If you’re based in Oregon and looking for legal assistance in relation to an injury or ordeal classed as a catastrophic injury, choose Herron Law.
With 28 years of personal injury experience, the legal experts at Herron Law will help you understand what to do following a catastrophic injury and how we can help.
With almost 30 years of experience across all Oregon courts, Herron Law is one of the most successful and widely respected personal accident lawyers in the state.
As well as catastrophic injury claims, we also cover motoring claims like car accidents, motorcycle accidents, and other personal injury claims like child injury.
At Herron Law:
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For an injury to be catastrophic, it needs to be a severe, life-altering injury that results in long-term or permanent disability, significantly reducing the quality of life, independence, and the ability to work of an individual.
These injuries require extensive and ongoing medical care, rehabilitation, and specialized equipment.
Catastrophic injury claims come in different types. Some of the common catastrophic injury claims include:
In the US, catastrophic injuries can be caused by a variety of means. Some of the most common causes of catastrophic injuries include:
In Oregon, catastrophic injury claims involve securing significant compensation for life-altering injuries by proving negligence on the part of a third party and demonstrating long-term and high-cost damages.
These claims often involve filing lawsuits to exceed the limits of limited insurance policies, which are governed by a two-year statute of limitations.
Key parts of a catastrophic injury claim include:
You should speak to a catastrophic injury lawyer if you or a loved one has suffered a permanent, life-altering injury like a TBI, spinal cord injury, amputation, or severe burns.
These injuries often require long-term care, cause significant income loss, or stem from another party’s negligence.
Key indications that you may require a catastrophic injury lawyer include:
Herron Law plays a key role in providing clients with legal representation. Our lawyers also support victims who have been injured or traumatized due to the negligence or misconduct of another party in relation to a catastrophic injury.
Our key responsibilities include:
Case Evaluations:
Investigation:
Expert Consultation:
Filing the Lawsuit:
Settlement Negotiation:
Herron Law’s attorneys advocate for you and your loved ones, striving to ensure justice is served and the responsible parties are held accountable.
By undertaking these responsibilities, our attorneys play a pivotal role in helping to navigate the complexities of the legal system during challenging times.
Their expertise not only aids in securing financial compensation but also in achieving a sense of justice and closure.
Anyone whose negligence causes permanent, life-altering damage, such as drivers, employers, medical professionals, or property owners, can be considered potentially liable in catastrophic injury cases.
Local authorities can also be held liable if the catastrophic injury was a result of poor maintenance of public areas like parks, roads, or publicly owned buildings.
Common scenarios leading to liability include:
If you’re found partially liable for a catastrophic injury, it does not automatically bar you from recovering damages thanks to comparative negligence laws.
If your fault is 50% or less, you can still recover compensation, though your total award will be reduced by your percentage of fault through Oregon’s modified comparative fault rule. For example, if your damages are calculated at $100,000 and you are found to be 20% at fault, your total compensation would be reduced by 20%, meaning you would receive $80,000.
This allows you to recover damages provided your fault is no greater than the combined fault of other involved parties.
In Oregon, you can pursue full compensation for a catastrophic disability, covering medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
However, achieving it depends on proving negligence and the extent of damages. Working with a skilled catastrophic disability attorney is essential for receiving proportional compensation.
Below are two cases in Oregon where catastrophic injuries found their way into court, and victims received financial compensation.
In 2025, a highway motor vehicle accident occurred. A semi rear-ended an SUV. The victim, still in the car at the time, was unconscious.
EMS and fire services were called, as well as an Air Link helicopter.
The rear end of the SUV had been dealt significant damage, and by the marks of the road, the vehicle had likely been airborne before landing on its side.
Bystanders witnessed the semi attempt to pass the SUV in a 45mph zone before entering the 55mph zone. The semi then made a sharp left-hand manoeuvre before attempting the same manoeuvre back right.
It’s believed the truck was travelling roughly 70mph when the SUV was hit.
As a result, the victim settled the case for $1,000,000 in damages after three months of negotiations.
This case was filed in Multnomah County Court in Portland, Oregon. The client, a man in his 30s who previously worked as a firefighter and EMT, had recently secured a position as a locomotive engineer with one of the most prominent railroad companies in the United States.
Around six months on the job, he and his family moved into a two-story apartment. On Halloween night, after spending the evening with his children and putting them to bed, he returned downstairs to lock the front door.
After taking a few steps down the staircase, a portion of the staircase near the top gave way beneath him. Unable to catch himself, he fell through the stairs and became trapped within its structure.
As a result of the fall, he suffered significant spinal injuries. At some point in the future, one of the maintenance men at the apartment complex made a disrespectful joke to the wife that the client was a big man, and that is why the stairs collapsed under him.
The injuries prevented him from continuing his career as a locomotive engineer. The position required extensive physical activity, including walking long distances alongside trains, climbing on and off railcars, inspecting equipment, and accessing elevated areas of trains that can be both lengthy and high off the ground. Due to his physical limitations, he was no longer able to perform the essential duties of his job.
The loss of his career had a devastating impact on his family. Eventually, he lost the position he had worked so hard to obtain and was no longer able to afford the family’s housing.
The matter was resolved through a confidential settlement.
At Herron Law, we are dedicated to our clients.
We were voted one of the top 100 personal injury lawyers and top 25 attorneys in Oregon, 2016 – 2024, by the National Trial Lawyers Association.
Our other awards include:
In Oregon, catastrophic and other serious personal injury cases, attorneys will work on a contingency fee basis, meaning no win, no fee. Common contingency fees can typically range from 33% to 40%, depending on the case and if it goes to trial.
A catastrophic personal injury case involves severe, long-term, or permanent injuries because of harm caused by a third party. They are often complex and require higher future care and earnings loss than personal injury cases, which involve less severe cases with limited long-term impacts and lower damages.
Catastrophic injury claims in Oregon most commonly stem from serious accidents caused by the negligence of others. This includes traffic accidents and car wrecks or collisions, industrial workplace accidents, falls from heights, defective products, or acts of violence.
There is no single average settlement for a catastrophic injury claim, as the compensation depends on the affected party’s quality of life, lifelong medical needs, medical expenses, lost earnings, pain and suffering, and available insurance limits. However, catastrophic case settlements will far exceed typical personal injury settlements.
To hire a catastrophic injury attorney in Oregon, seek a free initial consultation with a reputable firm like Herron Law. Discuss the case facts, potential liability, and fee structure. Then, review and sign a contingency fee agreement before providing documentation of your catastrophic injury, and allow your attorney to begin the investigation and representation.
Contact us today to schedule a free 30-minute consultation.
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Attorney Bart Herron is a veteran, was a licensed social worker responsible for running the children’s program in a domestic violence shelter, and a steering committee board member for the Joint Task Force for the Prevention of Child Abuse, all before becoming a trial attorney. He understands how to talk to jurors.