presented to the entity as an itemized statement in writing within two (2) years of the date of the alleged act, error or omission”
How injury lawyers charge in Wyoming
Contingency fee rules
Wyoming is unusual, it has an actual presumptive fee schedule for injury and wrongful death cases, not just a general reasonableness rule. A fee of one third of the recovery is presumed reasonable if the case settles before or within 60 days of filing suit, 40 percent is presumed reasonable after that or if there is a verdict, and 30 percent is presumed reasonable on any amount recovered over one million dollars. Attorneys and clients can still agree to different percentages.
“a common contingent fee in casualty and wrongful death cases is thirty-three and one-third (33 1/3) percent of amounts recovered prior to appeal...thirty-three and one-third (33 1/3) percent of the recovery if the claim is settled prior to or within sixty (60) days after suit is filed...forty (40) percent of the recovery if the claim is settled more than sixty (60) days after filing suit or if a judgment is entered upon a verdict”
Questions to ask any lawyer before you sign
- What percentage do you charge, and does it change if the case goes to trial?
- Who pays case costs like records and expert fees if we lose?
- Will you handle my case yourself, or pass it to someone else?
- How long do cases like mine usually take here?
- What is the deadline for my claim, and when will you file?
If the insurer is the problem
File a complaint with the state
You can file a complaint against an insurance company or agent with the Wyoming Department of Insurance through its online complaint portal, or call their Consumer Affairs Section for help.
“File a Complaint”
Sources on this page
Each one was opened and checked on September 17, 2026.
Know My Claim is not a law firm or a government agency, and this page is not legal advice. Laws change, so check the linked source before you rely on a deadline.