Walterville Woman Seriously Injured in Hwy 126 Crash

Date:  May 27, 2012
Location:  Highway 126, junction with Camp Creek Road, Walterville
Names:  Donna Glass, Gregory Montgomery

A Walterville woman was flown by LifeFlight helipcopter to Sacred Heart Medical Center at RiverBend after a two-vehicle collision Sunday afternoon. The woman sustained serious injuries in the crash, which happened on Highway 126 at around 1 p.m.

OSP Trooper Michael Berland told KVAL TV that Donna Glass, 89, from Walterville, was driving a Mercury station wagon on Highway 126, when she tried to make a left turn onto Camp Creek Road. Instead, she turned into the path of a Saturn station wagon being driven by Gregory Montgomery, 53, from Springfield, and the two vehicles collided.

Glass’s car went nose-first into the roadside ditch, and when emergency responders arrived on the scene, they discovered she had received serious injuries. She was flown to RiverBend, where she continues to be treated for her injuries. Montgomery was reportedly not injured in the collision.

We send our best wishes to Donna Glass for a full and speedy recovery from her injuries after this very 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:

1. Get medical treatment. If you’ve been injured, waiting to seek medical treatment can greatly affect the value of your claim.
2. Right after the accident, write down any details you remember.
3. 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.
4. Determine the amount of property damage done.
5. Start keeping good records. Get the police report, copies of medical bills, pictures of your car before and after repairs, etc.
6. If you are considering hiring a lawyer, talk to the lawyer before you talk to the other driver’s insurance company.
7. 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.
8. Get all correspondence with both insurance companies in writing.
9. Do not sign anything until you are done treating and are medically stationary.
10. 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.
11. 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.

Pickup Truck Crossed Center Line, Hit Two Motorcyclists

Date:  May 28, 2012
Location:  Highway 7, milepost 40, Baker County
Names:  Leta Louise Currey, Joanne Mohrland, Derrick Coates

One woman was killed Monday afternoon, and another woman was critically injured in a crash involving a pickup truck and a group of motorcyclists. The accident happened on Highway 7, in Baker County.

Oregon State Police released a statement to KTVB.com which said the horrific accident happened at about 12:30 Monday. Derrick Coates, 24, from Baker City, was driving south on Highway 7 in a 1994 Nissan pickup. Near milepost 40, a group of four northbound motorcycles came in Coates’ direction.

After the first motorcycle passed him, Coates’ pickup crossed the center line and collided with the second and third motorcycles in the group of four. One of the motorcycles struck was being driven by Leta Currey, 46, from Pendleton, who was pronounced dead at the scene. In a tragic twist of fate, Currey’s husband had been on the first motorcycle, which had not been hit by Coates.

The woman on the other motorcycle that was hit by Coates, a 2004 Harley Davidson, was Joanne Mohrland, 53, from Walla Walla Washington, whose husband was on the fourth motorcycle and was not struck by the pickup. Mohrland was critically injured and was flown by LifeFlight to Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise, Idaho, where she remained in critical condition Monday night.

Coates received only minor injuries in the crash and did not require hospitalization. The OSP are continuing their investigation into events leading up to the crash.

We would like to extend our deepest sympathies to Leta Currey’s husband, family and friends at this very sad time, and we also send our best wishes for a full recovery to Joanne Mohrland. Our thoughts are with you.

Anytime a motorcycle fatality occurs, we are reminded of the high injury and death rates for motorcycle riders. Several factors contribute to the potential risk, but probably none more so than motorists seeming inability to see motorcycles. Certainly rider skill can come into play, and we absolutely welcome the Oregon law requiring motorcycle skills training. However, no matter how safely a person rides, a car driver who isn’t looking will remain a danger to a motorcyclist.

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.

85-Year-Old Woman Critically Injured in Single-Car Crash

Date:  May 11, 2012
Location:  Highway 238 and Forest Creek Road, near milepost 28, east of Ruch
Name:  Dorothy Livingston

An 85-year-old woman is in critical condition after her car flipped several times in a single-vehicle accident Friday morning, easy of Ruch. The accident happened on Highway 238 just after 10:30 a.m.

OSP Senior Trooper Jeff Allison told OregonLive.com that a 2004 Toyota Camry being driven eastbound on Highway 238 by Dorothy Livingston, 85, from Ruch, was near milepost 28 when it drove off the north (left hand) side of the highway, into a ditch. The car hit a stop sign at Forest Creek Road, then struck a culvert and went airborne, flipping end over end several times before finally coming to rest on its wheels.

When emergency responders arrived on the scene, they discovered that Livingston had been critically injured in the crash. She was rushed to Rogue Valley Medical Center, where she remains in a critical condition.

Car accidents can be life-changing, and we hope Dorothy Livingston is able to fully recover soon.

While many single-car accidents seem uncomplicated, there are sometimes other factors to consider. If you have been injured in a single-car accident like the one described here, you may be able to receive compensation in several instances:

1. If poor road conditions, poor signage, or bad traffic control contributed to the accident, there may be a lawsuit available against the city, county, or state. In cases against a public body, you may only have 180 days to file a tort claim notice (in most cases) so act quickly to protect your rights.
2. If the car’s mechanic was negligent in his last repairs, contributing to the accident, there may be a lawsuit available against the mechanic or his business.
3. If the car’s manufacturer was negligent, you may be able to file a product liability suit against them. Car manufacturers have often been held accountable for design defects and manufacturing defects, and these lawsuits help ensure that future drivers are not hurt by negligent safety standards.

If you have been injured in a single-car accident that you believe may not have been your fault, you can call a Portland car accident lawyer for help with your investigation at 503-222-4411. Or you can learn more about filing your own claim by reading the book 7 Common Mistakes That Can Wreck Your Oregon Accident Case.

SUV and Moving Van Collided in Eugene Injury Accident

Date:  April 20, 2012
Location:  MLK Boulevard, east of Autzen Stadium, Eugene
Names:  Mabel Robertson, Manuel Torrez

Two people were injured Friday afternoon, one of them critically, in a head-on collision between an SUV and a moving van.

According to the report on KVAL.com, the accident happened at about 1:30 Friday, just east of Autzen Stadium, on MLK Boulevard. A Eugene Police Department spokesperson says initial indications are that Mabel Robertson, 81, was driving a white SUV. For reasons unknown, the vehicle crossed the center line and into the path of oncoming traffic. The SUV collided head-on with a moving van being driven by Manuel Torrez.

When emergency responders arrived on the scene, they discovered that Robertson had been critically injured in the crash. She was rushed to a local hospital, where she remains in a critical condition. Torrez was also injured in the collision, and he was taken to the hospital for treatment.

We hope both Mabel Robertson and Manuel Torrez are able to recover from their injuries after this worrying crash.

When something like this happens, it can hard to determine what were the factors that ultimately caused the accident. Maybe Robertson had a medical emergency. Perhaps there was another reason her vehicle swerved into the wrong lane. You may be surprised to read this from a personal injury attorney, but it may be nobody’s fault. In legal terms, this is known as an “Act of God,” or an event beyond anyone’s control.

But a personal injury lawyer can help investigate, to help determine if there was a medical problem, an unseen road block, a pedestrian that ran out in front of the car, etc.

Hiring a personal injury lawyer means you will not have to deal with investigation yourself.

Investigation includes:

1. Analyzing police and fire reports, as well as insurance reports
2. Understanding the injuries, including the doctor’s notes and treatment plans
3. Examination of the accident scene, the surrounding circumstance, and even hiring an accident forensics specialist if needed
4. A determination of causality
5. Assessment of all damages, including medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering

If you’ve been in an accident, and you are unsure the cause or possible liability, call an experienced Portland personal injury lawyer for help – and they can help you understand your legal options. If there’s a question about who’s at fault for an accident, getting bills paid can be delayed and be complicated – so get help today.

Medical Emergency May Have Caused I-5 Crash

Date:  April 19, 2012
Location:  I-5, milepost 16, near Ashland
Name:  Marleen B. Walmsley

Oregon State Police have said they think a medical emergency may have been responsible for a single-vehicle crash on I-5 Thursday afternoon. The driver later died after being taken to a local hospital.

It was reported on KTVL News 10 that Marleen Walmsley, 65, from Ashland, was driving a 1996 Mazda MPV southbound on I-5, just after 4 p.m. Thursday. Near milepost 16, the vehicle left the roadway, hit a highway sign and then rolled over.

Emergency responders found Walmsley unresponsive, so they immediately started CPR and rushed her to Ashland Community Hospital. She was later transferred to Rogue Valley Medical Center, but staff were unable to revive Walmsley, and she died. Police believe she suffered a medical emergency prior to the vehicle leaving the road.

We would like to extend our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Marleen Walmsley at this tragic time.

When something like this happens, it can hard to determine the reason for the accident. You may be surprised to read this from a personal injury attorney, but it may be nobody’s fault. In legal terms, this is known as an “Act of God,” or an event beyond anyone’s control.

But a personal injury lawyer can help investigate, to help determine if there was a medical problem, an unseen road block, a pedestrian that ran out in front of the car, etc.

Hiring a personal injury lawyer means you will not have to deal with investigation yourself.

Investigation includes:

1. Analyzing police and fire reports, as well as insurance reports
2. Understanding the injuries, including the doctor’s notes and treatment plans
3. Examination of the accident scene, the surrounding circumstance, and even hiring an accident forensics specialist if needed
4. A determination of causality
5. Assessment of all damages, including medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering

If you’ve been in an accident, and you are unsure the cause or possible liability, call an experienced Portland personal injury lawyer for help – and they can help you understand your legal options. If there’s a question about who’s at fault for an accident, getting bills paid can be delayed and be complicated – so get help today.