Portland Personal Injury Attorneys

Motorcyclist Injured in Crash with Suspended Driver | Oregon Accident Attorneys

Date: October 9, 2009
Location: Hwy. 140 & S 6th Street, Klamath Falls, Oregon
Names: Dwight Gobble, Eric Stowers

Dwight Gobble, 41, of Malin, Oregon, was seriously injured October 9, 2009, while riding his motorcycle in Klamath Falls, Oregon, when Eric Stowers, 26, steered his truck into the motorcycle’s path. (more…)

Brooks Oregon Man Seriously Injured in Crash with Truck

Date: October 2, 2009
Location: Highway 99E, Brooks, Oregon
Names: Abimeal Jaime, Dvane H. Wood

According to The Oregonian, Abimeal Jaime, 27, of Keizer, Oregon, was seriously injured in a collision with a truck driven by Dvane H. Wood, 45, of Damascus, Oregon. The accident occurred October 2, 2009, around 3:30 AM.

Jaime was traveling north on Highway 99E, in Brooks, Oregon, when his 1999 Honda Civic veered into southbound traffic and crashed into a Freightliner truck driven by Wood. An ambulance transported Jaime to Salem Hospital. Wood, who was wearing a seat belt, was not hurt in the wreck; it was not known whether Jaime was using passenger restraints.

The Oregon State Police are investigating the possibility that alcohol was a factor in the wreck.

Responding to the crash were state police officials, the Marion County Fire District, and the Oregon Department of Transportation. The accident closed down the highway for about three hours.

Our thoughts go out to the family and friends of Jaime and Wood during this difficult time. This was a tragedy that never should have happened.

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.
Visit our car accident resource library.
Get a free 70+ page book Seven Common Mistakes That Can Wreck Your Oregon Accident Case.
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Grandmother, Baby Grandson Killed in Rollover | Oregon Car Accident Lawyers

Date: September 27, 2009
Location: I-84 near Baker City, Oregon
Names: Juana Lopez-Lopez, Jonathan Mendoza-Lopez, Raul Mendoza-Lopez, Mireya Lopez, Hahir Emmanuel Mendoza-Lopez

A family vacation turned tragic September 27, 2009, when a car containing five family members swerved off the road and rolled down an embankment, killing a 60-year-old grandmother and a 4-month-old infant. Dead in the crash were Juana Lopez-Lopez and her tiny grandson, Jonathan Mendoza-Lopez.

According to Idaho Press-Tribune, the accident took place at about 6:25 AM, near Baker City, Oregon, on Interstate 84. Five members of the Lopez family were returning from a weekend gathering. Raul Mendoza-Lopez, 25, his wife, Mireya Lopez, 23, and the baby’s brother, Hahir Emmanuel Mendoza-Lopez, 4, all of Nampa, Idaho, were injured in the crash.

The devastating chain of events began as the family traveled east on the freeway, when their Ford Explorer started to drift to the left onto the gravel shoulder of the center median. Raul Mendoza-Lopez tried to steer back onto the road, but overcorrected, driving back across two eastbound lanes before swerving off the south shoulder onto an embankment. The vehicle then rolled several times, coming to rest about 50 feet away from the highway.

When the car finally stopped, Juana and Jonathan were dead. All the car’s occupants were wearing safety restraints. But Jonathan, who was in an infant seat in front, was thrown from the vehicle. According to news reports, authorities are checking on whether the safety seat was properly installed.

The driver and 4-year-old Hahir, who was in a booster seat in the back, were transported to St. Elizabeth Health Services with non-life-threatening injuries. Mireya Lopez was treated and released from Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center.

Eastbound lanes of the interstate were partially blocked for approximately six hours while emergency crews responded to and investigated the crash.

When children are injured, the law can get complicated fast. For example, while the standard Oregon injury case must be filed within two years of the accident, the statute of limitations for children, on the other hand, is not so straightforward. ORS 12.160 steps you through the process for figuring out the statute of limitations. First, the regular statute of limitations applies. Second, it doesn’t start running until the child turns 18 years old. But, third, the statute cannot be extended more than five years, and fourth, it cannot be extended beyond the child’s 19th birthday.

While accidents like this one can seem black or white, a closer investigation will sometimes turn up a surprise.  Some might assume that the driver fell asleep at the wheel, or stopped paying attention for some other reason. And perhaps that is exactly what happened. But there are many other possibilities as well. Poor road conditions may have caused this wreck – for all we know, there may have been a large pothole that has already caused three prior accidents, or maybe there’s a blind curve with a missing warning sign. If that is the case, there may be a lawsuit available against the city/county/state. Such a lawsuit would allow the injured person to receive compensation and hopefully prevent future accidents on that stretch of road. Maybe the car was recently brought in for a tune-up, and the mechanic replaced the steering mechanism carelessly, and the car lost steering.  These things do happen, and when someone is seriously injured, a competent Oregon personal injury attorney can investigate and find out what truly happened.  Usually at no cost.  For more information on what to do in the case of an Oregon accident, contact our office or read 7 Common Mistakes That Can Wreck Your Oregon Accident Case.

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.

"Phantom" Vehicle Sought in Fatal Rollover | Oregon Accident Lawyers

Date: September 29, 2009
Location: Highway 26 and SW Dover Lane, Madras
Names: Richard Wayne Breese, Ronald Dale Calkins, Carol Calkins, Dottie Breese

(Photo: Oregon State Police)

The Oregon State Police have issued a press release requesting the public’s help in finding a “phantom” vehicle that played a role in an accident near Madras. A 74-year-old man died in the crash.

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Memorial Held for Teacher Killed in Hit-and-Run Bicycle Collision

Date: September 15, 2009
Location: St. Johns Road and NE 41st St., Vancouver
Names: Gordon Patterson, Antonio Eugene Cellestine

A memorial was held Wednesday, September 23, at Hudson’s Bay High School in Vancouver, Washington, for a popular teacher who was killed in a hit-and-run. The tragic accident took place at 4 PM on September 15, 2009, in the 4100 block of St. Johns Road in Vancouver. Gordon Patterson, 50, was on his bicycle when he was struck. The 18-year-old driver, who fled the scene, was taken into police custody later that day. He was held at Clark County Jail on felony hit-and-run charges.

When police arrived at the scene, a witness told them he saw a car speeding away from the accident site. The vehicle raced down a one-way road in the wrong direction, with the driver shifting in his seat to see out of his damaged windshield. The witness, who identified the car as possibly a Dodge Intrepid and described the driver, watched the car swerve from lane to lane before disappearing onto 44th Street. A police search led to a Plymouth Breeze with front end and windshield damage, parked in the 2400 block of NE 45th Street.

Cellestine, who has a long criminal record, had told an acquaintance that he sold the car earlier that day. But after questioning, Cellestine was arrested for the hit-and-run. He made his first court appearance the following morning.

Patterson was a popular technology teacher at the high school, known for his smile and the white lab coat he seemed to perennially wear. A former principal at Hudson’s Bay recalled, “He always looked at bringing out the best in kids.” Patterson had been at Hudson’s Bay for 14 years.

Mourners have been filling the site of the crash with flowers, and a candlelight vigil had been planned for 8 PM on Thursday, September 17, at the school.

This hit-and-run is both a crime and a tragedy, and we offer our sincere condolences, both to Patterson’s family and to the entire community trying to heal. Vancouver police are continuing to investigate, reportedly considering distracted driving as a possible factor. In addition, neighbors say the accident site is considered a dangerous stretch of road.

Hit-and-runs are a serious violation of Oregon Vehicle Code 811.705. The hit-and-run driver must be held civilly and criminally responsible for his or her actions. In a case like this, the Patterson family may wish to contact a reputable personal injury attorney with experience in hit-and-run crashes who will fight for the justice and compensation that they deserve. At Shulman DuBois, we believe that what happened to Gordon Patterson is simply unacceptable; we are committed to making sure that hit-and-run drivers are held accountable for their actions and that both victims and families receive the compensation they deserve.

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.

Visit our car accident resource library.
Get a free 70+ page book Seven Common Mistakes That Can Wreck Your Oregon Accident Case.
Contact Shulman DuBois LLC about a free consultation.
Visit us on YouTube.

Driver Who Backed Into Cyclist Charged with Assault

Date: August 31, 2009
Location: NE 122nd Avenue and Glisan Street, Portland
Names: Michael F. Luther, Wayne Conrad Thompson

According to OregonLive.com, a cyclist is recovering and a man is charged with assault after backing into him in a collision in Northeast Portland on Monday, August 31. Reports said the driver, Wayne Conrad Thompson, 35, of Portland, was going 40 mph when he backed into Michael F. Luther, 52, of Portland. The accident occurred at approximately 2 PM in a parking lot at NE 122nd and Glisan Street in Portland.

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Fatal Crash at SE Waybill Dr & Orient Dr, Boring, OR | Portland Injury Attorneys

Names: Marco Antonio Guerrero, Austin Guerrero, Jeffrey Wayne Hunt Jr., Daniel Herrington, Melissa Kay Davis
Location: SE Waybill Drive & Orient Drive, Boring, OR
Date: August 8, 2009

Marco Antonio Guerrero was killed in a tragic collision at about 9:40 p.m. yesterday, August 8, 2009, according to the Outlook Online.
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