Montana Personal Injury Guide

What to do when you’re hurt in Big Sky Country

Montana, also known as "Big Sky Country," is so beautiful that it can distract even the most diligent of drivers. The state has its fair share of car accidents, personal injuries and negligence cases. Sometimes it's difficult to figure out where to place blame and liability. Perhaps it was you who was injured, or maybe it was a friend or family member. Whatever happens, if you need guidance for your personal injury case, Enjuris has the answers.

Montana personal injury law: the basics

• Montana statute of limitations
• Calculating the value of your Montana case
• Caps on personal injury damages in Montana
• Fault, liability & negligence laws in Montana
• Pain and suffering compensation in Montana
• Types of personal injury damages in Montana
• Montana court system - where to file your injury claim?
• Finding a Montana personal injury lawyer
• Steps in a Montana personal injury lawsuit
• Montana personal injury FAQs
• Resources for Montana accident victims

Looking for an injury attorney near Billings, Missoula, Bozeman, Helena or elsewhere in Montana? Browse our free online directory.

What does an injury lawyer do?

A personal injury lawyer helps individuals who have sustained injuries in accidents to recover financial compensation. These funds are often needed to pay for medical treatment, make up for lost wages and provide compensation for injuries suffered. Sometimes a case that seems simple at first may become more complicated. In these cases, consider hiring an experienced personal injury lawyer. Read more

Montana statutes online

This is where you’ll find Montana's revised statutes. The website has details about how long you have to bring a case, monetary limits on personal injury cases (which are also known as damage caps), and other important information.

Montana Code Annotated

To read:

• Do I have a legal case after my accident?
• What is personal injury law?
• What are damage caps?

Montana's car accident statutes of limitation

In Montana, you have three years to bring a personal injury and two years to bring a property damage claim. That means you have three years to file your paperwork with the court, not that your case has to be completed in that time frame.

Montana's Statute of Limitations

To read:

• What is the statute of limitations?
• The claims process and how long a personal injury lawsuit takes

Cases of interest in Montana

These are some cases of legal importance that came out of the Montana courts:

• Betterman v. Montana, 578 U.S. _____ (2016): The United States Supreme Court held that the right to a speedy trial under the Sixth Amendment does not necessarily mean the right to speedy sentencing. This came about when the defendant was held in jail for 14 months before being sentenced for assaulting a family member. He said that this violated his constitutional rights; however, the Court stated that the right to a speedy trial is different than sentencing because it a defendant is innocent until proven guilty, and it is a system of checks and balance.


• Baxter v. Montana, 2009 MT 449: This Montana Supreme Court case discussed whether terminally ill patients had the right to die with dignity. The Court managed to sneak around the question of whether the right to die was guaranteed under the state constitution, which advocates had hoped for; they instead voted on the narrower ground that neither legal precedent nor the state's statute deemed a doctor's assistance was against public policy.


• State v. Stanko, No. 97-486 (1998): When the plaintiff was pulled over for driving 85 miles per hour, but the Montana statute only said that driving "at a rate of speed greater than is reasonable and proper under the conditions existing at the point of operation" was against the law. He brought a suit that claimed this was void for vagueness, and the Montana Supreme Court agreed, saying that it violated the state Constitution.

Data and statistics

Here is some intriguing data about Montana:

• Bureau of Labor: Statistics
• StateMaster: Statistics
• Department of Health and Human Services: Statistics
• U.S. Census: Data

Montana law libraries

There are a large number of issues you can solve without the help of an attorney, surprisingly enough. If you don't know where to begin, a law librarian can help you. They are usually legally trained, and they can help you both with texts or online research engines like LexisNexis or Westlaw.

• Montana State Supreme Court: State Law Library
• University of Montana: William J. Jameson Law Library