Billings Car Accident Attorneys

Why Choose a Billings Car Accident Lawyer at Heenan & Cook, PLLC?

With many choices, the Billings car accident lawyers at Heenan & Cook stand out among the rest:

We have recovered millions for our clients and are viewed by our adversaries and peers as some of the best car accident lawyers in Billings and Montana
We fight hard to maximize the amount you recover
With our No Fee Guarantee, we never charge fees unless we are able to recover money for you
We have decades of experience helping Montanans against insurance companies
We have recovered record-setting verdicts and settlements for Montana car accident victims
The insurance companies know we will fight hard for our clients, and that they must pay what’s fair

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Common Causes of Car Accidents in Billings, Montana?

Texting and Driving

Montana has no statewide law banning texting and driving. However, Billings and many other municipalities have implemented their own distracted driving prohibitions. Despite texting and driving being unlawful in Billings, people still engage in this dangerous behavior every day. These drivers risk the lives of everyone around them and are guilty of negligence in the event of a car accident.

Texting and driving is a form of negligence that can make a driver legally responsible for an accident. Using a cell phone during, or immediately before, a collision is a type of evidence plaintiffs often use to prove the other driver’s liability. Always pay close attention to the connection between cell phone use and an auto accident. If you have reason to believe another driver’s texting contributed to your crash, speak to a car accident lawyer today. An attorney can investigate the accident, obtain phone records, and defend your rights.

Road Debris & Weather Conditions

A study conducted by The AAA Foundation found that more than 200,000 vehicle crashes in the United States between 2011 and 2014 were the result of road debris. Drivers swerving out of the way to avoid hitting something in the road caused 38% of road debris accidents. Swerving can both lead to a crash with another vehicle and cause you to lose control of your own vehicle.

The drastic winter conditions of our region is also a big cause for traffic safety, even several months after the season. While the city makes an effort to keep roadways safe, extreme weather conditions can lead to dangerous conditions. Including slippery roads, ice build-up, and even large chucks of ice in the middle of roads.

Drunk Driving

When a driver gets behind the wheel while impaired by alcohol or drugs, it turns the vehicle into a dangerous machine. More than 50 of yearly auto accident deaths involved only a single vehicle and the driver was the only occupant. The car accident lawyers at Heenan & Cook specialize in prosecuting drunk and drugged drivers.

Railroad Crossing Vehicle Accidents

Our state has dozens of major railways that cut through the state to transport goods and people. While the economy still relies on the train system, hundreds of train accidents occur every year. Trains may derail, strike other vehicles, or hit pedestrians. Many things can cause a railroad crossing accident, from a disabled vehicle on the tracks to a negligent train conductor. There are state laws that cover trains and railroads, including common carrier accidents. According to these laws, victims of railroad crossing accidents can sue the train engineer or company for negligence. Victims with this legal right include pedestrians, train passengers, and drivers of other vehicles.

Heenan & Cook, PLLC has many years of experience handling personal injury and wrongful death claims against railroads in Montana. We are familiar with state and federal common carrier safety laws and know what to look for when investigating causes of the accident. We can gain access to the train’s black box, which records important evidence and represent your case with a strong foundation of facts. We serve the people of Billings and beyond who were injured in all types of motor-vehicle accidents.

Rural Roads

Rural roads in Montana are consistently ranked as some of the most likely places for drivers to suffer serious accidents. Road conditions, combined with high speeds, often leads to tragic results.

Montana Laws Affecting Motor Vehicle Accident Claims

DUI Accidents

Every two minutes someone suffers an injury in a drunk driving accident. Every 53 minutes, someone dies. About one-third of drunk driving crashes, deaths, and injuries are caused by repeat offenders. Personal injury claims against a drunk driver can hold him or her responsible for reckless actions. The courts may take action to prevent the driver from repeating the offense. This could include ordering a mandatory substance abuse course or an ignition interlock device.

In Big Sky Country, driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol is defined as operating a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol concentration level of 0.08% or higher. This percentage drops to 0.04% for commercial vehicle drivers, and 0.02% for drivers under the legal drinking age of 21. Yet law enforcement can charge drivers with DUI even if their blood alcohol concentration level was below the legal limit. If an officer has reason to believe alcohol or drugs have influenced the person’s driving abilities, the driver may be guilty of DUI.

If you or a loved one has been in an accident involving a driver under the influence of drugs or alcohol, contact us. We understand state and local DUI laws and work with experts in the field to prove the influence of alcohol if it contributed to a car accident. We can gather police reports, eyewitness testimonies, and expert opinions to help support your case. You may also be able to pursue a wrongful death claim if a loved one was killed in an accident caused by a drunk driver.

Dram Shop Laws

Montana has something called dram shop laws, which make it possible for the victim of an alcohol-related auto accident to bring a personal injury claim against a third party. In certain situations, accident victims can bring a claim against the shop or private individual that provided the alcohol to the intoxicated person who caused the accident. This may be the case if:

The vendor knew the person was underage or did not make a reasonable attempt to discover the person’s age and served him or her alcohol.
The vendor served alcohol to a person who was noticeably intoxicated.
The vendor forced or coerced the person into drinking an alcoholic beverage or told the person it was non-alcoholic.

Heenan & Cook, PLLC, understands state and local DUI laws. Our firm works with experts in the field to prove the influence of alcohol if it contributed to a auto accident. We can gather police reports, eyewitness testimonies, and expert opinions to help support your case. You may also be able to pursue a wrongful death claim if a loved one was killed in an accident caused by a drunk driver.

Montana Drunk and Impaired Driving Accident Statistics

Montana has one of the highest fatality rates in the nation for number of deaths caused by impaired drivers per vehicle mile traveled. In 2021, there were 240 accident fatalities in Montana. Data indicates that 66% of all fatalities were the result of impaired driving, which is up from previous years. That means that 2 out of every 3 fatal crashes involves an impaired driver.

Drivers with a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.05 to 0.079 are 7 times more likely to be in a fatal crash and 6 to 17 times more likely to be killed than sober drivers. Also, drivers with a breath alcohol content of 0.08, 0.15 and 0.20 are 4, 12 and 23 times more likely respectively to crash than drivers with BAC of 0.00.

Nobody wants to be the one to hurt or kill someone by driving drunk. Please make a pledge to yourself, to your family, to your friends and to your community to never engage in drunk driving. If you have been drinking, have someone who has not been drinking drive you home. Call an Uber or a Lyft. Or call a friend or a cab.

If you or a loved one was injured by a drunk driver and have questions about your legal rights, an experienced Billings drunk driving accident attorney at Heenan & Cook can help.

How long after an accident can I file an injury claim in Billings, Montana?

According to state law, someone injured in an accident has three years from the date of a traffic accident to file a personal injury claim. . Montana is a modified comparative negligence state, meaning it is possible to earn compensation even if you were partially at fault for a car wreck. This makes the process of reporting to your accident a very important step in handling your claim. Everything you report to the insurance adjuster can effect your case, so it is important you are specific, factual, and concise.

For more information on common questions surrounding auto accidents, visit the Car Accident FAQ page or call (406) 839-9091 to speak with one of our auto accident attorneys today.

What happens if my car accident was caused by road debris in Billings, MT?

Because another driver is not responsible in accidents involving road debris, it can be difficult determining who is liable for your damages involved in this type of auto accident. If the debris is something the city government should have dealt with, they are responsible for your injury. They must clean debris from the roads in a reasonable about of time. If they breached their duty to keep the roads safe, they are at fault. If you are trying to prove the government was negligent, you need to prove they knew or should have known about the debris.

Trucking companies can be responsible for road debris accidents. If something that fell off a truck caused your accident, the trucking company may be responsible because they failed to secure their cargo adequately – failing their duty of care. In those situations, you could pursue a lawsuit against the trucking company.

If you are involved in an accident caused by road debris, it is important to document the scene as well as you can. Take pictures of the vehicles involved, the damage inflicted, and the road debris that led to the auto accident. Be sure to see a doctor as soon as you can if you were injured. If you choose to file a lawsuit, you will need medical records or bills to serve as evidence of the injury that you suffered. If there were other people involved or witnesses, get their contact information if possible so that your car accident attorney can contact them for statements.

How to Protect Yourself From Car Accident Injuries

While there is little you can do about winter weather, and you may need to travel in rural areas, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Especially in rural areas, you may need to reduce speed to be ready for unexpected events on the road. Do not get behind the wheel if you are impaired and keep your friends from driving while impaired too. Make sure to always buckle up before you put the vehicle into drive, and encourage friends and other passengers to do the same. Taking this step alone could prevent fatalities in most crashes.

Visit our blog page to view tips on being a defensive driver and help lower your risk for vehicle accidents.

What to do after a Car Accident in Billings

Billings is the largest city in Montana, and with I-90 running through it and thousands of motorists driving in and through Billings every day, car accidents happen frequently. Knowing what actions to take immediately after an auto accident can help you stay calm and in control throughout the situation. There are certain things you should do to help yourself and improve your case if you end up filing a personal injury claim. Keep a checklist of what to do after an accident in your vehicle’s glove compartment, so that in an accident you don’t have to rely on your memory.

Never drive away after an accident. You have a legal duty to stay on scene and make sure everyone is okay. Even minor accidents require everyone involved to stop and assess the damages before leaving.
Prevent further harm. Do as much as you can to make the scene of the accident safe for other vehicles passing by, to avoid further collisions or a pileup. If possible, move disabled vehicles to the side of the highway. Put your emergency flashers on and set up cones or flares if you have them.
Dial 911. Call the police as soon as you are in a safe location. It is wise to always report a car crash, no matter how minor. An official police report is important for insurance claims. If anyone is injured, say so to the police.
Do not admit fault. Do not admit fault. Do not tell the other driver the accident was your fault, even if you believe it was. Wait for the police to arrive and give details to the officer. The police can help determine who may be at fault. The accident could have been partly due to another driver or even a dangerous road condition, such as a malfunctioning traffic light.
Gather information. Record important information such as the other driver’s name, contact number, insurance card, and license plate numbers. Take photos of the scene of the accident if you can, getting pictures of all vehicles involved, property damage, personal injuries, and views of the street where the accident occurred. If there are any roadside hazards such as debris in the road that may have contributed to the crash, photograph these as well.
Be as detailed as possible in your report. When the police ask you what happened, give as much detail as you can. Do not misstate facts or speculate. Stick to the truth as you know it, and explain what happened to the best of your ability. When asked if you got injured, do not say no if you are not sure. State that you need to see a medical professional to check for injuries. The more information you can relay to the officer while the crash is still fresh in your memory, the better.
Call your insurance company. Obtain a copy of the police report and call your insurance company to report the accident. Most car insurance policies require immediate accident reporting. Your insurer will give you details about your personal injury and property damage coverage. Give the number of the police report to your insurance representative.
Seek medical attention. After any car accident, visit a physician and inform him or her of what happened. Even if you don’t feel injured, you may have sustained a head, brain, or spinal cord injury that has not yet shown symptoms. This is common in injuries such as concussions. Seeing a doctor right away will help if you have to file a personal injury claim. Delaying treatment can make it seem to a judge or jury that your injuries weren’t serious enough to seek help.
Keep a file of car crash documents. Keep an organized file with documents related to your auto accident. This should include a copy of the official police report, information and photos you gathered from the scene, as well as medical records, treatments your doctor prescribes, and all bills relating to your accident. Keeping this information together can help the claims process run smoother.
Protect your rights. Once you’ve notified the police and your insurance company about the accident and received medical attention for injuries, contact a personal injury attorney. Keep the number for Heenan & Cook, PLLC, on speed dial – (406) 839-9091. Our attorneys can help you protect your rights and make sure no one destroys valuable evidence in your case. Always seek legal advice before giving statements to insurance companies or accepting their settlement offers.

Helpful Resources to Select the Right Billings Car Accident Lawyer to Handle Your Claim

A Guide to Hiring the Best Montana Auto Accident Lawyer

The Top Mistakes People Make after a Car Accident

What Can I Expect at My Free Case Consultation?

How are Personal Injury Settlements Calculated in Montana?

Everything You Need to Know about Hiring a Montana Accident Attorney

Seven Reasons to Talk to a Car Accident Lawyer before Signing the Insurance Company’s Settlement

What Does the Insurance Company Owe after a Car Accident?

Contact an Experienced Billings Montana Auto Accident Attorney Today

If you or a loved one has suffered an automobile, motorcycle or truck accident injury, you are likely entitled to compensation. Contact our experienced Billings Montana car accident attorneys today to schedule your free initial consultation. We understand Montana’s liability laws and can help you determine who was at fault for your accident and whether you should file a lawsuit. If you decide to pursue a lawsuit, we will deploy our decades of experience to fight for you and do all we can to secure everything that you may need to recover from the accident. And remember, with our No Fee Guarantee, you owe nothing unless we win your case for you!

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