Portland Personal Injury Attorneys

Carver Crash Injures Three, Requires High Angle Rescue

Date: May 31, 2009
Location: Highway 224 and SE 197th Avenue, Carver, OR
Type:  Car Accident
Outcome: 3 Minor Injuries
Names: Alexandria Anderson, Tammy Lynn Wissman, David Hensley

Three people were injured in a two-vehicle car crash this morning on Highway 224 near Carver. According to a Salem-News.com report, 24-year-old Canby resident Alexandria Anderson was driving westbound on Highway 224 in a 1977 Volkswagen Beetle convertible when she lost control around a curve in the road. The Volkswagen then drifted into the eastbound lane, slamming into the passenger side of a Jeep Sahara SUV driven by Tammy Lynn Wissman of Boring.

The force of the collision caused the Jeep to roll onto its top, while Anderson’s vehicle toppled off the road and down an 80 foot embankment.  Anderson was transported by American Medical Response via High Angle Rescue to Oregon Health Sciences University for treatment, though her injuries did not appear to be life-threatening. Wissman’s passenger, David P. Hensley, was also injured in the crash and taken to Mt. Hood Medical Center. Wissman refused medical transport, though she did sustain minor injuries from the collision.

While we are extremely relieved that the injuries from this collision were not more serious, our thoughts remain with the crash victims.  We pray that each of them makes a quick and complete recovery.

It is unclear from this report whether or not Anderson was speeding at the time of the crash, or if there were other factors that caused her to lose control of her vehicle.  In any case, Tammy Wissman and David Hensley would be well advised to get in touch with a well-recommended Oregon personal injury attorney who will thoroughly investigate the details of the crash and help them get the compensation they deserve.  The best Oregon personal injury attorneys will give a comprehensive consultation to injured victims about their case absolutely free of charge. For more information, see our guidelines and hard rules to finding a good personal injury lawyer.

Important questions to consider when hiring a lawyer:
Does the lawyer understand how to help me pay my medical bills after an accident?
What kind of time limits are involved?
Are there any hard rules to follow when looking for a great personal injury lawyer?

Bicycle vs Bicycle Collision Injures Portland Woman

Date: May 26, 2009
Location: Steel Bridge and NE Lloyd Boulevard, Portland, OR
Type:  Bike Accident
Outcome: 1 Minor Injury
Names: Unknown

A Portland woman was injured last week in a hit-and-run bike-on-bike collision. According to BTA Board Member Mary Roberts, the woman was riding her bicycle eastward up to the bike/ped trail junction at NE Lloyd Blvd when a southbound cyclist rounded the corner wide and collided with her. The woman then fell from her bike and was unable to get up; the other cyclist, seemingly unharmed, biked away from the scene without stopping.

The collision left the woman with a broken bone in her leg that required hospitalization and surgery. At this point, it may be months before she is able to ride her bicycle again.

We wish the very best for the injured biker and pray that she makes a full and speedy recovery.  To be biking one day and in a hospital bed the next must be a truly traumatic experience.  Our hearts go out to her and her family.

As fellow members of the Portland biking community, we at Shulman DuBois are deeply disturbed by the apparent lack of human empathy on the part of the second bicyclist.  We believe that Portland should be a safe place to ride your bike — and that includes looking out for one another.

This kind of collision also raises questions about the overall safety of Portland roadways for bikes and bikers. According to Roberts, the intersection where the collision took place is “treacherous” and “poorly designed for the level of use it gets.” In this case, the injured victim may want to consider consulting a personal injury attorney with experience in bicycle accidents about her options in this case — and to do so soon.

While the normal time limit for filing an Oregon injury lawsuit is 2 years, if the victim decides to sue the City of Portland or Multnomah County for creating what appears to be a dangerous bike intersection, she has to file a tort claim notice within 180 days of the incident.  This time limit is strict.  Failure to meet it would mean she loses all rights to hold the City or County responsible for creating a dangerous situation.

Russell Smithson killed in hit-and-run | Oregon Car Accident Lawyer

Date: May 29, 2009
Location: South Hayden Road, Estacada, OR
Type:  Hit-and-run
Outcome: 1 fatality
Names: Russell Evan Smithson, Jonathan Charles Leonard

29-year-old Russell “Rusty” Evan Smithson of Estacada was tragically killed early this morning by a hit-and-run driver. Smithson was walking along South Hayden Road around 2:00 a.m. with future brother-in-law Jonathan Leonard when a vehicle hit Smithson and then drove away.  The two men had apparently started walking down the road after their motorcycle had broken down nearby. Leonard was not harmed.
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Seven people injured in Highway 97 crash | Oregon Car Accident Lawyer

Date: May 23, 2009
Location: Highway 97, near Madras, OR
Type:  Car Accident
Outcome: 7 Injuries
Names: William Bunton, Shirley Bunton, Aldwin Keo, Jeremiah Smith, Luther Keo, Andre Thomas, James Keo

Seven people were injured Saturday afternoon in a head-on two-vehicle crash on Highway 97, just south of Madras. William Bunton, 66, was headed north on Highway 97 with his wife, Shirley Bunton, when their 2005 Nissan truck and camper crossed the center line and crashed into a 2001 Pontiac Gran Prix, The Bellingham Herald reported.  Bunton and his wife, along with Aldwin Keo, the driver of the Pontiac, and all four of his passengers (Jeremiah Smith, Luther Keo, Andre Thomas, and James Keo) were transported to area hospitals with unspecified injuries.
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Careless driving crash injures eight on Wilson River Highway | Oregon Car Accident Lawyer

Date: May 25, 2009
Location: Northwest Wilson River Highway and Gales Creek Road, Gales Creek, OR
Type:  Car Accident
Outcome: 8 Minor Injuries
Names: Heidi Fuiten, Robert Lee Graves, Yareli Venegas, Jesus Velazquez, Kasandra Ducan

Eight people were injured in a three-car crash on the Wilson River Highway on Monday evening. According to The Oregonian, Heidi M. Fuiten, 47, was attempting to turn left on to Gales Creek Road while headed west on the Wilson River Highway when she was rear-ended by 19-year-old Robert Lee Graves in a 2008 Toyota Tacoma pickup truck. The force of the collision sent Fuiten’s BMW convertible into oncoming traffic, where Jesus Velazquez, who was driving east in a Ford Expedition SUV, crashed into Fuiten head-on.
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Driver passes out; three are hospitalized | Oregon Car Accident Lawyer

Date: May 20, 2009
Location: SE 82nd Avenue, Portland, OR
Type:  Car Accident
Outcome: 3 Minor Injuries
Names: Not released

Three people were injured in a two-vehicle crash Wednesday evening on SE 82nd Avenue in Portland, OR. The driver of a 2009 Chevy Impala, who appeared to have passed out while driving, crashed into the side of a Honda Civic in front of her.  Both vehicles ended up going off the road, knocking down a power pole and hitting a fire hydrant.

All three parties were transported to a hospital.  Fortunately, none of their injuries seemed to be life-threatening, Portland Police Officer Greg Pashley reported.

It is unclear at this point whether or not the woman driving the Impala had a previous medical condition that may have caused her to lose consciousness at the wheel, or was otherwise impaired. These kinds of car accidents can be especially complicated, because it is difficult to say exactly who, if anybody, is at fault. It may be that the woman knew that she had a certain medical condition, and should not have been driving. It may be that she was on prescription medication that had side effects her doctor did not warn her about. And it may be that it was a completely random incident. Thorough research and investigation will be needed to sort out the details of this case — something that a competent personal injury lawyer should be able to do.

47-year-old critically injured in two-vehicle crash | Oregon Car Accident Lawyer

Date: May 21, 2009
Location: Highway 219 and Northeast Bell Road, near Newberg, OR
Type:  Car Accident
Outcome: One major injury
Names: Jack Ashburn, Ryan Wilson

Beaverton resident Jack Ashburn, 47, was critically injured this morning in a two-vehicle crash on Oregon 219, near Newberg. The Oregon State Police reported that Ashburn was driving a 1992 Chevrolet pickup when a 2005 Volkswagen Jetta drove into his path. The driver of the Jetta was identified as Ryan Wilson, 28, of Newberg.

According to The Oregonian, Ashburn was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash, and was thrown from the pickup when it rolled over. He sustained major injuries, and was transported by a LifeFlight helicopter to Legacy Emanuel Hospital in Portland. Wilson survived the crash uninjured.

We wish the very best for Jack Ashburn, and pray that he makes a full recovery.

With Ashburn in our thoughts and prayers, we at Shulman DuBois would like to take the opportunity to remind everyone to buckle up and stay safe out on the roads this holiday weekend. According to the Oregon State Police, ten people were killed in traffic accidents over Memorial Day weekend in 2007, and two people died in traffic crashes over Memorial Day weekend last year. Finally, remember that if you do happen to get into a car crash, there are people who can help protect you and your family.

Shulman DuBois, LLC, is located in Portland, Oregon, and serves clients in all Oregon cities and counties, including: Portland, Beaverton, Multnomah County, Hillsboro, Gresham, Lake Oswego, West Linn, Tualatin, Troutdale, Sellwood, Corvallis, Salem, Eugene, and Albany.