Bozeman, MontanaBozeman Spinal Cord Injury
Bozeman Spinal Cord Injury Lawyers: Paralysis and Spinal Injuries from Canyon Crashes, Falls and Ski Accidents
Boland Aarab PLLP.
A spinal cord injury near Bozeman usually means stabilization at Bozeman Health Deaconess, transfer to a higher-level trauma or spinal center, and months of rehabilitation, often far from home. Montana law allows recovery for future harm, and a lifetime of care can cost millions. Most claims must be filed within three years.
Spinal cord injury in the Gallatin Valley? Contact Boland Aarab PLLP for a free consultation at (406) 315-3737.
How do spinal cord injuries happen around Bozeman?
Nationally, vehicle crashes (37.1%) and falls (32.5%) cause most traumatic spinal cord injuries since 2015 (NSCISC, 2026). In the Gallatin Valley, those general causes take specific local forms:
- Rollovers and head-on crashes on U.S. 191 through Gallatin Canyon and on I-90 over Bozeman Pass, where high speeds, ice and crosswinds meet.
- Falls from height on residential and commercial construction sites, and from roofs during snow removal in winter.
- Ski and snowboard accidents at Big Sky and Bridger Bowl, including collisions with other skiers, terrain-park injuries and lift or equipment incidents. Some are the skier’s own risk under Montana law; others involve another skier’s or the operator’s negligence.
- Snowmobile, ATV and horseback accidents in the mountains around the valley.
- Pedestrian and cyclist crashes on Bozeman’s busy arterials.
- Medical errors, such as a missed spinal fracture or epidural abscess, where delay turns a treatable injury into permanent paralysis.
What happens after a spinal cord injury in Bozeman?
The first hours. Emergency crews stabilize the spine and transport to Bozeman Health Deaconess Regional Medical Center, an ACS Level 3 / State Area Trauma Hospital, or, from Big Sky, first to the Big Sky Medical Center, a Trauma Receiving Facility. Patients who need spinal surgery or critical care may be flown to the Level 1 trauma centers in Billings (DPHHS, Nov. 2025). Whether the spine was protected during extrication and transport can become an issue in the case.
Rehabilitation, often out of state. Intensive spinal cord injury rehabilitation is offered at a limited number of specialized centers, and Gallatin Valley patients frequently travel far from home for it. Family members may relocate for weeks. Those costs are part of the claim.
Coming home. A return to the valley often means home modifications, an accessible vehicle, attendant care and ongoing therapy. In a growing market like Bozeman, finding or modifying accessible housing can be difficult and expensive, and the life-care plan has to reflect the real local cost.
The court. A case over an injury in Gallatin County is filed in the Eighteenth Judicial District Court at the Gallatin County Law and Justice Center, 515 South 16th Avenue, Bozeman (§ 3-5-101, MCA). Out-of-state defendants may remove it to the federal court’s Butte Division, which also covers Madison County and the Madison County side of Big Sky (D. Mont. L.R. 1.2).
Montana law that applies
Our Montana spinal cord injury lawyer page explains the damages in more depth:
- Future harm that is “certain to result” is recoverable (§ 27-1-203, MCA).
- Lifetime costs are large. NSCISC estimates $6,419,617 in lifetime costs for high tetraplegia at age 25, in 2025 dollars, not counting lost wages (NSCISC Facts and Figures at a Glance, 2026).
- Comparative fault reduces, but does not bar, recovery unless your share was greater than the defendants’ combined (§ 27-1-702, MCA).
- Three years to file most claims (§ 27-2-204, MCA); workplace injuries also involve workers’ comp and third-party claims (§ 39-71-412, MCA).
- Ski injuries involve Montana’s skier-responsibility statute (§ 23-2-736, MCA), which does not bar a claim against another skier.
Why hire a Great Falls firm for a Bozeman case?
Spinal cord injury cases require a trial lawyer’s preparation and a long-term relationship with the family. We are based in Great Falls and represent injured people throughout Montana. Our attorneys travel to Bozeman, to your rehabilitation center, and to depositions, hearings and trial. We have no Bozeman office. We will meet you where you are, including at home once you are back in the valley.
The Boland Aarab Way
- More than 4,000 hours in the courtroom, and more than a dozen jury trials in Cascade, Phillips, Meagher and Yellowstone Counties.
- We protect results on appeal. The Montana Supreme Court reinstated our client’s jury verdict in Voegel v. Salsbery, 2023 MT 137.
- Federal court experience in more than 40 cases in Montana’s U.S. District Court.
- Trial bar leadership. Caitlin Boland Aarab is an AAJ Governor and on the MTLA Board.
We also handle catastrophic injury cases in Bozeman and truck accident cases in Bozeman. See our Bozeman personal injury page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where are spinal cord injuries from Bozeman treated? Initially at Bozeman Health Deaconess or Big Sky Medical Center, often followed by transfer to a Level 1 trauma center in Billings and rehabilitation at a specialized center, sometimes out of state.
Can I recover the cost of rehabilitation far from home? Yes. Out-of-state rehabilitation, travel, family lodging and lost income are recoverable damages when the injury was caused by someone else’s negligence.
I was paralyzed in a ski accident at Big Sky. Do I have a case? It depends on what happened. Skiers accept inherent risks, but a collision with another skier, a lift or equipment failure, or a breach of the operator’s statutory duties can support a claim.
How is future care in Bozeman valued? Through a life-care plan based on your actual needs and local costs, including accessible housing, attendant care, equipment and therapy, and an economist’s projection of those costs over your lifetime.
How long do I have to file a spinal cord injury claim? Generally three years in Montana, with shorter deadlines for malpractice and for notice to government entities.
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.
