Injuries sustained in an accident can upend your life in a split second. On top of dealing with the stress, pain, and exhaustion caused by a serious injury, you may also face substantial financial hurdles as a result of medical bills and your inability to work.
If you’ve been injured in an accident caused by a negligent or reckless party, you may be entitled to compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, property damage, and other injury-related losses. The experienced Portland personal attorneys at Siefman Law LLC will work vigorously to uphold your rights and pursue the full and fair financial recovery you deserve.
At our law firm, we always prioritize the needs of our clients and we will stand by your side through every step of your case. Contact us today for a free consultation to learn about your options for moving forward. We’re ready to help you get on the path to recovery.
Personal Injury Cases We Handle
At Siefman Law LLC, we know what it takes to help injured victims stand up to large insurance companies or other parties to fight for the results they need, whether they suffered injuries in a car accident or a slip and fall. We handle a wide variety of personal injury cases, including:
- Car Accidents – Multi-vehicle collisions can cause severe injuries and vehicular damage. Car-crash injuries sometimes even require surgery and many months of physical therapy. Distracted driving, drunk driving, speeding, and other forms of negligent or reckless driving can lead to wrecks. Drivers might be liable for the injuries they cause.
- Truck Accidents – Commercial vehicle and truck accidents can be much more severe than the average car collisions. Determining fault is often complicated in truck crashes, as well. The driver, the trucking company, the truck manufacturer, another party altogether, or any combination of parties might be liable for the crash.
- Motorcycle Accidents – Motorcycle accidents are especially dangerous for bikers because they lack the safety apparatuses that protect automobile drivers. Most cars are equipped with airbags, seat belts, and a protective cage, all of which help protect drivers from injury. Collisions impact motorcyclists directly, which means that their injuries can be more severe and even fatal.
- Pedestrian Accidents – Walking is the oldest and most elemental form of human transportation. It’s also good for your health and good for the environment. Unfortunately, walking along a roadway can be dangerous. Vehicles impact pedestrians directly, and the resulting injuries can be life-altering, often leading to spinal injuries and paralysis. Pedestrian accidents are unfortunately becoming more common as distracted driving increases.
- Bicycle Accidents – Bicycle crashes are often caused by drivers who failed to notice the cyclist riding near them. Although Portland is generally thought to be a bike-friendly city, there are still plenty of roadways where riding a bicycle is dangerous. As is the case with motorcycle and pedestrian accidents, bike accidents can be especially severe because the cyclist bears the brunt of the collision’s impact.
- Slip and Fall / Premises Liability Accidents – Slip and falls can occur anywhere, but when they occur on someone else’s property as a result of negligence, property owners might be liable for the costs of the injuries. Whether the property was residential, like a friend’s home, or commercial, like your local pizza parlor, the property owner (or their insurance company) might be responsible for compensating the victim of the accident for their injuries and losses.
- Product Defect Cases – Sometimes, defective products cause injuries. This could be because of a design flaw or manufacturing defect that makes the product dangerous. Products such as medical devices, kitchen appliances, and power tools can cause serious harm when they don’t meet consumer safety standards. If you were injured by a defective product, you might be owed compensation from the manufacturer or another party.
- Construction Accidents – Construction zones can be hazardous both to the workers and passersby. When someone is injured by slipping on loose ground, being struck by falling objects, or being electrocuted by improper wiring, they may be able to pursue a personal injury claim for their losses.
- Medical Malpractice – Medical malpractice occurs when a medical professional injures a patient through negligence. If a doctor prescribes the wrong dose of medication, neglects to notice a patient's allergies, or performs surgery on the wrong area of the body, they might be liable for medical malpractice.
- Negligent Security – Negligent security is a type of premises liability case. When a property owner fails to provide reasonable security to help keep visitors safe, and the visitor is injured in a robbery, assault, or other harmful event as a result, the property owner may be responsible for the victim’s injuries and losses.
- Nursing Home Abuse or Neglect – It’s heartbreaking for families to discover that their loved one has been abused or neglected, but nursing home abuse and neglect is much more common than it should be. Victims of nursing home abuse or neglect may suffer dehydration, malnutrition, physical abuse, sexual abuse, financial abuse, and various injuries caused by improper medical care.
Common Injuries Suffered in Personal Injury Cases
Injuries sustained in personal injury cases can vary greatly depending upon the type of accident the victim was involved in and the circumstances of the accident. While this list is in no way exhaustive, some of the most common types of injuries caused by another party’s negligence include:
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal injuries
- Whiplash
- Broken/fractured bones
- Broken ribs
- Burns, scrapes, and lacerations
- Dog bites
- Soft-tissue damage
- Emotional trauma
- Mental anguish
- Loss of enjoyment of life
Compensation for Injury Claims
Negligence is the legal term for any situation in which a party fails to exercise reasonable care to protect others from harm. For instance, someone who texts while driving isn’t exercising their obligation to protect others on the road by paying attention.
The negligent party may be held liable for accidents that occur because of their carelessness or recklessness. Liability isn’t always straightforward. For instance, if you were in a car collision caused by a commercial truck, multiple parties could be liable, such as the driver, whoever loaded the truck, the trucking company, and the manufacturer of any defective parts.
Insurance companies may not have your best interests at heart, but the attorneys at Siefman Law LLC do. If you or a loved one is the victim of negligence, you might be entitled to significant compensation. There are three main types of damages you can recover: economic damages, non-economic damages, and punitive damages.
Economic Damages:
Economic damages cover the monetary losses you incurred as the result of an accident, such as:
- Medical bills
- Lost wages
- Property damage
- Impairment to future earning capacity
Non-Economic Damages:
Non-economic damages cover non-financial damages related to an accident. They cover losses, such as:
- Physical pain
- Emotional trauma
- Mental anguish
- PTSD
- Loss of enjoyment of life
Punitive Damages:
Although awarded infrequently, punitive damages are sometimes deemed appropriate by the court. They punish a negligent party who engaged in especially egregious behavior that led to an accident.
Statute of Limitations for Filing a Personal Injury Lawsuit in Portland
In the state of Oregon, you generally only have two years from the date of an accident to file a personal injury claim. Don’t wait until it’s too late. You could lose your right to compensation if the statute of limitations expires in your case.
Contact a Portland Personal Injury Attorney
If you or a loved one were injured by a reckless or careless party, the Portland personal injury attorneys at Siefman Law LLC can help. We understand how overwhelming the aftermath of an injury can be, but we are committed to helping our clients recover and move their lives forward.
Our skilled and personable attorneys can relieve you of the burden of pursuing a complex injury claim and help you seek the compensation you deserve. Get in touch with one of our attorneys today for a free consultation. Call (503) 395-2135 today.
