Helena, MontanaHelena Spinal Cord Injury
Helena Spinal Cord Injury Lawyers: Paralysis, Paraplegia and Tetraplegia Claims in Lewis and Clark County
Boland Aarab PLLP.
A spinal cord injury near Helena usually means emergency care at St. Peter’s Health, often a transfer to a higher-level trauma center, and a return home to a hilly, snowy city that was not built for a wheelchair. The case has to prove every part of that future. Most claims must be filed within 3 years.
Key Takeaways
- Vehicle crashes (37.1%) and falls (32.5%) cause most traumatic spinal cord injuries in the U.S. since 2015 (NSCISC, 2026).
- NSCISC estimates lifetime costs of $6,419,617 for high tetraplegia at age 25, in 2025 dollars, not counting lost wages (NSCISC Facts and Figures at a Glance, 2026).
- Montana law allows damages for harm “certain to result in the future” (§ 27-1-203, MCA). Most claims must be filed within 3 years (§ 27-2-204, MCA).
Living with a spinal cord injury after an accident near Helena? Contact Boland Aarab PLLP for a free consultation at (406) 315-3737.
How do spinal cord injuries happen around Helena?
The national pattern (vehicle crashes first, falls second) holds in the Helena area, with local variations:
- Rollovers and head-on crashes on US-12 over MacDonald Pass, on I-15 through Wolf Creek Canyon and the south-side interchanges, and on two-lane Helena Valley roads. Roof crush and seat-belt failures can turn a survivable rollover into paralysis, and they point to the vehicle manufacturer (§ 27-1-719, MCA).
- Falls on ice. Helena’s winters and steep streets make falls on untreated sidewalks, stairs and parking lots a real hazard. When a property owner failed to maintain its premises, the owner can be responsible.
- Construction falls from roofs, ladders and scaffolds on commercial and residential projects, where a general contractor or another trade may be liable in addition to workers’ comp.
- Trucks, motorcycles and bicycles on the corridors covered on our other Helena pages.
- Recreation. Boating and water sports on Canyon Ferry and Hauser Lakes, and outfitted or organized recreation, can cause spinal injuries when an operator or another participant was negligent.
What happens after a spinal cord injury in Helena?
Emergency care and transfer. Montana DPHHS designates St. Peter’s Health in Helena a State Area Trauma Hospital. Spinal cord injuries often need the resources of a higher-level center. The nearest ACS Level 2 regional trauma centers on the DPHHS list are Benefis in Great Falls and Providence St. Patrick in Missoula, and Billings has two ACS Level 1 centers. Inpatient rehabilitation may take place outside Helena, sometimes out of state.
Veterans. Veterans may receive care and benefits through the VA, including at the Fort Harrison VA Medical Center next to Helena. How VA care interacts with a claim against the person who caused the injury is a question to address early.
Coming home to Helena. This is where the damages case is really built. Helena’s hills, winter snow and ice, older housing stock and steep streets make mobility harder than in a flat city. A life-care plan for a Helena client has to account for:
- home modifications or a move to accessible housing;
- an adapted vehicle, and the realities of winter driving and transfers;
- attendant care and the availability of local providers;
- travel to specialists and rehabilitation outside Helena;
- equipment replacement over a lifetime.
Preserve the evidence. The vehicles (especially in a rollover), the scene, the product, the premises and the video. Crash investigations are handled by the Helena Police Department, the Lewis and Clark County Sheriff’s Office or the Montana Highway Patrol, depending on location.
The court. A Helena case is generally filed in the First Judicial District Court at the Lewis and Clark County Courthouse, 228 Broadway (§ 3-5-101(1), MCA). Vehicle manufacturers and other out-of-state defendants often remove cases to the U.S. District Court’s Helena Division at the Paul G. Hatfield Federal Courthouse, 901 Front Street (D. Mont. L.R. 1.2).
Montana law that applies
Recovery covers all the detriment caused, including future harm reasonably certain to occur (§§ 27-1-202, 27-1-203, MCA). Recovery is allowed if your fault is not greater than the defendants’ combined (§ 27-1-702, MCA). Defective products carry strict liability, and work injuries allow third-party claims (§ 39-71-412, MCA). Our Montana spinal cord injury lawyer page explains injury levels, costs and damages in depth.
Why hire a Great Falls firm for a Helena case?
A spinal cord injury case is among the most expensive cases to prepare, with experts in medicine, life-care planning, economics and often vehicle engineering. It needs lawyers ready to take it to trial. We are based in Great Falls and handle cases statewide. We come to Helena, to the rehabilitation hospital or to your home. Our attorneys travel for depositions, hearings and trial.
The Boland Aarab Way
- We try cases. Our attorneys have spent more than 4,000 hours in the courtroom, and our firm has tried more than a dozen jury trials.
- We know federal court. Manufacturers often remove cases. Our attorneys have handled more than 40 cases in the U.S. District Court for the District of Montana over nine years, and Samir Aarab has argued twice before the Ninth Circuit.
- We protect verdicts. The Montana Supreme Court reinstated our client’s $168,500 jury verdict in Voegel v. Salsbery, 2023 MT 137.
- You work with the lawyers, including by video during long rehabilitation stays.
We also handle catastrophic injury cases in Helena, motorcycle accidents in Helena and other Helena personal injury cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where are spinal cord injuries treated if I’m hurt near Helena? Usually first at St. Peter’s Health, a DPHHS-designated State Area Trauma Hospital. Many patients are transferred to a Level 1 or Level 2 trauma center elsewhere in Montana, and rehabilitation may be outside Helena.
Can my case pay for making my Helena home accessible? Yes. Home modifications, or a move to accessible housing, are part of the future costs a life-care plan documents and Montana law allows.
My spinal injury happened in a rollover. Could the vehicle be at fault? Possibly. Roof crush, seat-belt and seat failures can cause or worsen spinal injuries, and a manufacturer can be strictly liable for a defective product (§ 27-1-719, MCA). Keep the vehicle.
I slipped on an icy sidewalk downtown. Is that a case? It depends on who was responsible for the property, what they knew and what they did about it. Claims against the City of Helena carry written-notice rules (§ 2-9-301, MCA).
I’m a veteran treated at Fort Harrison. Does that affect my claim? It can affect how medical costs and liens are handled. Tell us early so we can address VA care in the damages case.
Talk to a Helena Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer
Contact Boland Aarab PLLP for a free consultation at (406) 315-3737.
Our attorneys: Caitlin Boland Aarab · Samir F. Aarab
Sources: NSCISC · NSCISC Facts and Figures at a Glance (2026) · § 27-1-202, MCA · § 27-1-203, MCA · § 27-1-702, MCA · § 27-1-719, MCA · § 27-2-204, MCA · § 39-71-412, MCA · § 2-9-301, MCA · DPHHS designated trauma facilities · D. Mont. L.R. 1.2
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship.
