If you’ve or a loved one have recently been injured in an accident, you might be confused or looking for answers. Here is some information from a Portland personal injury lawyer about common personal injury suits in Portland, Oregon as well as what you should do after an accident if you wish to file a personal injury claim. Visit this Portland Personal Injury Attorney website for more information.

 

Personal Injury Lawyer Portland- Getting Started with Your Personal Injury Claim

If you or a loved one were recently injured in an accident due to someone else’s negligence, you may be entitled to compensation. Negligence is defined as “failure to exercise the care toward others which  reasonable or prudent person would do in the circumstances.” The following are examples of negligence causing accidents that lead to common types of personal injury claims:

• A car manufacturer releases a defective model that flips when making tight turns, leading to an accident leading to injury
• A grocery store employee mops the floor but doesn’t put up a wet floor sign; someone injures themselves falling
• Someone driving a car runs a red light, causing an accident in the intersection that leads to injury

In order to get compensation for your injuries, you may need to file a negligence claim called a personal injury suit. In order to win your case, you need to prove the following that the accused party acted negligently, and that negligence caused you injury. A negligence claim has four basic components:

• Duty- Under the circumstances, the accused owed you a legal duty
• Breach of Duty- The accused breached their legal duty to you by acting or failing to act in a certain way
• Causation- The accused’s breach of duty caused your injury
• Damages- You were harmed or injured as a result of the accused’s actions

Filing Your Claim

If you are going to be filing a personal injury claim in Portland, you will need to take the following steps to build your claim:

1. Document the Accident- collect evidence that shows who caused the accident as well as the damage and injuries caused by the accident. Photographs and reports are often vital pieces of information you will wat to gather.
2. Witnesses- If there were witnesses, make sure to get their names and contact information. Contact them to confirm their contact information.
3. Injuries and Damages- Keep records of what happened to you after the accident. This includes medical bills, hospital visits, lost work, and lost wages. It would also be advantageous to keep a journal documenting your recovery process and how your injuries are impacting your day-to-day life.
4. Contact the Defendant- Inform whoever you will be filing a lawsuit against that you plan to file a claim for your injuries and damages.

 

Talk to a Personal Injury Attorney in Portland

In many cases, retaining a Portland injury attorney will make the process of getting the compensation you need to move on easier and less stressful. A Portland injury lawyer can aid you in every step of the process, from helping you collect evidence and documentation, filing all the paperwork that is necessary, negotiating on your behalf, and representing you in the court room. Most personal injury cases taken on my Portland personal injury attorneys are taken on a contingent basis, meaning that the lawyers are paid out of your settlement and judgement.

Hopefully this information has been helpful. If you would like more information about filing a personal injury claim in Portland, you should visit the Dawson Law Group Portland personal injury attorney website.