Portland Personal Injury Attorneys

OSP investigate Sam Barlow coach in hit-and-run | Oregon Injury Lawyers

Date: October 31, 2009
Location: Oregon 99E near South Lone Elder Road, Aurora, Oregon
Names: Benjamin Story, Larry Scott Vang

The Oregonian reports that Oregon State Police have identified a Sam Barlow High School assistant football coach as a suspect in a hit-and-run crash that seriously injured Benjamin Story, 23, of Aurora, on October 31, 2009. Larry Scott Vang, 46, of Salem, had not been charged with a crime as of November 5, and the investigation is ongoing.

According to AOL Video, Story admits he was drunk while walking along 99E, but he said that doesn’t give anyone an excuse to hit him and leave him lying in the road.

Around 1 AM, police received several calls about a man walking in the middle of Oregon 99E near South Lone Elder Road, north of the Clackamas-Marion county line. When they arrived at the scene, they found Story lying on the south side of the highway, with serious but not life-threatening injuries. He was flown to Legacy Emanuel Medical Center by Life Flight helicopter and has since been released.

Police begin searching for a Toyota SUV with front-end and hood damage. Soon after, they learned that Vang had called 9-1-1 to report that he might have struck something on Oregon 99E. Vang was driving a white 2007 Toyota RAV sport utility vehicle.

Investigators confirmed to The Oregonian that Vang’s car struck Story.

Vang has been coaching football at Barlow for seven years; before that, he was varsity girls softball coach for 14  years. In his current position, he coached varsity and junior varsity running backs and special teams.
Anyone with information regarding the investigation is asked to call OSP Senior Trooper Jason Lindland at (503) 731-3020 ext. 457.

Hit-and-run is a serious crime, and conviction will result in driving privileges being suspended or revoked. In any accident, you have the following obligations:

• Stop at once. If anyone is killed or unconscious, you must stay at the scene until a police officer arrives.
• Render aid. Do not move an injured person carelessly, but give reasonable aid to the victim.
• Exchange information with the other driver. Give them your name, address, driver’s license number, license plate number, and insurance information. DMV offers a printable checklist you can download and keep in your car.
• Report the accident to DMV.

There is never an excuse to leave the scene of an accident, and it is the moral and legal responsibility of every driver to stop. We implore drivers in any accident situation to put the safety and welfare of others above their own interests, and always, always remain at the scene and make sure no one is hurt. We send our best wishes to Story for a quick and complete recovery.

Hit-and-run is a serious violation of Oregon Vehicle Code 811.705. The hit-and-run driver must be held civilly and criminally responsible for his actions. Our website is filled with what to do if you have been a victim of a hit-and-run accident. And if you can’t find the information you’re looking for there, please don’t hesitate to contact us and ask us any questions you might have.  We take a very hard line against hit-and-run drivers.

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.

Ford Recall Alert: Faulty Switch Can Spark Fires Causing Injuries

Date: November 4, 2009

A McMinnville, Oregon man whose SUV exploded into flames on October 27, 2009, told KPTV.com that he was never notified about a Ford Motor Company recall on the vehicle. Robert Howard said he found the information online, after his vehicle spontaneously caught fire in his driveway. He was shocked to discover that Ford knew the 2000 Expedition had a faulty cruise control switch that could overheat and burst into flames.

The same thing happened to Carisha Gilmore of Indianapolis, Indiana. She was only alerted to a possible defect when a fire inspector told her to contact Ford. When she went online, she found a YouTube page showing a Ford truck on fire. Gilmore told WISHTV.com, “My truck burned exactly like that truck.” She then found her 1997 Expedition on the Ford recall list.

In the Oregon fire, Howard was awakened October 27 by a loud explosion in his driveway, where his SUV had been parked for eight hours. He ran outside and was stunned to see his truck engulfed in flames. The fire was so hot it melted the hood, and completely destroyed the vehicle.

A McMinnville firefighter told KPTV.com that the fire was not due to arson, foul play, or any type of human involvement. According to KPTV.com, Howard is grateful that none of his family was in the vehicle. He is also thankful his house didn’t catch fire. But he wonders why he was never told of a recall.

Howard’s parents, who sold him the vehicle, also said they had no idea there was a recall.

Representatives from Ford said they typically go beyond notification requirements, and said owners can find recall information on their website. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Ford was adding 4.5 million older-model vehicles to a series of recalls related to faulty cruise control deactivation switches, affecting 16 million Ford vehicles in all.

According to the NHTSA, the switch can leak hydraulic fluid, overheat, and catch fire. Fixing the switch takes only a few minutes and costs about $20.

“I urge consumers to pay attention to this warning and bring the affected models in to have them repaired as soon as possible,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said.

The new recall affects Ford vehicles from model years 1992-2003, including:

• 1995-2003 model year Ford Windstar
• 2000-2003 Ford Excursion diesels
• 1993-1997 and 1999-2003 Ford F-Super Duty diesel
• 1992-2003 Ford Econoline
• 1995-2002 Ford Explorer and Mercury Mountaineer
• 1995-1997 and 2001-2003 Ford Ranger
• 1994 Ford F53 Motor home vehicles equipped with the Texas Instruments speed control deactivation.

To check for recalls, go to Ford’s Recall Information website or search the Office of Defects Investigation’s database.

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, Milwaukie, Corvallis, Salem, Eugene, and Albany.

19-Year-Old Pulls Woman from Burning Car After Drunk Driving Incident

Date: October 17, 2009
Location: Highway 22 & Joseph Street SE, Salem, Oregon
Names: Destiny Edwards, Nickolas Edwards

A 19-year-old Oregon man saved a woman’s life on October 17, 2009, when he saw her trapped inside a burning car on Highway 22 and Joseph Street SE in Salem, Oregon, and pried the car’s windshield off with his bare hands, just before the car exploded.

Nickolas Edwards, 19, of Salem, spotted Destiny Edwards, 21, of Mill City, inside her burning 2005 Honda Civic as he drove along the highway. The two are not related.

When Edwards saw the car in the ditch at Joseph Street SE, his first thought was that it was abandoned, and he took out his cell phone to call the police. But, as he told KGW.com, he just had to check: “I had to make sure nobody was in the car, that’s horrible, I wouldn’t want to be left there burning.”

When the trapped woman saw Edwards, she started screaming. Edwards managed to kick a hole in the glass, then started tearing at it with his bare hands, receiving severe lacerations in the process. As he struggled to free the woman, the fire was intensifying. Edwards pulled the woman from the car just before it exploded. “It went up in flames, boom, boom, boom,” he said.

Police are calling Edwards a hero. “This kid saved her life,” Marion County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Sheila Lorance said. But Edwards said he just did the right thing, and, although it was a terrifying experience that he never wants to go through again, he knew he could never live with himself if he hadn’t stopped.

Destiny Edwards was treated for lacerations and released from Salem Hospital, where she was cited for drunk driving.

We are inspired by Nick Edwards’ bravery and his willingness to act in a dangerous situation. Edwards could have passed by the burning car, but instead he felt compelled to check if anyone was inside. In a society where people are sometimes too busy or distracted to get involved, Edwards is a true hero. We applaud this young man’s conscience and courage.

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

Rollover Crash Kills Two Idaho Men, Dogs

Date: October 14, 2009
Location: U.S. 95, south of Jordan Valley, Oregon
Names: Ron Tibbett, Joseph Geary

Sadness spread over the small eastern Oregon town of Jordan Valley on October 14, 2009, after a tragic rollover crash took the lives of two Idaho men, and killed the two dogs in their vehicle. Ron Tibbett, 46, of Wilder, Idaho, and Joseph Geary, 50, of Marsing, Idaho, were both dead at the scene.

The accident occurred just before 10:30 PM, as the two men drove north on U.S. 95, near Burns Junction, south of Jordan Valley, Oregon. First, the truck veered onto the southbound shoulder of the highway, investigators said. Tibbett tried to steer back onto the road, but overcorrected and hit a fog marker. The truck then slid sideways across the road and rolled several times, ending up in a nearby field. Tibbett and Geary, neither of whom was wearing a seat belt, were thrown from the truck. There were also two dogs in the vehicle, and both of them were killed in the crash.

The Malheur County Sheriff’s Office, Jordan Valley Ambulance and the Oregon Department of Transportation assisted at the scene. As of October 15, Oregon State Police troopers and a collision reconstructionist were investigating the accident. The Malheur County Sheriff’s Office was also helping in the investigation.

We are deeply saddened by this tragic accident, and our hearts go out to Tibbett’s and Geary’s families. This is a profound loss. We add our thoughts and prayers to those of their friends and family during this difficult time, and we hope the investigation will lead to some answers. Even though knowing what happened doesn’t ease the pain, it can calm the mind.

Many questions arise out of a car crash. And unfortunately, our minds don’t often focus on recovering; they usually go directly to the financial – medical bills, insurance policies, lost wages. How will you and your family get through it? Fortunately, victims have resources. That’s why we’re here. We’re not ambulance chasers; we’re lawyers who feel it is our duty to help injured people deal with the insurance companies. And the first thing you should do after getting the medical help you need is to go to our website – not to give us your business, but to read our free tips, download helpful documents, or request a free copy of our book. And if that’s not enough, you can always contact us to ask us any questions.

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.

Cannon Beach Motorcycle-Truck Collision Kills 1 | Oregon Accident Lawyers

Date: October 7, 2009
Location: Highway 101, Cannon Beach, Oregon
Names: Alan G. Gelvin, Edward Jones, Carol Jones

Alan G. Gelvin, 55, of Seattle, Washington, was killed October 7, 2009, when he slid into oncoming traffic and was hit by an Oregon couple in a pickup truck. The accident took place around 3:20 PM on Highway 101, near Cannon Beach, Oregon.

Gelvin was traveling south on his 2007 Harley-Davidson motorcycle when he tried to take a sharp right turn, lost control, and ended up in the path of a truck driven by Edward Jones, 62, of Scappoose, Oregon. Jones’s wife, Carol, was also riding in the truck.
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Family Members Sought after Fatal Motorcycle Crash | Oregon Injury Attorneys

Date: September 25, 2009
Location: U.S. Highway 20 east of Bend
Names: Michael William Cleary

In a press release, the Oregon State Police have requested the public’s help in locating the family of Michael William Cleary, a 61-year-old motorcyclist who was killed in a single-vehicle crash near Bend. The accident occurred around 12:30 AM, September 25, 2009, near milepost 28 on U.S. Highway 20.

Oregon State Police reported that Cleary was eastbound on the highway when he tried to execute a left-hand curve and drove onto the south shoulder of the road, striking a fog marker. Cleary, who was wearing a helmet, died at the scene.
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