Each year, millions of Americans are injured in accidents. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), accidents are responsible for 39.5 million doctor’s office visits and 24.5 million emergency department visits each year. On average, 173,040 Americans die each year in accidents.

While many of these injuries and deaths are truly accidental, some are caused by something that another person did – or failed to do. In these situations, the injury victim and their loved ones may be able to recover for their losses through a personal injury lawsuit.

In a personal injury lawsuit, a victim can recover financial compensation for their losses. This may include medical bills, future medical expenses, lost wages, reduced earning capacity, property damage, pain and suffering, scarring and disfigurement, and more.

These cases are typically based on a theory of negligence, which is the failure to use the care that a reasonable person would in a similar situation. A skilled personal injury attorney can help you determine if another party’s negligence caused your injuries – and whether you are entitled to compensation for your losses.

At Harris Velázquez Gibbons, we represent injured Oregonians in a range of personal injury matters. Our practice areas include:

• Car accidents
• Dog bites
• Bicycle accidents
• Semi-truck crashes
• Pedestrian accidents
• Slip and fall (premises liability)
• Motorcycle accidents
• Wrongful death claims

For each of our personal injury clients, the process starts with a free consultation, where we will listen to your story and explain your legal rights and options from pursuing a case. If you decide to hire our law firm, we will aggressively advocate for your right to full compensation. We handle all personal injury cases on a contingency fee basis, which means you pay no money upfront – and we only get paid if we recover money for you.

Family law matters can often be emotionally challenging. Whether you need to file for divorce, modify an existing family law judgment, or negotiating the end of a relationship and a division of assets, these cases are often more complex because they involve the thing that is most important to us: our partners, our life savings, and children. Harris Velázquez Gibbons understands how difficult these cases can be for our clients. For each case, we keep our client’s ultimate goal in mind, whether it may be increased time with their children, protecting their assets in a divorce, or modifying a child support order.

Our law firm represents individuals in a number of different Oregon family law matters, including:

• Alimony – Spousal Support
• Child Custody
• Dissolution of Marriage – Oregon Divorce
• Domestic Partnerships
• Legal Separation
• Modifications of Support or Parenting Time
• Parenting Time – Visitation
• Prenuptial Agreements
• Property Settlements
• Abuse prevention and family protection orders

Our attorneys are also well trained in the dynamics of abusive relationships and are experts at assuring clients receive protection through appropriate court processes such as the Family Abuse Prevention Act (FAPA) orders.

We approach each case as a team. Our lawyers, paralegals, and support staff work collaboratively to determine how to best handle a particular family law matter. In this way, we help our clients get the best outcome for themselves – and their families.

Driving under the influence of intoxicants – or DUII – is a serious charge in the state of Oregon. Under DUII laws, a motorist can be charged with this criminal offense if they drive with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08% or greater, or while under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs (including cannabis).In Oregon, a conviction for DUII will result in a mandatory minimum jail sentence and fines, with the penalties increasing based on the facts of the case and the number of prior convictions within a certain time frame. For example, a first offense DUI will result in anywhere from 48 hours to 1 year in jail, and fines of between $1,000 and $6,250.

In addition to criminal consequences, everyone convicted of DUII in Oregon will face a suspension of their driver’s license. Depending on whether it is a first or greater offense, this license suspension may be anywhere from 1 year to a permanent (10 year) suspension. During this time, you may be able to obtain a hardship permit that allows you to drive to and from work, school, medical appointments, and drug and alcohol treatment.

Plea bargains are not permitted in Oregon DUII cases. The lawyers of Harris Velázquez Gibbons work hard to achieve the best possible outcome for their clients, which may include entering into a diversion program, getting the charge dropped, or getting a not guilty verdict at trial. If you have been charged with drunk driving in or around Portland, reach out to our law firm today for a free 15-minute telephonic case evaluation.

Protect your license. If you have been arrested for a DUII and refused or failed a breath test, you likely received a license suspension. You have a limited time to contest that suspension or you lose that right to fight the suspension.

If you have never been convicted of a DUII before, you may be eligible to avoid a conviction through the DUII diversion process. Call now for more information and find out if you’re eligible to have your charges dismissed.

There are few things more frightening than being charged with a crime. Whether it is your first offense or you have a criminal history, the prospect of losing your freedom can be overwhelming. The experienced criminal defense attorneys of Harris Velázquez Gibbons know that good people can mess up – and that sometimes, police and prosecutors make mistakes, too.

Our team thoroughly investigates the facts of each violation, infraction, misdemeanor, and felony case brought against our clients. We take a proactive approach, working hard to convince law enforcement to not press charges. If charges are filed against one of our clients, we aggressively advocate to achieve the best possible outcome.

While each case is different, our strategy may include filing a motion to suppress evidence if the police violated a client’s constitutional rights, or even a motion to dismiss the charges if the evidence simply does not support the state’s claim. Our attorneys explore every possible way to resolve the case, from having a charge reduced or dismissed, to negotiating a favorable plea deal – to taking the case to trial and forcing the prosecution to meet its burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

We represent clients who have been charged with state and local criminal offenses in the greater Portland area, including Washington, Clackamas, Multnomah, Clatsop, Columbia, Marion Yamhill counties. Our practice areas include:

• Drunk driving/driving under the influence of intoxicants (DUII)
• Theft, including shoplifting and identification theft
• Traffic crimes, including reckless driving, hit and run, and driving with a suspended or revoked license
• Drug charges
• Domestic violence/assault
• Measure 11 (mandatory minimum) cases
• White-collar crimes

Clear Your Record: For clients with a criminal record, we also work to have your criminal record expunged or the conviction reduced from a felony to a misdemeanor. Because having a criminal history can affect your ability to get a job, rent a house, or even secure a loan, expungement can be an important way to protect your future.

If you have been charged with a criminal offense in Portland, Oregon, or the surrounding areas, we can help. Give our law firm a call for a free evaluation of your case.

If you get hurt at work or develop an illness related to your job, then you may be entitled to certain benefits through the Oregon workers’ compensation system. Workers’ comp is a no-fault program that is designed to ensure that people who suffer a workplace injury or illness get the medical treatment and financial compensation that they need to recover.Through the workers’ compensation system, you may receive:

• Medical treatment;
• Temporary disability payments to cover lost wages while you take time off of work to recover; and
• Permanent disability payments if you are permanently disabled from your occupational illness or accident.

In addition, if a worker dies as a result of a work accident or illness, their survivors may be entitled to certain death benefits.

Although employees don’t have to prove that their company did anything wrong in order to receive workers’ comp benefits, employers and their insurance companies often challenge a workers’ right to benefits. This may include denying that an injury or illness was work-related, arguing that you are able to return to work, or even objecting to proposed medical treatment. For this reason, it is important to work with an Oregon workers’ compensation attorney who knows the law – and who can fight for your right to benefits.

At Harris Velázquez Gibbons, we know that a workplace injury can have a devastating effect on an employee and their family. We work hard to make sure that each of our clients gets the benefits that they are entitled to under the law. If you have been injured at work or diagnosed with an occupational illness, reach out to our law firm today to schedule a free initial consultation.

If you are unable to work due to a disability, you may be entitled to certain benefits under programs offered by the Social Security Administration (SSA). Both Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) are available to Americans with physical or mental health disabilities who cannot work. Depending on your specific situation, you may be entitled to receive cash benefits from one or both of these programs.The process of applying for SSDI and/or SSI benefits can be daunting. In addition to filling out forms, you will be required to submit evidence that documents both your disability and your inability to work. A large percentage of initial disability benefit claims are denied due to paperwork errors.

Working with a skilled disability benefits attorney – such as the team at Harris Velázquez Gibbons – can improve the likelihood that your initial application will be approved by the SSA. If your claim is denied, we will advocate for you throughout the appeals process, from requesting reconsideration to a hearing before an administrative law judge to filing a lawsuit in federal court.

Our law firm handles all types of disability claims, including:

• Social Security Disability (SSD, SSDI, DIB, Title II),
• Adult or Child Supplemental Security Income (SSI, Title XVI),
• Disabled Widow/Widower Benefits (DWB, WIB),
• Childhood Disability Benefits (CDB), and
• Disabled Adult Child (DAC).

If you are unable to work due to a disability, we will fight for your right to benefits – and will only charge a fee if we succeed. Give us a call today for a free consultation about your disability claim.