Bicycle or Pedestrian vs. Motor Vehicle Accident Lawyers in Oregon

The Eugene, Oregon, law firm of Arnold Law Office, LLC, assists the most vulnerable of motor vehicle accident victims: pedestrians and bike riders.  Our firm specializes in assisting clients who have been injured while walking or riding.

When interviewing lawyers, ask if they have ever taken a bike or pedestrian collision to a jury trial.  We have.  We know the unique circumstances that make these sorts of cases difficult to try and what it takes to get these settled or prepared for trial

Why are Bike or Pedestrian Accidents Unique?

In most motor vehicle accident cases, the circumstances and causes of the collision can often be deduced by the location of and damages to the vehicles. 

When tons of steal, plastic and glass are involved, it's must easier to reconstruct what happened than when you are dealing with people and bikes. 

Bicycle and Pedestrian Laws

The insurance company will often claim that you are more than 50% at fault and thus cannot recover.  The will claim that because you were riding faster than a pedestrian pace or because you were crossing outside of a designated crosswalk, you cannot recover anything.  That is untrue.  Car drivers still have to exercise due care when driving, which includes watching out for bike riders and pedestrians. 

Our firm proved that true in 2008 when we appealed an arbitrator's defense verdict in a case where our client was crossing a crosswalk on a bike against a "Don't Walk" light while the driver was at the stop light.  The driver made a right hand turn without looking to the right, colliding with our client.  We argued to the arbitrator that each shared 50-50 liability.  He disagreed.  However, upon appeal, a Lane County jury agreed with us and found 50-50 liability. 

Choosing Trial Lawyers Over a "Settlement Mill"

Insurance adjusters will claim that it's conventional wisdom that if the bicyclist or pedestrian was doing something wrong, then they cannot recover.  That's just not true. 

What is true is that it takes aggressive trial lawyers to handle cases like this. You need a trial lawyer who can tell you the likelihoods of success in a case like yours based on their own recent jury trial experiences.  When interviewing lawyers, ask them how many cases they've tried to a jury in the last three years or the last twelve months.  By doing this you can make sure that you retain a law firm that is ready to take any case to trial rather than hiring a "settlement mill" with high advertising overhead and a high volume of cases. At our firm, you will get the personalized attention that you deserve. 

Choosing an Attorney Familiar with Bicycle and Pedestrian Accidents

Oregon bike and pedestrian injury attorney C. Michael Arnold has the compassion and understanding to remain sensitive to human feelings while providing support, guidance and legal representation of the highest order.

If you or a loved one has been injured by the actions or inactions of another, you need competent and experienced representation from an experienced Oregon trial attorney. Remember that the insurance companies, yours included, are not your friends. They are businesses interested in the bottom line and are accountable to their shareholders. Once you have a personal injury claim open, you become a liability to them. They are interested in ending your claim as soon as possible with as little payout as possible. That is why you need quality legal representation.

Our personal injury attorneys can deal with the insurance companies on your behalf and leave you to the important jobs of getting better and living your life. If you and your attorney have a contingent fee agreement, then retaining a personal injury attorney early on to deal with the insurance companies costs you the same as waiting.

Mr. Arnold has established a well-deserved reputation as an effective and highly respected personal injury lawyer in Eugene, throughout western and southern Oregon. Mike Arnold is an Oregon trial lawyer who actually tries cases to juries. He has great expertise in a number of different areas of law relating to personal injuries and litigation.

“Our litigation experience, extensive preparation of cases, and attention to detail has allowed us to build a reputation as aggressive and successful advocates for our clients while adhering to high ethical and legal standards.”
- Eugene, Oregon personal injury attorney C. Michael Arnold

If you or someone you know in Eugene or throughout Southern Oregon needs the assistance of an experienced trial lawyer, call attorney Mike Arnold today at 541-338-9111 to schedule your free consultation.

Arnold Law Office, LLC, represents clients along the Oregon Coast and throughout Western Oregon, including in Portland, Eugene, Springfield, Salem, Corvallis, Cottage Grove, Albany, Newport, Oregon City, Beaverton, Clackamas, Wilsonville, Tigard, Hillsboro, Lake Oswego, Coburg, Creswell, Florence, Junction City, Lowell, Veneta, Oakridge, Roseburg, Brownsville, Halsey, Harrisburg Klamath Falls, Medford, Ashland, Grants Pass, Glendale, and Bend, and in the following counties: Lane County, Multnomah County, Washington County, Clackamas County, Linn County, Douglas County, Marion County, Coos County, Lincoln County, Benton County, Deschutes County, Josephine County, Klamath County, and Jackson County.

You may reproduce materials available on this site for your own personal use and for non-commercial distribution. All copies must include this copyright statement.