Have you recently been involved in a personal injury accident in the state of Oregon? These events are perhaps the most tragic and traumatic situations that can occur to us. These incidents can arise at any moment of our lives. Due to the sense of surprise that comes with a personal injury accident, we may never be completely prepared to confront one of these unfortunate events.
Additionally, personal injury accidents have the ability to negatively affect your quality of life. Imagine being injured while trying to work, exercise, doing chores, and taking care of your loved ones. That sounds awful doesn’t it? Personal injury incidents also may lead to emotional and financial distress. Oftentimes, these events force individuals to assume the responsibility of paying expensive medical bills. This is a worrying issue because injured individuals are usually forced to miss work while recovering from their ailments. As a result, people will be losing money instead of receiving income.
During these difficult times, we would like to sympathize with you because we know that you are not to blame for the incident. These events occur when someone else fails to act responsibly. In other words, the person who caused the accident is liable for your damages entitling you to receive compensation.
Unfortunately, it is not easy to achieve monetary compensation for your physical, emotional, and financial burdens on your own. The truth is that personal injury accidents will indeed lead to a series of legal disputes between you and every party involved in the event. However, you should not panic. We are here to announce that you can hire an Oregon accident attorney to increase your chances of obtaining the compensation that you are entitled to.
Oregon personal injury lawyers are legal experts who possess the necessary expertise for your dispute. Hiring one will be one of your best decisions you will ever make. Throughout this article, we will discuss the most common personal injury accidents that occur in Oregon, as well as the advantages of hiring attorneys during your legal dispute.
Legal Bases of The Most Common Personal Injury Accidents Seen in Oregon
- Auto accidents are perhaps the most common and tragic accidents not only in the state of Oregon but also in the United States. These events may lead to permanent disabilities or death. According to the National Safety Council (NSC), in 2020, 489 individuals lost their lives in Oregon. This was a 4% increase from the previous year.
Car accidents are often caused by poor street lighting, speeding, distracted driving, and driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs. If the person that provoked the accident was performing one of these actions, this driver will be found liable for your injuries, lost income, medical bills, and damage to your vehicle.
The severity of your injuries is directly related to the intensity of the impact. For that reason, if your automobile was struck by a bigger and faster vehicle you will be more likely to suffer worse physical damages.
- Slip and fall accidents occur when an individual trips and falls on someone else’s property. Usually, these incidents happen in public spaces such as restaurants, stores, and banks. Under torts law, this is a type of premises liability. This means that the defendant is liable for damages to the victim if the establishment owners have lacked responsibility in keeping their space free of any hazards.
Premises liability covers any personal injury accident that happens when the victim runs into an unsafe condition in an establishment. These dangerous conditions are often identified as broken ceilings, floor debris, stairway clutter, uneven steps, and slippery floors, and poor lighting.
It is important to mention that the personal injury law defends victims of slip and fall accidents when the hazards were continuously allowed to be present on the premises. If the plaintiffs were trespassers and became injured while being unlawfully present on the premises, the trespassers would not be able to take legal action against the property owner.. However, this does mean that the property owner is not allowed to intentionally cause harm to the general public.
- Dog bites are also common accidents in Oregon that often occur in parks or private residences. These incidents can change your life completely because dog bites can lead to severe injuries in muscles, tendons, and bones or infections.
Oregon’s dog bite laws declare owner liability if the dog is considered “potentially dangerous”. This means that the dog may threaten other individuals while being surrounded by other people and animals. If the dog has killed other animals or harmed other people, it must be reported to the authorities and be kept with a harness or muzzle.
- Medical malpractice is defined as the legal course of action where a hospital or healthcare professional, through a negligent act or omission, harms a patient. Negligence may result from mistakes in diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation.
Patients have the right to expect that medical professionals will deliver proper treatment that will help them recover from their health conditions. However, if the normal standard of care was not delivered at the time of procedure the hospital or healthcare professional can be found liable.
In order to litigate a valid medical malpractice claim patients must prove that they sustained an injury that would have not occurred in the absence of negligence. An unfavorable outcome by itself is not malpractice. In other words, if the injury was not caused by a negligent action a lawsuit cannot be filed because complications during a procedure can occur.
- A nursing home abuse occurs when long-term care institutions cause physical and psychological harm to their patients. Liability can be found when there is poor supervision from caregivers, negligent hiring of employees, improper maintenance of the premises, and negligent selection of equipment.
What to Do After Being a Victim of a Personal Injury Accident in Oregon
As we mentioned before, personal injury accidents can leave victims dazed and confused. However, it is highly important to stay calm and not panic.
Whether your injuries are severe or mild, it is important to call 911 in hopes of receiving immediate medical attention. This is because some injuries may not completely develop after a couple of days from the first day of the accident. Equally as important, if you were accompanied by someone else you must determine if they are injured or not.
It is important to stay put at the accident scene so that you can provide the authorities or establishment owner a detailed statement of the accident. Ask them to write a report of the incident as well.
In order to build a strong claim, you must gather substantial evidence of the incident. This can be things like photographs of your injuries, hazardous conditions, medical reports, medical bills, and the exact date and time of the event.
Advantages of Hiring an Oregon Accident Attorney
- Several personal injury lawyers in Oregon work on contingency fees. This means that they offer free consultations that will not cost you a dime if your case fails to reach a settlement with the other parties involved in the event.
- Attending office meetings and negotiating with other parties can be stressful when you are injured. For that reason, personal injury attorneys can do the talking for you while you recover from your injuries.
- Personal injury accidents not only result in extreme pain but can also cause emotional distress. These traumatic events may interfere with your decision making concerning the case. A lawyer will file personal injury claims on your behalf and act as a voice of reason in the most difficult moments to bear.
- The party at fault’s insurance representatives will intend to undermine your claim and lower the amount of compensation that you are entitled to. Negotiating with insurance companies can be extremely difficult since they have schemes to persuade you to accept their first offer. However, an experienced attorney will know how to counter these techniques and properly calculate your compensation without dishonesty.
- Personal injury accident lawyers work alongside medical professionals who can treat your injuries and investigators that can gather the necessary evidence with the purpose of strengthening your claim.
- If you fail to reach a settlement with the other party, your personal injury attorney will be able to take your case to trial.
Get Compensated Right Now!
We thank you for taking your time in reading this article. This information has been brought to you by the law offices of Senft Legal. Remember, you are entitled to receive compensation after suffering a personal injury incident. However, the only way of achieving this is by hiring an Oregon accident attorney. The decision is yours to make. Get in contact with one of our legal experts right away!