Car Accident Attorney Near Me - Rob Kline

A serious car accident can change your life and the lives of your loved ones. The cost of vehicle repairs and your medical expenses can leave you deep in debt. If your crash was caused by a negligent driver or another party, a trusted car accident attorney near me law firm can be your advocate as you seek legal compensation.

Attorney Rob Kline is ready to fight for local motorists who’ve been seriously hurt in auto collisions in the Portland metropolitan area. To request a free case evaluation with our experienced car accident attorney near me law firm, contact our Portland law office.

How Long Do I Have to File a Car Accident Claim in Oregon?

For car accidents that result in injuries, Oregon Revised Statutes (ORS) § 12.110 states that you have two years from the date of the injury to file an action. For fatal car accidents, ORS § 30.020 states there is a three-year statute of limitations for surviving loved ones of the deceased to seek legal action.

Keep in mind that there are exceptions to the statutes of limitations noted above depending on the cause of the crash. For example, there is a shorter statute of limitations if you wish to seek an action against a local Portland bar that served a patron too many drinks and contributed to a drunk driving accident.

It’s in your best interests to contact our law firm as soon as possible after your crash so you can discuss potential legal remedies with an experienced car accident attorney near you.

The Benefits of Working with a Local Car Accident Attorney

Working with a Portland-based car accident lawyer means choosing an advocate who knows the community, the dangers of commuting in different parts of the city, and the concerns of residents and business owners. A local car accident lawyer will also have insight into ordinances that could be relevant to your legal action.

This kind of knowledge can be beneficial while assessing the cause or causes of a car accident and building a strong case.

Why Choose Attorney Rob Kline for Your Car Accident Case

Attorney Rob Kline has practiced law in Oregon since 1998. He brings decades of legal experience to every auto accident case.

He Understands Civil Law from Both Sides of the Table

Rob Kline began his legal career working for large corporations and insurance companies. Today he represents accident victims and the surviving loved ones of those killed in fatal crashes. Rob can use his first-hand experience of how both sides negotiate settlements and make their arguments during trial to your advantage.

He Is Recognized for His Work as a Lawyer

Rob Kline has an AV Preeminent Peer Review Rating from Martindale-Hubbell. He also has a 10/10 “Superb Lawyer” rating on Avvo thanks to his client-focused approach to injury accident litigation. Rob Kline was also President of the Oregon Trial Lawyers Association (OTLA) from 2023–2024.

He Knows the Nuances of State and Local Laws

Rob Kline is one of the lead authors of the “Wrongful-Death and Survival of Personal-Injury Actions” chapter in Tort Law in Oregon (2024 Edition), published by the Oregon State Bar. He also penned the Oregon Pedestrian Law Guide 2.0, part of The OTLA Automobile Litigation Deskbook series. Rob will help explain different aspects of your car accident case in a language you can understand.

Contact Our Experienced Portland Car Accident Attorney Near You

Attorney Rob Kline understands the needs and concerns of local residents here in Portland. He can help you following a serious collision. To set up a free consultation with an experienced local car accident attorney near you, contact our law office in Portland, OR

Dangerous Intersections in the Portland Area

The City of Portland has identified 30 dangerous streets and intersections, which are known as the High Crash Network. The High Crash Network accounts for just 8 percent of Portland’s streets but 62 percent of all Portland traffic collision fatalities from 2018 to 2022.

Based on data compiled from 2018 to 2022, these are 10 of the most dangerous intersections in Portland’s High Crash Network:

SE Division Street and SE 122nd Avenue – There were 99 total crashes and 1 fatality recorded.
SE Stark Street and SE 122nd Avenue – There were 86 crashes and 2 fatalities recorded.
NE Halsey Street and NE 122nd Avenue – There were 75 crashes and 1 fatality recorded.
SE Powell Boulevard and SE 82nd Avenue – There were 84 crashes, including 2 serious injury collisions.
SE Powell Boulevard and SE 148th Avenue – There were 45 crashes and 3 fatalities recorded.
SE Powell Boulevard and I-84 Freeway Ramp – There were 86 crashes, including 1 serious injury.
NE Glisan Street and NE 102nd Avenue – There were 62 crashes and 1 fatality recorded.
SE Stark Street and SE 148th Avenue – There were 54 crashes and 1 fatality recorded.
NE Glisan Street and NE 122nd Avenue – There were 82 crashes, including 5 serious injury collisions.
SE Division Street and SE 112Th Avenue – There were 44 crashes and 2 fatalities recorded.

Common Causes of Car Accidents

Some of the most common causes of car accidents in and around the Portland metropolitan area include:

Speeding – Excessive speed is a leading cause of car accidents nationwide. When a driver exceeds the speed limit and causes a serious crash, our law office can hold them accountable for their actions.
Reckless Driving – Reckless driving covers any kind of irresponsible actions behind the wheel that endangers others. This includes tailgating, neglecting to signal, weaving between lanes, aggressive driving, and refusing to yield the right of way.
Drunk and Intoxicated Driving – Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs can impair a person’s good judgement and reaction times. Our law office will hold the intoxicated driver accountable for causing a DUI accident.
Distracted Driving – Distracted driving refers to any actions that divert a driver’s attention away from the road and/or remove a driver’s hands from the steering wheel. Driver distraction can take many forms, such as texting while driving, making a call without a hands-free kit, looking up directions on a screen or handheld device while driving, and rubbernecking.
Defective Vehicles and Auto Parts – Some vehicles may have serious design or manufacturing flaws that make them unsafe to operate. The same is true of tires and other auto parts. Our law office can hold automakers and part manufacturers liable for endangering motorists.
Poor Road and Weather Conditions – No one can be held liable for the weather. However, drivers are required to adjust their speed based on road conditions. Posted speed limits are for ideal driving conditions and under some adverse weather conditions like ice and snow, drivers can be ticketed and liable for a crash even if they are driving at the posted speed limit. Additionally, local authorities here in Portland could be held responsible for failing to properly repair an unsafe road made worse by inclement weather.

Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Car Accidents

While Oregon state law requires all motorists to have auto insurance, not all drivers abide by these rules. If you get hit by an uninsured motorist (UM) or underinsured (UIM) motorist, you have coverage under your own insurance policy, but it is not uncommon for your own insurance company to take an adversarial relationship with you to reduce their payout.

Attorney Rob Kline can act as an intermediary between you and your insurance company, negotiating on your behalf for the best possible outcome given the facts of the case. Having worked as a lawyer for insurance companies in the past, he can be a strong local advocate for drivers hit by uninsured or underinsured motorists in Portland.

For those involved in hit-and-run car accidents in which the driver cannot be found, our team can also advocate for you and negotiate with your insurance company.

Car Accidents and Other Vehicles on the Road

We share the road with numerous vehicles here in Portland. In addition to private passenger vehicle collisions, attorney Rob Kline can help with other types of vehicle accidents.

Collisions with Rideshare Vehicles – Apps like Uber and Lyft make it easier to get around without having to worry about parking or drunk driving. When rideshare drivers make mistakes, our team can hold them accountable. This includes cases in which an Uber/Lyft driver injures someone in another vehicle as well as cases in which rideshare passengers are injured because of their rideshare driver’s negligence.
Collisions with Big Rigs and Other Large Trucks – An accident with a tractor-trailer, delivery truck, or other large commercial vehicle can cause severe injuries simply given the size of these vehicles. Our team can hold negligent truck drivers or trucking companies accountable for their role in a crash that causes serious injuries or fatalities.
Collisions with Motorcycles – When motorcyclists get into accidents, the injuries and vehicle damage can be severe. Our team can hold negligent parties accountable for causing motorcycle accidents in and around the greater Portland area.
Multi-Vehicle Collisions – Crashes involving three or more vehicles require a skilled lawyer to assess liability as well as multiple factors that may have contributed to the crash. During your free consultation, we can review what happened and determine the best course of action in a multi-car collision.

Potential Injuries from a Serious Car Accident

Catastrophic injuries sustained in a car accident can affect your quality of life as well as your ability to earn a living. Our team can help seek compensation if you’ve experienced any of these catastrophic injuries in your crash:

Broken Bones and Joint Dislocations – Compound fractures and injuries to joints may require emergency surgery and months of recovery to restore function and mobility. Even after you’ve recovered, you may not have full mobility or range of motion depending on the severity of your injuries.
Burn Injuries – Second-degree and third-degree burns in a car accident can cause severe soft tissue injuries as well as permanent physical disfigurement. Electrocution or electrical fires in an EV crash can also lead to severe burns and nerve damage.
Loss of Limbs – Some catastrophic accidents result in dismemberment as a result of impact. It’s also possible that trauma sustained in a car crash is so severe that doctors cannot save an injured limb, necessitating surgical amputation.
Neck and Spinal Cord Injuries – Injuries to the neck and spinal cord can cause permanent partial or total paralysis. A major spinal cord injury to the lumbar or thoracic spine can lead to paraplegia, which is the loss of use and sensation in the lower limbs. A major spinal cord injury to the cervical spine can lead to quadriplegia (tetraplegia), which is the loss of use and sensation of all limbs.
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) – Concussions and other traumatic brain injuries can have long-lasting effects on a person’s daily life. A severe TBI can affect your memory, cognition, mental health, and motor skills.
Vision and Hearing Loss – Some car accidents cause severe injuries to the eyes, ears, and sides of the head, resulting in varying levels of vision loss and hearing loss.

Legal Options After a Fatal Car Accident

If a loved one succumbs to fatal injuries sustained in a car accident, the decedent’s loved ones can file a wrongful death lawsuit.

A wrongful death action seeks compensation for the surviving family members of a person who was killed in a car accident. The damages sought can be used to cover medical expenses, funeral costs, the pecuniary loss to the decedent’s estate, and the loss of the loved one’s companionship and contributions to a household.

Can I Still Seek Damages If I Was Partly at Fault for a Car Accident?

Yes. Per ORS § 31.600, you can still seek damages after a car accident even if you were partly responsible for the crash. This is because Oregon is a modified comparative negligence state.

In simple terms, you can still receive damages in a car accident claim if you were no more than 50% at fault. Your percentage of fault in the collision will be deducted from your damages.

Never Admit Fault After a Collision

Even though you can still seek damages when you were partially at fault for a car accident, you should never admit fault to the other parties involved or insurance company representatives. Instead, exchange your information and make sure to speak with local car accident attorney Rob Kline about what happened as soon as possible.

While working with you on your case, our team will communicate with insurance representatives to negotiate a fair settlement. We can also let you know how partial liability in the accident could affect legal damages should your case go to trial.

Request a Free Consultation with Our Car Accident Attorney Near Me Law Firm

Attorney Rob Kline and his team are ready to help you after a serious collision. To set up a free case review with a trusted local car accident attorney near you, contact our law office in Portland, OR.