A serious accident occurred last week in Montana, taking the life of one woman. The accident occurred along a stretch of U.S. 87 between Billings and Lewistown. According to the Montana Highway Patrol, the incident took place just outside of Lewistown around 2:30 a.m. when the driver of a semi truck heading westbound swerved to avoid hitting a deer. The trucker then apparently lost control of his vehicle.

The Montana Highway Patrol said that after the man lost control of his rig, the trailer broke loose from the semi. The truck then rolled upside down, and the female passenger in the vehicle was killed. Emergency personnel pronounced the woman dead at the scene of the crash, and the driver was taken to Central Montana Medical Center. At the time of a local news report, his condition was unknown.

Fatal auto accidents like this one happen all too often in Montana. Some crashes happen because of driver error, and others occur because of unfortunate and unavoidable causes such as bad weather or medical emergencies. Still, other times car accidents happen because of negligent or criminal behavior, including drunk driving or driving while distracted. Regardless of why these accidents occur, auto crashes of any kind, and especially those involving semi trucks, can be very serious for everyone involved, and the damage can be extremely costly.

It can sometimes be difficult to identify a single cause of an auto accident. But when negligent or reckless actions can be ascertained as the cause, the injured parties or their families will likely have grounds to file a personal injury claim against the person who is at fault. Determining fault is therefore of great importance, especially when it comes to seeking compensation for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, or other costs that resulted from a life-altering auto accident.

Source: kulr8.com, “Accident Near Lewistown Kills One,” Kenneth Wong, Feb. 22, 2012