Common Causes of Car Accidents
Car accidents can occur at anytime to anyone, but there are a few types of causes that remain to be the most common in Oregon. Some of the most common are listed below:
- Distracted driving
- Avoiding the vehicle in front
- Reckless driving tactics: driving too fast, illegal lane changes, weaving in and out of highway traffic
- Driving too fast for the current conditions
- Driving while intoxicated
Damages in Oregon City Car Accidents
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.
Common Misconceptions of Car Accident Cases
There are some things we hear about certain occurrences in our lives that simply are not true. It is important to know what these are and to know the truth about them. In car accident cases, the following are some misconceptions that you might have heard or will hear:
- My insurance company will fight for me because they represent me.
This is theoretically true, but when these circumstances come up, insurance companies tend to act the same and their mission will be to pay as little as possible, as fast as possible. It does not become about them protecting you as much as it is about saving their company money.
- I cannot afford an attorney if I get in a car accident and get injured.
If you or a loved one are injured in a car accident, or pass away from those injuries, you can call the Johnston Law Firm and receive a free consultation over the phone regarding your case. We will listen to you and assess your next step. If we decide we are best suited to represent you and you decide to hire us, there will be no initial fee. Only when a final settlement amount is decided will money be paid to the Johnston Law Firm.
- My insurance rates will go up if I get in an accident.
If you were hit and it was found to not be your fault, your insurance rates will not go up. Only if you were found at fault would this be the case.
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.
Common Injuries in Oregon City Car Accidents
In car accidents, there can be many different scenarios that cause the accident, as well as many different repercussions. Injuries can span from no injuries to mild injuries, to life threatening, but there are some similarities in the types of car accident injuries. Some are listed below:
- Neck stiffness
- Lower body injuries
- Lacerations on head, knee, arms
- Bulging or herniated discs
- Head trauma
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