Best Law Firms Rankings
Portland-OR Tier 1
Medical Malpractice Law – Plaintiffs
Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs
Product Liability Litigation – Plaintiffs

Portland-OR Tier 2
Admiralty & Maritime Law

The national first-tier rankings will be featured in U.S.News & World Report’s Money issue, on newsstands November 15, 2011; the national and metropolitan first-tier rankings are featured in the “Best Law Firms” standalone publication, which is being distributed to 30,000 general counsel and in digital format to 58,000 private practice lawyers worldwide; the rankings in their entirety are posted online at http://bestlawfirms.usnews.com.

These rankings, which are presented in tiers, showcase 9,633 different law firms ranked nationally in one or more of 75 major legal practice areas and in metropolitan or state rankings in one or more of 119 major legal practice areas. An important addition to this year’s rankings is the naming of one “Law Firm of the Year” in each of the 75 nationally ranked practice areas. Law firms receiving this designation had an impressive overall performance in our research and are receiving the first award of this kind by U.S.News and Best Lawyers®.

Full data for the law firms that received rankings is available online, from the largest firms in the country to hundreds of one-person and two-person law firms, providing a comprehensive view of the U.S. legal profession that is unprecedented both in the range of firms represented and in the range of qualitative and quantitative data used to develop the rankings. Achieving a high ranking is a special distinction that signals a unique combination of excellence and breadth of expertise.

The mission of “Best Law Firms” from the start has been to help guide referring lawyers and clients – from the country’s largest companies needing corporate legal advice to individuals needing to get a divorce or write a will – issues that have a bet-the-company implication (in the case of a corporation) or a potentially life-changing result (in the case of an individual).

“U.S News has more than two decades of experience in providing the public with the most accurate and in-depth rankings of a wide range of institutions, including our Best Law Schools rankings,” says Tim Smart, Executive Editor of U.S. News & World Report. “Law firms are an integral part of our rankings and a natural accompaniment to the law schools rankings.”“Best Lawyers was very pleased with the reaction from the legal profession and from legal clients to the first edition of the “Best Law Firms” rankings,” says Steven Naifeh, President of Best Lawyers. “By combining hard data with peer reviews, and client assessments, we continue to believe that we are providing clients with the most thorough, accurate, and helpful rankings of law firms ever developed.” Media inquiries: Aturbow@usnews.com or hdavis@bestlawyers.com

About the U.S. News Media Group
The U.S. News Media Group is a multi-platform digital publisher of news and analysis, which includes the monthly U.S. News & World Report magazine, the digital-only U.S. News Weekly magazine, www.usnews.com, and www.rankingsandreviews.com. Focusing on Health, Money & Business, Education, and Public Service/Opinion, the U.S. News Media Group has earned a reputation as the leading provider of service news and information that improves the quality of life of its readers. The U.S. News Media Group’s signature franchises include its News You Can Use® brand of journalism and its series of consumer guides that include rankings of colleges, graduate schools, hospitals, health plans, and more.

About Best Lawyers
Best Lawyers® is the oldest and most respected peer-review publication in the legal profession. For over a quarter century, the company has helped lawyers and clients find legal counsel in distant jurisdictions or unfamiliar specialties. The 2012 edition of The Best Lawyers in America includes 41,284 lawyers covering all 50 states and the District of Columbia and is based on more than 3.9 million detailed evaluations of lawyers by other lawyers. Best Lawyers® also publishes peer-reviewed listings of lawyers in nearly 70 other countries, covering many of the world’s major legal markets. Best Lawyers® lists are excerpted in a wide range of general interest, business and legal publications worldwide, reaching an audience of more than 17 million readers.

The original post is titled Named to Best Law Firms List for 2011-12 , and it came from Paulson Coletti - Portland Oregon Law Firm .

After more than a quarter of a century in publication, Best Lawyers is designating “Lawyers of the Year” in high-profile legal specialties in large legal communities. Only a single lawyer in each specialty in each community is being honored as the “Lawyer of the Year.”

Best Lawyers compiles its lists of outstanding attorneys by conducting exhaustive peer-review surveys in which thousands of leading lawyers confidentially evaluate their professional peers. The current, 18th edition of The Best Lawyers in America (2012) is based on more than 3.9 million detailed evaluations of lawyers by other lawyers.

The lawyers being honored as “Lawyers of the Year” have received particularly high ratings in our surveys by earning a high level of respect among their peers for their abilities, professionalism, and integrity.

Steven Naifeh, President of Best Lawyers, says, “We continue to believe – as we have believed for more than 25 years – that recognition by one’s peers is the most meaningful form of praise in the legal profession. We would like to congratulate John M. Coletti on being selected as the ‘Portland, OR Best Lawyers Product Liability Litigation – Plaintiffs Lawyer of the Year’ for 2012.”

The original post is titled John Coletti, Plaintiffs Lawyer of the Year , and it came from Paulson Coletti - Portland Oregon Law Firm .

The original post is titled Lawsuit Filed Against Club 915 Related to Death of Young Man , and it came from Paulson Coletti - Portland Oregon Law Firm .

The following is a guest post by George Williams, lead blogger for Denver accident lawyer Daniel R. Rosen.

Ruth Bascom was known as Eugene, Oregon’s “Bicycling Mayor” during her term as the city’s first female mayor from 1993 to 1997. A powerful voice in favor of bicycle trails, Mayor Bascom commuted to City Hall on her bike quite often during her term. She also chaired both the Eugene Bicycle Committee and the Oregon Bicycle Advisory Committee. Two years ago, the 84 year-old Mayor was forced to give up cycling due to her age.

On August 11th, Mrs. Bascom was involved in a car accident north of Burns, Oregon that has left her in critical condition. KMTR reports that her husband, who was behind the wheel at the time, suffered only minor injuries. KMTR summarizes the crash:

On August 11, 2010 at approximately 4:30 p.m. a 2009 Toyota Prius driven by John Bascom, age 85, from Eugene, was southbound on Highway 395 near milepost 56 when he reportedly fell asleep. The car traveled across the northbound lane, off the highway and struck several road side boulders and trees.

Jeff Wright, a reporter for The Register-Guard, brings us more details on the Bicycling Mayor’s condition:

Former Eugene Mayor Ruth Bascom is in intensive care at St. Charles Medical Center in Bend after suffering multiple bone fractures, including a neck fracture, in a car accident near Burns, state police and family members said Sunday.

Wright also reports that Mrs. Bascom so far seems free of signs of paralysis, which is a distinct worry with spinal injuries. Mr. Bascom is quoted as saying that he thinks his wife’s injuries were caused by a combination of deploying airbags and his wife’s brittle bones.

We wish Mrs. Bascom, as well as her family, the best as she recovers from this accident.

Source: “Former mayor injured in crash,” The Register-Guard, 08/16/10
Source: “Former Eugene Mayor Ruth Bascom seriously hurt in accident,” KMTR, 08/15/10

The Law Offices of Daniel R. Rosen, PC is a Denver-based personal injury firm with 10 offices throughout Colorado. Dan Rosen has over 25 years experience as a Colorado personal injury lawyer, specializing in car and motorcycle accident cases. He personally handles every single case that comes across his desk. Call 303.454.8000 for a free consultation.

The original post is titled Former Eugene Mayor Ruth Bascom Injured in Car Accident , and it came from Paulson Coletti - Portland Oregon Law Firm .

Tragedy can strike anytime, as was underscored when a 26-year-old man was shot in NE Portland in June. The man was with friends when he was shot, and was still breathing when 911 was called. Taken to a nearby hospital, he died shortly thereafter. Although the shooting was deemed accidental, another man was charged with criminal negligent homicide, and police removed several guns from the house.

In addition to the criminal charge, the event could possibly result in a wrongful death lawsuit. This type of lawsuit is generally filed by family members whose loved ones have died unexpectedly because of someone’s carelessness. Wrongful death suits can typically arise from motor vehicle accidents, driving under the influence cases, medical malpractice, construction accidents, airplane accidents, assaults, and defective products.

Under a wrongful death claim, family members of the deceased seek damages to pay funeral and burial costs, as well as medical and other bills. Oftentimes, they also seek compensation for

• their pain and suffering
• loss of consortium (loss of companionship)
• loss of future earnings anticipated over the deceased’s lifetime
• loss of victim’s benefits (insurance, 401k)
• Other out-of-pocket expenses

Wrongful death lawyers can help a family sort out the issues and determine if a case is appropriate for a wrongful death suit.

How much a family receives in such a case depends on many factors, including:

• age of victim
• health of victim
• age and health of the heirs
• life expectancy of the victim
• life expectancy of the heirs
• financial loss of victim and heirs
• amount of insurance coverage
• negligent party’s assets

In most cases, wrongful death lawyers do not charge clients any fees unless they win the damages.

Dolan Law Offices is a wrongful death law firm in Chicago that is committed to providing excellent legal services to its clients. Its experienced wrongful death lawyers can help families of wrongful death victims in Chicago and in the entire Illinois state obtain full and just compensation.

Dolan Law Offices

10 South Lasalle Street #3712

Chicago, IL 60603

(312) 676-7600

The original post is titled Accidental Shooting: A Wrongful Death Case Possibility , and it came from Paulson Coletti - Portland Oregon Law Firm .

Demonstration of Blind Spot Problems with TriMet Bus

The original post is titled Demonstration of Blind Spot Problems with TriMet Bus , and it came from Paulson Coletti - Portland Oregon Law Firm .

Is it just driver error or are drivers set up for failure due to problems with the visibility from the bus?  TriMet was asked to raise the driver side mirrors and to eliminate or reduce left turns long before the April 24, 2010 travesty in Portland.  Pressure from the media and public seems to get TriMet’s attention so make sure your voice is heard.

The original post is titled TriMet to Make Changes To Help Prevent Injuries/Deaths from Left Turns , and it came from Paulson Coletti - Portland Oregon Law Firm .

Tri-Met admitted fault but did not offer Pat close to fair value to settle the case until the weekend before trial.  Pat had to move out of her condo in NE Portland and move to a retirement community.  Fortunately, her dog survived but she is no longer able to walk him due to her injuries and had to have a family member take her dog.

The trial was to begin May 3, 2010 in Multnomah County Courthouse in Portland, Oregon.

The Oregonian has been reporting on the Tri-Met incidents where pedestrians have been run over in the crosswalk while drivers were making left turns.

Tri-Met settled the case for what we have been told was the highest personal injury settlement Tri-Met has paid.  Jane Paulson in our office represented Pat.  The incident happened while Oregon’s tort claim cap for public entities was $200,000 ($100,000 for economic damages and $100,000 for non-economic damages).  We filed the case and planned to challenge the cap which is what resulted in the higher settlement.

The original post is titled Tri-Met Settles Case — Pedestrian Run Over in Crosswalk , and it came from Paulson Coletti - Portland Oregon Law Firm .

The Journal of Trauma reported that between 1990 and 2007, emergency rooms in the United States treated more than 565,000 injuries caused by table saws. Many of these injuries affected the hand. Now, no doubt using power tools requires caution and care, but is there something manufacturers could have done to make table saws safer to begin with?

Oregon company SawStop believes so. SawStop makes a device specifically designed to prevent the saw of a table saw from slicing through a human body part. The patented device triggers a brake when the saw blade comes into contact with flesh. The device was created in 1999 and seemed a sure hit–the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission awarded the company a Chairman’s Commendation, and it won Popular Science magazine’s 100 Best New Innovations award. SawStop met with a number of power tool manufacturers, hoping to sell licenses to get their devices onto table saws, but interest dried. Ryobi had signed a contract with SawStop but then changed its mind in 2002.

Undaunted, SawStop chose to manufacturer its own line of table saws. It currently offers three models, ranging in price from $1,600 to $5,000. The saws cost quite a bit more than other brands of table saws, but can you put a price on safety? Apparently the big manufacturers can, and do.

To learn more about SawStop and what it would take for manufacturers to incorporate such a safety device, see this article from the Oregonian.

The original post is titled Safety first … or not? The dangers of table saws , and it came from Paulson Coletti - Portland Oregon Law Firm .

The effects of traumatic brain injuries often continue long after an accident occurs.  The Brain Injury Association of America cites a study that indicates that 40% of patients who were hospitalized for traumatic brain injuries at the time of their accident continue to have unmet needs one year after their accident.  Those unmet needs vary from patient to patient and often fall into one of the following three categories:

* Physical Needs: common physical needs include problems with everyday life skills and functioning as well as an elevated risk for epilepsy, Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease.  Problems with memory and problems solving are also common.
* Financial Needs: the physical impact of a traumatic brain injury can cause brain injury victims to lose time from work and negatively impact their income. Additionally, medical and rehabilitation bills may not be fully covered by insurance and can quickly become a financial burden.
* Emotional Needs: many brain injury victims have trouble controlling their aggression and their temper.  They may be unable to handle stresses and emotional upsets.  They may be unable to maintain the same friendships and familial relationships that they did prior to their injuries.

If you, or a loved one, have suffered a traumatic brain injury then it is important to think about your current and long term needs.  An experienced brain injury lawyer can help you recover damages to meet all of your current and anticipated needs.  Please contact a brain injury lawyer as soon as possible after your accident to protect your right to recovery and to get the compensation that you deserve.

Dolan Law Offices is a personal injury firm located in Chicago. We concentrate our practice on trucking accidents in Illinois. We are committed to fighting for full and fair compensation for victims.

The original post is titled Brain Injuries One Year Later , and it came from Paulson Coletti - Portland Oregon Law Firm .