Oregon Car Accident Lawyer

Are you dealing with car accident injuries here in the Portland metro area? Overwhelmed by dealing with your damaged car, fielding calls from car insurance, and all while trying to make it to the various doctor appointments? You are not alone. As Portland gets bigger, more of its residents become personal injury victims of someone else’s recklessness or negligence as more automobile accidents increase. Whether it’s morning rush hour going into town, a concert at the Moda Center, or just people going to Providence Park to catch a Timbers game, Portland roads are more congested. With busier roads comes an increase in car crashes.

Oregon has laws in place created to protect injured victims, but you need a lawyer to make use of those laws and to get fair compensation. Otherwise, insurance companies will take advantage of your lack of knowledge. As an injury lawyer, Paul Galm can make sure this does not happen. You have already been victimized by a bad driver. We are here to make sure you are not victimized by the driver’s insurance company.

5 Things A Car Accident Lawyer Can Do For You

1. Deal With Bad Driver’s Insurance

When you are trying to get healthy again and recover from your car accident injury, the last thing you need to worry about are constant harassing calls from insurance getting updates, or worse yet, trying to get you to give away too much information or admissions. Every time you are on the phone with an adjuster, they are either recording you or taking down notes on their conversation with you. This means that everything you say can be used against you later on. A personal injury attorney is a great buffer and deals with the insurance companies while you deal with your injuries.

2. Know What You Need to Prove in Court.

Sometimes injured victims might think they have everything they need to win in court, but it is important to know that there is more data needed than testifying in court about your injuries. For example, expert witnesses often have to be hired, including doctors to review medical records, accident reconstructions, economists, or vocational rehab experts. There is also various evidentiary rules that control what evidence gets in and what stays out during trial. A Portland car accident lawyer can help you collect the necessary data.

3. Obtain a Reasonable Settlement.

A smart vehicle accident attorney can often spare you the long wait, expense, and uncertainty of trial by negotiating an out-of-court settlement. However, there are a lot of things to consider before agreeing to any settlement, including:

• Your odds of winning in court;
• Range of verdicts or settlements in cases like yours;
• Strengths and weaknesses of their case and yours; and

• The size of defendant’s insurance policy, your UIM (uninsured motorist) policy payout and defendant’s personal assets.

These are the sorts of factors that a personal injury lawyer is familiar with and understands, whereas the average hurt victim does not have this knowledge.

4. Knows Key Time Limits.

Every state has rules governing of civil procedure including civil lawsuits such as car accident cases. In Oregon, generally, a car accident victim has 2 years from the date of the motor vehicle accident to file a lawsuit. If you do not file within those 2 years, you will not be able to file against the bad driver in the future. There are additional exceptions to these civil procedures, which a car crash lawyer who knows Oregon law can help you with.

5. Deal With the Other Attorney.

If you decide to take the case on yourself, the bad driver will likely get a lawyer. This means that throughout the stages of a personal injury case — discovery, motions, trial — you will be up against a trained, tested, and experienced attorney who knows the rules – and will take advantage of the fact that you do not. If your main concern about hiring a lawyer is cost, keep in mind that most personal injury lawyers (including those at Galm Law) work on a contingency fee basis, meaning that they only get paid if your case is won. Give Paul a call or stop by for a free consultation. We will make you feel confident and comfortable – about the process, about your case, and about working with us.