Hood River CAR
ACCIDENT ATTORNEY

Oregon Car Accident Attorney
Assisting Injured Victims in Hood River, OR

Driving on the roads tend to become routine for many of us but getting in an accident not only disrupts this routine, but it also has the chance to disrupt many other of our daily routines as well. Pile on an injury from this accident, and your routines could be altered for a long period of time. If you have been injured in an auto accident in Hood River, find a helpful, intelligent and caring car accident lawyer, call the Johnston Law Firm at 503-546-3167.

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What To Do After a Car
Accident in Hood River, Oregon

Being in a car accident can be a shocking and stressful situation for anyone, and it is difficult to know exactly what to do when this happens. It is also difficult to be prepared for an unexpected event such as a car accident in Hood River.

The first thing to do is obviously to make sure you are OK and everyone involved is as well. Call the police and seek any necessary medical attention. Get to a safe location and exchange insurance information with the other driver (s). Make sure to gather their insurance, name, license information and try not to speak of any of the details about what happened, as your words might come back to hurt you later in your case. Take photos of all vehicle damage, gather information from witnesses, if there are any.

File an auto insurance claim with your insurance within 72 hours of the accident and find out the details of your coverage. You may have what is called Personal Injury Protection (PIP) which can cover an amount of medical costs, bills and treatment. This PIP might not cover everything you need though, which is one reason to call us at the Johnston Law Firm. Insurance companies will work to pay as little to you as possible, as they have one agenda: save money. The Johnston Law Firm has an agenda too: make insurance companies fulfill their obligation to you and help regain you what you lost. We will listen to you and fight for your legal rights in pursuit of compensation. We will care for you as if you were part of our family.

Common Types of Car
Accidents in Hood River, Oregon

There are various types of car accidents, but there are a few that tend to be the most common in Oregon. These include but are not limited to the following:

• Rear end collision
• Head on
• Hit and run
• Side impact
• Vehicle rollover
• Single car accidents

Common Types of Injuries from Car Accidents

Injuries caused by car accidents can be varied in both location of the injury and pain level. Some accidents seem severe in vehicle damage, but the driver might be unharmed, while simple rear bumper taps can result in neck and back pain for long periods of time. The most common types of injuries include but are not limited to the following:

• Whiplash
• Lacerations
• Head trauma
• Knee trauma
• Herniated discs
• General back and neck soreness

If you have any of these injuries after an accident, contact the Johnston Law Firm today to discuss your eligibility for compensation.

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.

Establishing Liability 
in Hood River Car Accidents

When an accident occurs, it can be difficult to think rationally about not only what happened, but also how it happened and what to do next. In any accident, knowing and establishing who was at fault for the accident is critical for the compensation you will get for your vehicle and your injuries. If you are injured in a car accident and decide to begin your personal injury claim, establishing who was at fault in the accident will become even more critical in the success of your case. The Johnston Law Firm’s dedicated team will care about you and only you, unlike the insurance companies. These companies fight for their financial savings and not the well-being of you.

Your insurance company will conduct their own investigation of who was at fault in the accident, but if you choose to hire an experienced Hood River car accident lawyer, we will conduct an investigation into all the facts to better understand how to fight for you and get you back what you lost. We will protect you and your families’ interests in everything we do.

Common Causes of 
Car Accidents in Hood River

Car accidents can happen from various errors and actions in Hood River, but below are some of the most common causes:

• Following too closely behind
• Illegal lane changes
• Driving too fast for the current conditions
• Avoiding the vehicle in front

Damages in Hood
River Car Accidents

If you or a loved one are injured or pass away as a result of injuries in a car accident in Hood River, filing an auto insurance claim will most likely be your first step. In some cases, an auto insurance claim along with Personal Injury Protection (PIP) can cover what you lost. In other cases, the insurance and PIP coverage will not be able to fully compensate you. At the same time, call the Johnston Law Firm for advice on what to do next. Marc Johnston is an honest, professional and thorough car accident lawyer who works with his experienced team to represent you.

There are two types of compensatory damages, both of which are designed to compensate the victim for their losses:

Economic Damages: compensate an injured victim for direct financial losses, such as medication costs, hospitalization stays, surgery bills and lost wages. Economic damages are defined by Oregon law as “objectively verifiable monetary losses including but not limited to reasonable charges necessarily incurred for medical, hospital, nursing and rehabilitative services and other health care services, burial and memorial expenses, loss of income and past and future impairment of earning capacity”.

Noneconomic Damages: compensate an injured victim for more subjective losses such as emotional trauma or distress. Oregon law defines these as “subjective, non-monetary losses, including but not limited to pain, mental suffering, emotional distress, humiliation”. These damages are more difficult to quantify, as emotional pain can be traumatic and long-lasting, as well as difficult to recover from.

Hood River
Car Accident FAQs