Were you hurt in a semi-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.

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.

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

What Our Clients Say

Phenomenal assistance with the most caring and awesome lawyers you can find. They will fully invest in you and you’re case and go above and beyond.

- Client

What Our Clients Say

“Richard and Alex were both great. I really appreciate their dillegence while working on my case, and also their quick responses whenever I had a legal question. I highly recommend them.”

- Client

What Our Clients Say

“Rich and his team at Rizk Law are a group of passionate, hardworking individuals who are dedicated to their clients, and will fight tooth and nail to make them whole again. I had the opportunity to work with the team at Rizk Law in 2018, and was constantly impressed by their attention to detail, and their breadth of knowledge.”

- Client

What Our Clients Say

“Very personable guy highly recommend his services. Knows how to take care of someone.”

- Client

Read more testimonials

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

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

Typical Injuries Resulting from a Truck Collision

Due to their more significant weight, big rigs will hit with far more violent force than smaller passenger vehicles. As a result, semi-truck accidents frequently cause severe injuries for those hit by the truck. Common examples of truck accident injury include:

Lacerations or degloving injuries
Burns from post-accident vehicle fires
Dislocated joints
Ligament sprains/tears
Muscle or tendon strains/tears
Broken bones
Nerve damage

Whiplash injury
Herniated disc injury
Internal organ damage and internal bleeding
Facial injuries
Traumatic brain injuries
Spinal cord injuries and paralysis
Traumatic amputation or limb loss

Why Trucking Accidents Are More Complicated Than Other Motor Vehicle Crashes

Truck accident victims frequently encounter obstacles and challenges in pursuing compensation claims that victims of other motor vehicle crashes typically do not face. Trucking accidents are typically much more complicated than auto accident claims because:

Truck Accident Injuries Are More Serious – Severe, life-altering injuries may require ongoing and future care. As a result, truck crash injuries may not heal by the time a claim must be presented. This can complicate settlement negotiations or litigation.

The Complexity of the Evidence – The technical nature of truck accident evidence may require injured victims to rely on experts to sift through piles of evidence to determine the cause(s) of the crash and identify at-fault parties.

The Number of Liable Parties – A truck accident can involve many potentially liable parties, each pointing to another. Since so much money may be on the line, parties may be motivated to engage in protracted litigation to shift financial responsibility to another.

The Trucking Company’s Insurance Coverage – Many large trucking companies purchase layered liability insurance policies, where each coverage layer is triggered only after the limits of a lower layer of coverage are exhausted. Such layered insurance policies can muddy the water when assessing the amount of coverage available to pay for trucking injuries and losses.

Contact a Truck Accident Lawyer in Portland Today

When you have suffered catastrophic injuries in a commercial truck accident, you need experienced legal counsel to level the playing field for you to stand up for your rights and interests.

Contact Rizk Law today for a free, no-obligation consultation with a Portland truck accident lawyer. You will learn how our truck accident law firm can help you seek financial recovery for your medical bills, lost earnings, and pain and suffering.

Monday	8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday	8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday	8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday	8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday	8:30 AM - 5:00 PM