Seaside PERSONAL
INJURY Attorney
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Representing injured Victims
In Seaside and Throughout All Of Oregon
About Johnston Law Firm
An accident can happen in an instant and when it does, it can change your life forever. Car crashes, slip and falls, and other types of accidents will cause serious injuries that will prevent you from going to work, and enjoying the things you once did. The physical, emotional, and mental losses caused by an accident are many, and you deserve compensation for them.
Personal injury law allows you to file a claim against the negligent, or careless, party so you can obtain monetary damages for all of your losses. Unfortunately, obtaining the compensation you are entitled to after an accident is not easy. Our Seaside personal injury lawyer has the skill and knowledge to help you obtain the full and fair settlement you deserve.
Types of Personal Injury
Lawsuits Cases Our Lawyers Handle
Accidents happen in a number of ways. The most common types of accidents that result in personal injury lawsuits include:
- Car accidents
- Truck accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
- Motorcycle accidents
- Bicycle accidents
- Premises liability accidents, including slip and falls
- Workplace accidents
- Injuries caused by defective and dangerous products
- Medical malpractice
- Wrongful death
Don’t miss out on these common personal injury mistakes.
Get the legal counsel you need to guide you through the process of filing an injury claim.
Negligence in
Personal Injury Cases
The vast majority of personal injury claims rest on the legal concept of negligence. Negligence occurs when someone acts, or fails to act, with a reasonable amount of care to keep other people safe. Determining who the negligent party is after an accident is not always easy, and negligence can lie with more than one party. Negligent parties can include companies, careless drivers, product manufacturers, property owners, medical professionals, employers, and government entities.
To determine who was to blame for your accident, it is important to speak to a Seaside personal injury lawyer as soon as possible after you are hurt. A lawyer will conduct an investigation to determine who is liable for paying the compensation you deserve, and hold them accountable for paying a fair settlement.
The Four Elements
of Proving Negligence
No matter the type of personal injury claim you are filing, you will have to prove another party acted negligently, and that their negligence caused your injuries. Some elements of negligence are easier to prove but others almost always present challenges. A Seaside personal injury lawyer will help you prove the following four elements:
- Duty: Proving duty in a personal injury claim requires you to show that the liable party owed you a duty of care to keep you safe. Duty is sometimes implied, such as the duty drivers have to keep other motorists safe. Other times, duty is not implied and in these cases, you must establish it.
- Breach of duty: Once you have established that the liable party owed you a duty of care, you must then show that they breached that duty. This is essentially proving that the other party acted negligently. If an impaired driver crashed into your car and caused serious injury, they have breached their duty because they did not act with the same prudence another reasonable person would have.
- Causation: A negligent act alone is not enough to file a personal injury claim. For example, if a driver ran a stop sign but did not cause an accident, it is not possible to file a personal injury claim against them. You must prove that the act of negligence caused your accident, essentially establishing the link between the carelessness and the accident.
- Damages: The whole purpose of filing a personal injury claim is to recover damages for your losses. If you did not sustain any losses, there are no damages to recover and so, you cannot file a personal injury claim.
The Statute of Limitations
on Personal Injury Claims
Like all states, Oregon places a time limit known as the statute of limitations on all personal injury claims. This time limit is very important because if you do not file your claim before the statute of limitations expires, you will forfeit any legal right you had to file a claim. A time limit on personal injury claims sounds fairly straightforward but as with most legal matters, it can become complex.
The statute of limitations that governs your case will depend on the type of personal injury claim you file. In most personal injury cases, the statute of limitations is two years from the date of the accident that caused injury. In medical malpractice cases, though, the statute of limitations is two years from the date the injury was sustained, or two years from the date the injury was discovered.
In wrongful death claims, the statute of limitations is three years from the date of the accident that resulted in death. It is important to note that the time limit on these cases does not begin on the date of death but rather, the date of the fatal accident.
Seaside Personal Injury
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS)
Many people are reluctant to contact a Seaside personal injury lawyer after they are involved in an accident. They sometimes simply want to try and move on with their life, or they do not want to relive the accident. Others may think that having legal representation is too expensive, particularly at a time when they have incurred so many other losses.
The good news is that you should not have to pay anything upfront when filing your claim. Good personal injury lawyers do not charge any fee unless you win your case. If so, they are paid a small percentage of the settlement you are awarded. You can also obtain free legal advice by scheduling a consultation with a lawyer. During this consultation, a lawyer will advise on the validity of your claim, the compensation you are entitled to, and outline your legal options.
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Testimonials
Sally Martinez
– Michelle E.
Mr. Johnston and his firm were incredibly thorough in getting us a fair settlement from our insurance company with little to no pressure. We really appreciated having someone who truly cared about us every step of the way. I would highly recommend the Johnston Law Firm to anyone in need of personal injury representation.
Our Personal Injury Lawyer in Seaside Can Advise on Your Claim
If you have been injured by the negligent actions or inactions of another person, our compassionate Seaside personal injury lawyer at Johnston Law Firm can help you claim the full and fair damages you deserve. Call us today at 503-496-7949 or contact us online to schedule a free review of your case.
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If you have been seriously injured at no fault of your own, please contact us using the form.
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