Category Archives: Assault Attorneys
Mental Health Worker Stabbed and Killed by Patient
Date: May 20, 2012
Location: 200 block of South 15th Street, St. Helens
Names: Jennifer Warren, Brent Redd
A scheduled health visit went tragically wrong, police say, when a St. Helens man stabbed a mental health worker to death Sunday morning. The man police believe carried out the attack was the person being visited, and the one who called 9-1-1.
St. Helens Police Chief Steve Salle told Koin Local 6 that Jennifer Warren, an employee of Columbia Community Mental Health (CCMH), called to a residence on the 200 block of South 15th Street at about 8 a.m. for a scheduled health visit. She was going to see Brent Redd. CCMH released a statement Sunday night confirming Redd is a patient.
Just after 8 a.m., police received a 9-1-1 call from the same residence. When they arrived, they found Redd standing at the front door. Inside the house, they found Warren, who had been stabbed to death, as well as what they believe was the murder weapon.
Warren had been working with CCMH for 10 years. Redd pleaded guilty except for insanity in an attempted murder case in 2007. He was granted a conditional release from Oregon State Hospital in 2010.
We would like to extend our most sincere and heartfelt sympathies to the family and friends of Jennifer Warren at this horrible time.
Wrongful death claims are allowed by law. ORS 30.010-30.100.
The statute of limitations for a wrongful death claim is tricky. It is “three years after the injury causing the death . . . is discovered or reasonably should have been discovered. . . .” In other words, it’s not three years from the date of death; it’s three years from the date of the original injury that ultimately caused the death. If a person goes into a coma from a car crash, and dies eight months later, the case will have to be brought within three years from the date of the car crash, not from the date of the death.
Compensation available includes charges for medical expenses; memorial and burial services; compensation for the person’s pain, suffering, disability, and loss of income from the time of the injury through the time of death; financial losses to the person’s family or other heirs; compensation for the loss of companionship and services to the person’s spouse, children, stepchildren, stepparents and parents; and punitive damages may sometimes be available as well.
The law caps the amount of noneconomic damages at $500,000. This does not apply to economic damages, which are not capped.
Man Assaulted With Sports Trophy in Sandy Oregon
Date: March 14, 2012
Location: 53000 block of East Marmot Road, Sandy
Names: Brandon Alan Triplett, Christopher William Clevenger
When a Sandy-area man used a sports trophy to assault the new boyfriend of his ex-girlfriend, he landed himself in jail and is now facing a charge of, among other things, attempted first-degree assault.
According to the report in The Oregonian, Brandon Triplett, 33, of Sandy, started arguing with a man named Christopher Clevenger, 32, also of Sandy, about Triplett’s ex-girlfriend, Janica Parham. Police were called at around 2 a.m. Monday morning to intervene, but by the time they arrived, Triplett had already left. But the night’s events weren’t over.
Sometime after 4 a.m., a man identified as Triplett entered Parham’s home in the 53000 block of East Marmot Road, just outside Sandy. As Clevenger slept, Triplett allegedly hit him over the head with a sports trophy. Triplett was arrested a short time later.
We would like to wish Christopher Clevenger a quick recovery from his injuries after this shocking attack.
Intentional assault cases can be complicated. Besides criminal charges, the assailant can also be held accountable in a personal injury case. Victims of assault may also be entitled to compensation under personal injury law, so it is important to understand your rights in this situation.
Even if the person who assaulted you cannot pay, sometimes their insurance company will. You might be entitled to economic, non-economic, and punitive damages. A skilled Oregon assault attorney can investigate this for you, and handle your case, so you can focus on healing and recovery.
Man Stabbed Dog That Attacked a Smaller Dog
Date: May 8, 2012
Location: Veterans Administration disc golf course
Name: Brett Patton
The owners of a pit bull that was attacking a small dog say they did not give permission for the dog to be stabbed, but the man who killed the pit bull, and who himself was injured, says the dog’s owner told him to go ahead.
Brett Patton, of Winston, was playing disc golf with friends on the 14th hole, near the Veterans Administration entrance, when a pit bull broke free from his leash and attacked a small dachsund called Itty. Patton tried to separate the dogs and was injured himself, but when he saw the dachsund was being savaged, he says he pulled out his knife and asked the pit bull’s owner if he could kill it.
Patton says the owner said to go ahead and “kill my dog now,” and Patton then stabbed the pit bull several times before it died. The owner of the pit bull, who asked not to be named, later told KATU.com that she had never and would never give permission for her family dog to be killed, and that Patton took it upon himself to do so.
Itty was taken to the Companion Animal Clinic where he is being treated for critical injuries, according to Roseburg Police Officer Brent Harvey. Patton’s injuries were mostly scratches and puncture wounds, which he showed to reporters arriving on the scene.
Why do dogs bite? Dogs are not born bad – they become bad under bad owners. Dogs that are mistreated, left hungry or thirsty, or trained to be aggressive can be dangerous.
In 2009, over 4.7 million people were bitten by dogs according to the CDC. Injuries caused by dogs can be traumatic and life changing, especially if the victim is a child. So while aggressive dogs are to be avoided, if you or someone you know has been injured by a dog, you should definitely seek the help of a hard-working Portland dog bite attorney to fight for your rights and help you during your recovery.
Woman Crashed into Patrol Car Making a U-Turn to Chase Speeding Vehicle
Date: May 9, 2012
Location: Highway 38, near milepost 53, east of Drain
Names: Heather McDonald, Charles Mapes
A young Drain woman was injured when a Douglas County Sheriff’s Office deputy made a U-turn in front of her to chase a speeding vehicle on Highwy 38. OSP is conducting a crash investigation into the incident, which occurred Wednesday morning around 8 a.m.
The report on OregonLive.com said Heather McDonald, 20, from Drain, was driving a 1999 Honda Prelude northbound on Highway 38, about four miles east of Drain. McDonald was following a patrol car being driven by DCSO Deputy Charles Mapes, 46.
When Deputy Mapes spotted a speeding southbound vehicle, he pulled onto the right shoulder, then attempted a U-turn across the two northbound lanes, but Mapes was unable to avoid the patrol vehicle. The two vehicles collided, and the Honda’s airbags deployed.
Mapes was not injured in the collision, but McDonald was transported to Cottage Grove Community Hospital for treatment of what were described as minor injuries.
We would like to wish Heather McDonald a full and speedy recovery from her injuries after this unfortunate accident.
As Portland car accident attorneys, we know that filing an insurance claim can be extremely complicated and stressful. After a crash like this, any injured person can seek compensation through the at-fault driver’s insurance policy, or through their own uninsured motorist coverage.
Steps to Take for Filing an Insurance Claim after an Oregon Accident:
- Get medical treatment. If you’ve been injured, waiting to seek medical treatment can greatly affect the value of your claim.
- Right after the accident, write down any details you remember.
- Contact your insurance company and get a copy of your insurance policy if you don’t have one. Talk to your adjuster about using your personal injury protection (PIP) coverage for medical treatment, lost wages, etc.
- Determine the amount of property damage done.
- Start keeping good records. Get the police report, copies of medical bills, pictures of your car before and after repairs, etc.
- If you are considering hiring a lawyer, talk to the lawyer before you talk to the other driver’s insurance company.
- If you know you are not going to hire an attorney, contact the insurance company for the other driver yourself. Be honest, but do not give a recorded statement and do not admit any liability.
- Get all correspondence with both insurance companies in writing.
- Do not sign anything until you are done treating and are medically stationary.
- Check the statute of limitations on your claim. For most car accidents in Oregon, the time limit is two years, but this is not true for all cases. In some cases, you will only have 180 days – speaking to an attorney can clarify your time limits.
- Discuss your case with a car accident attorney in Portland who offers free consultations to start understanding the laws that affect your case and your rights as an accident victim.
But before you speak to the insurance adjuster or an attorney, you can learn more about the Oregon insurance claim process in the very helpful book, 7 Common Mistakes That Can Wreck Your Oregon Accident Case.
Man Released Fumes into Upstairs of Duplex, Injured 5
Date: May 2, 2012
Location: North 2nd and Wyeth Streets, St. Helens
Names: Patrick Henry Stangis, Chelsea Chapman, Justin Bentz
A St. Helens man is under arrest after police were called to investigate fumes that had been deliberately released inside a duplex. Five people were sickened in the incident and four were subsequently taken to the hospital.
St. Helens Chief of Police Steve Sallé told Koin Local 6 that his department received a call around 5 a.m. Wednesday morning. It’s the third time in the past week officers had been called to the duplex on North 2nd and Wyeth Streets in what Sallé described as an ongoing feud between the ground floor resident, 50-year-old Patrick Stangis, and the people living upstairs.
In this case, Stangis admitted pumping fumes into the upstairs unit’s air vent. He had previously burned hair near another neighbor’s air duct hoping to drive them out of the house.
The five people in the upstairs unit included three young women aged 18, 19 and 20, and two men aged 21 and 22. One of the victims, Chelsea Chapman, said when they noticed the fumes, one of the men, Justin Bentz, phoned the police, but before he could complete the call, he collapsed. In the end, one of the five was treated at the scene and four were taken to a local hospital with headaches, nausea and vomiting. Police believe a combination of paint thinners was used to mimic a nerve agent.
Stangis was arrested and now faces charges of assault, reckless endangerment and menacing.
We would like to wish all five people affected in this disturbing incident a full recovery.
Our Portland product liability attorneys understand the anguish and betrayal you feel when you purchase a product with reasonable expectations, only to be injured in return. We can represent you and navigate all the complexities of the products liability laws to ensure that you and your family receive maximum compensation for your injuries. You may be entitled to damages for:
- Present and future medical bills
- Loss of wages
- Disability
- Disfigurement
- Scarring
- Burns
- Rehabilitation
- Pain and suffering
- Mental anguish
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Impairment
