Missoula, MontanaMissoula Spinal Cord Injury
Missoula Spinal Cord Injury Lawyers: Paralysis, Paraplegia, Tetraplegia and Back Injury Claims in Missoula County
Boland Aarab PLLP.
A spinal cord injury can change every part of daily life in an instant. If a crash, a fall on an icy walkway, a workplace accident or a medical error caused a spinal cord injury in the Missoula area, the claim has to account for a lifetime of care, equipment, home changes and lost earnings. Montana law allows recovery for future losses that are reasonably certain. Most Missoula County cases are filed in the Fourth Judicial District Court.
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).
If you or a family member suffered a spinal cord injury in western Montana, we can help. Contact Boland Aarab PLLP for a free consultation at (406) 315-3737.
What causes spinal cord injuries around Missoula?
National data show crashes and falls cause most spinal cord injuries, and both have a distinctly western Montana shape here:
- Rollovers and high-speed crashes. Interstate 90 through Hellgate Canyon and west toward Frenchtown and Huson, U.S. 93 north over Evaro Hill and south through the Bitterroot, and U.S. 12 over Lolo Pass all combine speed, curves, wildlife and winter ice. Rollovers and crashes with trucks are frequent causes of spinal injury.
- Falls on ice. Missoula’s winters bring months of freeze-thaw cycles, and inversions can keep the valley cold and gray for days (Missoula Public Health). Unsalted steps, parking lots and building entrances cause serious falls. Property owners and businesses have a duty to use reasonable care to keep walkways safe for customers and visitors.
- Falls at work. Construction sites across Missoula’s growing neighborhoods involve roofs, ladders, scaffolds and openings. Falls from height are a leading cause of spinal injury in construction work.
- Motorcycle and bicycle crashes. Riders on Missoula’s roads and trails have little protection when a driver fails to yield.
- Medical errors. Delayed diagnosis of a spinal compression, an epidural abscess or an unstable fracture, and surgical errors, can cause permanent injury. These are malpractice claims with a 2-year deadline and a Medical Legal Panel step.
What happens after a spinal cord injury in Missoula?
Emergency and trauma care. Most serious spinal injuries in western Montana are treated at Providence St. Patrick Hospital, which DPHHS lists as an ACS Level 2 / State Regional Trauma Hospital, often after transfer from a smaller hospital (DPHHS). Early surgical decisions and imaging are documented in that record, which becomes the foundation of the case.
Rehabilitation. After acute care, many patients need inpatient rehabilitation, and some of the most specialized spinal cord rehabilitation programs are outside Montana. Where you receive rehab, and for how long, becomes part of the damages.
Coming home to Missoula. Returning home after a spinal cord injury often means ramps, widened doors, an accessible bathroom, a lift or a different home entirely. Missoula’s housing costs make accessible housing expensive and hard to find, and that is a legitimate part of a life-care plan. So is winter: snow removal, a vehicle with hand controls or a lift, and help getting to appointments on icy roads.
Building the claim. We work with treating physicians, life-care planners, vocational experts and economists to put numbers on future care, equipment replacement, lost earning capacity, and the loss of the life you had. We also look at every source of insurance, because spinal cord injuries usually exceed a single policy.
The court. A case that does not settle is filed in the Fourth Judicial District Court at the Missoula County Courthouse, 200 West Broadway (Missoula County District Court), before a Missoula County jury. A case against an out-of-state company may be removed to the Missoula Division of the federal court at the Russell Smith Federal Courthouse (U.S. District Court, Missoula).
Montana law that applies
For more on injury levels, costs and proof, see our Montana spinal cord injury lawyer page.
Why hire a Great Falls firm for a Missoula case?
We are based in Great Falls and handle spinal cord injury cases statewide. We come to you: our attorneys travel to Missoula, and to clients’ homes and rehabilitation facilities, for meetings, depositions, hearings and trial. For a client with a new spinal cord injury, that matters more than an office address.
The Boland Aarab Way
- We try cases. Our firm has tried more than a dozen jury trials, and our attorneys have spent more than 4,000 hours in the courtroom.
- We protect verdicts. The Montana Supreme Court reinstated a $168,500 verdict we won in 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, and Samir Aarab has argued twice before the Ninth Circuit.
- We are part of the trial bar. Both attorneys belong to AAJ and the Montana Trial Lawyers Association; Caitlin Boland Aarab is an AAJ Governor and serves on the MTLA Board.
We also handle Missoula catastrophic injury and Missoula truck accident cases, and other Missoula personal injury claims.
Frequently Asked Questions
I fell on an icy entrance at a Missoula business and injured my spine. Do I have a claim? Possibly. Businesses must use reasonable care to keep entrances and walkways safe. Photograph the conditions and report the fall to the business in writing.
Can my damages include the cost of an accessible home in Missoula? Yes, if the injury requires it. Home modifications, or a different accessible home, can be part of a life-care plan.
What if my rehabilitation happened outside Montana? Reasonable out-of-state rehab costs caused by the injury are recoverable, including travel for you and family.
How long do I have to file a spinal cord injury claim in Montana? Generally 3 years for negligence claims and 2 years for malpractice, with notice rules for claims against government entities.
Where would a Missoula spinal cord injury case be tried? Usually in the Fourth Judicial District Court at the Missoula County Courthouse, unless an out-of-state defendant removes it to the federal court in Missoula.
Talk to a Missoula Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer
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.
