Portland is a beautiful city full of tourist attractions, landmarks, and even lengthy roadways. Additionally, it is the largest and most populous city in the State of Oregon. However, suffering an injury accident in Portland is more common than anywhere else in the state. Why? This occurs because population density is directly linked to the likelihood of encountering reckless individuals who fail to exercise a sense of communal responsibility.
Personal injury accidents can occur at any given moment in our lives. That is why we may never be prepared to deal with the ramifications of these incidents. What is certain though, is that you will have to endure a set of physical, emotional, and financial burdens that may negatively affect your quality of life.
Picture yourself being injured and not being able to perform the activities that you love. That will surely take away your peace of mind. Depending on the severity of your injuries, you may require an extensive recovery period to recover from those injuries.
In consequence, you will be forced to miss workdays and your income may surely be affected. In our country, healthcare can be expensive, so it can be challenging if you do not have enough funds to pay for your medical attention, or if you don’t have proper insurance coverage.
We understand that you are full of anguish. However, we are here to tell you that it is not the end of the world. Since your accident was caused by someone else, you are entitled to receive compensation for all of your damages.
Nonetheless, this process is not as simple as it looks. In the majority of cases, the other party will try to deny fault in hopes of not compensating you, and to avoid that issue you’ll need the assistance of a personal injury attorney.
These types of lawyers have the ability to prove that your personal injury in Portland was caused by an individual who breached his/her duty of care towards others. This will facilitate your process of attaining monetary compensation.
Throughout our article, we will discuss the legal standards of personal injury accidents in Oregon, as well as the benefits of hiring an accident attorney during your legal dispute.
Table of Contents
Legal Basics of Personal Injury Accidents in Oregon
1. Oregon’s Statute of Limitations: Dictates dictate the time limit that people are given to file a personal injury lawsuit. In Oregon, these claims must be begun within two years after the accident occurred.
2. Discovery Rule: This is defined as a division of the statute of limitations. However, the clock starts ticking after you discover or should have discovered your injuries.
3. Comparative Negligence Law: Oregon’s modified comparative negligence rule establishes that if you were 50% or less liable for the accident, you may still receive compensation. However, the damages that you can recover will be reduced in proportion to your percentage of fault. This means that if you were 10% responsible for the accident, a $10,000 award will be reduced to $9,000 instead.
Most Common Personal Injury Accidents in Portland
a). Auto accidents are perhaps the most common accidents not only in Portland but in the United States. The main cause of car crashes is speeding, operating vehicles under the influence of alcohol, and distracted driving.
If someone died in the accident and their family wishes to file a lawsuit for wrongful death, the time limit to do so will be three years from the date of the incident.
According to the Oregon Driver and Motor Vehicle Services, drivers must file an Oregon Traffic Accident and Insurance Report within 72 hours of any auto accident in which:
- The damage to any vehicle or property sums $2,500 or more.
- Any vehicle is towed from the scene.
- Someone died or sustained injuries.
- Slip and falls are categorized as premises liability claims. By law, establishment owners must keep their properties free of any dangerous conditions.
Victims must prove that the owner of the premises knew of the hazards within the property. This is, of course, because a reasonable person taking care of the property would have discovered and repaired it.
Even though individuals have two years to file their personal injury claim, they have five years to file a lawsuit for damaged property in a slip and fall.
b). Dog bites can be extremely dangerous because they can lead to infections, fractures, and injuries in soft tissues.
Oregon imposes a “strict liability rule” for these accidents. This mandate states that the dog owner will be held responsible for the plaintiff’s injuries, regardless of the measures he/she took to prevent the bite.
Advantages of Hiring an Injury Attorney in Portland
1. Oftentimes, insurance companies offer low amounts of compensation. However, your accident lawyer can review your medical reports, calculate your lost income, and verify your pain and suffering to determine your rightful compensation.
2. During a legal dispute, you will be required to attend meetings with other interested parties and your insurer. A personal injury attorney can represent you in these meetings while you recover from your injuries.
3. You will be required to file paperwork full of legal verbiage that may be difficult to understand. Accident lawyers are professionally trained to comprehend the legal process. That is why they can help you file these documents and understand the legal verbiage written on them.
4. Personal injury lawyers can also provide free consultations. Additionally, they work on contingency fees. A contingency fee is a fee charged for an attorney’s services that are payable only if your case is settled. It is usually calculated in the form of a percentage of the client’s recovered damages.
Contact a Portland Accident Lawyer Right Away!
This information was brought to you by the best law firm in Portland. By calling an accident attorney, you will be represented by a highly-skilled professional. Your personal injury in Portland will be accounted for. In order to do so, you must call a legal expert right now!
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