Personal

When to Hire an Attorney After a Car Accident

Car accidents can be overwhelming. Aside from just ensuring yours and others’ safety, it’s important to know what to do after a car accident. In fact, there are a number of things that you should do. For example, calling the local law enforcement to take a record of the accident. Additionally, you should get the other driver’s insurance information, take photos of the accident, and get medical help if you are injured.

Many people wonder when to hire an attorney after a car accident. We’re giving you the information below for general guidelines on seeking personal injury representation. If you’ve been involved in a car accident in Oregon, contact expert personal injury attorney Ryan Hilts by calling (503) 726-5960.

Why Is It often Important To Hire An Attorney Soon After A Car Accident?

When you get in a car accident, it can be beneficial to hire an attorney as soon as possible. By hiring an attorney sooner, rather than later, the attorney has a better opportunity to investigate and understand the details of the liability portion of your case.

Also, in the state of Oregon, the statute of limitations for a car accident litigation case is two-years. If certain deadlines are not met within the two year statute of limitations, cases will be lost. There are also additional deadlines for cases against a public body or an officer, or employee or agent of a public body. A personal injury attorney will know which requirements need to be met for each case.

In addition many people get into car accidents and receive injuries that appear to be minor, only to later discover they do not heal and become permanent. Insurance companies often try to settle cases early before the injured victim realizes the extent of their injuries. Once a settlement occurs there is no way to open the case and receive just compensation.

In Oregon, the statute of limitations for a litigation case is two-years
If two-years have passed since the accident, you can’t take that case to court
By failing to hire an attorney, you run the risk of dealing with damages that were far more severe than you realized, or receiving a low settlement
Hiring an attorney sooner, rather than later, will enable you to understand what you’re dealing with as soon as possible, and to move your case forward

What Will A Good Attorney Help You With?

Knowing when to hire an attorney after a car accident is essential. First, you should know how a personal injury lawyer can assist.

Personal injury cases can be very complex. With a good attorney you’ll be walked through each step of the legal process, allowing you to understand the process and help you work together with the attorney to achieve the settlement that you’re entitled to.

Personal injury cases can be very complex, and they consist of many different factors and variables. If you are unfamiliar with the legal system, and how to navigate within it, then hiring a good attorney will make things significantly easier.

There are a plethora of other situations that you will deal with when moving your case forward. Situations related to determining the damages that took place, receiving the proper settlement, proving fault, etc; a good attorney will walk you through those situations and make the entire process much easier for you. Without hiring an attorney, though, the entire process will be far more complicated.

Personal injury cases are very complex, and they consist of many factors and variables
By hiring a good attorney, you’ll be walked through the intricacies of the legal process and the entire experience will be much easier
A good attorney will help you organize your case and present it to the court
With a good attorney, you’ll know when the insurance company is attempting to give you a poor settlement
A good attorney will help you navigate any legal situations/challenges that come up while your case is in court
Without hiring an attorney, the entire process becomes far more difficult and there’s no guarantee you’ll receive the settlement you desire

How Can You Prepare To Hire An Attorney?

To properly prepare for hiring an attorney, you need to organize every piece of information that pertains to your case. This information includes things like photos of the damages, medical records, pay stubs that prove you lost money, etc. By organizing all of this information, and then finding the right attorney, you’ll make it far easier for you and your attorney to move your personal injury case forward.

The information that you need to organize consists of things like photos of the accident, medical records of the injuries you sustained, pay stubs that show lost time at work, along with any notes regarding what happened during the accident and what you can remember. It also helps to preserve any physical evidence of the accident, such as any dents that are in your car or a broken mirror.

When you have all of that information organized, you can then show it to the attorney that you hire. When to hire an attorney after a car accident, in general, it usually depends on how quickly you can gather the needed information. Alternatively, an experienced car accident lawyer in Oregon can help you prepare with needed materials. This will make it far easier for your attorney to understand your case, and to work with you on taking your case to court and getting you the settlement that you are entitled to.

To prepare for hiring an attorney, it’s very important that you organize every single piece of information related to the car accident
This is information such as photos of the accident, medical records of the injures you sustained, pay stubs that show lost time at work, notes regarding what you can remember of the accident, and even physical evidence
By having this information and organizing it, your attorney will understand all of the details of your case, and what the next best step is

March 17, 2020/by admin

Personal

Do I Need A Personal Injury Lawyer?

Personal injury cases are especially difficult if you are unfamiliar with the law and unsure of how to move forward with your claim. It is important to address the topic that many are faced with: do I need a personal injury lawyer? Depending on your individual accident or the details of your particular case, it may not be as straight forward an answer. Still, there are some key factors in every accident that are important to address.

Hiring a personal injury lawyer is crucial, especially in the beginning, as they will be able to guide you in piecing together all of the items you will need to move forward. It can be overwhelming, initially, so it’s best to speak with an attorney sooner. Below are some important details.

What are common personal injury cases?

In essence, a personal injury case typically involves an injured party filing a claim against another party for negligent conduct that caused an injury. While the basic concept of each personal injury case is the same – someone was injured, either through negligence or an intent to injure – there are several kinds of personal injury cases that are very common.

Essentially, a personal injury case involves one party attempting to receive compensation for an injury that they received. In some cases, this injury was caused intentionally, while in most cases, it was caused through negligence.

Out of all of the personal injury claims that are filed in the United States, the majority of them are filed due to injuries sustained during car accidents. Car accidents are very common across the United States, and this includes the state of Oregon, of which there were 57,726 car crashes in 2017 alone. When someone files a personal injury claim due to a car accident, it’s generally because there was someone who was failing to obey the rules of the road.

Slip and fall cases are also very common, and they often take place when a property owner fails to ensure that their property is kept safe and free of hazards. One example of a slip and fall case is if someone is at a restaurant and slips on a greasy floor, causing them injuries leg. They could file a personal injury claim against the restaurant’s insurance company because the restaurant failed to keep the property safe for the customers.

A personal injury case typically involves an injured party filing a personal injury claim against another on the grounds of negligent conduct
Generally, wrongful conduct includes negligence, or acting with the intention to cause an injury
Most personal injury claims are the result of car accidents

What Does A Personal Injury Lawyer Do?

A personal injury lawyer provides legal representation to those who have been injured – either through negligence or an intentional act – and are seeking compensation. Personal injury lawyers work with the plaintiff to determine the details of their case, the best way to move forward with the case, and how to get their client the compensation that they deserve.

Personal injury lawyers often work with a variety of different personal injury cases. Medical malpractice cases, car accident cases, slip and fall cases, and wrongful death cases are the most common.

When it’s time for a settlement to be reached, a personal injury lawyer works with their client to ensure that they’re receiving the settlement they deserve, based on the facts of their case. That way, the client isn’t receiving a low-ball settlement that is unbefitting of the injury they’ve sustained. If a settlement can’t be reached, filing a lawsuit against the negligent party is the next step.

Hiring a personal injury lawyer is often the best course of action because a personal injury lawyer understands the law, and how to work within the law to achieve specific results. Without this understanding of the law, it’s much harder to receive an appropriate settlement.

Personal injury lawyers provide legal representation to those who have filed personal injury claims and are seeking compensation
When working on a personal injury case, personal injury lawyers organize their client’s case and present it during the proceedings
Personal injury lawyers help their client receive the settlement that is appropriate for the injury they’ve sustained

What Happens When A Lawyer Is Not Hired?

More often than not, you should hire a personal injury lawyer. If you don’t hire a personal injury lawyer, you’ll have to deal with the complexities and nuances of your personal injury case, and this can be very difficult if you don’t have an in-depth understanding of the law. There are a number of common mistakes that people often make in a personal injury lawsuit, and these mistakes are due to not having an understanding of the law, and not hiring a personal injury lawyer.

One of the most common mistakes is accepting a settlement that is too low. If someone receives a settlement while undergoing treatment, then this is especially problematic as it could lead to that individual receiving fewer resources than they need to continue their treatment, or even not understanding the extent of their injuries and how bad things actually are.

Another mistake that’s often made is the person who filed the personal injury claim failing to organize and present the evidence of their case properly. Most of the time, this occurs when the facts of the case aren’t understood very well, which is often due to not having consulted with a personal injury lawyer.

The plaintiff accepting a low settlement is a very common mistake in situations where a personal injury lawyer isn’t hired
Another common mistake is the plaintiff failing to organize and present the evidence of their case properly
For the best results in a personal injury case, it’s important to hire a personal injury lawyer

Do I need a personal injury lawyer? This is a crucial question to consider and we can assist. For personal injury representation in Oregon, contact leading attorney Ryan Hilts Law Firm. We can help you move forward with your case.

February 25, 2020/by

Personal

How to File a Personal Injury Claim

Filing a personal injury claim can often feel overwhelming. Many people do not file injury claims even if they’re entitled to compensation simply because they’re unsure of the steps to take in addressing these legal matters. Personal injury lawyers help clients address these issues.

Here are some useful tips on how to file a personal injury claim for your accident.

What is a Personal Injury Claim?

Personal injury is a legal term that includes physical or nonphysical harm to an individual. This injury might have occurred because of the negligence of an individual, group, or business or this person’s or groups deliberate misconduct.

Both physical and nonphysical injuries may be eligible for compensation in the form of money. This monetary compensation is referred to as damages.

Types of Personal Injuries

Generally, the law in states like Oregon classifies personal injury into these categories:

Car accidents
Truck accidents
Motorcycle accidents
Pedestrian or bicyclist accidents
Premises liability including: tripping/slipping and/or falling

Note: These types of personal injury cases are most often classified by referring to the causes of a personal injury.

Things You Should Know before Making a Personal Injury Claim

1. Don’t expect that your claim is an automatic win

The majority of personal claims must be initiated within two years of the accident or injury. Some claims have shorter limits. If you feel you might have a claim it is important to contact a personal injury lawyer immediately to discuss the possibility of a claim.

In order to file a claim, you must be able to prove that there was negligence by an individual, business, group or organization or that someone group business or organization is guilty of deliberate misconduct.

If the accident was your fault or no one is to blame, then you have no personal injury claim. It’s important to discuss your situation with an experienced attorney who specializes on personal injury claims.

Discerning Blame

There may be partial blame on both sides. If you and another party are each to blame then you may still have a claim. In Oregon, as long as you were less at fault than the other party you are able to recover for your injuries.

2. Personal injury claims are time sensitive

Depending on the state where you live, the majority of personal claims must be initiated within two years of the accident or injury. Some claims have shorter limits. If you feel you might have a claim it is important to contact a personal injury lawyer immediately to discuss the possibility of a claim.

3. Keep careful dated notes about the accident or injury

If you decide to file a personal injury claim, your attorney must have details about the accident or injury.

Your personal injury lawyer will need to know:

How the accident or injury occurred.
The date and time of the injury or accident.
The location of the accident or injury: address, company.
The manner of your injuries and medical treatment you received.
Names and addresses of anyone involved including witnesses.

4. Collect data

Photographs and/or video are very helpful in supporting your claim.

The accident location
Accident cause for example: an uneven sidewalk, a hidden obstacle, a road pothole, a broken step, a defect in the walkway, a wet floor…
Damage to your and other vehicles
Property damage
Your injuries- cuts, scrapes bruises, etc.

5. Measure it

If you’ve had an accident that involved tripping, slipping, and/or falling taking measurements and photographs is helpful to your personal injury claim.

6. Report it

If your accident occurred in a store or mall, report it to the mall manager and/or store employee/owner and be sure it is recorded by them.

Do these before you leave the business, shop, store or mall. Note the time and to whom you reported the accidents. to

If this is a road accident, call the police. Carefully exchange all registration numbers, insurance information, details of those involved and any witnesses.

Obtain a copy of the police report. All road accidents must be reported to the police and to your insurance company.

7. Keep receipts of your losses and expenses

If you are making a claim your personal injury lawyer will need receipts of your expenses as a result of this personal injury. These might include: medical costs, travel expenses, missed work, items that were damages.

8. Collect medical records of your injury

You need medical evidence to support your claim.

If your injury required transport by ambulance keep those receipts. If you consulted your doctor, get a copy of that visit and expenses. If your doctor prescribed anything as a result of the injury, keep those receipts. If you needed assistive equipment like crutches, a sling, a walker, or a wheelchair keep those receipts.

Talk to your personal injury attorney. He/she may want you to be seen by an independent physician to get a report of your injuries.

9. Keep daily notes of your post-accident health

Note especially how you are feeling, how much pain resulted from your injury and how this injury has affected your daily life activities.

If you are receiving home or other care, keep notes of personnel, type of care, date, duration of that care.

Record lifestyle effects like disruption of sleep, hobbies, work, social activities…

10. Keep your eye on the ball!

You may be contacted by a building owner, vehicle owners, or insurance firms encouraging you to take a settlement. It’s important to know that those you are suing or even thinking of suing and their insurers are looking out for themselves. Your welfare is not what they care about.

Often insurers “low ball” claims to get rid of them. NEVER settle without the representation of your personal injury lawyer. He/she has your best interests. Listen to the advice of your personal injury lawyer.

Conclusion

If you feel you might have a personal injury claim, give us a call. Ryan Hilts would be pleased to help you with the process of filing a claim.

At Ryan Hilts Law, we offer initial-meeting advice about whether you have a personal injury claim at no charge. If you decide to proceed, we will show you how to file with the greatest chance of getting you full compensation for damages. Moreover, our firm will work with you every step of the way.

As an experienced Oregon personal injury attorney, I know how to get you the money you deserve.

July 29, 2019/0 Comments/by admin

Car Accident, Oregon, Personal

Driving Uninsured ORS

There is no reason to risk driving uninsured in this day and age. Getting insurance for your vehicle should be an utmost priority. The consequences of failing to get insurance for your car can be very costly in the long run, especially in states like Oregon.

Oregon is one of the 22 states that electronically monitors vehicles in order to verify their registration and insurance status. Each state has varied penalties for driving uninsured, but Oregon’s penalties are among the highest.

Uninsured? Read Oregon Uninsured Motorist Laws

Oregon Car Insurance Law

In accordance with Oregon’s Department of Transportation, all drivers within the state are required to present proof of liability insurance when they register their vehicle. Oregon goes further than just requiring drivers to have insurance, like most states, they require vehicle owners and drivers to maintain certain types and amounts of insurance coverage. Every state insurance standard is different, but Oregon’s are among the strictest.

Oregon State’s Car Insurance Standards:

Oregon law requires these minimums in insurance coverage:

Bodily Injury: $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident
Property Damage: $20,000 per accident
Personal Injury Protection: $15,000 per person
Uninsured Motorist Coverage Bodily Injury: $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident

What Instances Require Proof of Insurance in Oregon?

Apart from accidents such as a collision, there are many other times in which Oregon requires drivers to show proof of insurance. Any time you are stopped by police in Oregon you are required to provide your registration and proof of insurance. This would be for any police checkpoint or any other minor infraction you may be pulled for.

Types of items that prove you have insurance can change from person to person, but these are some of the things that you may show in order to prove insurance ownership:

A current insurance ID card
A current insurance binder or policy
A signed letter from your insurance provider or agent, on company letterhead
A certificate of self-insurance from the Oregon Department of Transportation

What Happens if You Fail to Provide Proof of Car Insurance?

Oregon has some severe penalties if you are unable or do not have proof of insurance. The law says failure to provide coverage is equal with a class B driving violation. These violations are the same as if someone had exceeded the speed limit over 21 to 20 mph or fails to obey a traffic signal. The penalties associated with this are hefty fines which can be up to $1000 and even can lead to a suspension in your license. Just like getting a ticket these violations can add up to even bigger fines and longer suspensions in the future.

Fines for Driving Uninsured ORS

The fine for driving uninsured ranges from a massive $1000 to a $130 slap on the wrist. Like most tickets the fine changes based on the situation in which you were caught without coverage. A minor speeding infraction would show a lower penalty than if you were caught without insures after running a red light or caused a traffic accident. These fines are always situational and can vary depending on how many time you have been pulled over as well.

Note: If you are required to go to court, the court may decide to impose heavier fines.

Oregon’s Presumptive Fine Option

In most cases, people take the presumptive fine option in order to resolve the violation. This option shows you have decided to enter a Plea of No Contest meaning you acknowledge you were at fault and will not need to go to court to plead your case. The fine when you take this option requires two things:

You will send a written explanation to the court
Pay a flat fee of $260

Note: In some cases, the court may that the presumptive fine option is not enough, often because of the seriousness of the accident or insurance violation, This may require you to show your presence in the court and pay a higher fine. Going up to $1000.

Suspensions for Driving Uninsured in Oregon

Fines are not the only form of punishment Oregon has for driving without insurance. Like many other states, call B driving violations can lead to suspension of your license, and Oregon is no different. The time of the suspension can vary from situation to situation. The max suspension can be up to a year and can be applied even if you didn’t directly cause the accident.

Depending on the severity of the situation you could be facing a $1000 fine, suspension of your license up to a year, and the impounding of your vehicle.

How to Reinstate Driving Privileges in Oregon After Being Suspended

After you have served your suspension time in Oregon you can start the process of applying for your license again. Before you do anything else your insurance company will need to file an SR-22 which will be proof of you having insurance and be considered evidence that you can provide financial responsibility in the future. The SR-22 has to be maintained for the 3 years without defaulting of any kind. If at any point during these 3 years it defaults your license will be suspended again and you will need to start this process all over again.

With the SR-22 that is filed with your insurance company, you will have to pay a $75 fee to Oregon. This fee is a reinstatement fee and its used to file all the proper paperwork and get you a new license.

If your car was impounded the next step would be to recover your vehicle. The first step will require notice from the police officer that ordered the impoundment of the vehicle. By law, they must send within 48 hours a release notice to both you and the impound lot. This will add additional fines such as a storage fee, for the time your car was heald, and a towing fee, of course, to pay for your car being towed. There also may be some impoundment administration fees. The grand total will be found on that notice sent by the officer.

Monthly Verification

To help prevent drivers from continuing to not having insurance in Oregon, their Department of Transportation has implemented an insurance verification program. This program is for those who have already had a suspension and have filed the SR-22. This monthly verification is part of that 3 year period which you are not allowed to have your insurance lapse. If it does your license will be suspended again.

This monthly verification works by requiring you to submit proof of compliance (a receipt that shows you are paying and maintaining coverage since recovering your car and license).

Note: if you fail to make premium payment quickly, there is a likelihood that your insurance company could end up canceling your policy and SR-22. In the end, your license will end up being re-suspended, until it’s done right.

Conclusion

Although Oregon is restricted on its insurance policies it is not the only state which views drivers insurance as a necessity. Driving uninsured in Oregon can be time-consuming and costly. With all the fines and potential of suspension, one would think it would be easier just to have insurance. It pays to have coverage, and if you follow the insurance coverage Oregon requires, and that was laid out above you can stay on the open road with peace of mind.

June 28, 2019/0 Comments/by admin

Car Accident, Personal

Personal Injury Claim Letter

While there are many types of personal injuries, most personal injuries in the United States are from vehicle accidents .

Injuries from vehicle accidents can lead to lost wages, medical bills, and, in some cases, permanent physical damage.

Who Is At Fault?

In the state of Oregon, if there is an automobile accident and someone was injured, the person who is responsible for causing the accident is liable to pay for any damages if they are at least 51% at-fault for causing the accident.

Very often an insurance company or their insured driver will admit fault in causing an accident. In other cases it is often easy to determine the fault of the other party because they were driving-under-the-influence, or they were speeding, or they failed to stop at a light, etc.

If there is no evidence that the other party violated their legal duty then it becomes more difficult to determine fault. If you can’t prove that the other party is more than 51% responsible for causing the accident, your claim can be lost.

Proving fault is a process that is conducted based on the evidence that is available. In automobile accidents, there are often witnesses, as well as sometimes security camera footage. These two pieces of evidence are exceptionally useful and make the facts of the case much easier for the attorneys to parse.

What Happened?

When writing a personal injury claim letter it is important to convey all of the facts of your injury, how the injury has affected you and how it continues to affect you.

If you missed work and lost out on wages that you would normally receive, you need to provide the proper documentation.

In Oregon, you can also receive compensation for pain and suffering, emotional anguish, and loss of enjoyment. Pain and suffering can be shown through medical documentation that describes the treatment of the symptoms of the injury.

The letter should consist of your description of what took place, the medical documentation, photographs, police report, wage loss documentation, out-of-pocket expenses, medical bills, and any other relevant damages.

What’s Next?

Once you have finished drafting the personal injury claim letter, settlement negotiations will begin once the insurance company has a chance to review the claim and get authority to make an offer.

May 24, 2019/0 Comments/by

Personal

What is an Injury Claim?

What is an Injury Claim

An injury claim is a legal route for an injured plaintiff to receive compensation for someone else’s negligent or intentional acts.

The most common personal injury case are car accident cases, where one party is injured because another party was not respecting the rules of the road. Less common are medical malpractice cases, where a patient believes the doctor or other health care professional failed to provide reasonable levels of care. Other injury claims include slip and fall cases and dog bite cases.

Assault and battery can also lead to personal injury claims, as one party injures another with intent. While these cases are also criminal cases, the victim can still file a personal injury claim.

December 4, 2017/0 Comments/by admin

Personal

Oregon Personal Injury Laws

Personal injury laws differ depending on which state you’re in, but Oregon has quite a few in place that can protect anyone who has been injured. The process of what you should do varies depending on the specific situation. Additionally, the amount and type of damages or compensation that a victim can hope to receive can change based on the circumstances.

Here you are provided a basic overview of some of the main personal injury laws and statutory rules in Oregon. However, I highly recommend getting in touch with a personal injury attorney if you or someone you care about has been injured. Having a strong legal strategy can be critical to getting what you deserve.

What to Do If You’re Injured

If you sustain any injury, it’s important to know that the first thing you should do is seek medical attention. It’s wise to contact a personal injury attorney as soon as possible, but this is always a secondary priority to making sure that you’re physically safe.

There Is a Time Limit

As with many legal issues, there is a statute of limitations relating to personal injury cases. In the state of Oregon, it is usually two years. However, there are many exceptions to that time limit. For example, any claim against the government has a far shorter time limit, but a wrongful death case may be over two years.

No matter what has happened in your specific situation, it’s best to contact an attorney as soon as possible. It’s generally better to file your claim as soon as possible, and waiting until the last minute can be hard to gather information necessary for a successful case.

What Victims Can Receive

The amount and type of damages that victims could potentially receive depends on many different factors. But, they can basically be described as fitting into two categories: economic and noneconomic. Economic damages are to replace money that you lost or had to pay because of an injury, and this includes lost wages, medical bills, estimates of future monetary losses, and other similar things. Non-economic damages are types of injuries that cannot be measured as easily, such as emotional distress.

Upper Limits on Payments

It is important to know that the laws in the state of Oregon have established an upper limit on certain forms of payment. In most cases, there is no limit on how high the economic damages could be, and this is because they are often based on numbers that are easy to prove. On the other hand, there are certain non-economic damages that do have limits. Since this isn’t very straightforward, it’s best to talk to a legal expert to find out about your case.

The Government Has Different Rules

There is good news and bad news about filing a claim against the government or a governmental employee. The good news is that they aren’t exempt from personal injury laws, so they can be held accountable for any injuries they had a part in causing. However, it can be tricky because they have some different rules. For example, they don’t follow the same amount of time as the standard statute of limitations, so you often are required to file a claim much earlier than you would against a private citizen or company.

The Blame Can Be Shared

The laws of Oregon make it clear that blame for an injury can be shared between different parties involved. In other words, if you receive an injury because of the actions of another person or business, but you had some amount of responsibility for it, you can be held partially responsible.

As long as the injured person is only responsible for a small percentage of the blame, this will most likely only have an influence on the amount of damages paid. However, too much responsibility can cause the injured party to receive no damages at all.

If you’re not sure if you’re responsible for any of the blame in a personal injury case, your best course of action is to consult a lawyer. The other side will likely use this argument against you, and it has the potential to lower the amount of compensation you could receive.

Alternatives to Lawsuits

Remember that much of this information relates to the requirements a court will enforce when handling a lawsuit about a personal injury. However, these cases don’t always have to go so far. There are many times when they can be solved outside of court, and this can often be much easier for everyone involved. It’s a good idea to explore your options before officially filing with the court.

You Don’t Have to Do This Alone

While it’s beneficial to know the basic ideas of the laws that will protect you if you are injured, you shouldn’t overlook the assistance you could gain from a personal injury attorney. The knowledge and experience gained from helping others through similar situations can be invaluable in helping you get what you deserve in such an unfortunate situation.

ce that can protect anyone who has been injured. The process of what you should do varies depending on the specific situation. Additionally, the amount and type of damages or compensation that a victim can hope to receive can change based on the circumstances.

November 6, 2017/0 Comments/by admin

Personal

10 Questions For Your Personal Injury Attorney

If you find yourself in need of a personal injury attorney, you’re likely going through a difficult time of your life. The whole process can be made easier by having lawyer on your side, but the wrong lawyer can make the process even more challenging.

Since you’ve likely never experienced this before, try making use of these 10 important questions for your personal injury attorney.

Main Factors to Evaluate

Before choosing a personal injury attorney to represent you, it’s best to have a consultation to get more information.

As lawyers have different areas of expertise, they aren’t all the best choice to help in any situation. You should find one who’s knowledgeable and experienced in a way that meets your needs. Also, it’s important that you trust and feel comfortable with this person.

1. Can you tell me about your history as a personal injury attorney?

Find out how many years they’ve been practicing. Also, learn about what kind of cases they generally handle, and ask about their success rates.

2. How often do you handle cases like mine?

Personal injury attorneys deal with a wide variety of situations, and some of them can be quite different. It’s best if you choose someone who has experience in cases that are similar to yours.

3. How many attorneys are in your firm, and who would I be working with?

Some firms have only one attorney, and others have many. However, even in small firms, there may be other staff members helping you with various parts of the process. To make sure you’re comfortable and know what to expect, you should ask who you will be interacting with. Also, it’s not unreasonable to ask to meet these people.

4. How does your payment structure work?

Different law firms have various ways of making their fees and collecting payments. It’s wise to find out exactly how this works from the start, and then decide if this is a good decision for you financially. Find out when you will need to pay fees, who will cover expenses throughout the process, if the attorney works for a contingency fee (only collecting money if you are awarded some), and if there is anything else you’ll be expected to pay.

5. Can you provide me with some references of past clients?

Attorneys with more years of experience will obviously have a larger number of satisfied clients, but even younger lawyers should have a few clients who are willing to tell you about their experiences with them. It’s always better to have an outside opinion.

6. What is the strategy you suggest I follow?

Don’t spend all of your time just asking about the lawyer, after all, this is about you! If the attorney is ready to handle your case, they should be able to explain a basic strategy and the overall steps involved.

7. What are my chances of success, and can I do anything to change that?

You should find out how likely you are to be successful, and learn about how that will be measured. Also, you can sometimes take certain actions that will increase your chances, but the options for these decrease as time goes by.

8. What is the timeline for my situation?

Make sure you understand the timelines for a few different things. First, are there any deadlines? Many situations have only a limited amount of time in which your claim can be handled, so you need to find out if this will affect you.

Next, it’s good to get an estimate of how long it will be before you could expect any payout (if successful). This can be extremely difficult to determine, but hearing a very rough estimate can prevent you from being upset that you didn’t receive anything until much later than you expected.

9. Will you try to go to trial, or would you rather settle this out of court?

There are pros and cons of going to a trial, but this most often influences the amount of the payment you could receive, the time before you’ll receive it, and the chances of success that you have. Some attorneys like to favor one strategy over the other, so find out if this is the case, and decide if you agree on that.

10. How involved will I be?

Attorneys all have different styles. Some believe they are providing an expert service and you should trust everything they say, while others believe your relationship is more of a partnership and they will make joint decisions. Find out what this attorney believes, and then decide if you’re comfortable with that.

Take the Time for the Right Choice

Even though you’re going through such a tough situation, make sure you don’t rush your decision. Ask these questions (and any others you have), and do some other research about the attorney. Overall, trust your instincts.

If you choose a lawyer who makes you feel comfortable, the whole process will be much easier.

November 3, 2017/0 Comments/by admin

Personal

Oregon Ski Injury Lawsuits

Recently, the Supreme Court has invalidated the broad liability waivers that are printed on the back of ski lift tickets. This has made the liability/accountability of Oregon ski injury lawsuits a topic of which many are wondering who should be at fault. Injured skiers are arguing that a ski resort can not alienate themselves completely from the liability of injuries that happen while using their facilities. Lauren Bagley, who had a son injured at Mount Bachelor in 2006 supports this idea.

Oregon Ski Injury Lawsuit Support

Her son was 18 when he fell on a jump and now is paralyzed for life. Since then the ski resort has not been found at fault but this new invalidation of the liability waiver opens a discussion on whether there is some accountability to be had by the ski resort. The argument confronts the idea that man-operated equipment and enhancements to the slope should be under the liability of the ski resort. The argument solidifies the idea that blame is always placed on the skier and never shifted to the large ski facilities. This use to be supported by a 1979 Oregon law declared skiing an inherently risky activity and therefore shields the ski operators for liability in most instances.

Previous Oregon Ski Injury Lawsuit Prevention

This law was routinely used to block Oregon ski injury lawsuits filed by skiers and snowboards. The notion was that if you entered into something that was considered a risky activity you should be fully aware you may sustain a serious injury. However, new thoughts support that this has allowed the ski resorts too much freedom. This lack of liability can promote slopes and operating equipment that may be unsafe for use beyond the typical risky situations. While accidents are always open to occur in such a risky environment it only seems fitting that the ski resorts acquire some responsibility more then a waiver on the back of a ski lift ticket.

New Oregon Ski Injury Law

This new law would allow participants to file cases where the ski area was neglected or had created unreasonable conditions that occurred by gross negligence of the staff. With this new law the ski resorts would be forced to legitimize each injury even it was ultimately proved not negligent. While this all may seem like good news for the skiers some are arguing that this will increase ski lift tickets as a results of having to respond to each Oregon ski injury lawsuit. Also Mathew Drake, chairman and chief executive of Mt. Hood Meadsows argues that it will costs jobs, limit to public lands and threaten the stability of the economic state of Oregon as a whole.

If you have a ski injury in Oregon please give Ryan Hilts a call today to discuss your potential opportunities.

March 31, 2015/by admin

Personal

Personal Injury Attorney South Portland

Whether you are injured in a car accident or in an incident at work, you can count on a personal injury attorney south Portland Oregon. A personal injury lawyer Portland Oregon will ensure that you get back on your feet financially as soon as possible.

They will help you win the case so that you can purchase the things that you need – without having to dip into your savings. We understand that you need time away from stress to heal effectively. That’s why every attorney that we employ makes the process as easy as possible. He will do the tough work for you so you can focus on making a full recovery.

Every personal injury attorney south Portland Oregon on our website has received incredible feedback from clients. We know that you will be another happy client. We will help you get the money you should be compensated for your injury.

October 1, 2014/by admin