Oregon Injury Lawyer Blog

The 2008 death of a 25-year-old woman who was kept waiting at an Oregon hospital for more than six hours has prompted an Oregon wrongful death lawsuit directed against Springfield’s Sacred Heart Medical Center, according to the Associated Press.

The suit was filed by the woman’s parents, a couple from Eugene, who contend that the hospital’s failure to see and treat their daughter in a timely manner contributed to her death two days before Christmas 2008.

According to the AP, the woman, Martha Barr, arrived at the hospital around midday and was initially assessed by hospital staff as suffering from “shortness of breath, anxiety, fatigue, abnormally fast heart and respiration rates and low oxygen saturation.” It was, however, more than six hours before a doctor actually examined her. The doctor reportedly ordered a series of tests, but Barr went into “respiratory and cardiac arrest” before they could be performed and died just over two hours later. AP reports that in the Springfield wrongful death court papers the Eugene parents “contend that a long wait to see an emergency room doctor proved fatal for their daughter.”

Tragedies like the one endured by the Barr family are precisely the sort of events that should lead surviving loved ones to consult with an experienced Oregon personal injury attorney with detailed knowledge of Portland wrongful death and medical malpractice issues. A skilled professional can offer invaluable advice to bereaved family members at these most difficult of times.

AP via MSNBC: Parents in wrongful death lawsuit against hospital

New York Injury News: Springfield Oregon-based hospital named in Wrongful Death Lawsuit

Witnesses told local media outlets that a recent two-car Oregon car crash near Newberg appeared to be the result of teenagers street racing, according to KATU. The Oregon car accident reportedly closed Route 99W in Newberg “for hours” as police first struggled to save the victims and, later, worked to reconstruct the circumstances surrounding the fatal crash.

Police would not confirm to either KATU or The Oregonian that street racing led to the accident, but the television station reported that witnesses said they believed that was what the drivers were doing in the moments before the crash. The victims were the 18-year-old driver of one vehicle, who died at the scene, and a 15-year-old passenger in the same car, who succumbed a short time after being taken to an area hospital by helicopter.

A police statement said the 18-year-old was driving his car “too fast” (at least 50 mph in a 25 mph zone) as he headed south on 99W when he lost control of the vehicle while attempting to negotiate a right curve. The teen’s car crossed the median and hit a minivan driven by an elderly couple, both of whom were later taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

This terrible Oregon car crash is a reminder of the importance of safe and controlled driving, particularly where relatively inexperienced teen drivers are concerned. Survivors of this sort of Oregon fatal car accident, or their loved ones, should immediately contact an Oregon personal injury lawyer with specialized knowledge of Portland and Newberg car crashes for help in assessing their legal position. Justice, in the wake of a fatal car accident, is about more than car insurance and hospital bills. An Oregon car accident lawyer can help you sort through the complexities of the law and advise you on the best way forward.

The Oregonian: Newberg-Dundee PD identifies two people who died Monday in crash on 99W

KATU.com: Was it street racing that killed two Newberg-area teens?

TV station KGW reports that a Gresham man is asking tough questions of the Oregon Humane Society after a dog he adopted attacked and injured his two-year-old daughter. Gerald Borton told the station that the Oregon dog bite to his child required 13 stitches in her scalp. The animal, a mixed golden retriever-labrador, attacked her Monday. Borton had brought the dog home only a few days earlier.

KGW says he told their reporter: “I don’t want to see another family have a two-year-old girl with 13 staples in her head.”

The station says the Humane Society plans to “re-evaluate” the dog “before deciding whether to adopt the dog out again,” though it also quotes OHS officials pointing out that any animal can bite given the right circumstances. This particular dog reportedly was evaluated by the Society prior to being put up for adoption and had undergone “some obedience training.”

Portland, Gresham, Eugene and Medford dog bites can cause serious injuries, particularly to children. If you, your child or a loved one have been the victim of an Oregon dog attack prompt consultation with an Oregon dog bite lawyer is a crucial part of defending your rights. The laws concerning Oregon dog bites and Oregon dog attacks can be complex and confusing for the layperson. A Portland dog attack attorney can help walk you through the law and its procedures, advising you on the best course of action to pursue.

KGW.com: Dog back at humane society

A report this weekend in The New York Times raised new, and troubling, issues regarding football helmets and their ability to protect younger players from traumatic brain injuries.

The newspaper reported that the NFL, last Friday, released data sets related to helmet testing, despite criticism that the information is potentially misleading. The league, its committee on head injuries and the player’s union all concurred in the action, the paper reported. According to the Times, the release took place despite criticism from Congress that the data involved is “infected”, rendering the results potentially misleading. Two months ago the league promised New York Congressman Anthony Weiner that the testing program that yielded the data would be abandoned.

Particularly at issue was the nature of the testing undergone by several leading brands of football helmet used in NFL games. According to the Times, the data compiled by the league and later confirmed by independent analysts sought to recreate the kind of hits the equipment would experience in an NFL game. The goal was to determine which brands of helmet offer the best protection against skull fractures – a serious concern for players at the NFL level. Aside from criticism of the tests’ methodologies, Congress and other critics took issue with the results issuing from these tests, in which certain brands were labeled “top performing” for professional use – a designation that makes a compelling selling point for manufacturers.

The problem for parents here in Oregon and elsewhere is that youth, high school and even college football games bear little resemblance to the NFL in either the speed of play or the intensity of hits. In particular, the skull fractures about which pros worry are relatively uncommon at lower levels of the sport, whereas concussions and traumatic brain injuries are the especially serious issues. Both Rep. Weiner and the league’s outside critics worry that parents or coaches shopping for safety gear may wind up buying helmets that are not necessarily designed to offer the sort of protection they are actually seeking.

The Times piece is a reminder of the important role Oregon product liability issues can play in Portland traumatic brain injury cases, especially those stemming from sports injuries. The disputes outlined by the newspaper highlight how complex and nuanced Oregon personal injury law cases focusing on sports equipment can be. This, in turn, is a reminder of the important role a Portland traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury attorney can play in helping you sort through your legal options and obtain justice in the wake of an on-field tragedy.

The New York Times: Releasing Disputed Data on Helmets Puts Heat on NFL

A 23-year-old St. Helen’s woman died Thursday as the result of an Oregon Truck Accident near Warren, according to local media reports. The woman’s husband was also injured in the accident and was transported to Legacy Emanuel Hospital “with injuries that did not appear to be life threatening,” according to a report from Portland TV station KGW.

The Oregon car and truck accident took place at the intersection of Highway 30 and Old Portland Road, north of Warren. According to the South County Spotlight newspaper, the Oregon car accident victim’s car, a Honda Civic, was struck by a dump truck as the driver pulled out into Old Portland Road in the early morning hours. The driver of the dump truck was taken to a local hospital and treated for non-life threatening injuries.

The Spotlight reports that police closed off the road to investigate the accident for more than six hours Thursday morning. Media reports say that all three people involved in the accident were wearing safety belts.

This tragic accident is a reminder of how important strong legal representation can be in the wake of the physical and emotional trauma of an Oregon injury accident. An experienced Portland truck accident lawyer can be an invaluable ally in navigating our often-confusing court system as you or your loved ones seek justice in the wake of a deadly car or car and truck crash.

An Oregon car and truck accident attorney can help you sort through the consequences of a fatal or injury-causing Portland truck crash and help assess the scale and nature of your losses. Depending on the exact nature of the Oregon car and truck accident, you may be entitled to payments to balance off medical bills or lost wages as well as to account for pain and suffering endured as a result of your Oregon traffic crash.

KGW.com: Husband & Wife in Deadly Hwy. 30 Crash

South County Spotlight: St. Helen’s woman killed in morning crash

Contracts between the Pentagon and defense contractor Kellogg, Brown & Root grant the company complete immunity in Iraq for harm its employees may cause to either Iraqi civilians or American and other coalition soldiers.

That immunity – cited by KBR in defending itself against an Oregon workplace injury lawsuit – has prompted Rep. Earl Blumenauer, a Democrat who represents much of the Portland area, to demand an explanation from Defense Secretary Robert Gates, according to The Oregonian. In his letter to Gates, Blumenauer called the blanket liability exemption “mind-numbing”.

The newspaper reports that the exemption came to light as part of a lawsuit filed by 26 Oregon National Guardsmen who served in Iraq in 2003. The troops were assigned to guard KBR employees undertaking reconstruction work. The guardsmen claim that “the contractor knowingly or negligently exposed them to a cancer-causing chemical” the newspaper reports. A similar suit is also being considered by courts in Indiana.

The company has argued that the exemption – which was originally kept secret – immunizes it from any liability concerning injuries the soldiers may have suffered while guarding its activities.

This case is a reminder of the important role an Oregon personal injury lawyer can play in resolving claims related to Oregon workplace accidents – especially those which may have resulted in a wrongful death. Consulting with a Portland industrial accident attorney can be an important first step in determining what recourse you may have following an industrial accident – particularly one whose origins can be traced to negligence on the part of the company. Holding powerful private-sector companies responsible for the damage they cause is one of the most important functions with which a Portland industrial liability lawyer can assist you.

The Oregonian: Blumenauer demands that Pentagon explain KBR immunity deal

A man from Vancouver, Washington was arrested by Oregon State Police last week following a serious Oregon injury DUII accident near Moro, according to a report in The Oregonian.

According to the newspaper, the Oregon car accident took place on US 97 last week when a southbound pick-up truck “failed to stop for traffic” backed up along the road by an earlier Oregon fatal car accident. The pick-up hit a car in front of it causing that car, in turn, to strike a man standing beside the road. The pedestrian had been a passenger in the car struck by the pick-up, but had exited to the roadside while traffic in the area was halted.

The stricken passenger was airlifted to an area hospital with what The Oregonian describes as life-threatening injuries, while three children in the car were transported to a different hospital “for treatment of minor injuries.”

Neither the driver of the pick-up truck nor his passenger were injured, though the newspaper reports that OSP officials at the scene issued the Oregon accident truck driver with a citation.

The combination of drunk and reckless driving can be an especially lethal one. If a loved one has been killed, or you have been injured, in a serious Oregon car accident it is essential that you consult with a Portland personal injury lawyer as soon as possible after the incident. Incidents involving drunk drivers are viewed particularly seriously by the law. Aside from DUII issues, a drunk driver who injures others leaves him or herself open to liability under Oregon’s wrongful death statutes. Injuries resulting from an accident, such as Oregon traumatic brain injuries, may also require litigation if your family is to receive the justice it deserves. Contacting a Portland injury lawyer is the first step on the road to protecting your rights.

The Oregonian: Vancouver man arrested for DUII after causing serious injury accident on U.S. 97 near Moro

A new public information initiative from the Consumer Product Safety Commission takes hot summer weather as a starting point to highlight the potential danger of open windows. It is an admonition Oregon parents should take to heart.

The CPSC reports that an average of eight children aged five or younger are killed each year after falling from windows, and a shocking 3300 per year require emergency room treatment. As the agency notes, many of these deaths and injuries are eminently preventable. CPSC Chairman Inez Tenenbaum used the news release to call for greater parental responsibility. “It takes active supervision on the part of the parent or caregiver, and a device called a window guard,” she said. “Screens are meant to keep bugs out, not kids in.”

Tenenbaum’s comment refers to the fact that a large number of injuries from window falls begin with children leaning on screens. Small children, of course, do now understand that a screen won’t hold their weight. Parents, however, ought to know better and need to be both vigilant and proactive.

In the unfortunate event that a Oregon child is injured falling from a window, contacting a Portland personal injury attorney should be a parent’s top priority once the medical emergency is taken care of. An Oregon injury lawyer with specialized experience in Oregon injuries to minors can examine the circumstances of your tragedy, help determine if someone else’s negligence contributed to your child’s trauma and then fight to hold the responsible parties accountable.

CPSC News Release on Window Safety

CPSC Safety Poster (pdf)

Portland-area drivers on I-205 near Gladstone were delayed for hours last Thursday as police closed the road in both directions to investigate the circumstances surrounding a serious Oregon motorcycle crash, according to The Oregonian.

Media reports emphasize that the investigation into the accident and its exact circumstances is still in progress, but some basic details are clear. According to the Portland Tribune, the accident took place Thursday afternoon when a motorcycle that was headed north on the interstate “collided with a vehicle, throwing the rider into a southbound lane.”

This accident highlights the special dangers motorcyclists face on our roads. Despite advances in safety gear, such as helmets, Oregon motorcyclists remain far more likely than car drivers or passengers to die or suffer serious injury as the result of an Oregon motorcycle accident while operating their vehicle.

If you have been injured in an Oregon motorcycle crash it is important to consult as soon as possible after the incident with a Portland motorcycle crash lawyer. This admonition applies as much to motorcycle passengers involved in single-bike crashes as it does to bikers who are involved in a Portland crash with a car or truck.

An experienced Oregon motorcycle accident attorney can offer valuable advice on your crash and how it relates to our state’s traffic and liability laws. The legal world can often be an intimidating and confusing place for ordinary citizens forced by circumstances to deal with it. An Oregon motorcycle crash lawyer can act as your guide throughout the process.

The Oregonian: Traffic on I-205 restored after crash caused temporary closure

Portland Tribune: Motorcycle, vehicle crash blocks I-205

In what may be a sign of changing national attitudes, a push by Washington lobbyists to roll back distracted driving legislation by changing the terms of debate appears to have, as the New York Times puts it, “fallen apart.” This can only be seen as good news by everyone who believes that the new Oregon distracted driving law is an important public safety measure.

The Oregon distracted driving law, which went into effect January 1 of this year, bans most drivers from talking on or texting from a handheld cellphone while driving. There are some limited exceptions for emergencies and people in certain occupations but, broadly speaking, the goal is to get Oregon drivers to put down cellphones.

Apparently it is exactly this intention at which the DC lobbyists were taking aim. As the Times reports, the now-defunct “Drive Coalition” was a lobbyist-driven effort to round up clients among cellphone and auto companies. The Times reports that the group planned oppose measures like the Oregon distracted driving statute and instead “to push the idea of broader laws that would focus on car distractions in general.” The group backed off after an angry press conference Wednesday by Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood who, the paper reports, decried “an effort he said was a threat to driver safety.”

As if to emphasize the point, New England TV station WPTZ, at almost the same time, broke the news that a Vermont mother ran over her own 10-year-old daughter Tuesday because she was distracted by her cellphone (Vermont bans texting behind the wheel but not the use of handheld cellphones).

Because the Oregon distracted driving law is still relatively new, many of the details surrounding it are still developing. That makes it especially important that you enlist the services of a Portland distracted driving attorney if you believe that another motorist’s illegal and reckless cellphone use was a factor in your Oregon auto accident.

New York Times: Lobbyists Scrap Plans for Distracted Driving Coalition

WPTZ.com: Police say mom runs over daughter’s legs

US Department of Transportation’s Distracted Driving Website

A 69 year old Salem man died Thursday in an Oregon car accident just as the holiday weekend was getting underway. According to The Oregonian, Rodney Kamppi was headed for a Fourth of July camping trip with his daughter, son-in-law and the younger couple’s two daughters when the driver, Kamppi’s son-in-law, lost control of vehicle near La Grande.

The family was traveling in an SUV, and was towing a large camper. According to the newspaper, quoting an Oregon state trooper, “the SUV flipped over, separated from the trailer and slid about 100 feet down an embankment before hitting a tree.” Kamppi died at the scene of the accident, the newspaper reports, despite the best efforts of two nurses who were passing by and stopped to offer assistance, including CPR. The remaining members of the family were taken to a local hospital. The OSP told The Oregonian that all occupants of the SUV were wearing safety belts.

In the wake of accidents like this one it is an unfortunate fact that grieving and injured families often require the assistance of an Oregon personal injury lawyer in what becomes a fight to receive all of the insurance benefits to which they may be entitled.

Insurance companies will often look for small technicalities in a bid to avoid paying claims, even when several members of the same family – including children – are injured through no fault of their own. A Portland car crash lawyer who is experienced in dealing with insurance companies can help you fight for everything to which you are entitled after a Portland, Salem, Medford or La Grange car accident.

The Oregonian: OSP troopers respond to fatal crash in I-84 near La Grande

An Oregon car crash Wednesday left two people dead in Beaverton, highlighting in the most tragic way possible the need for caution behind the wheel as we head into this holiday weekend.

According to The Oregonian, the Washington County car accident took place at mid-afternoon on South Murray Boulevard. The driver “barely stopped for the red light” before making a right turn and then speeding up. The abrupt acceleration caused “the car to fishtail across both lanes, jump the curb and crash into” a concrete wall, the paper reports. A 54-year old man riding in the passenger seat was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. The driver, a 61 year old woman, was airlifted to a Portland hospital following the Oregon car accident, but died a few hours later.

Television station KGW quotes police investigating the accident saying both that speed “appears to have been” one cause of the Oregon single car accident, and that alcohol use may also have played a role.

As we move into a busy holiday weekend, this Oregon car crash is a reminder of the importance of safe and sober driving. Holiday weekends are notorious for their increased death toll along the nation’s highways, and particularly noteworthy for injury car crashes involving alcohol use. Other factors taking on increased importance during heavy holiday travel periods include reckless driving in the form of speeding, alcohol use and distracted driving.

Drivers who are reckless represent a threat to the community as well as themselves. When accidents occur as a result of their actions it is important that they be held to account, by their victims as well as the criminal justice system. An experienced Beaverton car crash lawyer can help you and your loved ones sort through the intricacies of Oregon personal injury law and advise on the best ways to achieve the justice you deserve if you have been the victim of someone else’s poor choices, leading to a serious Portland, Eugene, Beaverton or Medford car accident.

KGW.com: Two dead in Beaverton Murray Blvd. crash

The Oregonian: Second person dies from single-car Beaverton crash