Eugene, OR, Personal Injury Lawyers

Our Eugene, OR, Personal Injury Lawyers Have a Victory Record of 98 Percent

After you suffer injuries in an accident, you need a Eugene personal injury lawyer who won’t back down from the insurance companies. This includes taking your case to court. You want someone who will fight for you to receive the compensation you deserve. We have recovered millions of dollars for our clients in Oregon, Washington and Utah, including million-dollar car accident cases.

Recoverable Damages in a Personal Injury Case

You can recover three types of damages in Oregon, including economic damages, non-economic damages and punitive damages. The court orders compensatory damages – economic and non-economic damages – in an attempt to make you whole again.

Economic Damages

Special damages, sometimes called economic damages, have a monetary value and include:

• Past medical expenses for those you incurred in the accident or incident and prior to a trial award or a settlement.
• Future medical expenses for those you incurred in the accident and expect to incur after a settlement or trial award.
• Past lost wages for the time you were out of work from the time you were injured up until a settlement or trial award.
• Future lost wages for those you expect to lose after a settlement or a trial award because of injuries you sustained. You could also recover partial future lost wages if you are able to work, but your disabilities and/or injuries preclude you from making the same salary or hourly rate you did prior to the accident.
• Replacement or repair of destroyed or damaged personal property, including a vehicle and items in the vehicle or on your person, such as a cell phone or laptop computer.
• Funeral, burial and/or cremation expenses if you lost a loved one in an accident.

Non-Economic Damages in a Eugene Personal Injury Case

General damages, usually referred to as non-economic damages, include:

• Pain and suffering, including emotional distress if you lost a loved one in an accident.
• Loss of quality of life if you have extensive lifestyle changes caused by taking medications or using ambulatory aids for accident-induced injuries that led to long-term or permanent disabilities.
• Loss of companionship if you cannot enjoy family activities and events, such as playing ball with your kids or taking vacations with your family.
• Loss of consortium if you can no longer have a physical relationship with your spouse.
• Loss of use of a body part, such as your arm or a foot.
• Loss of use of a bodily function, such as bladder control or eyesight.
• Inconvenience if you have to hire someone to do the chores you usually do, such as house cleaning, lawn maintenance, grocery shopping, and home maintenance and repair.
• Compensation for amputation, whether you suffered the amputation in the accident, just after the accident or if a doctor must amputate later because of infection.
• Excessive scarring and disfigurement, such as from burns or a back injury.

Our experienced Eugene, OR, personal injury lawyers understand how to capture and document all information related to your case to ensure you collect all damages you are due. Outside of a range of economic and non-economic damages, your case may have circumstances that allow you to collect punitive damages, too.

To talk about your case and the compensation you may receive, call our personal injury attorneys in Eugene today at 206-741-1053.

Punitive Damages

The court orders punitive damages in a personal injury case if it finds that the defendant’s action or inactions were grossly negligent or intentional (Or. Rev. Stat. § 31.730).  You must ask for punitive damages in your initial complaint. However, because you cannot collect punitive damages unless the court orders the defendant to pay compensatory damages, you must go through a second trial for punitive damages.

Once the initial trial finishes and the court awards compensatory damages, you then go through the process for punitive damages. In most cases, you will have the same judge and jury. The second part of the bifurcated trial is usually not as lengthy as the first part of the trial since you do not have to prove fault. You only have to prove that the defendant’s actions or inactions were willful or wanton.

Given the complexities in the legal process for pursuing punitive damages, it is clear that you’ll need a skilled and experienced litigator to help you. That’s why you should contact our team of personal injury lawyers in Eugene, OR. Strong Law Firm will be at your side and explain the process at every step of the way.

Instead of making you whole again as compensatory damages do, the court orders punitive damages to punish the defendant. In some cases, the defendant might face criminal charges in addition to the civil case. For example, if the defendant caused a fatal accident because he was driving under the influence, he would face criminal charges in addition to the wrongful death lawsuit you bring against him.

How Much Does a Personal Injury Attorney in Eugene Cost?

When you contact our Eugene, OR, personal injury lawyers, your initial case evaluation is free. We understand that you have enough to worry about with mounting medical expenses and being out of work. You don’t pay attorneys’ fees unless we win your case.

How Long Does a Personal Injury Case Take?

It is difficult to say how long a personal injury case takes. If the insurance company comes back with a fair and reasonable offer the first time around, a case could take a month or less. However, if it does not come back with a fair and reasonable offer, you can continue negotiations, or you can decide to end settlement negotiations and litigate your case by taking it to court.

Part of what determines the time frame is how long you decide to continue negotiations.

The Process When a Eugene Personal Injury Case Goes to Court

Once you decide to take your case to court, our Eugene, OR, personal injury attorneys will ensure that they have all of the information required to move forward. We might have to investigate your case and need additional medical records from your doctors, especially if you believe your injuries will cause long-term or permanent disabilities.

Once we have all information we need to start litigation, it takes a few weeks to research and draft the complaint. When we file the case with the court, we must serve it on the defendants. That could take days or a week or more. After the defendants receive the complaint, they have a specific amount of time to file responsive pleadings.

The defendants could file an answer and counterclaim, in which case, the discovery process starts. If one or more defendants file a motion to dismiss or other motions, the court has to hear those motions and rule on them. In most cases, if the court grants the defendant’s motion to dismiss, you – via your attorney at Strong Law – have a certain number of days to edit the complaint – if that is what the defendant is requesting – and re-file it.

The defendant could answer your complaint and set another motion to delay the process further. If the defendant continues delaying the case, the court could rule in your favor. When the court rules in your favor, the defendant must submit an answer and counterclaim in the time prescribed by the judge.

You’ll need an attorney at your side if your case goes to court. You can count on our personal injury attorneys in Eugene to be strategic negotiators on your behalf to get the compensation you deserve in a settlement with the insurance company.

You can also depend on us to let you know when the settlement is too low. We will give you our best legal guidance so you know your options. It will be your choice whether or not to litigate your case. Should you go forward, know that a Eugene personal injury lawyer at Strong Law will be your best advocate and fight aggressively for you in court.

Contact Personal Injury Lawyers in Eugene, OR

After suffering injuries or the loss of a loved one in a personal injury case, your income might be significantly lower. It may be that you can’t work for an extended period. Or, you may have depended on your loved one’s income.

While you face the effects of a serious injury or death, the last thing you need is stress about expenses. Our team at Strong Law can help.

You can recover damages – the compensation you deserve for your losses. The personal injury attorneys at the Strong Law office in Eugene, OR, can help you through this challenging time and help you recover compensation to pay for medical expenses, lost wages and more. Contact our office at 206-741-1053 for a free case evaluation.

Eugene, OR, Personal Injury Lawyer FAQs

Injuries You Could Suffer in Personal Injury Accidents in Eugene, OR

Different types of personal injury accidents cause different types of injuries. However, regardless of the type of accident, you could suffer from any of these injuries:

• Cuts, gashes, scrapes, bruises and bumps
• Burns, including thermal and chemical burns
• Road rash – a type of friction burn
• Face and eye injuries
• Internal injuries
• Simple and compound fractures
• Head, neck and shoulder injuries
• Traumatic brain injuries
• Back and spinal cord injuries
• Paralysis, usually caused by neck and spinal cord injuries
• Amputation in the accident or after an accident because a doctor cannot save a digit or limb. You could also suffer amputation well after the accident if gangrene sets in.

You could also suffer secondary injuries, such as infections if you have underlying conditions such as immunodeficiencies, diabetes, or because you are taking medications that lower your white cell count.

Additionally, accident injuries could exacerbate pre-existing illnesses and injuries. A defendant is responsible for secondary injuries or exacerbated illness and injuries because you would not have otherwise suffered the pain and expense of those injuries if not for the defendant’s negligence.

Types of Cases Our Eugene Personal Injury Lawyers Handle

Each type of accident has its own risks for injury severity, and each type has different factors that make that type of accident unique. A personal injury lawyer should have plenty of experience in the type of accident you need help with.

Injuries Suffered in Bicycle Accidents

In 2019, 846 people died in bicycle accidents. Because a bicyclist does not have protection other than personal protective equipment, including helmets and gloves, those involved in bike accidents where a car or truck is involved generally suffer catastrophic injuries or die.

Our bicycle accident attorneys have experience in settling and litigating bicycle accidents. We investigate the case to determine who was at fault – there could be more than one person sharing in the responsibility for your injuries or the death of a loved one.

Those that might share fault for a bicycle accident include:

• Other drivers
• The cyclist
• The municipality that maintains roads
• The weather
• The bicycle manufacturer
• The person who assembled the bicycle.

Traumatic Brain Injuries

Many brain injuries are considered traumatic, including concussions. If you hit your head in an accident, you should always seek medical attention to ensure that you do not have a concussion.

Even a mild concussion can lead to chronic traumatic encephalopathy later in life, especially if this is not your first concussion. This type of injury is not a “minor” injury that you should ignore. While the pain from a concussion might go away after a few hours, you could still have some damage to your brain.

Injuries Caused by Car Accidents in Eugene

People get into car accidents for many reasons. Many of these reasons are because of negligent behavior. A driver could drive while distracted or under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or could even have a medical emergency. Other causes of car accidents include:

• Another driver hits a vehicle, causing the second vehicle to hit you
• The weather
• Reckless driving
• Excessive speeding
• Defective parts
• A vehicle that came from the manufacturer with defects
• A tired or fatigued driver
• Debris in the road.

Car accident injuries could range from minor cuts and bruises to catastrophic injuries such as spinal cord injuries and traumatic brain injuries. Because of the potential severity of injuries in an accident, you should always contact a Eugene personal injury lawyer to help you get the full compensation you deserve.

Dog Bite Injuries

A bite or an attack from a dog could result in fatalities depending on several factors, including the person’s size, the dog’s size, and how aggressive the dog is. A smaller dog rarely causes the death of an adult but can cause the death of a child.

A medium-sized dog can do significant damage to an adult, even killing an adult. All states, including Oregon, have leash laws. Steps you might take after you or a loved one suffers injuries because of a dog bite include:

• Take pictures of the dog.
• Obtain the dog owner’s contact information.
• Obtain the dog owner’s property insurance information.
• Ask the owner if the dog is up to date on its rabies shots.
• Seek medical attention immediately.
• Contact a dog bite lawyer at Strong Law.

If the dog bite is minor and does not need stitches, make sure you clean the wound thoroughly. You should still obtain all of the above information in the event an infection sets in and you need medical attention.

Motorcycle Accidents that Lead to Injuries

Motorcycle accidents have a significantly higher risk of causing catastrophic injuries or death. With no protection other than your helmet and clothing, a crash usually causes several types of injuries.

The severity of your injuries depends on your speed and the speed of the vehicle that hit you, the size of the other vehicle, whether you have a full-face helmet, and whether you are wearing leathers or street clothes.

In addition to minor injuries such as strains, sprains, cuts and bruises, you could suffer simple and compound fractures, traumatic brain injuries, internal injuries, road rash, burns, face and eye injuries and spinal cord injuries.

Many of these injuries could cause long-term or permanent disabilities or excessive scarring and disfigurement. And it goes without saying that motorcycle accident have a significantly higher risk of being fatal.

Whether an accident led to injuries or a fatality, our team of personal injury lawyers in Eugene can help. Contact us to talk about your case at 206-741-1053.

Injuries that Happen in Pedestrian Accidents

As with bicycle accidents and motorcycle accidents, pedestrian accidents have a significantly higher risk of being fatal or causing catastrophic injuries. A pedestrian has no protection when a car hits them. The weight of the vehicle could crush a person to death.

Injuries could range from scrapes to traumatic brain injuries caused when the car knocks you over and you hit your head on the pavement. It could also cause spinal cord injuries, and head, neck and shoulder injuries that could lead to or include spinal cord injuries.

As with any accident, if you are able to move without causing additional damage, obtain the driver’s contact information, insurance information, and registration information. If possible, take pictures of the vehicle that hit you, especially any damage to the vehicle where it hit you.

Always seek medical attention after a pedestrian accident, regardless of how minor you believe your injuries are. Adrenaline could cause more severe injuries to be unnoticeable for a few hours. Additionally, some injuries might not manifest for hours, or even days. As soon as possible after the accident, you should contact our Eugene personal injury lawyers so we can discuss the options available to you to pursue compensation for your injuries.

Serious Injuries Resulting from Truck Accidents

If you suffered injuries because of a truck accident, you need an attorney with experience in this type of accident. A truck accident is different from any other type of vehicle accident for several reasons, including:

• The weight of the truck and its cargo and the size of the truck often cause catastrophic injuries or even death.
• In many cases, more than one person could share in the liability for your injuries. The truck and/or trailer manufacturer, a repair technician, the trucking company, a third-party loading company, or even a third-party dispatcher could share in the responsibility for your injuries.
• Shifting cargo could fall off a truck and crush your vehicle if the cargo is big and heavy enough.

Truckers are also bound by federal regulations in addition to state regulations. One of the federal regulations is the hours-of-service regulation that dictates how long a driver can be on the road. A personal injury attorney must be familiar with state and federal laws and regulations pertaining to big trucks and other commercial vehicles.

Because a truck accident has a higher risk of causing injuries that lead to long-term or permanent disabilities, a Eugene personal injury attorney who handles your case must also be familiar with negotiating future medical expenses, future lost wages, and pain and suffering.

Wrongful Death in a Eugene Personal Injury Case

The negligence of another person could easily cause the death of a loved one. When an accident takes the life of a loved one, you are entitled to recover damages. Although the money does not bring your loved one back, it does reduce the financial stress your loved one’s death causes.

Damages in the form of economic damages and non-economic damages can pay for funeral, burial and/or cremation expenses, lost wages and pain and suffering.

A wrongful death needs to be investigated, just like any other personal injury claim in Eugene. While we understand you are grieving for your loved one, it is better that you contact our Eugene, OR, personal injury lawyers as soon as possible so that we can investigate the case while evidence is still viable. Weather and individuals could destroy evidence that could help in your case. In most cases, people destroy evidence without realizing that they are doing it.

Client Testimonial

”The team is awesome! Katrina was so helpful and there for me during the whole process. They never left me in the dark and were always open and honest about the process and likely outcome. I was so stressed going into this my whole life had changed because of what happened and I really appreciate strong law being there with me through the stress and getting an amazing win. :)” – Moe Poe (Google Review)