The Law Firm Trusted by Friends, Family & Physicians

Why should you hire the law firm of Dr. Aaron DeShaw, Esq., P.C.?

Dr. DeShaw is a nationally recognized trial lawyer, who is widely published in the field of insurance claims practices - the way insurance companies actually handle insurance claims. He is the author of the only legal text on the topic of Colossus - the computer system used by the majority of all auto insurers in the US to calculate settlement values. We use that expertise in handling injury claims resulting from an auto accident.

An experienced trial attorney can make the difference: Insurance companies may try to convince you that you don't need a lawyer. But, what they don't tell you is that they are trained to do so, because they know that if you hire a lawyer you will get more money for your injuries. The insurance industry's own research (through the Insurance Research Council) demonstrates that in claims worth between $1,000 and $15,000, the value of claims represented by a lawyer is more than 100% higher than those not represented by a lawyer. So, even with the lawyer's contingent fee taken out, insurers know that you will get more for your injuries by hiring a lawyer.

But, the lawyer you hire makes a difference. That is because the insurers know that if the claim is worth more than $15,000 the value of having a lawyer becomes 2x - 3x or more, than the amount you would get if you tried to settle the claim yourself. And, certain trial lawyers (those of us who actually go to court for our clients) command much larger settlements because insurers know that juries will recognize that our clients are legitimately injured. At our firm, we don't pretend to represent every person who calls our office, or even those who are referred to the office. We don't take the 80% of claims that settle at or below $5,000. Instead, we take a small number of cases where people's lives have been changed by the carelessness of a person who has violated the law, and need a day in court if the insurer isn't going to provide an appropriate settlement. And as fewer insurers are making reasonable settlement offers presently, you will find that our experience in going to trial is reassuring.

Reduce the stress caused by the collision: Auto accidents can turn your life upside down. Handling a personal injury claim is difficult and time consuming. Once we take your case, you can stop worrying about dealing with the insurance companies and focus on recovering from your injuries. Doctors know that there is a window of opportunity for your body to heal properly from your injuries. We want you to take full advantage of that time, rather than expending energy dealing with a ruthless claims adjustor. Once we take the case, our lawyers take care of all of the paperwork, phone calls, and negotiations, so you can concentrate on getting better.

We handle personal injury cases on a contingency fee basis. This means: You don't owe us a legal fee for our time unless we recover money for you. The initial phone consultation is free, as is the first appointment in our office. After that, you have no obligation to sign the agreement if you don't feel comfortable with us.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What type of personal injury claims do you handle?

A: We handle many types of personal injury claims, including those resulting from auto accidents, trucking collisions, bicycle / auto collisions, pedestrian / auto collisions, burn cases, wrongful death, and any other case where someone else causes you serious personal injury.

Q: How soon after personal injury event should I call you?

A: Call us immediately. It may not be important to hire us right away, or we may not be the right firm for your case. But, if you wait, you can be prevented from making certain claims. Do not give the other person's insurance company a statement until you have consulted with a lawyer. If you have suffered a personal injury, 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. We do not have staff screen case calls. Usually you will get to talk to a lawyer right away or later the same day. Better yet, our lawyers do all of the client intake interviews personally. No 10 minute interviews with someone who doesn't understand the law. Instead it will be you with the lawyer for between 30 minutes and 5 hours depending upon the complexity of your case.

Q: What is my claim worth?

A: The value of your injury claim depends on the severity and permanency of your injuries, the location where your injuries took place, the lawyer you hire, and many other things. Contact us now for a free consultation so we can assess your claim and tell you what we think it may be worth.

Q: Should I accept the offer that the insurance company has given me?

A: This is something of critical importance; there may be more insurance available to you than they are telling you. If you settle the claim with the other person's insurance even for what they say is the “full amount,” you may waive other insurance available to you. Since our firm deals with many large claims, we assist people in finding additional insurance that helps with getting medical bills paid, or additional insurance that will cover your injuries, wage loss, and future treatment.

Q: Can I recover if the other driver had no insurance?

A: Yes. In Oregon, and many other states, insurers must provide you “Uninsured Motorist” and “Underinsured Motorist” coverage as part of every auto policy, that may provide insurance even when the person that hit you has none. 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. And, in the event that the other person has less insurance than you, we can likely make a claim for “Under-Insured Motorist” coverage, if we follow the correct procedure.

Q: Does my auto insurance cover accidents when I am on my bike?

A: Some auto policies will cover you if you are injured in a bicycle accident or while on foot. We will need to read your individual policy.

Q: How do I know if I have a good auto accident or personal injury case?

A: You need to contact us and we can discuss your case. Our consultation on a personal injury case is always free.

Q: How long does it take to settle or resolve most personal injury cases?

A: It depends on the nature of your personal injury claim. We have settled “policy limits” cases ($25,000 or more in Oregon) within a matter of days when the facts are bad for the defendant, and there is too little insurance. But, larger personal injury cases typically take longer to settle. Insurance companies want to hold onto the money as long as possible to gain the additional interest on their money. Since the State of Oregon provides little remedy for these delays, insurers string out settlements as long as possible. We take few cases, and accept those cases knowing that we are in the case as long as it takes to do what is best for the client, including going to trial. In summary, we are not a high volume, quick settlement type of law firm. We believe our clients deserve better treatment because of their serious injuries.

Q: Will pursuing my personal injury case take up a lot of my time?

A: No. Oftentimes we only meet with clients for the initial interview and then we can just talk over the phone. If we do go to trial, it will take more time. Since we represent many professionals, we realize your time is important, so we don't waste it.

Q: Will I have to go to trial?

A: The vast majority of personal injury cases don't go to trial. However, we treat each case as if it is going to be a trial, as we have to be willing to go to trial to ensure our clients get appropriately paid for their actual injuries.

Q: Why is it so important to hire an experienced Oregon trial lawyer?

A: Most personal injury cases settle before trial. The question becomes, how much do they settle for? If you hire an Oregon personal injury attorney who has little trial experience, they may refuse to file your case just before the deadline for filing, leaving you with no claim. Others will refuse to go to trial out of fear of losing. Insurance companies know who these lawyers are, and they offer them much less than the case is worth. Our lead attorney, Dr. Aaron DeShaw, Esq., writes and lectures nationally on these insurance tactics. As a result, we know that we must be prepared to take every case we accept to trial, and fully present it to a jury. That is the only way that a reasonable settlement offer will be made.

Q: Do I need a lawyer who focuses on personal injury law?

A: In order to settle your personal injury claim (and specifically auto accident cases) you will have to deal with insurance companies. To get the best outcome, you need to know their culture, the management methods they use, and their negotiation methods. Their goal is to pay you (or your lawyer) as little as you (or your lawyer) will take. It is tough for someone who is not familiar with personal injury cases to know what a fair settlement amount is, or even have a clue about how insurance companies evaluate these type of claims. Again, our firm handles insurance claims in a particular way, due to Dr. DeShaw's understanding of the way claims are handled in the auto insurance industry. He literally “wrote the book” describing the way that most US insurers evaluate injury claims. We use that knowledge to your advantage.

Q: How do I pay your legal fees?

A: We handle all personal injury cases on a contingency fee basis. This means you do not owe us a legal fee for our time, unless we recover money for you. We 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 extremely expensive. We know that most people cannot afford these costs up front, so we forward these costs up front in every case we take, interest free, until the end of the case. Few law firms do this. 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 parts of Oregon & Washington do you handle cases in?

A: Although our main office is located in Portland, Oregon, we will handle serious injury cases throughout the States of Oregon and Washington including the following counties and cities:

Oregon 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.

Washington Counties: King County, Pierce County, Thurston County, Lewis County, Cowlitz County, Skamania County, Clark County, Kitsap County, Snohomish County, and more.

Oregon Cities: Portland, Salem, Silverton, 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, Lincoln City, Sandy, Rainier, Monmouth, Newberg, Keizer, Gladstone, Forest Grove, Estacada, Canby, Philomath, Newberg, Parkdale, Seaside and others.

Washington Cities: Seattle, Bellevue, Kirkland, Redmond, Lynnwood, Kent, Federal Way, Auburn, Bothell, Woodinville, Kenmore, Shoreline, Mercer Island, Renton, Tacoma, Olympia, Everett, Bremerton, Vancouver, and others.

Q: I'm outside the states of Oregon & Washington, but would like to hire you as my lawyer.

A: Due to Dr. DeShaw's national reputation, we have a wide list of high quality lawyers who we can work with, likely including one in your state. In that event, we can associate with that law firm in your state as “co-counsel” as long as the State Bar in your state will allow it. Dr. DeShaw has previously been admitted in several other states for large insurance class action cases. Please give us a call at (503) 227-1233. and we will see what we can arrange.