Most people in Montana are probably aware by now that texting and driving is a serious threat to safety. A number of safety campaigns have publicized the dangers. Yet people continue to do it, and it continues to cause accidents-some of them fatal. Recently a 42-year-old male pedestrian was killed on Highway 2 in Glacier County. He was struck by…Read More
On many Billings streets, and particularly in the downtown area, motorists share the road with pedestrians and bicyclists. Unfortunately, when a motor vehicle collides with a pedestrian or a bicycle, the result for the person on foot or bike is often serious injury or death. In 2011, 30 pedestrians and 33 cyclists were injured, and two pedestrians were killed, in…Read More
Most motorcyclists know that some drivers just don’t see them. Whether that was a factor in a recent fatal accident in the Billings area is not yet known. The accident happened late on a Tuesday morning just west of the airport near the Southview Drive intersection. The motorcyclist was in the westbound lane of the highway on a Harley Davidson…Read More
In Montana and other states that sit atop the Bakken oil fields, workplace injuries have been an unwanted byproduct of the oil boom. Worker inexperience is part of the problem. Statistics show that in the oil and gas industry, the greatest number of injury claims are filed by workers who have been on the job for less than a year.…Read More
When a pedestrian is struck by a full-size pickup truck the outcome is likely to be tragic. Unfortunately that was the case in a recent late-morning accident in Billings. According to the Billings Police Department, a 30-year-old man was driving a Ford F-350 pickup on 8th Street West. As he turned to go westbound on Grand Avenue, he allegedly struck…Read More
A lonely stretch of road in Western Montana’s Mission Valley was the scene of an early-morning auto accident that killed one man and sent three people to the hospital recently. Several of the victims, including the man who was killed, were not wearing seat belts. One can only wonder if the outcome of this crash would have been less tragic…Read More
Brain injuries are an all-too common result of automobile accidents in Montana. And they are common throughout the country: one estimate says 1.7 million people annually suffer a traumatic brain injury in the United States. Of these, about 90,000 result in a long-term or permanent disability. Doctors often prescribe cognitive therapy for traumatic brain injuries. Cognitive therapy is a combination…Read More
The oil industry provides a lot of jobs in Montana. The industry is booming, which means steady paychecks for a lot of Montana workers, and steady profits for employers. Unfortunately, some employers attach more importance to profits than to the safety of their workers. Recently, the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited a Montana refinery for 3 violations: one…Read More
A head-on crash at high speed is one of the most dangerous kinds of auto accidents. Two people involved in one such crash in Flathead County recently were fortunate to escape with their lives. The two victims were injured but they were listed in stable condition. According to the Montana Highway Patrol, the car accident happened at around 2:45 a.m.…Read More
Of the many different types of car accidents, the rear-end collision is one of the most common. It is also one of the most dangerous in terms of the potential for injury. Many victims of rear-end collisions suffer serious soft tissue injuries, which can lead to years of pain and disability. Such a car accident occurred in downtown Billings recently.…Read More