At a deposition earlier this spring, during a break in the action, I was chatting with the two defense attorneys about how this profession really colors the way we're raising our kids. The one defense attorney remarked, "yeah, I look at playground equipment and think, 'that's dangerous,' 'I don't … [Read more...] about Kudos for Keeping Local Playground Safe
Anatomy of an Injury Lawsuit
One thing I love about this line of work is the variety. There are many different kinds of injury lawsuits. They range from auto accidents to building code violations to professional malpractice. Each client is different. Witnesses to a case are varied in both their knowledge and … [Read more...] about Anatomy of an Injury Lawsuit
The Journey of An Injury Lawsuit
A question I get asked pretty regularly is: "so, if I hire a lawyer, does that mean I'm going to trial?" In injury cases, the answer is "probably not." In Montana, the statute of limitations for negligence is 3 years. This means that, in most injury cases, a person has three years before they must … [Read more...] about The Journey of An Injury Lawsuit
To Justice
The previous parts of this story can be found here and here. In March of 2010 – four years after we had filed the lawsuit and seven years after our client’s husband’s death – the case came back to the District Court. We again began working on it, exchanging written discovery, talking to witnesses, … [Read more...] about To Justice
Moving On
For the first part of this story, you might want to read this post about Indian Law. In 2003, one of our clients lost her husband when he died of prescription medicine poisoning – we believe that his doctor had been prescribing him excessive amounts of amiodarone for years without adequately … [Read more...] about Moving On
Indian Law
One of the many interesting things about practicing law in Montana is that we have seven Indian reservations within our borders. The reservations have their own governments and the states cannot interfere with tribal self-government. This is important to us, because here in Kalispell, we are close … [Read more...] about Indian Law
Snow and Ice
As I sit here today, at the beginning of April, snow flurries move past my window. It doesn't look like anything's sticking, but I'm not going to hold my breath. Snow can accumulate just about any time of the year in these parts. The weather reminds me of a conversation I had not too long ago … [Read more...] about Snow and Ice
What’s a Settlement Conference?
A settlement conference, here in Montana, is an informal "mediation." I put the word mediation in quotes because it might carry more technical overtones than I mean. Boiled down, a settlement conference is a meeting between parties in a dispute to try to settle a claim or case. Generally, … [Read more...] about What’s a Settlement Conference?