What to Know About Automobile Accidents
We are a Driving Culture and Collisions Come with the Territory
Portland Auto Accident Lawyer, Steve Smucker; He Knows the Rules of the Road
Dos and Don’ts Following an Automobile Accident
Wrongful Death Claims Arising from Highway collisions
Common Causes of Automobile Accidents
Oregon Law States
We are a Driving Culture and Collisions Come with the Territory
Most people in this country drive vehicles. According to the Federal Highway Administration, 88% of the driving age population has a driver’s license.
Car accident injuries are the leading cause of death for Americans ages 6 to 33. The Oregon Department of Transportation reported that there were 46,000 motor vehicle accidents resulting in 27,503 injuries and 451 deaths in 2000.
Portland Auto Accident Lawyer, Steve Smucker
He Knows the Rules of the Road
If you have been seriously injured in an auto accident caused by another driver’s negligence, you need the legal skill and knowledge of an experienced personal injury lawyer.
Getting insurance companies to surrender fair compensation to you can be difficult. The company’s job is to pay out as little as possible. A skilled car accident attorney can level the playing field and ensure the company pays fair compensation for your losses. Although the defendant’s insurance company is responsible for covering your losses, these businesses have the resources to evade or stall the process if they think it will benefit them in the end.
Steve Smucker, an experienced auto accident lawyer at PortlandLawyer.com, knows the laws and how to use them to achieve justice for you. If hired, he will represent you and present your case with the knowledge, skill, and confidence that comes from years of experience. Begin your recovery today; contact Portland lawyer Steve Smucker for a free consultation.
With extensive experience handling all types of personal injury claims —from cervical strain and whiplash to severe, life threatening spinal cord injuries and traumatic brain injuries—Smucker understands the implications for clients and households when debilitating injuries occur. There is tremendous expense and sacrifice involved in caring for a seriously injured motorist permanently disabled from a traumatic brain injury or unable to maintain earning capacity due to the catastrophic loss of a limb. While nothing can change what happened, having the necessary funds for medical care available can be comforting if you’ve been seriously injured and are unable to work. Immediate rehabilitation is critical to your overall recovery after a catastrophic bodily injury.
As an auto accident lawyer, Smucker specializes in recovering the insurance benefits due you. Frequently, this requires the initiation of legal action. It may not be your first choice, but when necessary it is an advantage to have a lawyer who can take your case to trial with confidence. Learn more about Smucker’s legal expertise and what his clients have to say. See client case results.
Dos and Don’ts Following an Automobile Accident
- Seek medical care immediately, attend follow-up visits and follow physician’s medications and therapy recommendations.
- Take pictures of the scene, vehicles, and injuries.
- Call the police.
- Get witness statements to corroborate date, time, road conditions, speed of travel, etc.
- Keep medical bills and other related materials in a safe place.
- Call your insurance company
- Do not give a statement or sign anything for the other driver’s insurance company without consulting an attorney.
- Keep notes on how you feel, how your injuries and pain interfere with your ability to perform daily tasks, etc.
- Call a personal injury attorney specializing in motor vehicle accidents.
Wrongful Death Claims Arising from Highway Collisions
Wrongful death claims exist for the estates of motorists who have been killed on the highways due to another driver’s negligence. If you are the personal representative of an estate seeking counsel in a wrongful death, contact Steve Smucker for a free consultation.
Common Causes of Automobile Accidents
- Driver Error
This includes failure to yield the right of way, following too closely, driving at excessive speeds, unsafe passing, and disregard of traffic control devices.
- Distractions
When a driver's attention is diverted from the road, the chance of an accident increases. Distractions occur inside and outside cars—a loose dog on the roadside, or a child having a tantrum in the back seat.
- Intoxication
Alcohol or drugs impair a motorist’s ability to drive, effecting judgment, perception, and physical coordination.
Oregon Law States
UCJI 35.01: Basic Speed Rule
Oregon law prohibits a person driving a motor vehicle upon a highway at a speed greater than is reasonable and prudent, having due regard to the traffic, surface, and width of the highway, the hazard at intersections, weather, visibility and any other conditions then existing.
UCJI 35.04: Lookout
It is the continuing duty of every driver to keep and maintain a reasonable lookout for other vehicles or persons on the street or highway. A reasonable lookout means such as would be maintained by a reasonably prudent person under the same or similar circumstances. A person does not comply with the duty to keep a reasonable lookout by simply looking and not seeing that which is plainly visible and which would have been seen be a reasonably prudent person under the same or similar circumstances
UCJI 35.05: Following Too Closely
Oregon law prohibits a driver from following another too closely, but does not attempt to determine any arbitrary or fixed distance at which one driver should follow another under all circumstances. The law provides that a driver shall not follow a vehicle more closely than is reasonable and prudent, having due regard for the speed of the vehicles, and the traffic upon and condition of the highway.
If you want an expert automobile accident lawyer on your side, contact Steve Smucker for a free consultation. He will answer questions involving the collision, and help you decide how to proceed.