A circuit court ruling issued at the end of last month has the potential to offer significant protections for Oregon families considering wrongful death claims related to Oregon nursing home abuse and neglect or medical malpractice. The case, formally known as Bradley v Sebelius, turns on a wrongful death claim…
Articles Posted in Wrongful Death
Oregon Personal Injury Lawsuits Target Yamaha Off-Road Vehicles
Yamaha’s Rhino off-road vehicle is emerging as a target of significant personal injury lawsuits here in Oregon and elsewhere around the country, according to a recent article in The Oregonian. The paper notes that the Rhino, first introduced in 2003, is the subject of “about 700 injury and wrongful death…
Portland Fatal Traffic Accident Raises Oregon Wrongful Death Issues
A Portland traffic accident last week that resulted in the death of a 54-year-old pedestrian is still under investigation by Oregon law enforcement authorities, according to The Oregonian and other local media. Though the police are reported to have issued no citations at the site of the accident, the incident…
Fatal Beaverton-area Car Crash Raises Dram Shop Issues
An August 2009 head-on car crash that left two dead in Bethany, near Beaverton, is the subject of a suit brought under Oregon’s dram shop laws, according to an article published last week in The Oregonian. The Oregon dram shop suit has been brought by the family of Thai Hoang-Williams,…
Logging Death Raises Defective Product Questions
A logging accident in Chehalis, Washington late last week led to one worker’s death, according to a report by the Associated Press. According to the news agency, 47-year old Michael Messner of Longview, Washington died “while operating a logging processor.” Quoting police sources, the agency says “Messner died Thursday when…
Ice Rink Fall Leads to $40 million Wrongful Death Lawsuit
A fatal fall at a temporary ice rink has put the city of Irvine, California on the receiving end of a $40 million wrongful death lawsuit. According to the Los Angeles Times, 49-year old Cherlynn Tang died last February from injuries sustained moments after she stepped off of the ice…
Oregon Wrongful Death Lawsuit Targets Springfield Hospital
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…
Oregon Congressman Demands Explanation of Defense Contractor’s Immunity
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 –…
Oregon Product Liability Ruling from Supreme Court Reverses Large Award
The Oregon Supreme Court sided with cigarette giant Philip Morris last week in refusing to reinstate a $100 million punitive damage ruling issued by a lower court in 2002. That earlier ruling was overturned by a state appellate court in 2006. It is important to note that one part of…
Oregon Hospital Death Raises Multiple Legal Issues
The death last year of a patient at the Oregon State Hospital has led to reprimands for five hospital employees. According to the Salem Statesman-Journal a state official and “hospital leaders” decided that reprimands were a sufficient punishment for the five employees. The legal system, however, has yet to have…