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handle all types of Oregon personal injury cases including:
Defective
products, slip and fall injury accidents, boating accidents,
ATV injury accidents, skiing accidents, truck accidents, pedestrian
accidents and all other types of Oregon personal injury claims.
You
have been injured in an Oregon personal injury accident and
you are worried about who is going to pay your m edical bills,
lost wages, and pain and suffering. The last thing you want
is to be taken advantage of by an insurance company. If you
don’t protect your rights, you may not be able to make a claim.
Insurance companies have lawyers and adjusters whose goal
is to pay you as little as they can. You need an experienced
Oregon personal injury lawyer with PROVEN
RESULTS to fight for you.
You need
a lawyer who will work hard to protect your rights, maximize
your insurance settlement and minimize the hassles of dealing
with the insurance companies. You need an experienced and
aggressive Oregon trial lawyer who will fight for you. Having
an experienced Oregon personal injury lawyer can make the
difference between getting what you deserve and getting nothing.
I
am an experienced aggressive trial lawyer who has tried over
100 cases. I am not afraid to take your case to trial if that
is what it take to maximize your Oregon personal injury insurance
recovery. I offer one-on-one service, and I wil not hand
your case off to an inexperienced lawyer or a paralegal.
Personal
injury accidents can turn your life upside down. Once I take
your case, you can stop worrying about dealing with the insurance
companies and focus on recovering from your injuries. I take
care of all of the paperwork, phone calls, and negotiations,
so you can get on with your life.
I
handle Oregon personal injury cases on a contingency fee basis.
This means:
YOU
DON’T OWE ME A LEGAL FEE
UNLESS I RECOVER MONEY FOR YOU.
Frequently
Asked Questions
Q:
How soon after personal injury accident should I call you?
A:
Call me immediately. Do not give the other person’s insurance
company a statement until you have consulted with a lawyer.
I make a point of returning all calls and e-mails promptly.
If you have suffered a personal injury, you need to know right
away what insurance coverage is in place to cover your medical
expenses and lost wages.
Q:
Will I get to talk to a lawyer if I call?
A: Yes. Everyone who
calls for a free consultation gets to talk to a
lawyer. I do not have my staff screen cases. Usually you will
get to
talk to a lawyer right away or later the same day.
Q: Should I call you even if
I want to handle my claim myself?
A: Yes. In a few minutes
over the phone I can usually give you an
estimate of what your claim is worth so you don't get ripped
off by the
insurance company. If they give you an offer and you later
hire me, I
will not charge you a fee unless I can increase the amount
that goes
into your pocket.
Q: How do I pay your legal fees?
A:
I handle auto accident, dog bites and all of my other personal
injury cases on a contingency fee basis. This means YOU DO
NOT OWE ME A LEGAL FEE UNLESS I RECOVER MONEY FOR YOU. I do
not ask for any attorney fees upfront. If there is no recovery
there is no fee.
Q: Why is it so important to hire an Oregon attorney who goes to trial?
A: Most personal injury cases settle before trial, but you want to maximize your settlement. If you hire an Oregon personal injury attorney who has little trial experience, oftentimes they will be afraid to go to trial. Insurance companies know who these lawyers are, and they oftentimes offer them less than the case is worth. I have 10 years of courtroom experience and I have tried well over 100 cases. A good example of why you sometimes have to go to trial are the recent results I have had. I recently tried three separate cases where the offers totaled approximately $51,500. The juries awarded a total of over $850,000. If my clients had hired a lawyer who does not try cases, they would have lost a combined total of around $800,000. Verdicts like these do not come easy and it took me years of trying cases and over 100 jury trials before I had the skills to get big verdicts for my clients. I know a number of Oregon personal injury attorneys who do not try cases. I believe that these attorneys do a great disservice to their clients and cost their clients millions of dollars by settling cases that should go to trial. Before you hire a lawyer, make sure that they are actively trying cases and have had a number of six figure verdicts.
Q: Lawsuits can be expensive, will it
cost me any money up front for filing fees, court costs, expert
witness fees, and any other costs?
A:
Filing a lawsuit, paying court costs and expert witness fees
can be very expensive. Every year I spend thousand of dollars
in litigation costs. I know that most people cannot afford
these costs up front, so I forward these costs up front in
every case I take. Spending a few thousand dollars on a good
expert witness can make the difference between getting thousands
of dollars and getting nothing for your personal injury claim.
Before you hire a lawyer, make sure that they are willing
to forward the money to adequately pursue your personal injury
case. Otherwise, you may be forced into taking a minimal settlement
if you cannot afford to spend thousands of dollars to pursue
your personal injury claim.
Q:
What do you charge for recovering my medical expenses?
A: I do not charge
my clients a fee recovering their past medical
expenses. Many lawyers charge a percentage of the total recovery,
including your medical expenses. I base my fee on what is
recovered in
addition to your medical expenses. If your lawyer charges
you for
recovering your medical expenses it can significantly reduce
how much
goes in your pocket. For example, if you had $50,000 in medical
expenses and a $100,000 settlement, your lawyer would get
$33,000,
$50,000 would go to repay your medical expenses, and you would
be left
with around $17,000. In a case like that, I would base my
fee off of
the $50,000, putting $33,000 in your pocket instead of approximately
$17,000. The only time I charge a fee for recovering your
past medical
expenses is when someone other than the client, usually my
client's
insurance company or healthcare provider, pays me to recover
the medical
expenses.
Q: Are there any hidden
fees?
A: No. I do not charge
you fees for consultations, opening your file,
copies, long distance, etc. Before you hire a lawyer, make
sure you
find out what they will be charging you, as these hidden fees
can add
up.
Q: Can I recover if the other
driver had no insurance?
A:
Yes. If you have uninsured motorist coverage,
you can recover money for your medical bills and pain and
suffering even if the other driver had no insurance.
Q: How do I know if I have a
good auto accident or personal injury case?
A:
You need to contact me and we can discuss your case. My consultation
on a personal injury case is always free.
Q:
How long does it take to settle most personal injury cases?
A:
It depends on the nature of your personal injury claim. I
have settled smaller personal injury claims for the full amount
my client wanted within 10 days and I have settled policy
limits cases in as little as a few months. Larger personal
injury cases typically take longer to settle. Oregon law has
a provision that can require insurance companies to pay my
attorney fees for personal injury cases under $5,500, so oftentimes
these personal injury cases can be resolved quickly, as the
insurance companies don’t want to get a big lawyer fee bill
from me.
Q: Will pursuing my case take
up a lot of my time?
A:
No. Oftentimes I only meet with clients for the initial interview
and then we can just talk over the phone. If we do have to
go to court, it will take more time. I realize your time is
important, so I don’t waste it.
Q: Will I have to go to trial?
A:
The vast majority of personal injury cases don’t go to trial.
However, I treat each case as if it is going to be a trial,
as you have to be willing to go to trial to maximize your
settlement.
Q: Why is it so important to
hire an experienced Oregon trial lawyer?
A:
Most personal injury cases settle before trial, but you want
to maximize your settlement. If you hire an Oregon personal
injury lawyer who has little trial experience, oftentimes
they will be afraid to go to trial. Insurance companies know
who these lawyers are, and they oftentimes offer them less
than the case is worth. I have 10 years of courtroom experience
and I have tried well over 100 cases. I have had much success
in the courtroom and I will not advise you to settle for less
than your case is worth.
Q: Do I need an Oregon lawyer?
A:
In order to settle your personal injury and auto accident
cases you will have to deal with insurance companies. Their
goal is to pay you as little as you will take. It is tough
for someone who is not familiar with personal injury cases
to know what a fair settlement amount is. An experienced Oregon
personal injury lawyer can help you to determine that amount
and reach a fair settlement.
Q: What types of Oregon accident
cases do you handle?
A:
I handle all types of Oregon personal injury, wrongful death
and products liability cases, including: auto accidents, bicycle
accidents, motorcycle accidents, ATV accidents, boating accidents,
dog bites and all other types of injury cases.
Q: I don’t want to bankrupt somebody. What happens to the person I sue?
A: Although the lawsuit will have the other driver’s name on it, we are actually going after the
insurance company’s money. In virtually every case, the person we sue does not have to pay a
penny, as their insurance company pays the settlement or verdict amount, as well as all of the
legal fees. In the three cases where I have received verdicts bigger than the policy limits, the
insurance companies still paid, as it was there fault for not settling for the policy limits.
Q: What parts of Oregon do you
handle cases in?
A:
Although I am located in Portland, Oregon, I will handle take
cases throughout the state of Oregon including the following
counties and cities:
Counties:
Multnomah County, Washington County, Clackamas
County, Marion County, Polk County, Columbia County, Hood
River County, Yamhill County, Clatsop County, Wasco County,
Linn County, Benton County, Lane County, Clatsop County, Tillamook
County, Sherman County, Jefferson County, Linn County, Benton
County.
Cities:
Portland, Salem, Gresham, Hillsboro, Beaverton,
Tigard, Lake Oswego, Milwaukie, McMinnville, West Linn, Tualatin,
Troutdale, Sherwood, Molalla, Aloha, Albany, Corvallis, Cascade
Locks, Astoria, Wilsonville,Woodburn, The Dalles, Fairview,
Oregon City, Silverton, Sandy, Rainier, Monmouth, Newberg,
Keizer, Gladstone, Forest Grove, Estacada, Canby, Philomath,
Newberg, Parkdale, Seaside.
Oregon Legal Resources
Free Oregon State Bar Attorney Referral Services and Oregon State Bar Member Research
tool can help you find and retain a qualified and ethical Oregon attorney for any type of
Oregon Law matter.
Before you retain an Oregon attorney research the attorney for Oregon State Bar
disciplinary history. An attorney may have been previously disciplined or supspended for ripping
off a client or other ethical issues you should know about before you retain an Oregon attorney.
The Oregon State Bar
Member research tool:
- To research an attorney you are considering hiring all you need is the attorney's
name.
- Using the free online Member Research Tool, once you've located the attorney by name, then
click: "Show Disciplinary History" (underneeth Bar Member's Information) which
will show the particular attorney's disciplinary history with Oregon State Bar disciplinary
actions.
If you have questions, contact the Oregon State Bar disciplineonweb@osbar.org
503.431.6394, toll-free in Oregon 800.452.8260 x 394.
Lawyer Referrals
If
you are looking for an experienced lawyer in any other state,
please email
me as I may be able to refer you to an experienced
lawyer at no charge to you.
Legal
Links
If
you have been charged with an Oregon
DUI or other Oregon criminal charge, I recommend
you contact David
Lesh through his web site. Mr. Lesh is an experienced
Oregon lawyer.
Cycling
Links
I
support the local bicycle team of www.prestovelo.com
I support Oregon Bicycle Racing Assocation www.obra.org
I am a sponsor of the Therapeutic
Associates Cycling Team, Bend, Oregon
I sponsor pro cyclist Evan
Elken
Etc.
Links
Looking
for a Mortgage, Home Loan, or Refinancing?
Contact
Mike Fors or visit his web site: www.portlandmortgageloan.com
Massage and Chiropractic
Links
I highly reccomend Dr. Bassinger and Dr. May at Clearwater Chiropractic. Dr. Bassinger is a personal friend and an excellent doctor.
Note:
Clearwater
Chiropractic is located at the following web
site address:
•
http://www.meta-ehealth.com/site/office/index.jsp
Massage Therapy:
I highly recommend Brent King, Oregon LMT and Washington LMP.
BrentKingLMT.com
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