Portland Car Accident Lawyer
If you’ve been injured in a car accident, it can be difficult to know what your next steps should be. You may have medical bills and other expenses. Your life may have been changed dramatically in an instant. You want to make sure that you are protected and that the negligent driver is held accountable.
As an experienced car accident lawyer in Portland Oregon, Chad Stavley works with clients who have been injured due to someone else’s negligence or wrongdoing throughout Oregon and Washington. Our goal is always to get clients the compensation they deserve so they can focus on their recovery and moving forward with their lives after an accident.
For more information about how we can help you recover from your injuries and protect you from the insurance companies, contact us today. We offer free consultations so we can learn more about your case and you can learn more about us before deciding if we are the right fit for each other. Call (503) 546-8812.
No Pressure Free Consultation
Your free consultation is an opportunity for you to get to talk to Chad and ask him any questions you have. He will ask questions about include your property damage, medical treatment, medical history, the negligent parties, and your other accident-related losses. so that he can understand your case. Then, he'll answer any questions you have and lay out your options so that you can make an informed decision.
Avoid Making a Costly Mistake
A good law firm and a car accident lawyer can help you avoid making costly mistakes that could jeopardize your case. At the Law Office of Chad Stavley, we will work hard to make sure you are fully compensated for all your losses. There are lots of Oregon car accident lawyers, choose a Portland car accident lawyer with a history of getting results.
Statutes of Limitations in Oregon Car Accident Cases
Don't make the mistake of missing an important deadline and accidentally giving up your opportunity to seek financial recovery for your car-accident-related injuries. Statutes of limitations put deadlines on when you can bring a personal injury lawsuit. Generally, in Oregon, the statute of limitations for car accidents is two years for an injury and three years for a wrongful death case.
There are exceptions that can lengthen that time frame. You should always consult an experienced Portland car accident attorney as soon as possible. Don't make a mistake that could negatively impact your claim. Call the best car wreck lawyer at (503) 546-8812.
We Get The Evidence Needed to Win for Car Accident Victims
The first thing you have to be able to do is prove the other driver was at fault and not you. This is an area where an experienced car accident lawyer can be very helpful. Our legal team will work to locate witnesses, gather photos and videos, and hire good expert witnesses such as accident reconstructionists to get you the best car accident settlement.
We Defeat Comparative Negligence Defenses
The defense will try to claim you are partially responsible for the crash. If they succeed, you may lose some or all of any money you would otherwise receive.
In Oregon, a jury determines who was at fault and compares fault if they find both parties have some blame. If you are 51% at fault or more, you receive nothing. If the jury places less than 51% of the blame on you, then your verdict is reduced by any amount of fault they assign to you. For instance, If the jury finds the other driver 90% at fault and you 10% at fault, then the judge will reduce your verdict by 10%.
You want to get maximum compensation on your case and that won't happen if you are determined to be partially to blame. This is another reason to get an experienced car accident attorney to present your case. Chad Stavley has defeated hundreds of comparative negligence defenses. He can do the same for you.
Don't Let the Insurance Company Win With Causation Defenses
Insurance companies love to claim that your injuries weren't caused or made worse by their negligent driver. This is called a "causation defense." Good Portland car accident lawyers know to gather your prior medical records, talk to your doctors, consult experts where necessary, and prove that your injuries are related to the car crash.
Get a Portland Personal Injury Attorney Who Knows How to Prove Damages
Don't hope for a kind insurance adjuster that will be looking out for you, they don't exist. They work for companies that make huge profits by paying auto accident victims less than full compensation. to get the maximum compensation you have to effectively present your damages.
Depending on your case the damages may include medical expenses, wage losses, funeral expenses, and money for your non-economic damages, sometimes called pain and suffering. Don't let the insurance company convince you to cut them a break. You need a Portland car accident attorney willing to work hard to prove the full amount of your damages. We work with your doctors and experts to explain all the losses you have and will suffer.
Make Sure You Understand Auto Insurance Policies and How They Work
When you try to seek compensation after an auto accident, you'll likely hear a lot about auto insurance and maybe "policy limits." You need to work with a lawyer who will make this easy for you to understand so that you can make wise decisions. Contact an experienced car accident attorney and make sure you understand your options.
Get Medical Costs Paid Without Settling Your Case. Understand PIP Medical Coverage
Your Oregon auto insurance has personal injury protection (PIP). PIP covers at minimum $15,000 for accident-caused necessary medical treatment. That is basically free money you may not have to pay back. Medical professionals are familiar with PIP. When you seek medical attention after a crash, give medical providers your "PIP claim number." Call for free and we'll explain how to set this up.
Get Wage Losses Paid Without Settling Your Case
Your PIP also covers wage losses while you are unable to work. You don't have to settle your case against the negligent diver first. Again, this money often does not have to be repaid. If you have to miss work, you should be getting some money to help. Talk to Chad Stavley about PIP wage loss.
Bodily Injury Coverage for the Negligent Driver
Car insurance policies are for the purpose of protecting the policy owner from the financial consequences of a car accident. If the driver is at fault, their bodily injury policy is available to protect them from owing money after a lawsuit. If a person has a lot of money, they may choose to have high insurance policy limits so that their money is protected. If a person has no money, they may only have the minimum amount of bodily injury coverage required by law, if that.
But insurance policy limits aren't always the end of the discussion in a car accident claim. Sometimes the other driver has significant assets but bought cheap car insurance. Other times the insurance adjuster leaves themselves exposed to bad faith and effectively waives policy limits. Chad Stavley has collected money in excess of bodily injury policies on multiple occasions.
Negligent Drivers Can Be Covered By More Than One Policy
Sometimes a second insurance policy can cover the at-fault driver. A classical example of this is the person borrowing a friend's car. The friend's car insurance may cover the driver and his own policy will also be available. Don't let the other driver's insurance company have a freebie on your personal injury case. Get a lawyer with experience finding additional policies for clients involved in car accidents.
Minimum Insurance Policy Limits In Oregon
Oregon requires drivers to have coverage not less than $25,000 maximum per injured person and $50,000 maximum for all claimants from one crash. In serious car accidents, this can be completely inadequate. Some car accident attorneys will take a fee from a lay-down minimum policy limits cases even when the injuries sustained by their clients are severe. If you suffered severe injuries and Chad determines that the other driver has minimal policy limits that you could easily get yourself, he'll explain how to do that at no cost. Check Chad's reviews for proof. He's done this numerous times.
You've Paid Your Insurance Company Plenty, Now it's Their Turn. Understand UM/UIM Coverage
Uninsured and Underinsured motorist ("UM/UIM") coverage is a provision on your own car insurance that covers you when the other driver is uninsured or has low limits. If the other driver is uninsured and has no assets, you can make a claim directly against your own insurance carrier. If you are in a car collision with a driver who has low limits, your UIM coverage is available after you get policy limits from the other driver.
For example, if you have a car accident and your car accident injuries are such that your claim is potentially worth $300,000, but the at-fault driver has $100,000 policy limits, you will likely have a claim on your UIM policy. If your UIM limits are $250,000, then you could collect all of your $300,000 in damages. You would take $100,000 limits from the other driver and $200,000 from your UIM policy.
An experienced attorney who handles car accidents will be very familiar with handling UIM claims. Chad Stavley has handled many personal injury claims that involve UIM coverage. Make sure you hire a car accident lawyer who understands UIM claims.
Don't Pay Health Insurance Liens, Unless You Have To
If you exhausted all available PIP and had to use your health insurance to pay medical bills while your case was pending, then your health insurance company will likely assert a lien. This just means that your health insurance company demands to be repaid from the amounts you receive. In serious injury cases, liens can be huge. However, some liens don't have to be repaid. Whether you have to repay liens depends on your case, your insurance policy, and whether you can collect policy limits from all available insurance.
With Oregon motor vehicle accidents, it can really pay to discuss your potential liens with a lawyer who understands when liens have to be repaid and when they don't.
Featured Car Accident Cases
$1 Million
Mr. Stavley represented a couple that was hit head-on by a drunk driver.
$1.5 Million
Mr. Stavley represented the estate of a woman who was killed in a car accident on I-84 and her husband, who suffered multiple broken bones and lacerations. Initially, the at-fault driver's insurance company denied liability and offered nothing. Mr. Stavley worked up the case hard, retained multiple experts, and was ready for trial. Weeks before the trial, the insurance company relented and offered their $1 Million policy limits. Then the underinsured motorist carrier also paid their policy limits of an additional $500,000. The total recovery was $1.5 Million.
$125,000.00
Mr. Stavley represented a woman whose car was hit when a driver ran a red light. She suffered a pelvis fracture.
Questions About Car Accidents
If you have an Oregon insurance policy, you will have personal injury protection (PIP) on your own policy. PIP will pay for at least the first $15,000 of your “reasonable and necessary” medical expenses that occur within the first two years of the crash.
Yes. If you have an Oregon insurance policy, you will have PIP. PIP benefits include wage loss benefits with a maximum of 70% of your regular wage with a cap of $3,000 per month. Our office will help you get your PIP established so that you can focus on healing. We do not take any fee from PIP.
No. PIP covers passengers in a car too. It also covers pedestrians or cyclists struck by a car.
PIP benefits are available to the insured, members of the insured’s family or children living in the same household, passengers in the insured’s vehicle, and pedestrians hit by the insured.
Yes. You could have multiple policies covering you in circumstances where you were a passenger and also had your own PIP policy. You could potentially have coverage on a third policy if a member of your household had PIP.
Yes. PIP is primary. Your health insurance may deny coverage until all available PIP is exhausted.
First, PIP is only temporary coverage after a crash. Ultimately, they will be paid back by the at-fault driver’s insurance company. PIP is there to pay for things while the case is being sorted out. Otherwise, you may not be able to be seen by a doctor or get wages and other necessary expenses paid until the case is resolved.
You have several options to explore. First, does the person who hurt you have significant enough financial assets to make it worth going after them personally? Secondly, you want to check your own insurance policy for your UM/UIM limits. This stands for Uninsured Motorist/ Underinsured Motorist coverage. This is additional coverage that can be available to you.
UM is Uninsured Motorist coverage. If you are injured by someone without car insurance (or significant assets) then you can make a claim against your own insurance company up to the limits of your own insurance policy. So if you are hit by someone without insurance, you can still recover. UIM in Underinsured Motorist coverage. This applies in a situation where the person that injured you had car insurance, but their limits were not enough to fully compensate you. It works like this: you recover policy limits from the at-fault driver’s insurance company, then you go after your own insurance company for your UIM coverage. An example might be helpful: assume the person that hit you has a $25,000 policy and you have a $50,000 UM/UIM policy. You can collect up to $25,000 from them and then up to an additional $50,000 from your own insurance company. If you had a $100,000 policy, you could collect the $25,000 from the other driver and then up to $100,000 from your own insurance company.
Every case is unique. There is no formula that determines the value of your car accident case. The best thing you can do is hire a good personal injury attorney with trial experience and listen to their advice.
If you have been offered money by an insurance company for your personal injury claim and don't know whether it is fair or not, call for a free consultation. If it seems fair, I'll tell you not to hire me.
We work on a strictly contingent fee basis. This means that you don’t pay us until the very end and then we take a percentage of the recovery. You will never have to come out-of-pocket for anything. We front all case expenses. Call and we can discuss my fee agreement.
This really depends on the facts of your case. Call me and I’d be happy to discuss this with you.
This really depends on the facts of your case. Call me and I’d be happy to discuss this with you for free.
There are a variety of factors that determine the value of a car accident case including, the injuries, the impact the injuries have on a person’s life, their age, medical expenses, wage losses and impact the injury will have on a person’s ability to earn a living, the venue (what court we’d be in) and the skill of the lawyer.
We have dealt with all kinds of injuries related to car crash cases from catastrophic injuries like traumatic brain injury to minor injuries. Some specific injuries we have seen include spinal cord injuries, head injuries including traumatic brain injuries, hip injuries, seat belt injuries such as colon injuries, neck injuries, broken bones, and emotional trauma.
Car accidents happen in many different ways. We have represented injured victims from car crashes caused by drunk drivers, distracted driving, head-on collisions, rollover accidents, motorcycle accidents, pedestrian accidents, bicycle accidents, and many other kinds of auto accidents.
Yes. Chad Stavley started his career as a Deputy District Attorney in Multnomah County. As a criminal prosecutor, he handled hundreds of drunk driving cases. he understands the legal process in civil court and in criminal court. Many personal injury lawyers will accept cases where a drunk driver is to blame, but not many have experience prosecuting drunk drivers.
Our law firm is based in Portland but Mr. Stavley represents victims with serious injuries throughout Oregon and Washington.
Many law firms hold themselves out as trial attorneys but have never won a trial. They take as many cases as possible and process them in an assembly line fashion. If the defense doesn't make fair settlement offers on our cases, we have a history of trying cases and winning.
Reviews from Clients
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