Personal Injury Lawyer Help in Yellowstone County, MT

Injury claims in Yellowstone County: what to know first

Yellowstone County, Montana includes 11 named communities, the largest being Billings, Laurel. Whether an accident happened on a county road, in a small town or in one of the larger communities, the same Montana rules apply: a 3-year filing deadline for most injury claims, modified comparative negligence (51% bar), and lawsuits filed in the Yellowstone County District Court. This page is the county-wide guide, with links to a page for each community.

You describe what happened anywhere in Yellowstone County using the free case review form, and your request may be shared with participating attorneys or legal services partners who handle that type of matter in Montana. Submitting a request does not hire an attorney, and everything below is general legal information, not legal advice about your specific situation.

Injury claims in Yellowstone County: key facts

Injury lawsuit deadline: three years from the injury date (Mont. Code Ann. § 27-2-204(1))
Medical malpractice deadline: two years
Fault rule: modified comparative negligence (51% bar)
Auto insurance system: At-fault (liability insurance pays)
Minimum auto liability: 25/50/20 (thousands: per person / per accident / property)
Where lawsuits are filed: Yellowstone County District Court
Tell your employer: Within 30 days of the accident (Mont. Code Ann. § 39-71-603)
Workers' comp claim: one year — Montana Department of Labor & Industry
Fatal crashes, 2020-2024: 103 in Yellowstone County; none coded to Yellowstone County itself (NHTSA FARS)
Attorney fees: Injury attorneys commonly work on contingency; confirm fee terms before hiring

Which roads in Yellowstone County have the most fatal crashes?

From 2020 through 2024, federal crash records list 103 fatal crashes in Yellowstone County, in which 115 people died. The roads with the most were I-90 with 12 fatal crashes, Grand Ave with 6 and Central Ave with 5.

Roads with the most fatal crashes in Yellowstone County, 2020-2024
Road	Fatal crashes, 2020-2024	Deaths	Latest year
I-90	12	14	2024
Grand Ave	6	6	2024
Central Ave	5	5	2024
I-94	5	5	2024
Broadwater Ave	4	4	2024
US-87	4	4	2024
Pryor Rd	3	5	2023
4th Ave N	3	3	2024
State Route 3	3	3	2023
Shepherd Acton Rd	2	3	2022

Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2020-2023 Final File and 2024 Annual Report File (ARF), national data files downloaded from NHTSA on November 3, 2026. A crash counts for a road under the trafficway the reporting agency recorded; the same street with and without a route number is one row, and a route recorded without a street name keeps its own row; roads with fewer than two fatal crashes are not listed. The 2024 figures are NHTSA's first release for that year and may change in its Final File.

How to cite these figures: Ask Legal Matters, "Fatal crashes in Yellowstone County, MT, 2020-2024," compiled from NHTSA FARS (2020-2023 Final File and 2024 Annual Report File (ARF)), https://asklegalmatters.com/injury-guides/montana/yellowstone-county/, checked November 3, 2026. Downloads and method: https://asklegalmatters.com/injury-guides/data/.

The yearly count was 14 in 2020, 25 in 2021, 18 in 2022, 23 in 2023 and 23 in 2024; 51% of the crashes happened after dark. 10 involved a pedestrian, cyclist or other person outside a vehicle, and 35 happened at or near an intersection.

Most fatal crashes in Yellowstone County happen after dark. In night crashes, evidence about street lighting, headlights, speed and visibility tends to decide fault, and much of it disappears within days.

Communities in the county with the most fatal crashes coded to them:

Reporting the crash in Montana

In Montana, the driver in a crash that injures or kills anyone, or causes apparent property damage of $1,000 or more, must notify the police immediately: the local police inside a city, otherwise the county sheriff or the nearest Highway Patrol office (MCA 61-7-108). Unless a law enforcement officer investigated and reported the crash, the driver must also send a written report to the Department of Justice within 10 days (MCA 61-7-109).

Who must report: Police notice: the driver in a crash that injures or kills anyone, strikes the body of a deceased person, or causes apparent property damage of $1,000 or more. Written report: the driver in a crash that kills or injures anyone or damages any person's property by more than $1,000, unless an officer investigated and reported it
Report to: Police notice: the local police inside a city, otherwise the county sheriff or the nearest Highway Patrol office. Written report: the Montana Department of Justice
Deadline: Police notice: immediately, by the quickest means. Written report: within 10 days after the crash
Copy of the crash report: Montana Highway Patrol (Department of Justice): crash report request form

Sources: Montana Code Annotated 61-7-108; Montana Code Annotated 61-7-109; Montana DOJ: crash report request form. Checked November 3, 2026. General information, not legal advice; local rules and police practice can add steps.

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Communities in Yellowstone County

Each community below has its own guide with the local court, insurance rules and every type of injury claim.

Smaller communities in Yellowstone County include Acton, Ballantine, Broadview, Custer, Huntley, Molt, Pompeys Pillar, Shepherd, Worden. Residents of these areas follow the same Montana rules, use the same Yellowstone County District Court, and can request a free case review from anywhere in the county.

Montana's three years statute of limitations

Montana generally gives an injured person three years from the date of injury to file a personal injury lawsuit (Mont. Code Ann. § 27-2-204(1)); medical malpractice is different (two years). Wrongful death claims follow their own deadline, which can differ from the one above. Claims against a city, county, school district or state agency follow separate and often much shorter deadlines. Once the deadline passes, the Yellowstone County District Court will dismiss the case regardless of how clear the fault was, so the practical rule in Yellowstone County is to get legal advice early.

How fault works: modified comparative negligence (51% bar)

Montana follows modified comparative negligence (51% bar). In plain terms, you can recover as long as you were not more than 50% at fault, and your award is reduced by your share of fault. Insurance adjusters apply this rule from the first phone call, which is why the way an accident is described and documented in the days after it happens in Yellowstone County has a direct effect on what a claim is worth.

Auto insurance in Montana: an at-fault system

After a crash in Yellowstone County, the at-fault driver's liability insurance is the primary source of compensation. Montana requires drivers to carry only 25/50/20 in coverage (thousands of dollars for bodily injury per person, per accident, and property damage), which serious injuries quickly exhaust. Underinsured motorist coverage on your own policy and claims against additional responsible parties often make the difference in Yellowstone County cases.

Where Yellowstone County injury cases are filed

Lawsuits arising from accidents in Yellowstone County are typically filed in the Yellowstone County District Court, the trial court of general jurisdiction for Yellowstone County, although cases can sometimes be filed where the defendant resides or does business, and claims against out-of-state trucking companies or manufacturers may end up in federal court. Most claims settle before trial, but the credible ability to try a case in Yellowstone County is what moves insurers to pay fair value.

Workplace injuries: Montana Department of Labor & Industry

Employees injured on the job in Yellowstone County are generally covered by Montana workers' compensation, administered through the Montana Department of Labor & Industry. Report the injury to your employer within 30 days of the accident (Mont. Code Ann. § 39-71-603) — a late report can delay or put the claim at risk, and the exceptions vary by state — then file the formal claim within one year. Workers' compensation does not pay for pain and suffering, so when a third party such as a subcontractor, driver or equipment manufacturer caused the injury, a separate personal injury claim is often worth pursuing alongside it.

Frequently asked questions

Is there 2025 fatal crash data for Yellowstone County?

Not yet from the federal census of fatal crashes. The newest national file is NHTSA's 2024 Annual Report File, the first release for 2024, used here with the 2020-2023 Final Files; NHTSA had not published 2025 FARS data when this page was updated on November 3, 2026. FARS counts every crash on a public road in which someone died within 30 days, and a crash counts for Yellowstone County when the reporting agency coded it there. Some cities and states post newer counts on their own crash dashboards, which use their own definitions.

How long do I have to file an injury lawsuit in Yellowstone County?

Generally three years from the date of injury under Montana law (Mont. Code Ann. § 27-2-204(1)); medical malpractice claims generally have a two years limit, and claims against the county, a city or the state require notice much sooner.

Which court handles injury cases in Yellowstone County?

The Yellowstone County District Court is the trial court for Yellowstone County. Some claims may be filed where the defendant lives or does business, and claims against out-of-state companies can be removed to federal court.

I live in a small town in Yellowstone County. Do the same rules apply?

Yes. Montana's deadline, fault rule and insurance requirements apply everywhere in the state. Smaller communities simply have fewer local attorneys, which is one reason people use a free case review request to reach attorneys who handle cases across Yellowstone County.

What if I was partly at fault?

Montana applies modified comparative negligence (51% bar): you can recover as long as you were not more than 50% at fault, and your award is reduced by your share of fault.

Is Ask Legal Matters a law firm?

No. Ask Legal Matters is a personal injury lead-generation service that collects free case review requests from injured people in the United States and shares them with independent attorneys and law firms. It is not a law firm and does not give legal advice. Requests may be shared with independent attorneys and legal services partners who handle inquiries in Montana, and submitting a request does not hire an attorney.