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Wyoming Car Accident Settlement Calculator

In Wyoming, you generally have 4 years to file an injury lawsuit, you recover nothing if more than 50% at fault, and drivers must carry at least $25,000/$50,000 in injury liability. Enter your numbers below to see what a Wyoming claim may be worth and what you would actually take home.

1

Your accident

How serious is the injury?
2

Your costs so far

That's all you need for a first estimate. Rough numbers are fine.

Optional: make the estimate more accurate fault, insurance, lawyer fee
3

Fault and future costs

4

Insurance

5

What comes out of it

Wyoming rules in 30 seconds

If you were partly at faultYou get nothing if you are more than 50% at fault
Details & exceptions

Wyoming uses modified comparative fault: an injured person can recover if their fault is not more than 50 percent of the total fault of all actors, with damages reduced by their percentage of fault. At 51 percent or more, they recover nothing. 'Actors' includes people who are not parties to the lawsuit, and each defendant pays only its own share of fault (no joint and several liability).

Compare fault rules in all states →
Deadline to file a lawsuit4 years from the accident
Details & exceptions

W.S. 1-3-105(a)(iv): 4 years for taking, detaining or injuring personal property (B) and for an injury to the rights of the plaintiff not arising on contract and not otherwise enumerated (C), which covers negligence personal injury claims. Wrongful death: 2 years after the death (W.S. 1-38-102(d)). Claims against governmental entities and public employees under the Wyoming Governmental Claims Act: an itemized written claim must be presented to the entity within 2 years of the act or omission (W.S. 1-39-113(a)), and suit must be filed within 1 year after the claim is filed (W.S. 1-39-114; special rule for children 7 or younger). Governmental liability is limited to $250,000 per claimant and $500,000 per occurrence, unless extended by insurance the entity buys (W.S. 1-39-118).

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Other driver's minimum insurance$25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident
Details & exceptions

Property damage minimum: $20,000. W.S. 31-9-405(b) and 31-9-102(a)(xi): $25,000 for bodily injury or death of one person, $50,000 for two or more persons, and $20,000 for property damage per accident. W.S. 31-4-103(a) makes it a misdemeanor to operate a registered vehicle without a policy in these amounts (fine $500 to $1,500 and/or up to 6 months). Earlier bills to raise the limits (e.g. 2005, 2009 HB 168) failed, and no 2023-2026 change was found; the compiled statutes generated in May 2026 still show 25/50/20.

Compare minimums in all states →
Who pays your medical billsThe at-fault driver's insuranceSee all no-fault states →
Cap on pain and sufferingNo cap for typical car accident claims
Details & exceptions

No general cap for typical car accident injury claims. No cap. Wyo. Const. art. 10, sec. 4(a): 'No law shall be enacted limiting the amount of damages to be recovered for causing the injury or death of any person.' Subsection (b), added in 2004, lets the legislature require alternative dispute resolution or medical review panels in health care cases but does not authorize damage caps. The only limit relevant to car accidents is the governmental liability limit ($250,000 per claimant / $500,000 per occurrence, W.S. 1-39-118), which the Wyoming Supreme Court in Bain v. City of Cheyenne (2025 WY 67) treated as a limit on the waiver of governmental immunity, not a damages cap.

Uninsured motorist coverageOptional
Details & exceptions

W.S. 31-10-101: a bodily injury liability policy on a vehicle registered or principally garaged in Wyoming must include uninsured motorist coverage at the 25/50 minimum limits, but 'The named insured may reject the coverage.' Once rejected, it need not be included on renewal by the same insurer unless requested in writing. The statute does not require underinsured motorist coverage to be included or offered.

Worked example: a typical Wyoming car accident claim

Another driver turned left into you at an intersection in Wyoming: $15,000 in medical bills, $5,000 in lost wages and a moderate injury that healed in a few months. The insurer says you were 20% at fault for speeding slightly, the other driver has a $100,000 policy, and your lawyer takes 33%.

  1. Economic damages$20,000Medical bills + expected future treatment + lost wages.
  2. Pain and suffering$20,000 – $40,000Multiplier method: economic damages × 2–3 for a moderate injury, minus the economic part itself.
  3. Total claim value$40,000 – $60,000Economic + pain and suffering.
  4. After your share of fault$32,000 – $48,000Wyoming uses modified comparative negligence (51% bar): you recover nothing if you are 51% or more at fault; otherwise recovery is reduced by your 20%.
  5. Limited by available insurance$32,000 – $48,000At-fault policy limit $100,000 + your UM/UIM $0.
  6. Estimated take-home$20,440 – $31,160Minus attorney fee (33%), case costs and medical liens.

You would take home about $25,800 ($20,440 – $31,160), after the 33% fee and $1,000 in case costs.

Typical figures (midpoint of a moderate injury multiplier), no medical liens. Run your own numbersor see the same crash in every state.

How much time do you have to file?

General personal injury deadline only. It can be shorter for claims against a city, county or state agency (often a written notice within months), and longer for minors. Check with a lawyer before relying on it.

Deadline traps in Wyoming

The 4-year lawsuit deadline is not the only clock. These are the ones people miss:

Crash with a government vehicle or on a public road2 years (claim), then 1 year to sue

Present an itemized written claim to the governmental entity within 2 years of the crash, then file suit within 1 year after filing the claim. Children 7 or younger get until the later of 2 years or their 8th birthday to sue.

W.S. 1-39-113 and 1-39-114, Wyoming Governmental Claims Act (Wyoming Legislature, Title 1 PDF)

If the injured person is a child

An injured child can sue within 3 years after turning 18 (age 21), or within the normal 4 years if that ends later.

W.S. 1-3-114, Legal disabilities (Wyoming Legislature, Title 1 PDF)

How fast a Wyoming insurer must respond

Claims for benefits under a property or casualty policy must be accepted or rejected and paid within 45 days of receiving the claim and supporting bills. Otherwise insurers must act 'reasonably promptly' under the Unfair Claims Settlement Practices law.

W.S. 26-15-124(b), Claim to be accepted or rejected (Wyoming Legislature, Title 26 PDF)W.S. 26-13-124, Unfair claims settlement practices (Wyoming Legislature, Title 26 PDF)

If an insurer misses these deadlines, you can file a complaint with the state insurance department. Compare all states:insurance claim deadlines by state.

Next steps after a Wyoming crash

Frequently asked questions

What is a typical car accident settlement in Wyoming?
It depends on the bills, the injury and fault. Worked example: with $15,000 in medical bills, $5,000 in lost wages and a moderate injury, 20% of the fault, a Wyoming claim against the other driver is worth about $40,000, and the injured person takes home about $25,800 after a 33% attorney fee and costs. At 51% fault, the same claim pays nothing in Wyoming.
Is Wyoming an at-fault or no-fault state for car accidents?
Wyoming's car insurance system: At-fault (tort).
Is there a cap on pain and suffering in Wyoming car accident cases?
No general cap for typical car accident injury claims. No cap. Wyo. Const. art. 10, sec. 4(a): 'No law shall be enacted limiting the amount of damages to be recovered for causing the injury or death of any person.' Subsection (b), added in 2004, lets the legislature require alternative dispute resolution or medical review panels in health care cases but does not authorize damage caps. The only limit relevant to car accidents is the governmental liability limit ($250,000 per claimant / $500,000 per occurrence, W.S. 1-39-118), which the Wyoming Supreme Court in Bain v. City of Cheyenne (2025 WY 67) treated as a limit on the waiver of governmental immunity, not a damages cap.
What happens if I was partly at fault for an accident in Wyoming?
Wyoming follows modified comparative negligence with a 51% bar: you recover nothing if you are 51% or more at fault, and otherwise your recovery is reduced by your percentage of fault.
How long do I have to file a car accident lawsuit in Wyoming?
Generally 4 years for personal injury and 4 years for property damage. W.S. 1-3-105(a)(iv): 4 years for taking, detaining or injuring personal property (B) and for an injury to the rights of the plaintiff not arising on contract and not otherwise enumerated (C), which covers negligence personal injury claims. Wrongful death: 2 years after the death (W.S. 1-38-102(d)). Claims against governmental entities and public employees under the Wyoming Governmental Claims Act: an itemized written claim must be presented to the entity within 2 years of the act or omission (W.S. 1-39-113(a)), and suit must be filed within 1 year after the claim is filed (W.S. 1-39-114; special rule for children 7 or younger). Governmental liability is limited to $250,000 per claimant and $500,000 per occurrence, unless extended by insurance the entity buys (W.S. 1-39-118).
What is the minimum car insurance in Wyoming?
$25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for bodily injury, and $20,000 for property damage. W.S. 31-9-405(b) and 31-9-102(a)(xi): $25,000 for bodily injury or death of one person, $50,000 for two or more persons, and $20,000 for property damage per accident. W.S. 31-4-103(a) makes it a misdemeanor to operate a registered vehicle without a policy in these amounts (fine $500 to $1,500 and/or up to 6 months). Earlier bills to raise the limits (e.g. 2005, 2009 HB 168) failed, and no 2023-2026 change was found; the compiled statutes generated in May 2026 still show 25/50/20.
What is the deadline to file a claim against the government in Wyoming?
2 years (claim), then 1 year to sue. Present an itemized written claim to the governmental entity within 2 years of the crash, then file suit within 1 year after filing the claim. Children 7 or younger get until the later of 2 years or their 8th birthday to sue.
How long does an insurance company have to respond to a claim in Wyoming?
Claims for benefits under a property or casualty policy must be accepted or rejected and paid within 45 days of receiving the claim and supporting bills. Otherwise insurers must act 'reasonably promptly' under the Unfair Claims Settlement Practices law.

Related

Official sources