Countless lawsuits are reported on by The Oregonian/OregonLive when they are filed, but only a few make headlines. While many of these cases settle privately, the outcome of some lawsuits must be made public. Below, learn more about the results of some of the most notable lawsuits in 2019.
At Rizk Law, we have been handling personal injury cases for nearly twenty years. We understand the impact a knowledgeable attorney can have on the outcome of a potential claim. We are dedicated to aggressively pursuing fair compensation for the injured victims we represent. If you were a victim of another’s negligence, call us today for a free consultation.
Notable Lawsuits of 2019
These are a few of the notable lawsuits from last year, along with the results:
- A fully clothed bicyclist suffered multiple fractures while riding to his car a little after midnight. The victim was unable to see a pair of protruding concrete islands in the road as he approached because there were no reflectors to properly alert commuters about their presence. This lawsuit went to court, and while the jury found the city was negligent for not properly marking the islands, the jury did not agree that the city’s negligence caused the bicyclist’s injuries and he was awarded no money.
- Another individual was injured in a crowd that was protesting President Donald Trump’s pending inauguration in January 2017. When the police arrived and ordered the crowd to disperse, the claimant got injured by an officer’s gas canister or rubber bullet. The settlement was $5,000, half of what the claimant was seeking.
- A motorist going 60 mph through one of Portland’s most well-known and dangerous bicycle-vehicle crossings struck a bicyclist. The rider, who suffered multiple fractures, including a fractured ankle, leg, pelvic bone, a few ribs, and a hand, sued for $1.35 million, but in the end, settled for $350,000. The insurance policy of the at-fault driver paid $50,000 of this compensation, while the city and state, who shared responsibility for areas of the road where the accident occurred, split the rest.
- A wrongful death lawsuit was filed in the case of a man who suffered cardiac arrest at his gym. The only on-site employee did not know where the potentially lifesaving defibrillation device was. The man sadly died as a result of his heart attack. His family filed a $13 million-dollar lawsuit against the gym but settled the case for $1.4 million out of court.
- A pregnant mother and her unborn four-month-old-child were killed when a rotting 100-year-old tree fell on top of the car they were traveling in, killing them both. The owners responsible for maintaining the property had allegedly sought permission from the county to remove the tree, but their request was denied. The estate of the decedent received $75,000.
Why Some Win And Others Go Home With Nothing
When you are pursuing a personal injury lawsuit against an at-fault party, the burden of proof is on you. This means that you, or your attorney, must establish these four key elements to establish the at-fault party was negligent:
- The person who injured you must have owed you a duty of care, such as a driver on the road who owes others the duty of taking all reasonable steps to avoid inflicting harm to another person while driving.
- The at-fault party violated his or her duty of care. Perhaps the person who struck you did not maintain his or her vehicle, and the brakes failed, causing the car to hit you.
- There must also be a direct link between the accident and your injuries.
- You suffered damages because of the accident
While some cases settle, sometimes they may only receive a small amount of compensation. One reason this may happen is if an injured victim decides to take the insurance company’s first settlement offer. We do not recommend this approach, as you may be agreeing to an amount without considering the full value of your damages, such as the costs of any ongoing medical care you may need.
Contact An Experienced Attorney Today
If you have been injured in an accident that was caused by another’s negligence, Rizk Law may be able to help. Call our office today to schedule your free, no-obligation personal injury consultation with one of our Portland personal injury lawyers.
In a free consultation, we review the circumstances that caused an accident, along with other mitigating factors that may affect a victim’s eligibility for pursuing a lawsuit. If we represent you, there are no upfront fees for our services. We do not collect any money from you unless we successfully recover compensation on your behalf.
