Portland car accident: Here’s why you need a personal injury attorney

Personal Injury Lawyers | Portland, ME | Lowry & Associates

Right after an accident, regardless of the cause, it is okay to feel overwhelmed and shocked. Your immediate concern should be about getting medical assistance for everyone involved. If the crash or accident was a serious one, you must file an Oregon Traffic Accident and Insurance Report within 72 hours. This is when the accident has resulted in property damage worth $2500 or more, and/or has caused serious injuries or death. One of the other key steps is to call a Portland injury attorney. Here’s why you need an attorney by your side. 

  1. Because you want to protect your interests. If you are sure that the other party’s negligence or carelessness led to the accident, you should consider filing an insurance claim with their insurer. If your claim is rejected or you are offered a small settlement, you can then decide on filing a personal injury lawsuit. Your attorney is your best resource for protecting your interests. They can take over negotiations with the insurance company, and if needed, they can represent you at trial. 
  2. Because you were partly responsible. It often happens that more than one party is at fault for accidents and crashes. In such cases, Oregon follows the “modified comparative negligence” rule. This means that your awarded compensation will reduce by your percentage of share in the accident. An attorney can work on your case to ensure that you are not unnecessarily blamed for the accident and get the compensation you deserve. 
  3. Because the fault is not clear. If there is no clarity on what caused the accident, you definitely need to hire a personal injury attorney. This is because the other party may try to shift the blame on you. Also, insurance companies often try new tactics to deny or delay claims. With an attorney by your side, there are lesser reasons to feel threatened or overwhelmed. 

Get an appointment

You have to consider getting an appointment with a personal injury attorney before you take things ahead. An experienced lawyer knows what it takes to defend the client, but more importantly, they will be able to give a realistic idea of the case. If needed, your lawyer may agree to a settlement, simply often as they don’t expect something better to come out of the trial. 

Search on Google now for best-rated personal injury attorneys in Portland and don’t forget to ask for references. 

Jennifer Winget

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