Recent Blog Posts
PARTNER BRAD THAYER CONNECTS WITH COMMUNITY, RECONNECTS WITH ALMA MATER
Partner Brad Thayer and other Willamette University College of Law alumni gathered with the law school’s Dean, Curtis Bridgeman, earlier this month for Willamette Law’s third annual Global Day of Service. The school’s Global Day of Service is a day when alumni give back to the community and embody the university motto, “Not unto ourselves alone… Read More »
SHOULD I TRUST THE OTHER DRIVER’S INSURANCE COMPANY?
Often times people who have been injured in the collision call us to tell us that an insurance company has offered them a few hundred dollars to resolve their personal injury claim. They relate to us that the insurance company adjuster has been “really nice” to them and was helping them to “process the… Read More »
WHAT IF I LOSE MY JOB BECAUSE OF MY INJURIES?
When a client is hurt badly enough that their medical providers say they cannot work, one of the major stressors in their lives can be whether they are going to have a job to go back to if and when they recover. It’s a huge burden and worry for a client and their loved… Read More »
WILL “DISCOVERY” INVADE MY RIGHT TO PRIVACY?
Sometimes in the course of discussion about the pros and cons of proceeding into litigation a client will ask me, “Will the discovery process invade my right to privacy?” The short answer is – “Yes”. If “right to privacy” means an expectation on your part that you would be able to avoid having to… Read More »
BUILDING A CASE THROUGH PUBLIC RECORDS
Federal, state, and local governments, as well as their various agencies and subparts, generate records for countless reasons. The public has a great interest in transparent government. As a result, there are laws on the books for the safekeeping and release of public records. Under federal law, there is the Freedom of Information Act… Read More »
CAN WE NEGOTIATE UP FROM A LOWBALL OFFER?
The short answer is: “Yes, maybe”. As long as the initial lowball isn’t so low it is offensive and would leave you—the injured person—“in the hole” financially speaking, there is a chance that productive back and forth negotiation could occur. To see an overview of the typical personal injury claim process, click here. This blog… Read More »
SHOULD I KEEP A JOURNAL AFTER I GET INJURED?
So you’ve heard that your personal injury case might drag out a long while. You also know it’s likely that someday a bunch of insurance adjusters, lawyers, and doctors are going to be asking you a lot of questions about what happened, what hurt, how long it hurt for, and how it impacted your… Read More »
PREVENTING BRAIN INJURY – BICYCLE HELMETS AND CHILDREN – LET’S MAKE IT HAPPEN
(from left) Partner Scott Staples, Office Manager Paula Kleven, Caden, and me In pushing for safety through the formation of a volunteer fire department in the city of Philadelphia in 1736, Benjamin Franklin wrote: “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” In the case of bike helmets, and protection of the… Read More »
HOW DO INSURANCE COMPANIES EVALUATE CLAIMS?
I started my career working for the largest insurance defense law firm on the West Coast. I spent three years working directly with insurance adjusters as they evaluated cases, and determined whether to cover an insurance claim submitted by one of their insureds. After this experience I was offered a position working directly for… Read More »
WHAT IS A POLICY LIMIT?
What is a Policy Limit? Short Answer: It’s the most money an insurance company is contracted to pay out for its insured for a specific purpose. LONG-WINDED & MORE INFORMATIONAL ANSWER In any industry, the jargon and shorthand people in that field use can cause even the sharpest of outsiders’ eyes to glaze over. Attorneys… Read More »
