Tipp Coburn Lockwood, P.C.

Tipp Coburn Lockwood, P.C. Lawyers Fighting for Montanans Since 1959 The law firm of Tipp Coburn Schandelson PC in Missoula, MT, has a storied heritage, and began in 1959.

Our founding partner, Ray Tipp, started his practice from a single homemade desk set on a staircase landing of a downtown Missoula office building. Shortly thereafter, he teamed up with Vernon Hoven, and the firm name changed to Tipp & Hoven and was located at 123 West Broadway in downtown Missoula. Vern stayed with the firm until shortly before his death in 1983. Over the years several other atto

rneys have been associated or partnered with the firm. The firm moved to its present location on the South Side of Missoula in 1972. Since that time, Tipp Coburn Schandelson PC has gradually grown to its present size of five full time attorneys, and our legal team has represented more than 7500 clients over the years. Even so, we strive to provide the same level of careful attention to the needs of our clients that we have from the beginning. In 2013 the Firm received the “Outstanding Law Firm” award from the Montana Innocence Project for our work with the wrongly convicted. Rich Buley came to the firm as a Legal Intern when he was still attending the University of Montana School of Law. Rich joined the firm as an Associate immediately after his graduation in 1981. Rich became a partner with the firm in 1985. Bryan Tipp joined the firm in 1994. Since that time, Tipp & Buley has gradually grown to its present size of six full time attorneys.

Out-of-state plates get thick on Reserve Street and Highway 93 every summer, and that seasonal traffic can contribute to...
08/20/2026

Out-of-state plates get thick on Reserve Street and Highway 93 every summer, and that seasonal traffic can contribute to more rear-end and left-turn crashes at busy intersections along those corridors.

It isn't proving the crash that gets hard. It's that the driver who caused it might already be back in Idaho or Washington by the time you're dealing with medical bills.

Montana law still reaches them. There's a specific process for serving an out-of-state driver through the Montana Secretary of State, who forwards notice to their last-known address. Not always fast. You still have three years from the crash date to file a bodily injury claim, and confirming the driver actually received that notice can take longer than the clock suggests.

If the driver who hit you had out-of-state plates, call us: 406-506-0575.

Your brother-in-law read the police report and said, 'well, that's it, you're done.' He saw a fault percentage typed nex...
08/10/2026

Your brother-in-law read the police report and said, 'well, that's it, you're done.' He saw a fault percentage typed next to your name and figured the case was closed.

It isn't. In Montana, a police officer's opinion on who caused a crash is generally inadmissible in court, so that number in the report doesn't decide your claim. A jury or a settlement does.

Even if you're assigned some of the fault, Montana still lets you recover as long as your share is 50% or less than the fault of everyone you're pursuing a claim against. Your payout gets reduced by your percentage. It doesn't disappear.

The earlier in the case, the more options you have. Call us: 406-506-0575.

The tow truck usually shows up before the officer finishes the report, and some of your evidence leaves with it.Skid mar...
08/01/2026

The tow truck usually shows up before the officer finishes the report, and some of your evidence leaves with it.

Skid marks, the debris field, where the vehicles finally stopped. That kind of physical evidence is often transient and can disappear quickly once traffic starts moving again or a road crew clears the intersection. A phone camera is the fastest way to lock it in before that happens.

Witness accounts matter just as much. Someone who saw it happen is usually easy to talk to right after a crash. A few weeks later, memory typically starts to slip, or they've moved, or they stop answering. What often gets missed in the chaos is grabbing a name and number before that person walks off. Photos of the damage and where everything landed help too.

Before that stretch of road gets cleared, call us: 406-506-0575.

Imagine this: a loaded semi drifts across the centerline on a Missoula highway, and in a matter of seconds, a family's l...
07/21/2026

Imagine this: a loaded semi drifts across the centerline on a Missoula highway, and in a matter of seconds, a family's life is rewritten.

In Montana, you generally have three years from the date of a semi-truck injury to file a personal injury claim under MCA § 27-2-204, and the same window applies to wrongful death from the date of death. Property damage is a tighter two-year deadline. Miss those, and even a strong case can be barred for good.

The other clock is quieter but just as cruel: electronic logging data, dash cam footage, driver qualification files, and maintenance records can be overwritten or discarded in days or weeks.

If you or someone you love was hurt in a Missoula semi-truck crash, talk with Tipp Coburn Lockwood P.C. before deadlines pass or evidence disappears. Call 406-506-0575 for a free, no-pressure case review.

Catastrophic semi-truck wrecks rarely involve a single defendant with a single policy. They involve a chain of decisions...
07/10/2026

Catastrophic semi-truck wrecks rarely involve a single defendant with a single policy. They involve a chain of decisions, and a chain of insurance.

Consider how responsibility actually gets divided after a serious Missoula crash. The driver is the obvious starting point, but the analysis rarely stops there. Each responsible party can open a separate policy and that matters when the trucker's own coverage tops out at the federal floor of $750,000, a ceiling set during the Reagan administration and never adjusted for inflation, surgery costs, or modern wage loss.

Montana's 51 percent bar under MCA § 27-1-702 raises the stakes further. Defense lawyers actively shift blame toward injured drivers to push them past that threshold.

If a semi-truck crash has upended your life in Missoula, call Tipp Coburn Lockwood P.C. at 406-506-0575 for a free, confidential consultation.

Quick question for anyone who's been rear-ended, sideswiped, or T-boned in Missoula: did the other driver's insurer sugg...
07/02/2026

Quick question for anyone who's been rear-ended, sideswiped, or T-boned in Missoula: did the other driver's insurer suggest you were "partly responsible"? There's a reason they reach for that language so quickly.

Here's what's really happening behind the scenes. Montana uses a 51 percent bar rule (MCA § 27-1-702). Walk into court at 50 percent fault or less, and you collect damages reduced by your share. Walk in at 51 percent, and you leave with nothing.

Adjusters know exactly where that cliff sits, and a lot of their early tactics are designed to nudge you toward it. Every move is aimed at building a fault percentage you'll have a hard time undoing later.

Hurt in a Missoula wreck and sensing the insurer is already building a fault story against you? Reach out to Tipp Coburn Lockwood P.C. at 406-506-0575 for a free consultation before the numbers harden.

Montana law has a number that decides whether you walk away with full compensation or nothing at all after a Missoula ca...
06/21/2026

Montana law has a number that decides whether you walk away with full compensation or nothing at all after a Missoula car crash: 50 percent.

Under our state's modified comparative fault rule, you can still recover damages if you were partially to blame for the wreck, as long as your share of fault stays at 50 percent or less. If a jury says you were 30 percent at fault on a $100,000 claim, you receive $70,000. But cross to 51 percent? The insurance company pays zero.

If you were hurt in a Missoula collision and an insurer is already hinting the wreck was your fault, talk to Tipp Coburn Lockwood P.C. before that fault number gets locked in. Call 406-506-0575 for a free consultation and find out where you really stand.

One traffic stop in Missoula can change your record permanently. Here's what Montana drivers often misunderstand about h...
06/20/2026

One traffic stop in Missoula can change your record permanently. Here's what Montana drivers often misunderstand about how DUI cases actually unfold.

A common assumption is that you're safe as long as you blow under 0.08. Not true. Under Montana law, an officer can still arrest you for DUI at a lower BAC if they conclude alcohol or drugs impaired your ability to drive. But here's the part that gets overlooked. A charge is the beginning of a process, not the end of one.

The window to gather and challenge that evidence is short. If you were arrested or cited for DUI anywhere in Missoula County, reach out to Tipp Coburn Lockwood P.C., defending Montanans since 1959, at 406-506-0575 for a free, confidential consultation.

Myth: If your breath test came back at 0.16 or higher, an aggravated DUI conviction in Missoula is basically a done deal...
06/11/2026

Myth: If your breath test came back at 0.16 or higher, an aggravated DUI conviction in Missoula is basically a done deal.

Fact: Montana law does treat a BAC of 0.16 or more as a trigger for aggravated DUI under MCA § 61-8-1001, along with things like a prior DUI-related license suspension or refusing a test after a previous implied consent suspension. A first aggravated conviction can mean a $1,000 fine and 48 hours to a year in jail, and a fourth or later offense becomes a felony with 13 months to 5 years and fines up to $10,000.

Montana applies absolute liability, so the state does not have to prove what you were thinking, only the facts.

Call Tipp Coburn Lockwood P.C. at 406-506-0575 for a confidential case evaluation.

Fatigue behind the wheel of an 80,000-pound semi is often a federal violation hiding in plain sight.Commercial truck dri...
05/31/2026

Fatigue behind the wheel of an 80,000-pound semi is often a federal violation hiding in plain sight.

Commercial truck drivers are bound by strict federal Hours of Service rules: mandatory rest breaks, capped driving windows, and a required 30-minute break after 8 cumulative hours of driving.

Here's what most victims don't realize, the driver may not be the only one liable. The trucking company, shipper, or broker pressuring unrealistic delivery schedules can share responsibility.

If you or someone you love was hurt in a semi-truck crash near Missoula, the team at Tipp Coburn Lockwood P.C. can help you understand your options before critical evidence disappears. Call 406-506-0575 for a case evaluation.

Address

2200 Brooks Street
Missoula, MT
59801

Opening Hours

Monday 8:30am - 5:30pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 5:30pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 5:30pm
Thursday 8:30am - 5:30pm
Friday 8:30am - 5:30pm

Telephone

+14065495186

Website

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