Bozeman, MontanaBozeman Brain Injury
Bozeman Brain Injury Lawyers: Concussion and Traumatic Brain Injury Claims from Crashes, Falls and Ski Collisions
Boland Aarab PLLP.
A traumatic brain injury can follow a Bozeman car crash, a fall on ice or a ski collision, and even a “mild” concussion can change how you think and work. Symptoms may appear hours or days later. These claims are proven through records, testing and people who knew you before. Most must be filed within three years.
Brain injury from an accident in the Gallatin Valley? Contact Boland Aarab PLLP for a free consultation at (406) 315-3737.
How do brain injuries happen around Bozeman?
The CDC defines a traumatic brain injury as an injury that affects how the brain works, and warns that even a mild TBI or concussion can have serious effects (CDC). The common local causes:
- Rear-end and side-impact crashes on North 19th Avenue, North 7th Avenue, Main Street and Huffine Lane. A head does not have to hit anything for the brain to be injured; rapid acceleration and deceleration are enough.
- High-energy crashes on I-90, over Bozeman Pass and in Gallatin Canyon.
- Ski and snowboard collisions at Big Sky and Bridger Bowl. A skier who loses control and hits another skier can be held responsible; Montana’s ski statute does not protect that skier (§ 23-2-736, MCA). Helmets reduce but do not eliminate brain injury.
- Falls on ice and snow at businesses, apartment complexes and parking lots during Bozeman’s long winters, where property owners and snow-removal contractors failed to clear or treat walkways.
- Bicycle and pedestrian crashes in town and around Montana State University.
- Construction falls and struck-by injuries on the valley’s many building sites.
What happens after a brain injury in Bozeman?
Get evaluated, and go back if things change. Some concussion symptoms may not appear for hours or days (CDC). Bozeman Health Deaconess Regional Medical Center, an ACS Level 3 / State Area Trauma Hospital, handles most acute head injuries in the valley; severe injuries needing neurosurgical or neurocritical care may be transferred to a Level 1 center in Billings (DPHHS, Nov. 2025). If headaches, memory problems, dizziness, light sensitivity, irritability or sleep problems persist, tell your doctor and ask about a referral for concussion care or neuropsychological testing.
Document the change. Brain injuries are often invisible on a CT scan. The strongest proof usually comes from the treating record, testing, and people who can describe the difference: co-workers, teachers, coaches, friends and family. For MSU students, academic records before and after the injury can be telling.
Report and records. Crashes are investigated by Bozeman Police, the Gallatin County Sheriff or the Montana Highway Patrol; for a ski collision, get the ski patrol incident report and the names of witnesses. For a fall, photograph the conditions right away and report it to the property manager in writing.
The court. Lawsuits over Gallatin County injuries are filed in the Eighteenth Judicial District Court at the Gallatin County Law and Justice Center, 515 South 16th Avenue, Bozeman (§ 3-5-101, MCA). A claim against an out-of-state skier, driver or company may be removed to the federal court’s Butte Division (D. Mont. L.R. 1.2).
Montana law that applies
Our Montana traumatic brain injury lawyer page covers these issues in depth:
- Three years to file most injury claims (§ 27-2-204, MCA).
- Future harm is recoverable, including lost earning capacity and future care (§ 27-1-203, MCA).
- Comparative fault applies (§ 27-1-702, MCA); in a ski collision or ice fall, the other side will often argue you share blame.
- Seat-belt use is not admissible in a Montana injury case (§ 61-13-106, MCA).
Why hire a Great Falls firm for a Bozeman case?
Insurers routinely undervalue brain injuries because they cannot see them. Proving them takes the right experts and a lawyer who can explain them to a jury. We are based in Great Falls and handle brain injury cases throughout Montana. Our attorneys travel to Bozeman to meet with you and the people who know you, and for depositions, hearings and trial. We have no Bozeman office. We will take the time to understand how your life has changed.
The Boland Aarab Way
- Jury-trial experience. More than 4,000 hours in the courtroom and more than a dozen jury trials in Cascade, Phillips, Meagher and Yellowstone Counties.
- Appellate strength. We had a jury verdict for a rear-end crash victim reinstated in Voegel v. Salsbery, 2023 MT 137.
- Federal-court experience in more than 40 cases in Montana’s U.S. District Court.
- The attorneys handle your case personally.
We also handle car accident cases in Bozeman and catastrophic injury cases in Bozeman. See our Bozeman personal injury page.
Frequently Asked Questions
I got a concussion in a ski collision at Bridger Bowl. Can I sue the other skier? Possibly. Montana’s ski statute makes skiers responsible for skiing in control, and it does not bar claims against another skier who caused the collision. Witness names and the ski patrol report are important.
My CT scan was normal after a crash on 19th Avenue. Can I still have a brain injury? Yes. Many concussions and mild TBIs do not show on a CT scan. Diagnosis often depends on symptoms, clinical examination and neuropsychological testing.
I slipped on an icy sidewalk outside a Bozeman business and hit my head. Is that a claim? It can be, if the property owner or its snow-removal contractor failed to take reasonable steps to clear or treat the walkway. Photograph the conditions and report the fall in writing.
My student was hurt and is struggling at MSU. Does that matter? Yes. Changes in grades, attendance and the ability to keep up with coursework are important evidence of how a brain injury affects daily life.
How long do I have to file a brain injury case in Montana? Generally three years, but evidence such as video, witness memories and ski patrol reports is easiest to secure right away.
Contact Boland Aarab PLLP for a free consultation at (406) 315-3737.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship.
