Train Accidents

Montana Train Accident Lawyers

Trusted Train Accident Lawyers Serving Great Falls and Bozeman

At Hoyt & Blewett PLLC, we understand how to handle railroad crossing accidents against entities such as Burlington Northern, Union Pacific, Montana Rail Link, and Amtrak. If you or a loved one has suffered injuries from a train crash in Montana or a possible death following a train wreck, derailment, or other train accident, you may be entitled to compensation from the railroad.

Call Hoyt & Blewett PLLC today at (406) 233-1302 or contact us online to schedule a meeting with our train accident attorney in Montana!

Proven Success in Montana Railroad Crossing Cases

Our firm has the resources and experience to navigate the complexities of railroad crossing accidents and take cases to trial against the nation’s largest railroads.

Hoyt & Blewett PLLC’s head partner Alexander (Zander) Blewett III, is a train accident lawyer who has received national recognition for his advocacy of injured individuals and families by organizations such as the Law Dragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America, which described him as “[a]mong the nation’s top railroad attorneys” and a “preeminent plaintiffs’ lawyer who tracks down the railroads and makes them pay.”

Our firm has obtained numerous substantial personal injury and wrongful death verdicts on behalf of commercial motorists, pedestrians, ordinary drivers, and their families who have been injured in Montana railroad crossing accidents, including:

Redwolf v. BN ~ $250,000,000.00 (Railroad crossing accident on the Crow Reservation involving a car/train collision)
Herold v. BN ~ $9,790,000.00 (North Dakota railroad crossing accident involving a cattle truck/train collision)
Dorn v. BNSF ~ $7,008,000.00 (Railroad crossing accident near Billings involving a grain truck/train collision)
Janssen v. BN ~ $1,097,197.96
Marshall v. BN ~ $825,000.00
Bergen v. BN ~ $270,000.00

These results, which include some of the largest railroad crossing jury verdicts in Montana, have sent a strong message to the railroad industry that it must take safety seriously when conducting business in our state.

Proving Negligence in Railroad Crossing Accident Cases

To prevail in a railroad crossing accident case, it is necessary to prove that the railroad was negligent in causing the collision. This means that the railroad must have acted without reasonable care. Often, improperly designed intersections cause train accidents, obstructed views, excessive train speed, equipment defects, inadequate signage or train operator error, fatigue, and/or failure to follow safety protocol. Train accidents involve potent forces and are incredibly destructive. Due to the massive size and weight of trains, even trains that move at slower speeds are capable of causing catastrophic damage and death. When railroad crossing accidents occur, it is essential to hire an experienced attorney to conduct a thorough investigation to determine all causes of the accident.

Legal Advocacy for Amtrak Accident Victims

Amtrak is one of the leading train companies in America and one of the leading methods of transportation for interstate domestic travel and freight shipping. Unfortunately, Amtrak has come under scrutiny in recent years due to continuing problems with train safety. In 2018, USA Today reported that the number of Amtrak Montana train crashes had significantly increased from 2008 to 2017. In 2020, an Amtrak train even killed a man and seriously injured several Amtrak passengers in Roosevelt County, Montana.

Some of the Amtrak statistics reported by the Federal Railroad Administration:

The accident rate per million train miles grew from 41.1 to 58.8
Trespasser deaths grew from 70 to 103 per year
Number of accident fatalities increased from 119 to 167

Often caused by negligence at the corporate or individual level, train accidents tend to require complex and lengthy investigations to determine what went wrong. When you’ve been hurt or lost a loved one in an Amtrak train crash, you need to have an experienced attorney who has brought – and won – similar cases against a major transportation company.

Common Causes of Train Accidents

Train accidents can occur for a variety of reasons, most often when cars try to beat the train at crossings. It is common for passengers, drivers, and passersby to be involved in these accidents.

There are several causes of train accidents, including:

Equipment failure
Negligence
Cars stalled on the track
Derailments
Human error
Suicides
Negligent pedestrians and reckless drivers
High-speed trains
Damaged tracks
Unprotected railroad crossings

Contact Our Montana Train Accident Attorneys Today

Railroad accident law is a complicated practice area governed by various federal and state laws. The railroad industry has successfully lobbied Congress and federal agencies to preempt many state regulations designed to protect the public from the dangers of train accidents. Despite the preemption of such laws, train accident victims can still pursue claims and seek justice in Montana courts against negligent railroads that caused these accidents.

Given the complexity of the laws governing Montana railroad accidents and the vigor with which railroads defend these cases, it is critical that you hire an experienced Montana train accident lawyer with a proven record of standing up to the largest railroads in the country and who is experienced with the pertinent federal regulations that govern train crashes.

Please make sure to check out our client testimonials and case results to see what others are saying.

Contact Hoyt & Blewett PLLC today to schedule a meeting with our train accident lawyer in Montana!

Further Information and Case Studies

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Your Voice in the Courtroom

At Hoyt & Blewett PLLC in Montana, we understand the devastating impact of personal injuries and wrongful deaths on families. With over 100 years of combined experience, our dedicated team of Montana injury attorneys is here to provide compassionate and skilled legal representation. We offer a free consultation to discuss your case and understand your needs.

Hoyt & Blewett has proven time and again that we are more than willing to take personal injury and wrongful death cases to trial, with the results being very favorable for our clients. Our track record speaks for itself, as we have obtained numerous top personal injury verdicts in Montana, including 18 jury verdicts surpassing $1 million.

If you or someone you know has suffered damages due to the negligence of another, it is important to contact a trial lawyer who will vigorously represent your interests against insurance companies and other corporate defendants.

Call Hoyt & Blewett PLLC today at (406) 233-1302 or contact us online to schedule your initial consultation.

From their office in Great Falls, Hoyt & Blewett PLLC serves injured clients throughout Montana including Great Falls, Helena, Missoula, Billings, Kalispell, Bozeman, Butte, Anaconda, and Sidney.