Havre Brain Injury Lawyer | TBI & Concussion Claims

Havre, MontanaHavre Brain Injury

Havre Brain Injury Lawyers: Traumatic Brain Injury, Concussion and Head Injury Claims in Hill County and the Hi-Line

Boland Aarab PLLP.

Brain injuries are easy to miss in rural Montana. Someone hurt in a crash on US-2 or in a fall on ice is checked in Havre, sent home, and told it is “just a concussion.” Weeks later they can’t work, remember or sleep the way they used to. Montana law covers the full harm of a traumatic brain injury, including harm that shows up later. Most claims must be filed within 3 years.

Struggling after a head injury in an accident near Havre? Contact Boland Aarab PLLP for a free consultation at (406) 315-3737.

How do brain injuries happen around Havre?

Crashes on US-2, US-87 and Havre’s streets, including rollovers, head-on crashes, and wrecks involving trucks, motorcycles, bicycles and pedestrians.
Falls on ice and snow. Hi-Line winters bring months of ice. A business, landlord or property manager that doesn’t clear walkways and parking lots, or fix a known hazard, can be responsible for a fall. So can a party that ignores hazards like poor lighting or drainage that refreezes.
Work injuries in grain handling, construction, oil and gas, and the railroad, where falls and struck-by accidents are common.
Assaults and inadequate security, where a property owner failed to take reasonable steps.
Sports and recreation, where concussions in school, college or recreational sports are not recognized, or where a player is returned to play too soon.

The CDC says even a “mild” TBI or concussion can have serious effects, and some symptoms may not appear for hours or days (CDC).

What happens after a brain injury in Havre?

Early care. Most injured people are first seen at Northern Montana Hospital, which offers emergency services and imaging but is not a designated trauma facility on the state’s November 2025 list (DPHHS). Severe head injuries are transferred to Benefis in Great Falls (ACS Level 2) or to Billings (Level 1). People with milder injuries often go home the same day. If your symptoms continue or get worse, go back, and ask for a referral. Evaluation by a neurologist or neuropsychologist may mean traveling from the Hi-Line, but it is often how a brain injury is finally documented.

Evidence from a small community. A CT scan is often normal after a concussion. Brain injuries are usually proven through the treating records, neuropsychological testing, and the people who knew you before the injury. In Havre and the Hi-Line towns, those people are coworkers, employers, teachers, coaches, neighbors and fellow church members who have known you for years. Their testimony about how you changed is powerful, and a jury from the community takes it seriously. We interview them early, while their memories are clear.

Reports. Crash reports come from the Havre Police Department, the Hill County Sheriff’s Office or the Montana Highway Patrol. For a fall, report it to the business or property owner in writing, and photograph the conditions before they change. A thaw can erase the ice by the next afternoon.

Courts. A Hill County case is generally filed in the Twelfth Judicial District Court at the Hill County Courthouse, 315 4th Street, Havre (§ 3-5-101, MCA). Cases against out-of-state corporations, such as national retailers or trucking companies, are often heard in the federal Great Falls Division (D. Mont. L.R. 1.2(c)(3)).

Montana law that applies

See our Montana brain injury lawyer page for more. In brief:

Most injury claims must be filed within 3 years (§ 27-2-204, MCA).
Damages include future harm “certain to result” (§ 27-1-203, MCA), such as lost earning capacity and future care.
You can recover if your fault is not greater than the defendants’ combined fault (§ 27-1-702, MCA). In ice-fall cases, property owners often argue that the ice was “obvious,” and comparative fault is how that argument gets weighed.
Claims against the City of Havre, Hill County or the State have written-notice requirements (§ 2-9-301, MCA).

Why hire a Great Falls firm for a Havre case?

We are based in Great Falls, where many brain-injured Hi-Line patients are treated and where the federal court sits. We handle cases statewide. We travel to Havre to meet clients and to interview the family members, friends and coworkers whose testimony matters most, and we attend depositions and trial there. We do not have an office in Havre.

The Boland Aarab Way

We know how to try an invisible injury. Our attorneys have spent more than 4,000 hours in the courtroom, and the firm has tried more than a dozen jury trials.
We defend verdicts. A Phillips County jury’s verdict for a rear-ended driver was reinstated by the Montana Supreme Court on our appeal (Voegel v. Salsbery, 2023 MT 137).
We know federal court. Our attorneys have handled more than 40 cases in the U.S. District Court for the District of Montana over nine years.
We belong to the trial bar. Both attorneys belong to AAJ and MTLA.

Frequently Asked Questions

I was sent home from the Havre ER with a concussion, but I’m not getting better. What should I do? Go back to your doctor and ask about a referral to a neurologist or for neuropsychological testing. Keep a daily record of your symptoms. Both the medical record and your notes matter.

My CT scan was normal. Do I still have a brain injury case? Possibly. Many concussions don’t show up on a CT scan. Brain injuries are often proven through symptoms, testing and the people who knew you before.

I slipped on ice outside a Havre business and hit my head. Is the business responsible? It may be, if it failed to take reasonable steps to deal with ice it knew about or should have known about. Photograph the area, report the fall in writing, and get medical care right away.

Who will testify about how I’ve changed? Usually your family, coworkers, employer and friends, along with your doctors. In a small community like Havre, those witnesses often have known you for years.

Is there a deadline? Generally 3 years for most injury claims, and shorter notice rules apply for claims against the city, county or State. Don’t wait until your symptoms settle.

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.