What Is Full Service Injury And Disability Practice?

In 1971 our firm was first started with the simple notion that every Oregonian was entitled to receive the best legal representation regardless of status and ability to pay. This is also why the firm insisted on legal retention through the usage of a contingency fee arrangement. Contingency fee means that the attorney gets paid a percentage of the recovery only if there is a recovery. This arrangement gave everyone access to expert legal representation. No longer was legal representation reserved for the wealthy and elite.

This is particularly important in the areas of personal injury, workers compensation, and social security disability. It is often regular, hardworking, diligent Oregonians who unwittingly find themselves in need of legal representation following unexpected injuries or disabilities. Most of these unfortunate Oregonians, our friends and neighbors would not be able to pay $200-$300 per hour for an attorney. But, if they didn’t have to pay a fee to get great representation it leveled the playing field. It now meant that the insurance company was not free to take advantage of the injured and the disabled. The insurance company would now be compelled to do right by victims, and we would make sure of that.

When this firm first started accepting clients on a contingency basis, the focus was on personal injury matters. These were the folks who were injured in car accidents, bike accidents, truck accidents, trip and falls, dog bites, medical malpractice, product liability, and other similar acts of negligence leading to their injuries.
During the next three decades the firm specialized in plaintiff personal injury work based on contingency fee arrangement. The work was both rewarding and challenging. The best part has always been and continues to be the people we help. These are folks whose lives had been sent into a whirlwind of physical injury, mental distress, and financial hardship through no fault of their own. Guiding them through these difficult times has always been the most rewarding aspect of this work.

Over the past few decades, however, our firm realized that in focusing on personal injury victims we were not able to assist many of our clients with similar issues, equally distressing to them. Some of these clients were injured on the job and required an attorney familiar with workers compensation law. Many others were severely injured from their personal injury and were permanently disabled unable to return to work. They required the guidance of an attorney to assist them with their claim for Social Security Disability.

Unfortunately, having specialized in the area of personal injury our firm was not equipped to handle these types of claims and we referred our clients to other firms or lawyers with the necessary experience and skills. Our clients were grateful for the referrals, but disappointed that we could not represent them. Although there are some similarities between personal injury law, workers compensation law and social security disability law, there are a great deal of differences as well. To do a good job for the client, an attorney does need to possess a level of expertise in the area in which they practice. Our firm recognized this reality, and resolved to act on it.

Since our firm was first established more than 40 years ago, our mission has never changed; help our fellow Oregonians in need. Several years ago we recruited some of the best attorneys and staff who can help us expand our services to become a full service injury and disability law firm. We no longer have to entrust our clients to the care of another attorney or firm when they have issues with on the job injuries, or are filing for disability benefits. We now have the requisite expertise and experience to help our clients with the full spectrum of injury and disability law. This enables us to secure our clients rights and opportunities to the full extent of the law. When a client comes in for a personal injury consultation, they get a free analysis of their disability rights and, when appropriate, a free analysis of their workers compensation rights.