OREGON PERSONAL INJURY VERDICT RESEARCH

Plaintiff was in two rear-end car accidents within a week. He sued both the at-fault drivers and alleged that each caused his need for cervical discectomy and fusion. Prior to trial, Plaintiff settled with the driver from the first crash. He proceeded to trial against the second at-fault driver. The jury found that the settling driver caused 50% of the damage to Plaintiff therefore the verdict was reduced by 50% from $120,087.26 to $60,043.63.

This case involved a DUII crash. The decedent was a passenger in a ranch truck driven by Defendant Enriquez. The truck was owned by Defendant Flynn. The estate of the decedent brought suit against the drunk driver but also the owner for negligently entrusting the vehicle with the drunk driver. The jury found that the owner was not negligent and that the decedent was 50% comparative negligent for riding with the drunk driver. Damages were therefore reduced by 50%.

$1,000 in punitive damages.

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Verdict was after a 60% reduction for negligence attributed to a settling party. $28,018.40 in attorney fees awarded per to ORS 20.080.

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The court awarded $34,970.00 in attorney fees pursuant to ORS 20.080.

Verdict listed was after 25% reduction for comparative negligence.

This was an odd case where the Plaintiff settled his claims but left open the Defendants counterclaims. Defendant brought his claims to trial and won but the jury assigned 40% of the negligence to defendant thus reducing the verdict accordingly.

This lawsuit arose from natural gas explosions that occurred in Northwest Portland, Oregon on October 19, 2016.  On the day of the incident, employees of Defendant Loy Clark Pipeline Co. were doing excavation work at the north corner of NW Glisan Street and NW 23rd Avenue. During the excavation work, they damaged a natural gas line.  Natural gas then began leaking out of that gas line and some of that gas made its way into the basement of a building adjacent to the excavated sidewalk through an underground route and eventually ignited. Defendant admitted that it was negligent in causing the explosions.  Plaintiff, Dr. Scott Shephard, owns and operates a chiropractic clinic, located on the corner of 23rd and Flanders.  At the time of the explosions, Dr. Shephard was inside a room of his chiropractic clinic. He alleged that the explosions caused him injury to his head, inner ear, chest, neck and back, including a brain injury and resulting cognitive damage. He sought $600,000 for past and future medical expenses, lost wages and impaired earnings capacity, and $5,000,000.00 for non-economic damages. Plaintiff also sought $10,000,000.00 for punitive damages.