Wyoming Slip and Fall Settlement Calculator
Get a rough estimate of what a Wyoming slip-and-fall claim might be worth. Enter your medical bills and losses and answer a few plain questions — the tool weighs how provable the owner's fault is and your share of fault. This is an estimate to understand the factors, not a prediction or an offer.
This is a rough estimate, not a prediction or an offer.
Slip-and-fall claims turn on proving the property owner was at fault — there is no formula that predicts a settlement. This shows the factors and a wide range to help you understand value. Consult a Wyoming premises-liability attorney about your case.
Enter the medical bills and losses to see an estimated range
The multiplier method is a rough starting point, not a guarantee. Slip-and-fall value depends most on proving the owner's fault and on the available insurance. An attorney is the only way to value your specific claim. This tool is not legal advice and RecordingLaw.com is not a law firm.
How the Estimate Works
No tool can predict a slip-and-fall settlement. This calculator applies the multiplier method (pain and suffering as a multiple of your medical bills), then does something the thin online calculators skip: it weighs how provable the owner's fault is. A spill the staff caused or knew about is worth far more than a hazard nobody can show the owner knew about. It then estimates your own comparative fault from a few plain questions and applies Wyoming's rules.
Proving the Owner Was at Fault
Premises liability has four parts: a dangerous condition existed, the owner knew or should have known about it, they failed to fix it or warn you, and that caused your injury. The middle part — notice — is where most slip-and-fall cases are won or lost. Strong evidence (an incident report, photos of the hazard, surveillance video, cleaning and maintenance logs, prior complaints) is what turns a claim from a token offer into real money. A posted warning sign or cone works against you: it shows the owner did warn, and it makes the hazard "open and obvious," shifting fault onto you.
Wyoming Premises-Liability Rules
Open-and-obvious hazards. In Wyoming, an open-and-obvious hazard is only a comparative-fault factor (it reduces, not bars). Wyoming treats an open-and-obvious hazard as a comparative-fault factor only, NOT a duty-defeating bar. The leading case is Pinnacle Bank v. Villa, 2004 WY 150, 100 P.3d 1287, where the Wyoming Supreme Court held that the open-and-obvious-danger rule "should be utilized for comparative negligence purposes, but not for establishing the duty of care." If the landowner is found negligent, the obviousness of the danger is then weighed in assessing the plaintiff's comparative negligence under Wyo. Stat. 1-1-109 — it does not extinguish the landowner's duty. This continued the trend from O'Donnell v. City of Casper, 696 P.2d 1278 (Wyo. 1985), which rejected applying the obvious-danger rule to defeat duty for man-made (vs. natural) hazards, holding the obviousness instead went to the plaintiff's comparative negligence. Because Wyoming uses modified comparative fault, a plaintiff more than 50% at fault recovers nothing.
Ice and snow. Wyoming follows the natural-accumulation rule — a property owner generally owes NO duty to remove naturally accumulated ice or snow, so those claims are hard to win unless the accumulation was unnatural or the owner made it worse. Wyoming follows the natural accumulation rule: a landowner/occupier is generally NOT liable for injuries from a natural accumulation of snow and ice the owner did not create. Leading case: Paulson v. Andicoechea, 926 P.2d 955 (Wyo. 1996) (no duty to remove naturally accumulated ice/snow from a parking lot). To recover, a plaintiff must show an UNNATURAL accumulation — i.e., the defendant created or aggravated the hazard, knew or should have known of it, and that it was substantially more dangerous than in its natural state. Important exception (making the overall picture somewhat mixed): a local snow-and-ice-removal ordinance can impose an affirmative duty that overrides the natural-accumulation rule. In Pinnacle Bank v. Villa, 2004 WY 150, 100 P.3d 1287, the Court held a Worland city ordinance requiring abutting owners to clear sidewalks established a duty that controlled over the general common-law natural-accumulation rule. Coding as no-duty because the common-law default is no duty for natural accumulations.
Public property. If you fell on government property, Wyoming requires a formal notice of claim before you can sue. Under the Wyoming Governmental Claims Act, Wyo. Stat. 1-39-113, no action may be brought against a governmental entity unless the claim is first presented to the entity as an itemized statement in writing within TWO YEARS (730 days) of the date of the alleged act, error, or omission. This two-year presentment deadline is jurisdictional and is The claim must also satisfy the signature/certification requirements of Article 16, Section 7 of the Wyoming Constitution — signed by the claimant under oath certifying, under penalty of false swearing, that the claim is true and accurate, and Wyoming courts strictly enforce this certification. Separately, once a written claim is filed, suit must be brought within one year under Wyo. Stat. 1-39-114, but the initial notice-of-claim trigger is the 2-year presentment requirement.
Your Fault & the Deadline to File
Wyoming follows modified comparative negligence (51% bar). Your award is reduced by your share of fault, and you recover nothing once you are 51% or more at fault.
Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 1-1-109 (comparative fault). A claimant may recover only if their fault is "not more than fifty percent (50%)" of the total fault; recovery is barred once the claimant is 51% or more at fault. Recovery is reduced in proportion to the claimant's percentage of fault. Liability among defendants is several only — each defendant is liable only for its proportionate share of fault, not joint-and-several.
Wyoming generally requires a slip-and-fall lawsuit to be filed within 4 years of the fall (the statute of limitations). General PI limitations is 4 years from the date of injury under Wyo. Stat. § 1-3-105(a)(iv)(C), subject to the discovery rule. Medical malpractice is 2 years (§ 1-3-107); many intentional torts (e.g., libel, slander, assault, battery, false imprisonment) carry a 1-year period. Source: Pinnacle Bank v. Villa, 2004 WY 150, 100 P.3d 1287 (open-and-obvious is comparative-fault, not duty); O'Donnell v. City of Casper, 696 P.2d 1278 (Wyo. 1985); Paulson v. Andicoechea, 926 P.2d 955 (Wyo. 1996) (natural accumulation rule); Wyo. Stat. 1-39-113 (Governmental Claims Act, 2-year notice of claim); Wyo. Stat. 1-1-109 (modified comparative fault, recovery barred if claimant more than 50% at fault); Wyo. Stat. 1-3-105 (4-year personal-injury limitations period)..
- Open-and-obvious hazards do NOT bar a Wyoming slip-and-fall claim — under Pinnacle Bank v. Villa (2004 WY 150), the obviousness of a danger goes to the plaintiff's comparative fault, not to whether the landowner owed a duty.
- Wyoming follows the natural accumulation rule (Paulson v. Andicoechea, 1996): no duty to clear naturally accumulated snow/ice unless the owner created or aggravated it, making it an UNNATURAL accumulation that is substantially more dangerous than in its natural state.
- A local snow-and-ice ordinance can flip the result — Pinnacle Bank held a city ordinance requiring abutting owners to clear sidewalks created an affirmative duty that overrode the common-law natural-accumulation rule.
- Wyoming uses modified comparative fault (Wyo. Stat. 1-1-109): you can recover only if you are 50% or less at fault, and damages are reduced by your share; at 51% or more you recover nothing.
- For falls on state or municipal property, you must present a written, oath-certified notice of claim within 2 years under the Wyoming Governmental Claims Act (Wyo. Stat. 1-39-113); this deadline is jurisdictional and the claim must meet the Wyoming Constitution Art. 16 Sec. 7 certification requirement.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is my Wyoming slip and fall claim worth?
No one can tell you a number in advance, and slip-and-fall is harder than a car accident because you must prove the owner was at fault. A rough estimate adds your economic damages and a pain-and-suffering multiplier, discounts it by how provable the owner's fault is, and reduces it for your share of fault under Wyoming's modified comparative negligence (51% bar) rule. The available insurance also caps recovery — an attorney is the only way to value your specific case.
Does a "wet floor" sign hurt my Wyoming claim?
Yes, usually. A posted warning shows the owner satisfied part of their duty to warn and makes the hazard "open and obvious," which shifts fault onto you. In Wyoming, an open-and-obvious hazard is only a comparative-fault factor (it reduces, not bars). It reduces — and sometimes defeats — a claim, but not always (a hidden or inadequate sign may not help the owner).
Can I sue for a fall on ice or snow in Wyoming?
It's difficult. Wyoming follows the natural-accumulation rule, so a landowner generally owes no duty to remove naturally accumulated ice or snow. You'd usually need to show the accumulation was unnatural or the owner made it worse. This is general information, not legal advice — consult a Wyoming attorney.
How long do I have to file in Wyoming?
Generally 4 years from the fall. If you fell on public property, a much shorter notice-of-claim deadline (around 730 days) applies first. General PI limitations is 4 years from the date of injury under Wyo. Stat. § 1-3-105(a)(iv)(C), subject to the discovery rule. Medical malpractice is 2 years (§ 1-3-107); many intentional torts (e.g., libel, slander, assault, battery, false imprisonment) carry a 1-year period.
Is this calculator accurate?
It is a rough estimate to show the factors that drive value — not a prediction or an offer. Slip-and-fall outcomes vary enormously and depend on proving fault and on the available insurance. Treat any number here as a ballpark and consult a Wyoming attorney.
Disclaimer
This estimator is for general informational purposes only and is not legal advice or a prediction of any outcome. RecordingLaw.com is not a law firm. The value of a slip-and-fall claim can only be assessed by a licensed attorney reviewing your specific facts.