Car accidents are one of the most common reasons cited in personal injury cases and wrongful death claims. In a typical year, there will be more than five million reported car crashes according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Recovering compensation from an accident, whether it is due to injuries or damage to a car or other types of property, starts with affixing responsibility for the accident.

Legal claims arising from accidents center around the law of negligence that states, in broad terms, that the people who operate automobiles have a duty to exercise reasonable care under the circumstances. Anyone who does not do so may be considered to be negligent. And when a person is found negligent, they then should be responsible for paying for injuries or for any damaged property caused by that act.

In some cases, the person responsible for the negligent act that caused the accident is readily apparent. In other cases, negligence may be much harder to prove or there may be several people, businesses, or municipalities that were negligent in some way. A person who drives over the speed limit and slams into another car might be one situation where negligence is obvious. Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol is another straightforward case of negligence. Insurance companies frequently attempt to blame someone besides their own customers for accidents. We can help determine how to pursue your claim and against whom.

If you have questions about establishing liability for your injury case, give us a call to talk with an attorney right away. The call is free!

Johnson and Taylor Law proudly serves Portland, Salem and surrounding Oregon communities.

When you or a loved one is involved in an accident that was caused by the negligence of another party, you can bring a claim to recover damages. How much and what kind of damages all depends on the particular circumstances of your case. Another important factor is choosing the right personal injury lawyer who can best represent your interests.

We can help collect several different types of compensation on your behalf. These can include:

• Lost wages and compensation for the future loss of wages, which is especially important where there are permanent injuries.

• Coverage for medical costs, including hospital and doctor visits, prescription medications, medical equipment and anything else related to the care required to restore you to your former health. This may also include payments for long-term care to assist you with everyday tasks.

• Pain, suffering, inconvenience, and frustration. We can help evaluate how much can reasonably be expected when trying to settle your case.

• If a person dies, an attorney will also be able to seek funds for a loss of care, companionship and love.

• Disfigurement and embarrassment, if a person suffers injuries such as burns or scars or has one or more limbs amputated, or the injury results in paralysis and confinement to a wheelchair.

To save themselves money, insurance companies often attempt to contact injured parties early in a case and seek a quick settlement. While this sometimes looks attractive on the surface, it could be an offer that is well below what you might be entitled to and play into the insurance company’s hands of trying to minimize the impact of your claim on their business.

In all instances, it is best to let us work with the opposing side to bring about a fair settlement, even if that involves playing hardball and extending the amount of time it takes to reach a settlement.

Johnson and Taylor proudly serves Portland, Salem and surrounding Oregon communities. We’ll take it from here.