Hiring a Car Accident Lawyer in Wyoming
The deadline to sue after a crash in Wyoming, how fault is shared, when a crash must be reported, how lawyers usually charge (contingency fees), how to check a lawyer's license, and free help. We do not recommend or rank lawyers.
What a lawyer costs in Wyoming: fee rules
| If you disagree with a lawyer's bill | The Wyoming State Bar offers fee arbitration for fee disputes over $500 (disputes of $500 or less are not eligible). Generally you must file within one year after the later of the end of the lawyer-client relationship or the final bill; if the lawyer sues over the fee, you have 30 days after service of the required notice. Complete the Petition for Fee Arbitration and upload copies of bills and supporting documents. The bar sends it to the attorney, who has 21 days to respond; the Fee Arbitration Committee chair tries informal resolution, and if that fails within 30 days a panel holds a hearing and issues a written decision. |
|---|---|
| If a lawyer takes your money | The Wyoming State Bar's Client Protection Fund reimburses clients who lose money or property through a lawyer's dishonest conduct (such as theft, embezzlement or conversion, including failure to refund advance fees), or when a lawyer dies or becomes incapacitated while holding client money, within a lawyer-client relationship. It does not cover negligence, business or investment losses, interest, or losses covered by insurance or bonds; awards are discretionary. The maximum is $15,000 per claimant per calendar year. File within four years after you knew or should have known of the dishonest conduct, using the notarized Statement of Claim (fill out online, then print, sign and mail) with proof of loss; a lawyer is not required. Questions: (307) 432-2104. |
Wyoming rules to know first
| Deadline to sue | Four years for an injury to the rights of the plaintiff not arising on contract, which covers most negligence-based injury claims. Assault or battery (other than sexual assault), libel, slander, malicious prosecution and false imprisonment have a one-year deadline. Applying the four-year period to negligence injury claims follows from the statute's text; |
|---|---|
| Fault rule | Modified comparative fault (51% bar). A claimant can recover if their fault is not more than 50% of the total fault of all actors; damages are reduced by the claimant's percentage of fault. The jury is told the consequences of its fault percentages. Source: Wyo. Stat. § 1-1-109(b)–(d) |
| When to report a crash to police | The driver must immediately, by the quickest means available, notify the local police department (inside a city or town) or otherwise the nearest Wyoming Highway Patrol office or the county sheriff, if the crash causes injury or death, or damages a vehicle (other than a bicycle or other human-powered vehicle) so it cannot be driven normally and safely. Wyoming uses this disabled-vehicle test rather than a dollar threshold. If the driver cannot, a capable passenger must give the notice. |
| Minimum car insurance | Owners must keep a motor vehicle liability policy or bond. Proof of financial responsibility means at least $25,000 for bodily injury or death of one person, $50,000 for bodily injury or death of two or more people in one accident, and $20,000 for property damage. The required policy amounts are set by cross-reference to § 31-9-405(b), which was not separately read. |
Find and check a lawyer
| Lawyer referral service | The Wyoming State Bar runs a Lawyer Referral Service. Its Lawyer Referral Directory lists only attorneys who are part of the referral program and is searchable by practice area; you can also request a referral online. Wyoming State Bar phone: 307-632-9061. |
|---|---|
| Check that the lawyer is licensed | The Wyoming State Bar's Member Directory lets you search all lawyers licensed in Wyoming. It is separate from the bar's Lawyer Referral Directory, which lists only attorneys in the referral program. |
| Check discipline history or file a complaint | Complaints about Wyoming lawyers go to the Wyoming State Bar's Office of Bar Counsel. Complete the Ethical Violations Complaint Form, sign and date it (complaints are sworn under penalty of perjury; anonymous complaints are not accepted), and mail the original with copies of supporting documents to Office of Bar Counsel, P.O. Box 109, Cheyenne, WY 82003-0109; questions (307) 432-2104. Bar Counsel looks at possible violations of the Rules of Professional Conduct, such as missed deadlines, abandoning a case or mishandling client funds, but not the quality of a lawyer's advice or strategy alone, fee disputes (handled by fee arbitration) or rudeness. The lawyer receives a copy of the complaint; the complaint and investigation stay confidential unless a Formal Charge is filed, and you are notified before that happens. |
Free legal help
| Free legal aid | Legal Aid of Wyoming provides free civil legal help to low-income individuals in Wyoming. Apply online or call 1-877-432-9955. LSC lists Legal Aid of Wyoming as its Wyoming grantee. LSC grantee list: https://www.lsc.gov/about-lsc/our-grantees |
|---|
All legal help in Wyoming · Background guide
Last verified against official sources: October 27, 2026.
How we source this page: each state-specific rule links to the statute, court rule or official government page it comes from. A rule taken from a public copy of a state code (used only where the official code is not freely readable online) is marked as a secondary source. Spot an error? Use the contact page to report it. About our sources
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.