Personal injury lawyer help in Washakie County, Wyoming

Washakie County, Wyoming includes 2 named communities, the largest being Worland. Whether an accident happened on a county road, in a small town or in one of the larger communities, the same Wyoming rules apply: a 4-year filing deadline for most injury claims, modified comparative negligence (51% bar), and lawsuits filed in the Washakie County District Court. This page is the county-wide guide, with links to a page for each community.

You describe what happened anywhere in Washakie County using the free case review form, and your request may be shared with participating attorneys or legal services partners who handle that type of matter in Wyoming. Submitting a request does not hire an attorney, and everything below is general legal information, not legal advice about your specific situation.

From 2020 through 2024, federal crash records list 3 fatal crashes in Washakie County, in which 4 people died. The only road with more than one was US-16, with 2 fatal crashes.

Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2020-2023 Final File and 2024 Annual Report File (ARF), national data files downloaded from NHTSA on November 3, 2026. A crash counts for a road under the trafficway the reporting agency recorded; the same street with and without a route number is one row, a route recorded without a street name keeps its own row, and a route's ramps, frontage roads and business route have rows of their own; roads with fewer than two fatal crashes are not listed. The 2024 figures are NHTSA's first release for that year and may change in its Final File.

How to cite these figures: Ask Legal Matters, "Fatal crashes in Washakie County, WY, 2020-2024," compiled from NHTSA FARS (2020-2023 Final File and 2024 Annual Report File (ARF)), https://asklegalmatters.com/injury-guides/wyoming/washakie-county/, checked November 3, 2026. Downloads and method: https://asklegalmatters.com/injury-guides/data/.

The yearly count was 1 in 2020, 1 in 2021, 0 in 2022, 0 in 2023 and 1 in 2024; none happened after dark. None involved a pedestrian or cyclist or happened at an intersection.

Fatal crashes are the most serious outcome on these roads; many more crashes cause injuries without a death. Whatever the severity, the police crash report, photos of the scene and prompt medical records are the starting evidence for a claim.

In Wyoming, the driver in a crash that injures or kills anyone, or disables a vehicle so it cannot be driven normally and safely, must give notice immediately by the quickest means to the local police inside a city or town, otherwise to the nearest Highway Patrol office or the county sheriff (Wyo. Stat. § 31-5-1105). The investigating officer sends the written report to WYDOT.

Who must report

The driver in a crash that injures or kills anyone, or disables a vehicle (other than a bicycle or other human-powered vehicle) so it cannot be driven normally and safely

Report to

The local police inside a municipality; otherwise the nearest Wyoming Highway Patrol office or the county sheriff

Deadline

Immediately, by the quickest means of communication

Driver's form

None for drivers: the investigating officer sends the written report to WYDOT within 10 days

Copy of the crash report

WYDOT Highway Safety: request a crash report

Sources: Wyoming Statutes, Title 31; WYDOT: crash reports; WYDOT: requesting crash reports. Checked November 3, 2026. General information, not legal advice; local rules and police practice can add steps.

Each community below has its own guide with the local court, insurance rules and every type of injury claim.

• Worland, WYpop. 5,372

Smaller communities in Washakie County include Ten Sleep. Residents of these areas follow the same Wyoming rules, use the same Washakie County District Court, and can request a free case review from anywhere in the county.

Wyoming generally gives an injured person four years from the date of injury to file a personal injury lawsuit (Wyo. Stat. § 1-3-105(a)(iv)(C)); medical malpractice is different (two years). Wrongful death claims follow their own deadline, which can differ from the one above. Claims against a city, county, school district or state agency follow separate and often much shorter deadlines. Once the deadline passes, the Washakie County District Court will dismiss the case regardless of how clear the fault was, so the practical rule in Washakie County is to get legal advice early.

Wyoming follows modified comparative negligence (51% bar). In plain terms, you can recover as long as you were not more than 50% at fault, and your award is reduced by your share of fault. Insurance adjusters apply this rule from the first phone call, which is why the way an accident is described and documented in the days after it happens in Washakie County has a direct effect on what a claim is worth.

After a crash in Washakie County, the at-fault driver's liability insurance is the primary source of compensation. Wyoming requires drivers to carry only 25/50/20 in coverage (thousands of dollars for bodily injury per person, per accident, and property damage), which serious injuries quickly exhaust. Underinsured motorist coverage on your own policy and claims against additional responsible parties often make the difference in Washakie County cases.

Lawsuits arising from accidents in Washakie County are typically filed in the Washakie County District Court, the trial court of general jurisdiction for Washakie County, although cases can sometimes be filed where the defendant resides or does business, and claims against out-of-state trucking companies or manufacturers may end up in federal court. Most claims settle before trial, but the credible ability to try a case in Washakie County is what moves insurers to pay fair value.

Employees injured on the job in Washakie County are generally covered by Wyoming workers' compensation, administered through the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services. Report the injury to your employer as soon as practical, and no later than 72 hours after the injury becomes apparent (Wyo. Stat. § 27-14-502) — a late report can delay or put the claim at risk, and the exceptions vary by state — then file the formal claim within one year. Workers' compensation does not pay for pain and suffering, so when a third party such as a subcontractor, driver or equipment manufacturer caused the injury, a separate personal injury claim is often worth pursuing alongside it.

After a crash in Washakie County, most people ask the same questions first. These guides answer them in plain English; the Wyoming rules that change the answers are explained on this page.

• What should you do after a car accident?
• How do you file a car accident insurance claim?
• What is the average car accident settlement?
• How should you deal with the insurance adjuster after a car accident?
• What happens if an uninsured driver hits you?
• What happens if you are partly at fault in a car accident?

• Hot Springs County, WY
• Big Horn County, WY
• Park County, WY
• Johnson County, WY

See the Wyoming personal injury guide for every county in the state.