Montana Traffic Accident Attorneys
After a motor vehicle accident in which you or a loved one was seriously injured, you need compensation as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, if the insurance company offers to pay up quickly it is probably offering far less than you deserve for your injuries. You should never accept money from the insurance company without talking to a traffic accident lawyer first. If you accept it, you could be signing away your right to further compensation, money that you will need later as your medical bills and lost income continue to grow.
If You Were Partly to Blame for Your Traffic Accident in Montana
After an accident, you should never admit fault, even if you think you were partly to blame. The insurance company will use anything you say against you to get out of paying your legitimate claim. There may be factors involved that you are not aware of and that will only be revealed through a thorough investigation by your Montana traffic accident lawyer.
In Montana, you can recover compensation if you were partly to blame, as long as you were less than 50% at fault for the accident. Your damages will be reduced by your portion of fault. If your damages are $100,000 and you were 15% to blame, you can recover $85,000. If you are found to be 50% at fault or more, you recover nothing. You do not want to give the defendant anything to use against you that could make it appear that your portion of blame was greater than it really was.
Time Limits
You do have a limited amount of time to take legal action. The best way to protect your rights is to talk to a lawyer as soon as possible. If you let important deadlines pass, it could cost you your case no matter how much you need and deserve compensation for your injuries.
One of these deadlines is created by the statute of limitations. That is the amount of time you have to file your lawsuit. In Montana the statute of limitations for personal injury is three years. However, depending on the unique circumstances in your case there may be other deadlines that give you far less time to take action.
Defective Vehicles
If you watch the news regularly, you know that defective vehicles are a very serious hazard in the U.S. today. Defective vehicles can cause accidents or they can cause injures to be worse in an accident with another cause. Certain rare defects can cause injuries or death when the vehicle is not in use, either as a result of a fire or carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning.
If you have been injured or lost a loved one as a result of a defect, your case will involve product liability. One or more of the following may be held responsible:
- Auto manufacturer
- Parts manufacturer
- New or used dealership
- Parts seller
- Another party along the supply chain
- Rental company
- Repair shop
- Third party contracted for maintenance and/or repairs
If you have been injured in a Montana traffic accident or lost a loved one in a fatal crash, please browse our website to speak to one of the experienced Montana traffic accident lawyers listed in our directory.