| Protect
your rights
You have been injured in an Oregon auto accident and you are
worried about who is going to pay your medical bills, lost
wages, and pain and suffering. The last thing you want is
to be taken advantage of by an insurance company. If you don’t
protect your rights, you may not be able to make a claim.
Insurance companies have attorneys and adjusters whose goal
is to pay you as little as they can. You need an Oregon automobile
accident attorney to fight for you.
Why
should you hire attorney Mike Colbach?
You need an attorney who will work hard to protect your rights,
maximize your insurance settlement and minimize the hassles
of dealing with the insurance companies. You need an experienced
and aggressive Oregon trial attorney with PROVEN
RESULTS who will fight for you. Having an experienced
Oregon auto accident attorney can make the difference between
getting what you deserve and getting nothing. I will work
hard to help you recover as much money as possible under the
law.
An
experienced trial lawyer can make the difference.
I am an experienced aggressive trial attorney who has tried
over 100 cases. I am not afraid to take your case to trial
if that is what it takes to maximize your Oregon auto accident
insurance recovery. I offer one-on-one service, and I wil
not hand your case off to an inexperienced lawyer or a paralegal.
Reduce
the stress of making a claim.
Car accident injuries can turn your life upside down. Making
an insurance claim can be difficult and time consuming. Once
I take your case, you can stop worrying about dealing with
the car insurance companies and focus on recovering from your
car accident injuries. I take care of all of the paperwork,
phone calls, and negotiations, so you can get on with your
life.
I
handle Oregon auto accident and personal injury cases on a contingency
fee basis.
This means:
YOU
DON’T OWE ME A LEGAL FEE
UNLESS I RECOVER MONEY FOR YOU.
Frequently
Asked Questions
Q:
What is my claim worth?
A:
The value of your car accident injury claim depends on the
severity and permanency of your injuries. Contact me now for
a free consultation so I can assess your claim and tell you
what I think it is worth.
Q:
Should I accept the offer that the car insurance company has
given me?
A:
Oftentimes I can get insurance companies to substantially
increase the amount of their settlement offer. If you have
already received an offer for your injuries, contact me and
I will let you know if I think it is a fair offer. I will
not charge you for this consultation. If I do not beat their
original offer to you, I will not charge you a fee.
Q:
How soon after an auto accident should I call you?
A:
Call me immediately. Do not give the other person’s
insurance company a statement until you have consulted with
an attorney. I make a point of returning all calls and e-mails
promptly. If you have been injured in an auto crash, you need
to know right away what insurance coverage is in place to
cover your medical expenses and lost wages.
Q:
Will I get to talk to a lawyer if I call?
A: Yes. Everyone who
calls for a free consultation gets to talk to a lawyer. I
do not have my staff screen cases. Usually you will get to>
talk to a lawyer right away or later the same day.
Q: Should I call you even if
I want to handle my claim myself?
A: Yes. In a few minutes
over the phone I can usually give you an estimate of what
your claim is worth so you don't get ripped off by the insurance
company. If they give you an offer and you later hire me,
I will not charge you a fee unless I can increase the amount
that goes into your pocket.
Q:
Who pays for my medical bills?
A:
If you have an Oregon car insurance policy, your car insurance
company should pay for your initial medical bills. Oregon
car insurance policies are required to have Personal Injury
Protection (PIP) insurance to pay for your medical treatment.
This is no-fault insurance and the minimum coverage amount
is $10,000. If your medical bills exceed your PIP coverage,
we will go after the other driver for any additional amounts.
Q:
Can I recover if the other driver had no insurance?
A:
Yes. If you have uninsured motorist coverage, you can recover
money for your medical bills and pain and suffering even if
the other driver had no insurance. I recommend that you buy
as much uninsured motorist coverage as you can afford. It
is inexpensive and can protect you if you are ever seriously
injured by an uninsured motorist.
Q:
How do I know if I have a good auto accident or personal injury
case?
A:
You need to contact me and we can discuss your case. My consultation
on a personal injury case is always free.
Q:
How long does it take to settle most auto accident personal
injury cases?
A:
It depends on the nature of your personal injury claim. I
have settled smaller claims for the full amount my client
wanted within 10 days and I have settled policy limits cases
in as little as a few months. Larger personal injury cases
typically take longer to settle. Oregon law has a provision
that can require insurance companies to pay my attorney fees
for cases under $5,500, so oftentimes these cases can be resolved
quickly, as the insurance companies don’t want to get
a big attorney fee bill from me.
Q:
Will pursuing my case take up a lot of my time?
A:
No. Oftentimes I only meet with clients for the initial interview
and then we can just talk over the phone. If we do have to
go to court, it will take more time. I realize your time is
important, so I don’t waste it.
Q:
Will I have to go to trial?
A:
The vast majority of auto collision and personal injury cases
don’t go to trial. However, I treat each case as if
it is going to be a trial, as you have to be willing to go
to trial to maximize your settlement.
Q:
Why is it so important to hire an Oregon attorney who goes to trial?
A:
Most personal injury cases settle before trial, but you want to maximize your settlement. If you hire an Oregon personal injury
attorney who has little trial experience, oftentimes they will be afraid to go to trial. Insurance companies know who these lawyers are,
and they oftentimes offer them less than the case is worth. I have 10 years of courtroom experience and I have tried well over 100 cases.
A good example of why you sometimes have to go to trial are the recent results I have had. I recently tried three separate cases where
the offers totaled approximately $51,500. The juries awarded a total of over $850,000. If my clients had hired a lawyer who does not try
cases, they would have lost a combined total of around $800,000. Verdicts like these do not come easy and it took me years of trying
cases and over 100 jury trials before I had the skills to get big verdicts for my clients. I know a number of Oregon personal injury
attorneys who do not try cases. I believe that these attorneys do a great disservice to their clients and cost their clients millions of
dollars by settling cases that should go to trial. Before you hire a lawyer, make sure that they are actively trying cases and have had a
number of six figure verdicts.
Q:
Do I need an Oregon attorney?
A:
In order to settle your personal injury and auto accident
case you will have to deal with insurance companies. Their
goal is to pay you as little as you will take. It is tough
for someone who is not familiar with car accident and personal
injury cases to know what a fair settlement amount is. An
experienced Oregon personal injury attorney can help you to
determine that amount and reach a fair settlement.
Q:
How do I pay your legal fees?
A:
I handle auto accident, dog bites and all of my other personal
injury cases on a contingency fee basis. This means YOU DO
NOT OWE ME A LEGAL FEE UNLESS I RECOVER MONEY FOR YOU. I do
not ask for any attorney fees upfront. If there is no recovery
there is no fee.
Q:
Lawsuits can be expensive, will it cost me any money up front
for filing fees, court costs, expert witness fees, and any
other costs?
A:
Filing a lawsuit, paying court costs and expert witness fees
can be very expensive. Every year I spend thousand of dollars
in litigation costs. I know that most people cannot afford
these costs up front, so I forward these costs up front in
every case I take. Spending a few thousand dollars on a good
expert witness can make the difference between getting thousands
of dollars and getting nothing for your personal injury claim.
Before you hire a lawyer, make sure that they are willing
to forward the money to adequately pursue your personal injury
case. Otherwise, you may be forced into taking a minimal settlement
if you cannot afford to spend thousands of dollars to pursue
your personal injury claim.
Q:
What do you charge for recovering my medical expenses?
A: I do not charge
my clients a fee recovering their past medical
expenses. Many lawyers charge a percentage of the total recovery,
including your medical expenses. I base my fee on what is
recovered in
addition to your medical expenses. If your lawyer charges
you for
recovering your medical expenses it can significantly reduce
how much
goes in your pocket. For example, if you had $50,000 in medical
expenses and a $100,000 settlement, your lawyer would get
$33,000,
$50,000 would go to repay your medical expenses, and you would
be left
with around $17,000. In a case like that, I would base my
fee off of
the $50,000, putting $33,000 in your pocket instead of approximately
$17,000. The only time I charge a fee for recovering your
past medical
expenses is when someone other than the client, usually my
client's
insurance company or healthcare provider, pays me to recover
the medical
expenses.
Q: Are there any hidden fees?
A: No. I do not charge
you fees for consultations, opening your file,
copies, long distance, etc. Before you hire a lawyer, make
sure you
find out what they will be charging you, as these hidden fees
can add
up.
Q: I don’t want to bankrupt somebody. What happens to the person I sue?
A: Although the lawsuit will have the other driver’s name on it, we are actually going after the
insurance company’s money. In virtually every case, the person we sue does not have to pay a
penny, as their insurance company pays the settlement or verdict amount, as well as all of the
legal fees. In the three cases where I have received verdicts bigger than the policy limits, the
insurance companies still paid, as it was there fault for not settling for the policy limits.
Q:
What types of Oregon accident cases do you handle?
A:
I handle all types of Oregon personal injury, wrongful death
and products liability cases, including: auto accidents, bicycle
accidents, motorcycle accidents, ATV accidents, boating accidents,
dog bites and all other types of injury cases.
Q:
What parts of Oregon do you handle cases in?
A:
Although I am located in Portland, Oregon, I will handle take
cases throughout the state of Oregon including the following
counties and cities:
Counties:
Multnomah County, Washington County, Clackamas
County, Marion County, Polk County, Columbia County, Hood
River County, Yamhill County, Clatsop County, Wasco County,
Linn County, Benton County, Lane County, Clatsop County, Tillamook
County, Sherman County, Jefferson County, Linn County, Benton
County.
Cities:
Portland, Salem, Gresham, Hillsboro, Beaverton,
Tigard, Lake Oswego, Milwaukie, McMinnville, West Linn, Tualatin,
Troutdale, Sherwood, Molalla, Aloha, Albany, Corvallis, Cascade
Locks, Astoria, Wilsonville,Woodburn, The Dalles, Fairview,
Oregon City, Silverton, Sandy, Rainier, Monmouth, Newberg,
Keizer, Gladstone, Forest Grove, Estacada, Canby, Philomath,
Newberg, Parkdale, Seaside.
Oregon Legal Resources
Free Oregon State Bar Attorney Referral Services and Oregon State Bar Member Research tool can help you find and retain a qualified and ethical Oregon attorney for any type of Oregon Law matter.
Before you retain an Oregon attorney research the attorney for Oregon State Bar disciplinary history. An attorney may have been previously disciplined or supspended for ripping off a client or other ethical issues you should know about before you retain an Oregon attorney.
The Oregon State Bar Member research tool:
- To research an attorney you are considering hiring all you need is the attorney's name.
- Using the free online Member Research Tool, once you've located the attorney by name, then click: "Show Disciplinary History" (underneeth Bar Member's Information) which will show the particular attorney's disciplinary history with Oregon State Bar disciplinary actions.
If you have questions, contact the Oregon State Bar disciplineonweb@osbar.org
503.431.6394, toll-free in Oregon 800.452.8260 x 394.
Referrals
If
you are looking for an experienced attorney
in any other state, please email
me as I may be able to refer you to an experienced
motorcycle accident attorney at no charge to you.
Legal
Links
If
you have been charged with an Oregon
DUI or other Oregon criminal charge, I recommend
you contact David
Lesh through his web site. Mr. Lesh is an experienced
Oregon lawyer.
Cycling
Links
I
support the local bicycle team of www.prestovelo.com
I support Oregon Bicycle Racing Assocation www.obra.org
I am a sponsor of the Therapeutic
Associates Cycling Team, Bend, Oregon
I sponsor professional racing cyclist Evan
Elken
Chiropractic & Massage Therapy Links
I
highly reccomend Dr. Bassinger and Dr. May at Clearwater
Chiropractic. Dr.
Bassinger is a personal friend and an excellent doctor.
Note:
Clearwater
Chiropractic is located at the following
web site address:
•http://www.meta-ehealth.com/site/office/index.jsp
Massage Therapy: I recommend Brent King LMT & LMP |
