We Handle Truck Accident Cases in Portland and Throughout Oregon
Were you hurt in a truck crash caused by a truck driver’s or trucking company’s negligence?
Let Rizk Law fight to acquire just compensation and accountability for your losses.
Why Choose Rizk Law?
Firm founder Richard Rizk is a former insurance company defense attorney and large loss claims adjuster who anticipates insurer tactics. Let his insights into insurance company methods and motivations aid you on your road to recovery.
Contact Rizk Law today for an initial truck injury accident claim assessment.
Visit Our Portland Office
Come visit us at our office in Portland, Oregon. We are conveniently located near you at:
434 South Iowa Street
Portland, OR 97239
Recent Truck Accident Settlements & Verdicts
$225,000 Settlement for a Tow Truck Causes Log Truck Rollover
A commercial log truck was traveling approximately 50 mph when a tow truck driver abruptly pulled into its path. The sudden maneuver forced the log truck to swerve and roll over. The driver was temporarily pinned inside the vehicle following the crash. The matter was actively litigated.
$225,000 Settlement for a Garbage Truck Rear-End Collision
A garbage truck operator rear-ended a motorist in a known congestion area near the I-26 East corridor at Jefferson, close to a tunnel backup zone. The truck driver was reported to have alcohol on his breath at the time of the crash. The injured party received chiropractic care following the incident.
$900,000 Settlement for a T-Bone Collision with Commercial Delivery Truck
The client’s vehicle was struck in a T-bone collision by a commercial delivery truck. The delivery driver was cited for distracted driving and careless driving. The impact left the client trapped inside her vehicle with visible and severe arm trauma.
See What our Clients are Saying
Jacqueline was terrific. Made it so easy! Took care of all the intricate details, great communication, and I got a higher settlement than I was expecting. Do yourself a favor and let her handle your case for you!
– KB M.
Benefits of Hiring a Portland Attorney for Your Truck Accident Claim
Why hire a law firm after a truck crash?
Because hiring the right Portland truck accident lawyer(s) will increase probability of recovery, reduce probability of medical liens devouring claim proceeds and lessen your stress. Let Rizk Law address claim details so you can better focus on healing.
Let truck accident law firm Rizk Law help you reclaim the value of lives lost or devastated due to a truck crash by:
- Securing evidence necessary to prove claims
- Identifying potentially responsible parties and avenues of financial recovery
- Documenting injuries and calculating ongoing and future financial and personal losses
- Communicating with insurance adjusters, trucking company representatives, and defense lawyers
- Negotiating with lienholders and medical professionals
- Negotiating with insurers and those who may be at fault
- Vigorously pursuing maximum compensation for you
What to Do After a Truck Accident
After a collision with a big rig, delivery truck, or any commercial vehicle, the right prompt and thoughtful action can make all the difference down the road. Steps you can take after a truck crash to increase your recovery potential (both financial and physical) include:
- Follow your doctor’s treatment plan and recovery instructions; do not defer treatment or rehabilitation
- Promptly obtain medically recommended testing (X-rays, MRI, CT scans)
- Call 911 from the scene of you or anyone involved needs medical attention
- Complete and file an “Oregon Crash Report” with the DMV
- File a police report if you suspect a crime was committed
- Notify your auto insurance company of the crash
- Keep all medical bills, invoices, and receipts of medical treatment
- If you purchased auto insurance in Oregon, bill medical costs that the insurer
- Request a work release from a treating MD if you are unable to work
- Provide your employer with any physician-authorized work release before missing work
- Locate pay stubs or income statements
- Calculate any lost earnings
- Contact Rizk Law, a Portland truck accident law firm, to pursue financial recovery and accountability from the truck driver and/or trucking companies potentially responsible for your injuries and losses
How We Investigate Portland Truck Accident Cases
Commercial trucking is a highly regulated industry both by states and federal government and agencies.
These regulations require detailed recordkeeping by operators and truck owners.
Trucks impacting interstate commerce are regulated by a vast array of frequently violated federal laws and regulations. Evidence of shortcuts by persons and companies in the trucking industry has a way of mysteriously vanishing.
Many trucking companies hire roving truck accident investigators who rush to an accident scene in hopes of minimizing future claims.
As a result, if you were hurt in a trucking accident, time is not on your side. And a compelling truck accident injury claim may require the help of accident reconstruction experts.
But even the best expert is only as good as the evidence relied upon is. Examples of evidence Rizk Law relies on in investigating a Portland truck accident case include:
- The truck driver’s hours-of-service logs
- The truck’s event data recorder (“black box”) logs
- The truck’s cargo manifest
- The truck’s GPS data or in-cab/dashcam camera footage
- The truck driver’s pre- and post-trip inspection reports
- The truck’s maintenance/repair records
Proving what exactly happened in any given truck accident may require expert analysis.
Our firm can locate and hire the appropriate expert on your behalf.
Such experts may include computer forensic experts to decipher any black box information and accident reconstruction specialists to help piece together what happened in a crash.
Compensation You Could Recover in a Portland Truck Accident Claim
A truck injury accident claim may be the best route toward financial recovery for your financial and personal losses because of your injuries. Truck accident compensation can provide you with money for:
- Medical treatment and rehabilitation
- Long-term care or support services from your injuries
- Lost wages/income while on part-time or light-duty work restrictions
- Lost future earnings and after becoming permanently disabled
- Physical pain
- Emotional distress
- Lost enjoyment and quality of life caused by permanent disabilities or disfigurement
After a fatal truck accident, certain surviving family members may file a wrongful death lawsuit to recover compensation for financial and personal losses such as:
- Final medical expenses
- Funeral/burial costs
- Decedent’s conscious pain and suffering before their death
- Loss of the decedent’s future anticipated earnings and wealth growth
- Loss of the decedent’s companionship, society, and services
Could You Recover Compensation if You Are Partly to Blame for a Trucking Accident?
Even if you share some responsibility for causing a collision with an 18-wheeler, Oregon law may give you the right to recover compensation for your injuries and losses.
Under the state’s modified comparative negligence rule, you can file a truck accident claim if your share of fault for the crash does not exceed the fault or collective fault of the truck driver and trucking companies.
However, the comparative negligence rule can reduce the financial recovery you could obtain for your injuries in proportion to your percentage of responsibility for causing the crash.
Because of the consequences of the modified comparative negligence rule, you need experienced legal counsel if the trucking company or insurer tries to shift blame for the truck accident to you.
How Long Do You Have to File a Trucking Accident Lawsuit in Oregon?
Under Oregon’s statute of limitations for injury claims, you typically have two years to file a truck accident lawsuit against a negligent truck driver or trucking company.
However, do not wait to assert a claim. Lawyers need time to properly investigate claims and timely file a suit if needed.
Contact a Portland truck accident attorney at Rizk Law as soon as possible after a crash to preserve your claims and so you have time to properly assess and protect your legal options. If you file a lawsuit too late, you will probably lose the opportunity to hold the truck driver and trucking company accountable for your injuries and losses.
Common Types and Causes of Commercial Truck Accidents in Portland
An 18-wheeler can get into various kinds of collisions or accidents, including:
- Head-on collisions
- Rear-end collisions
- Side-impact/T-bone crashes
- Sideswipe collisions
- Underride accidents (where a vehicle gets wedged underneath the truck trailer)
- Wide turn accidents
- Jackknife accidents
- Rollover accidents
- Cargo accidents (including cargo weight causing a loss of control or trucks spilling cargo onto other vehicles or the road)
Operating a commercial truck requires close attention to detail and a higher degree of care than driving other kinds of vehicles. Any careless or reckless decision by a truck driver or trucking company can lead to a devastating crash. Some of the most common causes of truck accidents in Oregon include:
- Speeding
- Tailgating/following too closely
- Distracted driving
- Drowsy/fatigued driving
- Turning or changing lanes without signaling or checking mirrors
- Unsafe or illegal turns, lane changes, or passes
- Improper wide right turns
- Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs
- Running red lights or stop signs
- Failing to yield the right of way
- Truck driver inexperience or lack of appropriate training/licensure
- Inadequate truck maintenance or repairs
- Unsafe cargo loads, including excessive or unbalanced cargo weight or unsecured items that can shift during travel
Parties Who Could Be Held Liable for a Truck Wreck in Portland
Depending on the cause(s) of a truck wreck or the circumstances surrounding the crash, various parties may bear liability for the injuries and losses you suffer due to a truck accident, including:
- The truck driver
- The trucking company
- The cargo company
- The truck’s owner (if not the driver or the trucking company)
- Third-party mechanics responsible for servicing the truck
- The truck’s manufacturer or a manufacturer of an auto part used on the truck
