Key Facts About Oregon Personal Injury Lawsuits

Posted on January 13, 2024 in Personal Injury

You were hurt because of another person’s actions or mistakes, and you expect them to cover those losses. However, there are a variety of factors that often limit this, which is why having a legal team like Paulson Coletti Trial Attorneys PC working for you is so important. Here are several key facts about Portland, OR personal injury lawsuits you need to know before heading into this process. 

Know the Statute of Limitations

The statute of limitations is the amount of time you have after your accident to file a claim. In Oregon, you must file most personal injury claims within 2 years of the date of their occurrence in order to receive compensation for your losses. In situations in which there is property damage, you must file a claim within 6 years. If your accident is approaching these timeframes, we encourage you to contact us now for immediate help.

We Will Discuss Whether You Have a Case

During your first consultation with our personal injury attorney, we will talk about what occurred in your case, why it happened, and what evidence you have of your losses. To obtain a settlement in a case like this, you absolutely must have as much evidence as possible to prove negligence. To do that, you must show:

  • The other party owed you a duty of care, which means they owed you a right to keep you safe
  • The party breached that duty of care in some way
  • The breach directly led to your injuries or other losses
  • You suffered significant losses, including medical bills and other losses related to the accident

In these situations, we will use a great deal of evidence in your case to prove what occurred. Our team will ensure that you know if you have a case as soon as we can gather all of the data available and then show that the above four elements occurred. Even if you are unsure you have a personal injury lawsuit, we encourage you to still contact us for a free consultation to discuss your case.

Personal Injury Lawsuits Take Time

It is not possible to give you an average time for how long personal injury cases will take to process since these matters will often require numerous considerations and steps. Our goal is always to move your case through the process quickly, but there is much to do:

  • The first step is a consultation to discuss your case and initial facts.
  • We then must determine who is at fault in your case, often focusing on all parties involved in the case, not just the most obvious.
  • Our attorneys then work to determine what all of the losses you have are, eliminating the risk that you approach a claim without enough compensation.
  • We then approach the insurance company with a demand letter for fair and full compensation related to your losses.
  • There is often a period of negotiation that occurs, and there is time for discovery to take place.
  • If they decide not to pay you for any reason or are not willing to offer a fair level of compensation, we will then go to trial.
  • This process means filing an action in a court of law and allowing the responsible parties to begin their investigation and discovery phase. That can take months to complete.
  • A judge or jury will then hear the case, gather any additional information, and then make a decision.

Our team works closely with you to ensure you have a full understanding of what you can expect throughout this process. We remain by your side throughout the process.

We Work to Settle Your Case Out of Court When Possible

Though our attorneys are willing to file a lawsuit and go to court to fight for compensation, we also recognize the importance of trying to settle your case out of court. It tends to be faster and less expensive to pursue this route, and we are passionate about ensuring you receive full compensation throughout it. To do that, we present the most robust amount of evidence and details to help prove your losses to the insurance companies.

A component of the work of personal injury lawsuits is research and investigation, which our attorneys are very well versed at completing. We will gather data and resources from as many locations as possible to protect your right to compensation. That includes:

  • Your statement and others who witnessed what occurred
  • Police reports
  • Photos and video of what occurred
  • Medical records from other drivers involved or other responsible parties
  • Data on what your injuries are and the recovery timeline for them
  • The amount of long-term loss you will have
  • Accident recreation data to help demonstrate what occurred and why

There is no simple way to achieve the best outcome in personal injury lawsuits, but when we provide this type of evidence and make it clear that the responsible party caused these damages, we can increase the opportunities for fair compensation. Let us talk to you about what you can expect in this way when you give us a call. 

How Long Will Your Personal Injury Case Really Take?

Every situation is very different, but most of the time, we can process initial claims and negotiate with insurance companies within a few months. However, if the case must go to trial, it can take much longer, even years, for this process to occur. Throughout that process, we keep communication with you open and consistently work to build the best outcome possible in your case.

Let Our Attorneys in Oregon Pursue Your Personal Injury Matter

Our personal injury attorneys in Oregon are dedicated to providing you with exceptional legal support and guidance. When you set up a free consultation with our legal team, you learn the details of what to expect and what we can do for you. Your case matters to us, and your long-term recovery is our goal. Contact Paulson Coletti Trial Attorneys PC now to learn more about what we can do to support your best outcome.