Portland Personal Injury Lawyers

Any lawyer who gives you a number on a first call is guessing. Value depends on the severity of the injury, whether you will need care in the future, how clear the liability is, and what insurance is available. We can tell you early which of those factors your case turns on, and what would raise or lower it.

Jane Paulson, Partner

Generally two years from the date of injury, and three years for wrongful death. If a government body is involved — the city, the county, TriMet, a public hospital — a written notice is required within 180 days. Call before assuming any deadline has passed, because which clock applies is not always obvious.

Not before you know what your treatment will cost. An early offer closes the claim permanently, including for care you have not received yet. Signing a release is the one decision in this process that cannot be undone. Have someone read it first — that review is free.

You can still recover. Oregon reduces your damages by your percentage of fault and only bars a claim when your share exceeds the combined fault of the people you are suing. Insurers know most people assume otherwise, which is why blame is assigned early and casually.

Usually yes, through your own uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage, which every Oregon auto policy carries. That claim is against your insurer, and it is handled by an adjuster whose job is still to pay as little as possible. We handle those claims the same way we handle any other.

In a crash, your PIP coverage pays medical expenses regardless of fault, and health insurance covers care beyond that. Providers and insurers may assert liens against a recovery, and part of our work is negotiating those down before the money reaches you.

Most cases settle. But a case is valued on what the other side believes will happen if it does not settle, so we build every file for trial from the start. That is also the reason we keep our caseload small enough to actually try the ones that need it.

John Coletti, Partner

A straightforward claim can resolve in months once treatment is complete. A serious case in litigation typically runs one to two years, sometimes longer when the injury is still evolving. Settling before your medical picture is clear is usually the most expensive way to save time.

No. You must cooperate with your own insurer as your policy requires. You are not obligated to give the other side a recorded statement or sign their medical authorization, and both are usually used to narrow your claim rather than to pay it.

We represent people throughout Oregon and file in whichever county the case belongs. Our office is in Lake Oswego, fifteen minutes from downtown Portland, and if travel is hard we come to you — at home or at the hospital.