What Is A Contingent Fee?
That means that the Lawyer can only be paid his fee on the case when and if he gets a
money recovery for you. For example, if the agreement with the lawyer is a 1/3 attorney fee and the ultimate recovery is $100,000, the lawyer would receive a fee of $33,333 after the money is awarded. If the recovery is 0, we don’t get paid anything.
What Is Statute Of Limitations?
It is the time in which a lawsuit must be filed. In Oregon, you generally have 2 years from the date of an automobile wreck to file a suit. HOWEVER, these times can be much shorter, depending upon the specific circumstances. For example, if the wrongdoer is a “public entity,” a properly served Tort Claims Notice would have to be filed within as little as 6 months from the date of the injury. The safest bet is ALWAYS to consult with an attorney right after the incident and before giving a statement to the insurance company or private investigator.
What do I do if THE INSURANCE COMPANY KEEPS CALLING?
NEVER communicate with the adverse insurance company until you get an initial FREE consultation with an attorney. If you decide not to go with legal council after the free consultation, that is your choice. However, there is no harm in some free initial advice and the insurance claims departments have many attorneys assisting them at every move. Why shouldn’t you?
Will I Have To Go To Trial?
The answer to this question depends entirely on the specific circumstances of your case. Your first goal in any case is to get accurately diagnosed by a qualified physician before engaging in any negotiations withan insurance company. You should also have a qualified lawyer assist you in determining the fair value of your case. Recent Oregon statistics confirm that fewer than 10% of civil cases filed in the State Of Oregon actually make throughto a trial verdict. That means that more than 90% are either settled, compromised, dropped or dismissed.
How Long Will My Case Take To Settle?
You should be in no rush to try or resolve a case if you are not either medically recovered or as recovered as you are going to get. Consulting with an attorney quickly can help prevent a potential disaster in missing the deadline for a Tort Claims Notice or statute of limitations. Remember, sometimes physicians fail to make an early diagnosis of a serious problem. If you settle the claim directly too soon and sign a release, all opportunity to secure a fair recovery based on a later diagnosis is lost. You don’t want to be stuck with expensive surgical bills with no way of paying for them.
When Will I Get My Settlement Money?
This depends entirely on the nature of your case and the tactics of the at fault insurance company. Your goal should always be an open, honest and fair resolution, taking into consideration the
nature and permanency of your injuries, the policy limits of the insurance carrier and/or excess exposure of the wrongdoer. Times can also vary depending on the county in which the lawsuit is filed. An attorney can give you a better idea of timing after a review of your medical records, police reports and witness statements.
What If My Car Is Totaled?
The insurance company generally owes you the “fair market value” for your vehicle. Our legal team will make sure that the insurance company gives you a fair price for your car. We will also guide you in securing a rental car if needed.
What If I’m Injured Bad Enough That I Can’t Work To Support My Family?
If your injuries are caused by the negligence of another, the law allows recovery for wage loss AND impairment of future earning capacity. For example, all wage loss or loss of profit related to the incident, both past and future, and compensation if your ability to earn a living in the future has been taken away by your injuries.
Do I Have To Pay To Talk To An Attorney?
Our office always offers a free consultation 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It is free whether or not we agree to take your case. If we can’t help you, we will guide you to someone that can.
How Are You Different From So Many Other Personal Injury Attorney’s?
Mr. Gruetter spent the first 15 years of his practice as a defense trial attorney, working almost exclusively for large insurance companies. When lawsuits were filed against individuals or large corporations insured by these companies, Mr. Gruetter was hired by them to evaluate and defend the suits all the way through to trial and even appeal if necessary. Some of these cases involved claims being made for ten, even hundreds of millions of dollars. His work included taking depositions under oath, conducting private investigations (some even including video surveillance), hiring accident reconstruction engineers and other experts and preparing each case for trial, mediation or arbitration. As he collected information, he would write detailed insurance defense reports to claims supervisors and risk managers. In thousands of assigned cased throughout Oregon, he learned the inside tactics of the insurance industry claims giants. Starting in the mid 90’s he tired of working for billion dollar corporations and started taking a few cases on behalf of injured individuals and the families of those killed by the negligence of others. He soon found that his many years of experience as an insider attorney for the insurance carriers provided him with a unique ability to deal with the industry tactics. He also found that he loved representing people, particularly when they were being manipulated by the system. Over the next few years, he stopped taking insurance companies as clients and completely converted his practice to represent the rights of injured clients. His goal is always a fair resolution based on the facts of each individual case. If that can be resolved in a settlement conference or mediation, then that is an acceptable result. However, he is never afraid to take a case to trial with almost 20 years experience in the court room.
