We Fight for Injury Victims of Bicycle Accidents
Bicycle riding is fun, great exercise, and an inexpensive way to travel, but when bicyclists are involved in an accident, the results can be catastrophic. Victims may end up in the hospital with serious injuries and face a long, painful recovery, and some injuries may lead to death. Survivors may need continuing care and face mounting medical and household bills at a time they cannot work, and life may never be the same.
If you or a loved one has been injured or someone has died in a bicycle accident you may be entitled to receive compensation through insurance or a personal injury lawsuit. However, Oregon injury laws are complicated, and insurance companies and their attorneys often try to deny claims or get you to accept less than your case is worth.
Fortunately, there is help available in the fight for fair compensation. The Portland bicycle accident lawyers at Strong Law know the laws, the system, and how insurance companies operate and are fully prepared to stand up for your rights, whether negotiating with an insurance company or taking your case to court.
We offer a free consultation to discuss the facts of your accident and determine the best way to move forward. There are no fees to you unless and until we win your case, so you have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Call us today at 206-737-3496 to get started.
There are many lawyers in Portland, and you should look for one you not only feel comfortable with but who has experience with bicycle accidents and the resources to thoroughly investigate and handle your case. Here are some reasons why we feel you should choose Strong Law:
When you have our Strong Law legal team on your side, we will start working on your behalf immediately. We will:
Our Portland bicycle accident attorneys at Strong Law will do everything possible to get you the settlement you deserve. Call us today at 206-737-3496 to get started while evidence is available, and witnesses can be found.
In a successful lawsuit, our Portland, OR, bicycle accident lawyers may win an award for your damages — the expenses and losses you suffered from the accident. Oregon law allows bike accident victims to recover the following damages:
In some rare situations, you may also receive punitive damages to punish a defendant and discourage such actions in the future. According to Oregon law, (ORS 31.730), these can be awarded where the crash was caused by a defendant who “has acted with malice or has shown a reckless and outrageous indifference to a highly unreasonable risk of harm and has acted with a conscious indifference to the health, safety, and welfare of others.
There is a wide range of damage amounts that you may receive in a successful bicycle accident lawsuit, from the thousands to millions of dollars. The amount you receive depends on the individual factors and circumstances of your case.
In general, the more severe injuries that involve permanent damage and require long-term care or result in death often bring the highest settlement awards. Other factors affecting award amounts include the individual jurisdiction, judge, and jury if there is a trial, and the skill and negotiating power of your attorney to come up with an optimum settlement.
When you contact us, our Strong Law attorneys can provide an estimate of what your case should be worth by considering all of your expenses and damages.
"Just wanted to say thank you to Jed and his team at Strong Law. Not only was I happy with the outcome, but the entire process as a whole. I would definitely recommend this firm to anyone. Thanks again."
"I had a claim involving my own insurance company. I tried to negotiate with them, and they completely denied my claim – two times. I then hired Strong Law, and the change was instant. The insurance company immediately began negotiating, and Jed was able to secure an unbelievably good settlement. I will never again attempt to take-on an insurance company without Strong Law in my corner. Thank you!"
"I hired Strong Law after my car accident. Jed and his team worked hard on my case. They were professional and compassionate through my surgery and as I recovered, and they were awesome on communication. I got justice and awesome compensation. I would recommend Strong Law to anyone in my situation."
There are times when bicyclists do something that causes or contributes to an accident. If you are partially at fault, you can still get a settlement, if the fault attributable to you is not greater than the combined fault of the defendants in the case.
However, according to Oregon law, (ORS 31.600) your award will be reduced in proportion to the percentage of fault you are found to have for the accident. For example, if your settlement was for $100,00 and you were 20 percent at fault, you would receive $80,000.
Portland laws regarding bicycles you are required to follow. If you fail to do so, violations can lead to having a settlement reduced or eliminated. Bicyclists must:
In addition, bicycles may use the sidewalk, except downtown in an area bounded by SW Jefferson Street, Front Avenue, NW Hoyt Street, and 13th Avenue (Portland City Code 16.70.320 E).
In any bike crash, it is important to determine how the accident happened and who was at fault and then hold the negligent parties responsible. To prove another party, the defendant in the case, was at fault legally, our Portland bicycle accident attorneys must show the existence of the following elements:
Depending on the situation, there may be several different parties that contribute to a bike crash. For example, if your accident was caused by another vehicle, our attorneys would have to show that the driver failed to exercise a reasonable degree of care, such as by running a red light or texting while driving.
If your accident was caused by road conditions such as a large pothole or obscured traffic signal, premises liability laws require property owners in Oregon to keep their property free from conditions that pose an unreasonable risk of harm, so the owner of the property may be held liable. If your bicycle accident was caused by a defective bike or part, such as a faulty brake system, the manufacturer can be held liable if unreasonably dangerous conditions caused your injuries.
Our Strong legal team will look to find all possibly liable parties, as they all may have assets and insurance that can go toward a settlement.
After being injured in a bicycle accident, it is natural to have questions and concerns. These are best addressed in your free consultation, but to get started, here are some answers to questions our attorneys are often asked:
Yes, Oregon has a statute of limitations (ORS 12.110) and a deadline for filing an injury lawsuit that is generally two years from the time of the accident. If you fail to file on time, the courts are likely to refuse to hear your case.
Oregon has a fault-based insurance system, so whoever causes an accident is responsible for paying the damages and injured bicyclists can file a claim against the at-fault driver’s auto insurance policy.
Your car insurance policy generally will not cover an accident that you caused while riding your bicycle, unless you have additional coverage, such as PIP that might apply. If a motor vehicle driver fled the scene, your uninsured motorist (UM) coverage will cover the damages up to the policy limits.
No, the less you say to insurance companies, the better. Insurance companies want to pay out as little as possible and use tactics such as making a lowball offer, they hope you will accept quickly or trying to get you to admit that the accident was your fault. Tell the insurance company to talk to your attorney, and let Strong Law handle all negotiations to get you the settlement you deserve.
If the bike accident results in death, our attorneys can file a suit for wrongful death. Wrongful death cases can be thought of as personal injury cases where family members or the personal representative of the deceased bring a claim for their loved one who can no longer bring it themselves.
The good news is that there is no up-front cost to hire our Strong Law bicycle accident attorneys. We work on a contingency basis, so there are no fees to you unless and until we win your case, and then fees are taken out of the settlement award based on a previously agreed-upon percentage.
When you have our Strong Law attorneys on your side, we will be there for you throughout the entire legal process, answering your questions and keeping you informed.
If you have been hurt in a bicycle accident due to someone else’s negligence or fault, the bicycle accident attorneys at Strong Law are fully prepared to help fight for justice and the settlement you deserve. We will take the burden off you by handling all investigations and legal hurdles involved with your case so you can focus on your recovery.
Do not delay. Call us today at 206-737-3496 to get started while witnesses and evidence can be found.
Gather evidence, interview witnesses, and assess the circumstances surrounding the accident to establish facts and liability.
Determine the extent of damages, including medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
Engage in discussions with the opposing party or insurance companies to reach a fair settlement outside of court.
If negotiations fail, proceed to court where legal arguments and evidence are presented before a judge or jury for a final decision.
Prior to representing accident victims, Jed worked for GEICO insurance company as one of its in-house attorneys – representing the insurance companies. After learning the inner workings of insurance companies, he quit and began representing accident victims.
We want to help you get the legal advice you need with no upfront fees. There is no obligation to use our law firm and we only get paid if you win your case.
Our team of legal experts pride themselves on going above and beyond for our clients. We provide you answers and solutions to the legal issues you may experience from your accident.
We are here to help you recover from your accident physically and fiscally. Let us help you maximize the compensation you deserve.
Have other questions? Get in touch with our team at info@stronglawattorneys.com
Our team is standing by to help you.