Car Accident Lawyer in Bozeman, Montana
It seems like barely a day goes by without a fatal crash happening in Montana. Car crashes that result in injuries, but not death, are even more common. If you’ve been injured in a motor vehicle accident caused by someone else’s negligence, don’t trust the at-fault driver’s insurance company to look after your interest. Contact AFJ Law Firm PLLC – Personal Injury, Car Accident, and Insurance law today for a free consultation.
Statistics show that Montana has one of the highest motor vehicle fatality rates in the United States. There were 42,514 deaths from motor vehicle crashes in the United States in 2022, with an average of 12.8 deaths per 100,000 people. In Montana, there were 19.0 deaths per 100,000 people, almost twice the national average. This leaves Montana with the eighth-highest death rate in the country per 100,000 people. From 2013-2022, Gallatin County had the seventh most roadway fatalities in Montana.
Fatal car accidents happen in Montana’s rural and urban areas. However, 79% of Montana’s fatal car crashes happen in its rural areas, and only 21% occur in Montana’s urban areas or an unreported location. One of the most common areas where fatal car accidents occur is at intersections on highways.
With both fatal and non-fatal crashes being so disproportionately prevalent in Montana, Montana residents and tourists regularly find themselves or their families involved in car accidents. Most people do not expect to be killed or suffer serious bodily injuries when they get in their cars to spend the day driving to a park or the mall.
Serious car accidents usually happen in a matter of seconds — but the impacts last much longer. Families who lose loved ones are often left with despair, medical bills, and funeral expenses thrust on them through no fault of their own. Those who survive serious car wrecks are often left with debilitating conditions such as paralysis, broken bones and other orthopedic injuries, nerve damage, brain injuries, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Most injured victims are not prepared for the high cost of medical treatment and the struggles of recovery.
Surviving car accident victims may have to spend months or years recovering from their physical injuries. Some victims must undergo surgery and a lengthy rehabilitation period to regain their health. These accident victims may be unable to return to work for long periods. Insurance companies often contact newly injured victims and grieving families and attempt to settle for pennies on the dollar compared to full and fair compensation. Injured victims and their families are left wondering what to do. Retaining an experienced Montana car accident law firm, like AFJ Law Firm PLLC – Personal Injury, Car Accident, and Insurance Law, can help victims deal with the stress and anxiety caused by a car accident.
The Ways AFJ Law Firm Can Help You
Speaking and hiring an experienced Montana car accident attorney and law firm, like AFJ Law Firm – Personal Injury, Car Accident, and Insurance Law, can provide you with many benefits. Some of the ways we can help you include:
- Helping you understand whether you have a viable car crash case
- Helping you understand the full and fair value of your case
- Demystifying and handling the insurance claim and litigation processes
- Listening to you when you need to explain problems and complications you are suffering due to the car accident
- Updating you about important phases of your car accident case
- Retaining an accident reconstruction expert to examine the cause of the car accident
- Analyzing the evidence to create a strong case strategy
- Speaking to medical specialists to ascertain the nature and scope of your injuries
- Negotiating with insurance companies and pursuing full and fair financial compensation for your injuries and losses
Investigating Car Accidents in Montana
Insurance companies want to make as much profit as possible. This means that insurance companies will often offer an unfairly low settlement amount at the outset of your car accident case or otherwise try to resolve your case for less than its true value. Insurance companies may perform an accident investigation, but their analyses are frequently biased and superficial. A Montana car accident attorney can find and hire an independent accident investigator to determine and show what happened. AFJ Law Firm – Personal Injury, Car Accident, and Insurance Law knows and has worked with some of the nation’s best car accident investigators. These investigators can find and preserve crucial evidence and statements needed to prove a car wreck case. This evidence and testimony may come from sources such as the following:
- Eyewitnesses
- Vehicle Black Boxes or Electronic Data Recorders
- Surveillance Cameras
- Medical Professionals
- Specialized Software
- Law Enforcement and Other First Responders
- 911 Recordings
- Scene Investigations
- Private Investigators
- Accident Reconstruction Experts
- Economists
You do not want the insurance companies to present a biased assessment of the car accident. AFJ Law Firm PLLC – Personal Injury, Car Accident, and Insurance Law can help you understand your case and how you can stand up to the insurance companies and force them to pay full and fair compensation after a car wreck or other motor vehicle collision.
Common Types of Car Accidents in Montana
Car accidents are not all the same. Some types of collisions are far more deadly and cause far more injuries than others. Motor vehicle versus motor vehicle collisions caused 63% of motor vehicle wreck injuries and 71% of injury-causing crashes. Collisions between motor vehicles accounted for approximately 43% of all fatal car crashes in 2022.
Some of the most common types of vehicle versus vehicle car accidents include:
Angled collisions: Angled collisions account for approximately 33% of all motor vehicle versus motor vehicle crashes but 45.9% of all fatal motor vehicle versus motor vehicle crashes. Angled collisions occur when one vehicle strikes another somewhere between 90 degrees and 180 degrees. These are some of the most deadly collisions and cause the most crash-related deaths in the United States.
Head-on crashes: Head-on collisions account for approximately 3.9% of all motor vehicle versus motor vehicle crashes but 27.4% of all fatal motor vehicle versus motor vehicle crashes. Head-on collisions cause far more deaths than their frequency of occurrence.
Rear-end collisions: Rear-end collisions account for approximately 41.7% of all motor vehicle versus motor vehicle crashes but 18.5% of all fatal motor vehicle versus motor vehicle crashes. Rear-end collisions occur when a car strikes the back of a vehicle. Drivers who tailgate other cars may cause rear collisions. Also, distracted drivers who text and drive are more likely to cause rear-end crashes.
Sideswipe accidents: Sideswipe collisions account for approximately 21.4% of all motor vehicle versus motor vehicle crashes but 8% of all fatal motor vehicle versus motor vehicle crashes. Sideswipe accidents occur when a vehicle’s right or left side strikes another vehicle’s left or right side. These accidents often happen on interstates, highways, and at intersections.
Contact AFJ Law Firm PLLC – Personal Injury, Car Accident, and Insurance Law for Expert Legal Assistance
If you or a loved one has been in a car crash or other motor vehicle accident in Bozeman or elsewhere in Montana, contact AFJ Law Firm PLLC – Personal Injury, Car Accident, and Insurance Law immediately. We offer a free consultation to discuss your case and explore your legal options. Our team is committed to holding negligent parties accountable and fighting for full and fair compensation for our clients.
Motor vehicle accidents can be life-altering. AFJ Law Firm PLLC – Personal Injury, Car Accident, and Insurance Law is here to support you when the worst happens. Call us today at (406) 613-7000 to learn more about how we can help.
Click here to visit our Montana Personal Injury Frequently Asked Questions page. Click here to visit our Victories page and see some of the compensation we have recovered for our clients. Make your voice heard, and let us help you get started on your path toward justice and full and fair compensation. Contact AFJ Law Firm – Personal Injury, Car Accident, and Insurance Law today about your Montana car accident case.