Havre Bicycle Accident Lawyer | US-2 & Hill County Crashes

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Havre Bicycle Accident Lawyers: Northern Tier Touring Crashes on US-2, E-Bike and City Street Collisions in Hill County

Boland Aarab PLLP.

Bicycle crashes around Havre fall into two groups. One is long-distance touring cyclists hit on US-2, which is part of Adventure Cycling’s Northern Tier route. The other is local riders, including students, commuters and e-bike riders, hit on Havre’s streets. Cyclists have the same rights as other drivers in Montana. Hill County cases go to the Twelfth Judicial District Court in Havre, and most claims must be filed within 3 years.

Hurt while riding near Havre, or lost a family member in a bike crash? Contact Boland Aarab PLLP for a free consultation at (406) 315-3737.

Why are bicycle crashes near Havre different?

Touring riders on US-2. Adventure Cycling Association’s Northern Tier bicycle route follows or parallels US-2 for hundreds of miles across Montana, and Havre is the largest town on the Hi-Line section (Adventure Cycling). Every summer, cross-country cyclists ride long, straight stretches of two-lane highway shared with semis, grain trucks and RVs. The most serious crashes are rear-end strikes by drivers who are distracted, drowsy, or blinded by a low sun. Close passes by trucks can also push a rider off the road. Drivers hit by strong prairie crosswinds, or passing another vehicle, may not leave the room the law requires.

Riders far from home. A touring cyclist hurt near Havre is often hundreds or thousands of miles from home. They may have no car, no local doctor and no way to get back to the scene. Their bicycle and gear may be the only evidence. Treatment starts in a hospital they have never heard of, and the case usually has to be managed from another state.

City riding. Inside Havre, riders include students at Montana State University–Northern, commuters and a growing number of e-bike riders. First Street, which is US-2 through town, carries heavy commercial traffic with driveways and turning vehicles. Right hooks, left crosses and doorings are the common crashes. The City of Havre is working with MDT and Hill County on a Safe Streets and Roads for All plan. The plan expressly covers cyclists.

Season. Early- and late-season riders face gravel and sand left from winter, short days, and frost on shaded pavement.

What happens after a bicycle accident in Havre?

Reporting. Call 911 and ask for a report. Inside the city limits, the Havre Police Department responds. On US-2 and the highways outside town, the Montana Highway Patrol or the Hill County Sheriff’s Office usually responds. Make sure the report includes your statement, not just the driver’s. Drivers often say the cyclist “came out of nowhere.”

Medical care. Riders are usually taken first to Northern Montana Hospital. The state’s November 2025 trauma list shows it as not designated as a trauma facility (DPHHS). Riders with serious head and spine injuries are often transferred to Benefis in Great Falls (ACS Level 2) or to Billings.

Evidence. Keep the bike, helmet, bike computer or GPS file, and any camera footage exactly as they are. Ride data often shows your speed and where you were on the road at impact.

Courts. Suits over Hill County crashes are filed in the Twelfth Judicial District Court at the Hill County Courthouse, 315 4th Street (§ 3-5-101, MCA). When the driver and the cyclist live in different states, as they often do on the Northern Tier route, the case may be heard in the federal court’s Great Falls Division (D. Mont. L.R. 1.2(c)(3)).

Montana law that applies

Our Montana bicycle accident lawyer page covers the details. The essentials:

A cyclist has the rights and duties of any driver (§ 61-8-602, MCA).
Drivers may pass a cyclist only when it is safe, and must yield to cyclists in a bike lane (§ 61-8-320, MCA).
Opening a car door into traffic when it is not reasonably safe is illegal (§ 61-8-368, MCA).
An electrically assisted bicycle is legally a bicycle (§ 61-8-102, MCA).
You can recover if your fault is not greater than the defendants’ combined (§ 27-1-702, MCA). Most claims must be filed within 3 years (§ 27-2-204, MCA).

Your own auto policy’s uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage may cover you while you are on a bike. For a touring rider, that coverage comes from a policy issued in your home state.

Why hire a Great Falls firm for a Havre case?

We don’t have an office in Havre. We are based in Great Falls and handle cases across Montana, and we travel to Havre when the case needs us there, whether for a scene visit, a deposition or a hearing. For a touring cyclist who has gone home, we can gather the Montana evidence, work with your home-state insurer, and bring you back only when it matters, such as for a deposition or trial.

The Boland Aarab Way

We try cases. The firm has tried more than a dozen jury trials, including in Phillips County on the Hi-Line, and our attorneys have spent more than 4,000 hours in the courtroom.
We protect verdicts. The Montana Supreme Court reinstated a Phillips County jury’s $168,500 verdict on our appeal (Voegel v. Salsbery, 2023 MT 137).
We handle interstate cases. Our attorneys have handled more than 40 federal cases in the District of Montana over nine years.
We belong to the trial bar. Both attorneys belong to AAJ and MTLA. Samir Aarab is also a member of Public Justice.

Frequently Asked Questions

I was hit on US-2 while riding the Northern Tier route and I’ve gone home. Can I still bring a case in Montana? Yes. The case is usually brought in the county where the crash happened, and much of the work can be done while you are at home. Evidence from the scene and the hospital should be gathered quickly.

Can cyclists legally ride on US-2 near Havre? Generally, yes. Cyclists have the rights and duties of drivers on Montana highways unless a specific restriction applies. Drivers must pass only when it is safe to do so.

Does my car insurance cover me if I’m hit on my bike? Often, yes. Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage usually follows the person, not the car. Check your policy, or send it to us to review.

I was riding an e-bike in Havre. Are the rules different? Under Montana law, an electrically assisted bicycle is a bicycle, so the same rights and duties generally apply. Insurers sometimes argue otherwise, and the statute answers them.

The driver says the sun was in his eyes. Is that a defense? Usually not. A driver who can’t see has a duty to slow down, not to keep driving blind. A low sun on an east-west highway like US-2 is a known hazard.

Contact Boland Aarab PLLP for a free consultation at (406) 315-3737.

Our attorneys: Caitlin Boland Aarab · Samir F. Aarab

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship.