Bozeman Truck Accident Attorneys

Passengers in vehicles are frequently injured in crashes with large commercial (big rig) trucks. The trucking industry is a vital component to our economy. Many companies rely on trucks to ship their goods across states and the country in a time efficient manner. As with any industry there are many inherent risks involved with the profession. Trucks present a higher danger on the road than cars do. If you have been involved in a trucking accident, our Bozeman big rig accident attorneys are here to help recover what was lost.

Truck accidents can occur through negligent operation, poor maintenance, or driver exhaustion. When these accidents occur, they can bring great harm or injury to innocent drivers. If you have been injured in a truck accident, contact the Bozeman truck accident lawyers at Heenan & Cook, PLLC to receive proper representation. We will fight to get you the compensation you deserve. Contact our law firm for a free consultation to see how our firm can help with your case.

Bozeman Big Rig Accident Legal Resources:

Why Hire Heenan & Cook, PLLC for Your Truck Accident Claim

The attorneys at Heenan & Cook, PLLC work with each client on a personal level to provide a deeper understanding of the legal challenges. We address those challenges in a light most favorable to our client and in the most cost-effective manner.

We have been handling complex personal injury and general litigation matters for decades. Our Bozeman truck accident attorneys have the experience and skillset to offer our clients dependable and reliable representation in an array of legal matters.

Our success and professionalism have resulted in achieving both Super Lawyers and Best Lawyers in America status.

Why You Need a Bozeman Truck Accident Lawyer

Truck accidents are more complex than your ordinary auto accident. Typically, we assume that the drivers involved in an accident are the only ones that can be held liable. However, that is not true when it comes to trucking accidents, which is why it is imperative to have a skilled attorney on your side. A truck accident attorney will know the laws around trucking accidents and will also hold all responsible parties liable.

An experienced truck accident attorney will investigate an accident in the most thorough way possible. Additionally, they will look into every aspect of the crash and not preclude any party from being held liable. The potential parties that may be found liable in a truck accident include:

  • loading companies (those that are responsible for loading cargo into a truck)
  • manufacturers
  • training and contracting facilities
  • truck drivers
  • trucking companies

After a trucking accident, the victim should focus on recovering from injuries and not worry about the details of the accident. Hiring a truck accident attorney will alleviate some stress and allow the lawyers to do the legal and investigative work while allowing the victim to heal.

Bozeman truck accident lawyers

Big Rig Accident Statistics in Montana

According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, in Montana, there are an average of 30 fatalities from truck accidents each year. Furthermore, there are nearly over 100 truck accidents that occur in Montana each year.

Injuries that occur in truck and vehicle accidents can be difficult to present. The CDC found that 75 percent of accident victims show no symptoms for the first six months after an accident.

What Are Common Big Rig Accident Injuries?

Large commercial trucks often result in severe injuries in the event an accident occurs with a smaller passenger vehicle, typically more severe than incidents involving only passenger vehicles. Our Bozeman truck accident lawyers regularly help clients who have sustained the following types of injuries:

  • Fractured or dislocated bones
  • Severe puncture wounds or lacerations
  • Traumatic brain injuries, including concussions
  • Spinal cord injuries, including paralysis
  • Whiplash
  • Severe bruising
  • Internal bleeding
  • Internal organ damage

In addition to obvious traumatic injuries caused by a truck accident, crash victims also regularly struggle with emotional and psychological trauma caused by the incident and their injuries. Bozeman truck crash victims can experience anxiety, fear, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). When our lawyers work to recover compensation for clients, we have to take into account all of the traumatic physical injuries as well as any unseen psychological trauma a client may be experiencing.

What Damages Can Victims Recover After a Big Rig Truck Accident in Montana?

Individuals involved in large commercial truck accidents in Montana could be able to recover a wide range of compensation as a result of their losses. Our lawyers work diligently to ensure clients recover complete compensatory damages, which can be both economic and non-economic.

  • Economic damages. Economic damages consist of expenses that are relatively simple to calculate after these incidents occur. We can gather receipts, bills, pay stubs, tax returns, and more to calculate:
    • Medical bills
    • Physical therapy and rehabilitation
    • Property damage expenses
    • Lost wages
    • Out-of-pocket expenses
    • Travel expenses
  • Non-economic damages. These types of losses are considered more immeasurable than the economic damages listed above. That is because there may not be explicit dollar figures associated with a truck accident victim apostrophe as:
    • Physical pain and suffering
    • Emotional or psychological trauma
    • Loss of quality of life
    • Loss of consortium for family members

Without examining every aspect of the case, there is no way to know upfront how much compensation a truck accident victim in Bozeman will receive. The total amount of economic and non-economic damages will hinge on a variety of factors surrounding each particular claim, including the severity of the injuries, level of property damage, how long it takes to recover, whether or not there was any shared fault, etc.

A skilled attorney will work with trusted medical and economic experts throughout the entirety of the case and work diligently to adequately calculate total losses. When calculating economic damages, this will include adding up all of the receipts and bills that come in. Calculating non-economic damages is more challenging but will often be done using a “multiplier method.” 

A Bozeman personal injury attorney will gather up those receipts and bills and get a total, and then multiply that total by a set number (essentially doubling, tripling, or quadrupling the amount). For example, if a person sustains some broken bones and hesitate time away from work and ultimately incurs $200,000 worth of damages, a multiplier of “three” could be used to reach a non-economic total of $600,000. Overall, the attorney would ask for $800,000 on behalf of their client.

What Is the Statute of Limitations To File a Truck Accident Claim in Montana?

In Montana, the statute of limitations for auto accident claims is generally three years. It is not infrequent for people who are injured in a Montana auto accident to wait months or years to contact us. And while we’d always prefer to be contacted as soon as possible after the accident so that we can help our clients avoid pitfalls along the way, there is usually no problem in helping a Montana injury victim even if months or years have passed since the collision.

In a trucking accident case resulting in serious injuries, however, it is critically important to contact an experienced Montana injury lawyer immediately. This is because almost all semi-trucks on the road today have computers and crash data that must be downloaded and captured before it is “written over.” Beyond the truck data itself, the attorneys at Heenan & Cook have a truck expert on call to immediately investigate the crash, contact law enforcement, and review the crash site itself. If too much time passes, this critical evidence is lost.

When Montana injury victims hire Heenan & Cook to pursue their truck accident claim, we immediately go to work conducting an investigation. We also send out a preservation letter telling the trucking company to preserve and not destroy the computer data. The difference between getting an experienced Montana truck accident lawyer on board at the beginning and not can literally be the difference between winning and losing.

If you or a loved one have been injured in a truck accident, contact the lawyers at Heenan & Cook for a free claim evaluation.

Contact Heenan & Cook, PLLC Today

If you or a loved one has been injured in a trucking accident, it is imperative to contact an attorney today. Truck accident cases can be more complex and involve additional evidence, which is why it may be necessary to hire an experienced Bozeman truck accident attorney.

The Bozeman truck accident lawyers at Heenan & Cook, PLLC offer decades of reliable representation in and out of the courtroom. We will always do what is best for our client, whether that means settling the case through negotiation, or litigating the case through the court.

Arrange a free consultation with our team by completing our online contact form or calling us at (406) 898-4WIN.