If you are injured due to someone else’s carelessness in Wyoming, you have the right to bring a lawsuit against that person or company to recover damages. Although Wyoming law gives you a lot of discretion when filing a legal case, you cannot do so indefinitely. The law does not allow you to wait for a lifetime to file an action.
The statute of limitations is the legal term for this law. In Wyoming, every type of personal injury claim is subject to a statute of limitations. This limits the amount of time you have to bring a case.
To ensure your case proceeds correctly, you should speak with a personal injury lawyer Wyoming and get guidance throughout the process.
Personal Injury Claims in Wyoming
A personal injury claim in Wyoming has a four-year statute of limitations from the date of the injury. Therefore, you have four years from the date of your injury to file a personal injury claim. Whether that injury was caused by a construction accident, a fall at someone’s business, or another cause.
Car Accidents
Unlike many other states, Wyoming does not have a specific time limit for car accidents and crashes. That means car accidents and wrecks in Wyoming are subject to the same four-year statute of limitations as personal injury claims.
Wrongful Death Claims
Wyoming reduces the statute of limitations for personal injury claims by half in cases of death resulting from another person’s negligence, vehicle accident, or another incident. As a result, Wyoming has a two-year statute of limitation for filing a wrongful death lawsuit.
Medical Malpractice Claims
Whenever the negligence of a doctor, nurse, or other medical professional causes your injury, the statute of limitations will be two years instead of four years.
The two-year period usually starts on the day of your injury, whether caused by surgery or another incident. You may be able to extend the medical statute of limitations if you cannot establish whether you were injured during the surgery or procedure.
Can I Sue If I Don’t File by the Wyoming Statute of Limitations?
If you do not file a case before the applicable statute of limitations expires, you will likely lose your right to sue the person or company who caused your injuries. The law is rather stringent, and there are relatively few exceptions to Wyoming’s statutes of limitations.
However, under certain circumstances, you may qualify for an exception to the statute of limitations if you were under 18.