West Linn Car Accident Attorney

Auto Accident Lawyer Representing Injury Victims in West Linn, OR

Life is full of surprises and not all of them positive. Car accidents are unfortunately part of this category and can threaten all involved parties in many facets of life. Car accidents are not always life threatening, as they can be financially threatening as well. No matter the type of threat, if you or a loved one are injured in a car accident, or pass away from those injuries, you might be eligible to pursue and obtain compensation. Give the Johnston Law Firm a call today to begin the process of getting back what you lost. Call 503-546-3167.

Types of Damages Eligible in West Linn Car Accidents

In car accident cases in West Linn, victims can be eligible to pursue and receive two types of compensation. Both types are designed to compensate the victim for their losses:

Economic Damages: compensate an injured plaintiff 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 plaintiff 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.

Helpful Tips to Know for Car Accident Victims

Not all of us will get in a car accident in our lifetimes, but for those of us who do, it is a scary and unnerving event. An event that comes with many unknowns and many questions. We are vaulted into an insurance-ruled world where we are at a disadvantage.

The first piece of advice we can offer to you is to call an experienced and well-reviewed car accident attorney. Even if you decide that you will not hire an attorney, you can gain important insight and vital information. There are a few more helpful tips to know:

Do not give a recorded statement to any insurance company before first contacting a car accident attorney
Report the accident to your insurance company as soon as possible
File an official accident report through DMV within 72 hours of the accident
Gather photos of the at-fault driver’s license, vehicle damage, insurance info
Try to say as little as possible to the other driver regarding the details of how the accident happened

Common Causes of West Linn Car Accidents

Car accidents can be so varied in both their occurrences and results, but they also can be quite similar. Listed below are some of the most common causes of car accidents:

Speeding
Illegal lane changes
Following too closely behind
Driving too fast for the current conditions
Distracted driving

Determining Liability in West Linn Car Accidents

When car accident cases begin, liability will be one of the driving factors in how a case moves through the process. When an accident happens, you may want to determine the liability yourself, but sometimes it is not that simple. Sometimes both drivers will have two different stories and it will be up to the insurance companies and your legal team to determine where liability falls. All interested parties will investigate the following:

The type of accident (rear end, side swipe, head-on)
Property damage
Driving records
Physical evidence
Witness information

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I hire a lawyer?

Your first step after a car accident is to get you and your loved ones to safety. Your next step will be to call your insurance company and file an official claim, while also filing a DMV accident report. The next step should be to call the Johnston Law Firm and have us give you a free consultation over the phone. We will listen to you and what happened and give you our best and most honest legal advice. If we decide that we are best suited to represent you, we will schedule an in-person meeting with you to discuss your case further. If we then both decide to move forward, there will be official documents to sign so we can begin investigating and fighting for you.

What is PIP and do I have it?

PIP stands for Personal Injury Protection and is a clause on an insurance plan that you could have. If you were injured as the driver or passenger of a car, and even as a pedestrian or bicyclist, you will most likely have PIP coverage. PIP coverage comes from your own, or from another person’s auto insurance, and provides at least $15,000 of no-fault medical bill coverage so you can seek the treatment your need—even before health insurance kicks in to pay bills. PIP coverage also provides you with at least $15,000 of coverage if you cannot work because of injury. In some cases, you may have more than these amounts, and it’s important that your car accident attorney evaluate and obtain all the coverage that is available.

Can I handle my own car accident case without an attorney?

Possibly. If you are not injured, or you physically recover in a short period of time, you may be able to resolve your own case without the need of an attorney. In our experience, however, if you have permanent injuries your best shot at justice is by hiring an experienced attorney. The insurance company may represent you, but when these situations happen, they worry about one thing: saving money. We will worry about one thing: getting you back what you lost. We will treat you like a part of our family.

Johnston Law Firm, located in Portland, handles car accident claims throughout Oregon, including West Linn.

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