Gresham Personal Injury Attorneys

Recovering from a personal injury can be a traumatic experience for victims and their families. If you have suffered a personal injury that you believe was caused by another’s negligence or recklessness, a Gresham personal injury attorney at Rizk Law can help to explore legal options that may be available to you.

Rick was compassionate and straight forward. Very friendly staff.
_{– Client of Rizk Law}

Our firm’s founder Richard Rizk is licensed to practice law in the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, and is a former insurance defense lawyer for national insurance agencies. Richard has detailed knowledge of how insurers defend personal injury cases and can use that knowledge to help build a robust argument for your damages claim.

We offer a free consultation with a Gresham injury lawyer to help determine if you have a case, there are no upfront fees if you hire us and we only get paid when we obtain a recovery on your behalf.

Complete our Contact form today.

How Our Gresham Personal Injury Attorneys Can Help You

The trusted Gresham personal injury lawyers at our firm have years of legal knowledge and experience handling a variety of personal injury cases. We will thoroughly investigate your case and take care of every aspect of your claim on your behalf.

In handling your personal injury case, our attorneys will:

• Represent your best interests and fight for your rights every step of the way
• Personally handle your case and answer any questions or concerns you may have
• Conduct a detailed investigation of the accident scene to prove negligence
• Reach out to eyewitnesses present at the time of your accident to learn more
• Analyze your injuries, putting a value on your pain and suffering
• Communicate with the insurance company to obtain a fair settlement
• Take your case to trial if you believe you were offered a low-ball settlement

We understand Oregon laws and can help you file a personal injury lawsuit within the statute of limitations to recover the compensation you deserve. Generally, personal injury claims must be filed within two years from the date the accident occurred (ORS 12.110). This also includes cases involving any type of motor-vehicle accident (car, truck motorcycle), dog bites, nursing home abuse, bicycle accidents, pedestrian accidents and more.

If your injury was caused by medical negligence, you also have two years from the date the injury was first discovered or should have been reasonably discovered, but no more than five years from the date of the malpractice that caused your injury.

In the event of an unfortunate death, wrongful death claims have a three-year deadline. This means you must file within three years from the date of the injury that resulted in your loved one’s death.

We understand the time restraints that apply to your unique situation and will help you file any paperwork necessary to pursue the compensation you and your family need.

Fill out a Free Case Evaluation form today so we can start reviewing your case.

Compensation Available for Personal Injuries

Compensation may be available to help personal injury victims recover some of their losses from the accident and hopefully help them return to a position that is close to where they were at before the accident. This means you may be entitled to recover compensation for economic and non-economic damages, such as:

However, Oregon law does limit the amount of compensation you may recover in a personal injury case depending on your degree of fault in the accident. The state follows a modified comparative negligence rule, which means that the amount of compensation you may be entitled to receive will be reduced by an amount equal to your percentage of fault as long as it is no more than 50 percent (Oregon Revised Statutes sections 31.600 to 31.620).

For example, if you are 30 percent at fault, the amount of compensation you could receive would be reduced by 30 percent. This means an award of $100,000 would be reduced to $70,000. If you are found to be more than 50 percent at fault, you will not be able to recover any amount of compensation, no matter how severe your injuries are.

A licensed personal injury lawyer in Gresham can help you build a strong case to try to ensure that you are not assigned more blame than you deserve for the accident.

Element of Negligence

If you wish to obtain compensation for your injuries, you must be able to prove the four elements of negligence. In other words, you must show that the cause of your injury and the extent of your damages was the result of the at-fault party’s negligence. The four elements of negligence include the following:

• Duty of care – The at-fault party was obligated to act in a reasonable manner to not cause you harm. You must prove that he or she had a duty of care to behave as a reasonable person would have in a similar situation.
• Breach of duty of care – The at-fault party breached his or her duty of care by acting or failing to act as a reasonable person would. For instance, a duty of care is breached when a motorist decides to drive while distracted, sleepy or drunk.
• Causation – There must be a causal link between the at-fault party’s breach of duty of care and your injuries. In other words, you would not have been suffered a personal injury if the at-fault party had not acted in a negligent or careless manner.
• Damages suffered – You must prove that you suffered damages as a result of your accident and injury. Monetary damages could include medical expenses and loss of wages.

If all of these elements can be established in your case, you may have a valid claim and be entitled to recover compensation for your injury.

Complete a Free Case Evaluation form today to find out if you have a case.

Types of Personal Injury Cases We Handle

At Rizk Law, our Gresham personal injury attorneys have helped numerous accident victims and their families over the years recover the compensation they are entitled. We have handled cases involving, but certainly not limited to:

If you think you may have a valid case, you should consider reaching out to a skilled and knowledgeable attorney at our firm who understands exactly what you are going through.

Call us at 503.245.5677 to schedule your free consultation.

What to Do After a Personal Injury Accident

The moments following an accident can be scary experience, leaving you unsure about what to do. By taking the following steps right after your accident, you can help ensure your health and help preserve your right to pursue a claim for compensation:

Seek Medical Care

The first step to take after an accident is to seek medical care for your injuries, even if you do not believe your injuries to be serious or life-threatening. Sometimes injuries can appear minor at first, only to become worse over time if they are left untreated.

Visit one of Gresham’s local medical facilities, such as Legacy Mount Hood Medical Center, which can provide emergency care and begin treating your injury.

This is why it is important to see a doctor and have your injuries examined. He or she will conduct a detailed medical evaluation to diagnose your injury and provide you with the proper treatment plan to aid in your recovery. Sometimes seeking treatment sooner prevents and injury from getting worse, which can actually speed up the healing process.

Report the Injury

After suffering a personal injury, file a police or accident report. Having an official report of your injury can help support your case and possibly improve your chances of recovering compensation. Make sure to also ask for a copy of the report once it has been filed.

Be detailed and accurate in the report while details are still fresh in your mind. You may forget certain information over time if you fail to report your injury as soon as possible. Include details such as the time of day, date, weather conditions and the specific location of the accident.

However, do not admit to any fault or wrongdoing. This could hurt your chances of obtaining compensation. Let the Gresham Police Department conduct a detailed investigation of your case to determine all the facts involved.

Gather Evidence

If you are physically able to, gather evidence at the scene by taking notes and photographs to help you remember all the details. Write down a description of what happened, where it happened, and how it happened. Obtain the full names, addresses, phone numbers, license information and insurance details from all parties involved in the accident.

Be sure to also take pictures of the accident scene, including your injuries, any property damage, torn or bloody clothing and anything else you believe is important to capture.

It is also critical that you speak to any witnesses present at the time of your accident. A witness statement can provide details you may not have seen or been aware of. Collect his or her name and contact information as well so you and your attorney can contact the witness at a later date if needed.

Document anything and everything at the accident scene. It can be difficult to recall specific details or information as time passes, which could ultimately affect the amount of compensation you may recover. Evidence often disappears quickly after an accident, so it is best to document things as quickly as possible.

Call a Gresham Injury Lawyer

If you are involved in an accident caused by another person’s negligent or blatant disagreed for anyone else’s safety, you may have the right to file a lawsuit or insurance claim and pursue compensation for any damages and losses you have suffered.

An experienced lawyer can review the details of your case and determine whether or not you have a valid claim. If you do, he or she will get started conducting a separate, but detailed investigation into your accident and may hire accident reconstruction experts or medical experts to help prove that negligence played a role in your accident and establish the value of your damages.