$10,000 to $30,000 can disappear from a mid-sized injury settlement before your brother sees a check, and sometimes much more. In a Butte crash claim, the usual deductions are unpaid medical bills, health insurance or VA recovery claims, case costs, and any attorney fee if he hired one.

To prove what should or should not come out, gather the paper trail first:

• Every medical bill and itemized statement from St. James Healthcare, ambulance providers, physical therapy, imaging, and pharmacies
• The VA billing summary and any notice that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs claims reimbursement for treatment tied to the crash
• His health insurer's lien or subrogation notice if private insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, or TriWest paid anything
• The auto policy declarations page showing Med Pay, UM/UIM, and who insured the vehicle
• The Montana Highway Patrol or local crash report, especially if the wreck happened in a construction zone with lane shifts, flaggers, or heavy equipment
• Proof of out-of-pocket costs: mileage to Helena or Missoula specialists, hotel stays, braces, copays, and prescription receipts

The VA piece matters because the VA and a civilian injury claim are separate systems. If the VA paid for non-service-connected crash treatment, the federal government may assert a recovery claim against the settlement. That should be verified against actual treatment dates and charges, not guessed.

If a provider was paid already, that bill usually should not be deducted again. If the at-fault driver was uninsured, which is a real problem on rural Montana roads, your brother may need to use UM/UIM coverage instead, and those insurers still demand the same documentation.

In Montana, settlements should also account for future care, not just old bills, if his records show ongoing treatment is reasonably necessary after the Butte road-work crash.