Car accident lawyer for Missoula, MT

First steps after a Missoula crash

See a doctor within a day, including the student health center if that is nearest, and keep every record. Montana requires a crash report when there is injury or damage over a set amount; get the report number from Missoula police, the county sheriff or the Highway Patrol. Photograph the vehicles, the road and conditions such as ice, snow, smoke or wildlife involved. Collect witness details, especially from travelers passing through on I-90. Note missed work or classes. Keep talk at the scene to the facts. If the other driver's side wants a recorded statement, let them know you will respond after speaking with an attorney.

Crash situations common in Missoula

I-90 runs along the north side of Missoula and carries freight and travelers between Spokane and Billings, with heavy merging at the Reserve Street and Orange Street exits. US 93 heads south into the Bitterroot Valley and north toward Flathead Lake, and US 12 and Montana 200 follow the rivers east and west. Reserve Street is the city's main commercial strip and a notorious source of rear-end and turning crashes. Brooks Street, Higgins Avenue and the university area carry heavy student, bicycle and pedestrian traffic. Winters bring ice, snow and freezing fog along the Clark Fork, deer and elk cross the highways at dawn and dusk, and late summer wildfire smoke cuts visibility.

What the free case review covers

Whatever the hour, a person picks up (470) 600-0106 in English, Spanish or Arabic. A free consultation starts with the location of the crash, the responding agency, the report, your injuries and your treatment. Montana uses modified comparative fault, so we ask how the crash unfolded and what evidence exists. We ask whether a commercial truck, a university vehicle or wildlife was involved, since each changes the picture. Lost work, missed classes and expenses come up. We then set out the usual course of a Missoula County case in plain terms. Nothing obliges you to go further, and if the case is not one to pursue, we tell you.

Connecting you with a Montana attorney

Car Accident Lawyers Agency's role ends when the introduction is made. We connect Missoula residents and students with an independent car accident attorney licensed in Montana who handles western Montana crashes like theirs, whether an I-90 truck collision, an icy US 93 wreck, a Reserve Street rear-end crash or a cyclist struck near campus. Students from out of state can usually continue a case after they leave. We are also honest when a case is not one to pursue, for example when injuries are minor or your share of fault exceeds Montana's limit, and we explain the reasoning rather than referring you anyway.

How a Missoula County case usually proceeds

Your personal injury attorney notifies the other side that you are represented and gathers the crash report, medical records, photographs and any video from businesses or dash cameras, sending a preservation letter if a truck was involved. Montana reduces recovery by your share of fault and bars it above fifty percent, so they build the record of how the crash happened. They keep account of medical bills and lost income while you recover. When your recovery can be stated with confidence, they send a demand and negotiate. Many Missoula cases resolve by agreement; others are filed in Missoula County District Court. You decide on any proposal.