Many people work in jobs that require them to spend a great deal of time behind the wheel: bus drivers, truck drivers, and even construction workers and other people who need to haul a great deal of equipment on a regular basis. Unfortunately, drunk drivers killed more than 10,000 persons in 2016 alone—and drivers on the job…

No Excuse Makes it Okay People tend to give all kinds of excuses when they are asked why they text while they drive. For most, it is that some texts are too important to be ignored. However, as one grieving mother puts it, no text message is more important than your own life. You don’t…

Last October, a new law went into effect in Oregon, making it illegal to drive while holding or using an electronic device, such as a cell phone. Now, Eugene Police say that the harsher rules appear to be working. Sgt. Shawn Marsh says that he’s seen less drivers taking their eyes off the road and…

Today more than two-million inmates live in America’s prisons. According to the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), that gives the United States the largest incarcerated population in the world. Prisons in Oregon are overcrowded, understaffed, dangerous places. Inmate violence and overwhelmed prison medical care programs pose real hazards to incarcerated Oregonians. At the Richard Rizk Law Office,…

In its most recent data, Oregon received more than 80,000 reports of child abuse or neglect—more than 16,000 in Multnomah County alone—during fiscal year 2017. Authorities investigated almost 44,000 of those reports, and opened about 7,000 cases involving roughly 11,000 victims. When you leave your children in the care of another, whether at school or daycare, with…

Sure, e-scooters may make personal transportation more convenient in our traffic-heavy city. But how safe are e-Scooters, really?? In the weeks since scooter roll-out, already many have been hurt while riding these devices. Injuries should be of no surprise. E-scooter riders share narrow bike lanes with bicyclists and the same risks of travel in those lanes,…

Truck and bus accidents caused 4,440 fatalities and 119,000 injuries on U.S. roads in 2016, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s annual report. Large commercial trucks pose a danger to smaller passenger vehicles on the roadway. Due to the possibility of serious accidents, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration requires every motor carrier to…

10 Lessons from my Decade as an Insurance Attorney & Claims Examiner By Richard Rizk Introduction In a far and distant land, I defended and shut down the very insurance claims you and your clients battle every day. From 1990 to 1996 I worked as Nationwide Insurance and Wausau Insurance in-house counsel. In that role…

Depending on the severity of your injuries, if you have been involved in a traffic accident while using your bike, it is important to take certain steps. Bike riders are required to follow traffic law, one of which is the requirement of reporting the accident to the authorities. If the bicyclist was at fault and…

Bikes are generally required to follow the same traffic laws as motor vehicles. A major difference between bikes and cars, however, is insurance. Auto insurance is mandatory for road vehicles in Oregon, whereas the law does not require bicyclists using the road to carry insurance. Personal Injury Protection (PIP) is built into insurance policies issued in…