Portland Bicycle Accident Lawyers

How Our Portland Bicycle Accident Attorney Can Help

Why Choose Us?

There are many lawyers in Portland, and you should look for one you not only feel comfortable with but who has experience with bicycle accidents and the resources to thoroughly investigate and handle your case.  Here are some reasons why we feel you should choose Strong Law:

• We are experienced. Attorney Jed Strong, the founder of Strong Law, once worked for GEICO insurance company as one of its in-house attorneys, so he has learned the inner workings of insurance companies. He uses this inside knowledge to help negotiate with insurers and advocate for his clients. He is a strong litigator who has taken numerous cases to trial and obtained exceptional verdicts for his clients.
• We get results and have a long record of success. We have won 98% of our cases, including a $1.1M car accident case verdict.
• We work closely with and take a personal interest in our clients. You can read our client testimonials to prove it.
• We are available and you can call us 24/7 for emergencies.
• We are licensed to practice in Washington, Oregon, and Utah to better serve all your case needs.
• We negotiate forcefully with insurance companies but are ready to take your case to court if necessary.
• We offer free consultations to discuss your issues and show you how we can help.

How Our Portland Work Accident Lawyer Works for You

When you have our Strong Law legal team on your side, we will start working on your behalf immediately. We will:

• Meet with you to discuss how the accident happened, who the at-fault parties may be, and what type of settlement to go after.
• Ensure you get proper medical care and that all symptoms and treatments are documented.
• Investigate your and gather evidence to help prove your claims, such as photographs and videos from traffic cameras, interviews with witnesses and first responders, and police and medical reports and records.
• Hire experts to reconstruct the accident and determine fault, and experts to testify as to your damages and losses and how they will affect you into the future.
• Handle all communications and negotiations with insurance companies so you do not have to.
• Build your case and take it to court, if necessary.

Our Portland bicycle accident attorneys at Strong Law will do everything possible to get you the settlement you deserve. Call us today at 206-741-1053 to get started while evidence is available, and witnesses can be found.

Damages Our Bicycle Accident Lawyers in Portland May Recover

Compensation Should Cover All Your Losses

In a successful lawsuit, our Portland, OR, bicycle accident lawyers may win an award for your damages — the expenses and losses you suffered from the accident. Oregon law allows bike accident victims to recover the following damages:

• Economic damages these cover the monetary losses caused by your accident, such as medical and rehabilitation expenses, lost wages from being unable to work, and property damage from the accident.
• Non-economic damages are for the non-monetary losses that negatively impact your life, such as mental and physical pain and suffering, disability or disfigurement, and loss of consortium and enjoyment of life.

In some rare situations, you may also receive punitive damages to punish a defendant and discourage such actions in the future. According to Oregon law, (ORS 31.730), these can be awarded where the crash was caused by a defendant who “has acted with malice or has shown a reckless and outrageous indifference to a highly unreasonable risk of harm and has acted with a conscious indifference to the health, safety, and welfare of others.

Amounts of Damage Awards

There is a wide range of damage amounts that you may receive in a successful bicycle accident lawsuit, from the thousands to millions of dollars. The amount you receive depends on the individual factors and circumstances of your case.

In general, the more severe injuries that involve permanent damage and require long-term care or result in death often bring the highest settlement awards. Other factors affecting award amounts include the individual jurisdiction, judge, and jury if there is a trial, and the skill and negotiating power of your attorney to come up with an optimum settlement.

When you contact us, our Strong Law attorneys can provide an estimate of what your case should be worth by considering all of your expenses and damages.

Portland Bicycle Accident Attorneys Look for Causes and Fault

In any bike crash, it is important to determine how the accident happened and who was at fault and then hold the negligent parties responsible. To prove another party, the defendant in the case, was at fault legally, our Portland bicycle accident attorneys must show the existence of the following elements:

• Duty – The defendant owed you a duty of care not to cause harm
• Breach – The defendant breached that duty by acting or failing to act
• Cause – This breach caused an accident that resulted in your injuries
• Damages – You suffered damages as a result.

Depending on the situation, there may be several different parties that contribute to a bike crash. For example, if your accident was caused by another vehicle, our attorneys would have to show that the driver failed to exercise a reasonable degree of care, such as by running a red light or texting while driving.

If your accident was caused by road conditions such as a large pothole or obscured traffic signal, premises liability laws require property owners in Oregon to keep their property free from conditions that pose an unreasonable risk of harm, so the owner of the property may be held liable. If your bicycle accident was caused by a defective bike or part, such as a faulty brake system, the manufacturer can be held liable if unreasonably dangerous conditions caused your injuries.

Our Strong legal team will look to find all possibly liable parties, as they all may have assets and insurance that can go toward a settlement.

Bicycle Accident Attorney Explains Relevant Portland Bike Laws

There are times when bicyclists do something that causes or contributes to an accident. If you are partially at fault, you can still get a settlement, if the fault attributable to you is not greater than the combined fault of the defendants in the case.

However, according to Oregon law, (ORS 31.600) your award will be reduced in proportion to the percentage of fault you are found to have for the accident. For example, if your settlement was for $100,00 and you were 20 percent at fault, you would receive $80,000.

Portland laws regarding bicycles you are required to follow. If you fail to do so, violations can lead to having a settlement reduced or eliminated. Bicyclists must:

• Always maintain control of the bicycle.
• Yield to Pedestrians.
• Ride in the same direction as traffic unless you are in a specifically marked “contra-flow” bike lane (ORS 814.400).
• Obey traffic signals and signs.
• Signal your turns, stop, or slow.
• Use lights on the front and rear of your bike at night and in poor visibility conditions (ORS 815.280).
• Stay to the right and use the bike lane if present.
• Give an audible warning to a pedestrian when passing them on a sidewalk or path.
• Wear a helmet when riding a bicycle if under 16 years old.

In addition, bicycles may use the sidewalk, except downtown in an area bounded by SW Jefferson Street, Front Avenue, NW Hoyt Street, and 13th Avenue (Portland City Code  16.70.320 E).

Portland Bicycle Accident Lawyers Answer FAQs

We Address Your Concerns

After being injured in a bicycle accident, it is natural to have questions and concerns. These are best addressed in your free consultation, but to get started, here are some answers to questions our attorneys are often asked:

Are There Time Limits to Filing a Lawsuit?

Yes, Oregon has a statute of limitations (ORS 12.110) and a deadline for filing an injury lawsuit that is generally two years from the time of the accident.  If you fail to file on time, the courts are likely to refuse to hear your case.

Does Insurance Cover A Bike Accident?

Oregon has a fault-based insurance system, so whoever causes an accident is responsible for paying the damages and injured bicyclists can file a claim against the at-fault driver’s auto insurance policy.

Your car insurance policy generally will not cover an accident that you caused while riding your bicycle, unless you have additional coverage, such as PIP that might apply. If a motor vehicle driver fled the scene, your uninsured motorist (UM) coverage will cover the damages up to the policy limits.

Should I Talk to the Insurance Company?

No, the less you say to insurance companies, the better. Insurance companies want to pay out as little as possible and use tactics such as making a lowball offer, they hope you will accept quickly or trying to get you to admit that the accident was your fault. Tell the insurance company to talk to your attorney, and let Strong Law handle all negotiations to get you the settlement you deserve.

What if a Bike Accident Results in Death?

If the bike accident results in death, our attorneys can file a suit for wrongful death. Wrongful death cases can be thought of as personal injury cases where family members or the personal representative of the deceased bring a claim for their loved one who can no longer bring it themselves.

How Much Does a Portland Bicycle Accident Lawyer Cost?

The good news is that there is no up-front cost to hire our Strong Law bicycle accident attorneys. We work on a contingency basis, so there are no fees to you unless and until we win your case, and then fees are taken out of the settlement award based on a previously agreed-upon percentage.

When you have our Strong Law attorneys on your side, we will be there for you throughout the entire legal process, answering your questions and keeping you informed.