Portland Wrongful Death Lawyers

Metier Law Firm: Portland Wrongful Death Attorneys Fighting for Your Family

Wrongful death cases demand attorneys who can hold negligent drivers, corporations, and institutions fully accountable. Metier Law Firm brings decades of experience in serious injury and wrongful death litigation to every case we accept in Portland and across Oregon. Founding partner T. Thomas Metier is Board Certified in Civil Trial Law by the National Board of Trial Advocacy, and managing partner Mike Chaloupka holds a Class A Commercial Driver's License, in addition to his Oregon State Bar license, giving our team direct insight into the crashes that drive wrongful death claims.

What families can expect when they work with our team:

• Direct attorney access: Clients work with licensed attorneys, not case managers or assistants, throughout every stage of their claim.
• Trial-ready preparation: Every case is built as if it will go before a Multnomah County jury, which produces stronger settlements and better outcomes at trial.
• Multi-state licensure: Our attorneys are licensed in Oregon, Washington, Colorado, Wyoming, and Nebraska, giving us the depth to handle complex, cross-jurisdictional wrongful death matters.
• Contingency fee representation: Families pay nothing unless we recover compensation on their behalf.

Real Wrongful Death Case Results From Metier Law Firm

The results below reflect actual wrongful death recoveries secured by Metier Law Firm. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes, but they demonstrate the firm's track record in wrongful death litigation across Oregon and beyond.

• Wrongful Death Claim, $500,000+: Over $500,000 settlement for a wrongful death claim.
• Wrongful Death Claim, $1,450,000+: Over $1.45 million settlement for a wrongful death claim.
• Wrongful Death Claim, $1,700,000+: Over $1.7 million settlement for a wrongful death claim.
• Wrongful Death Claim, $6,000,000+: Over $6 million settlement for a wrongful death claim.

What Is Wrongful Death Under Oregon Law?

Under ORS 30.020, a wrongful death claim may be brought when a person's death is caused by the wrongful act or omission of another party. Oregon law allows the personal representative of the decedent's estate to file the claim on behalf of surviving family members. The statute covers deaths resulting from negligence, recklessness, and intentional misconduct. Unlike a criminal proceeding in Multnomah County Circuit Court, a civil wrongful death claim does not require proof beyond a reasonable doubt, which gives families a meaningful path to accountability even when criminal charges are never filed.

For a wrongful death claim to succeed in Portland, four elements must be established:

• Duty of care: The defendant owed a legal duty to the person who died.
• Breach: The defendant failed to meet that duty through negligent or wrongful conduct.
• Causation: That breach directly caused the death.
• Damages: Surviving family members suffered measurable financial and personal losses as a result.

Who Can File a Wrongful Death Claim in Portland?

Oregon's wrongful death statute designates the personal representative of the decedent's estate as the party who files the action. The recovery, however, benefits specific surviving family members. In Portland wrongful death cases filed in Multnomah County, those beneficiaries include:

• Surviving spouse
• Surviving children and stepchildren
• Surviving parents and stepparents
• Other individuals who would inherit the decedent's personal property under Oregon's intestate succession laws

If no formal personal representative has been appointed, the court may appoint one to pursue the claim. This procedural step is common in Portland wrongful death cases and should not discourage eligible family members from moving forward. Our Portland attorneys can walk your family through this process so the right parties are properly identified from the start.

Common Causes of Wrongful Death in Portland

Wrongful death claims in Portland arise from a wide range of preventable incidents. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identifies unintentional injuries as the third leading cause of death in the United States, and Oregon's roads reflect that reality. The Oregon Department of Transportation 2025 Annual Performance Progress Report recorded a traffic fatalities and serious injuries rate of 11.67 per 100 million vehicle miles traveled in 2024, far exceeding the state's target of 6.28. Fatal crashes on corridors, including Interstate 84, Interstate 205, and Powell Boulevard, are among the incidents that bring families to our office. The causes our Portland wrongful death lawyers encounter most often include:

• Motor vehicle accidents: Collisions caused by distracted, impaired, or reckless drivers on Portland's roads and highways.
• Commercial truck crashes: Crashes involving 18-wheelers or delivery vehicles where driver fatigue, overloading, or maintenance failures contributed to the fatal outcome.
• Motorcycle accidents: High-fatality crashes where a negligent driver failed to yield or share the road.
• Premises liability: Deaths caused by unsafe conditions on commercial or private property, including construction sites and retail locations.
• Medical malpractice: Preventable deaths resulting from surgical errors, misdiagnosis, or failure to treat.
• Workplace accidents: Fatal injuries sustained in industrial, construction, or oilfield environments.

Compensation Available in Portland Wrongful Death Claims

Oregon's wrongful death statute defines two broad categories of recoverable damages. The specific amounts available depend on the facts of each case, including the decedent's age, income, and family circumstances.

Economic Damages

Economic damages compensate for tangible, measurable financial losses. Under ORS 30.020, recoverable economic damages include:

• Medical expenses: Reasonable charges incurred for medical, hospital, nursing, and other care between the injury and the death.
• Burial and memorial costs: Funeral and memorial service expenses necessarily incurred.
• Lost income and earning capacity: Compensation for the decedent's projected lifetime earnings and economic contributions to the family.
• Pecuniary losses to the estate: Financial losses sustained directly by the decedent's estate as a result of the death.

Non-Economic Damages

Non-economic damages address the personal and relational losses suffered by surviving family members. Oregon law allows recovery for the loss of the decedent's society, companionship, and services. Oregon caps non-economic damages in wrongful death cases at $500,000, which makes the economic damages calculation the most consequential component of most Portland wrongful death claims. Our attorneys work with forensic economists to build the most complete and defensible damages picture possible.

How Comparative Fault Affects a Portland Wrongful Death Claim

Oregon follows a modified comparative fault rule. If the person who died shared some responsibility for the incident that caused their death, the total damages awarded to the family may be reduced by the percentage of fault attributed to the decedent. Under Oregon's comparative fault framework, a claim is only barred entirely if the decedent is found more than 51% at fault.

Defense attorneys and insurance companies routinely attempt to inflate the decedent's share of fault to reduce or eliminate the family's recovery. Our Portland wrongful death lawyers counter those tactics with thorough investigation, accident reconstruction, and witness testimony that establishes the true chain of events. We approach every case with the assumption that fault will be contested and prepare accordingly from day one.

How Long Do You Have to File a Wrongful Death Claim in Portland?

The filing deadline for wrongful death claims in Oregon is established by ORS 30.020. Oregon law generally requires that a wrongful death action be commenced within three years after the injury causing the death is discovered, or reasonably should have been discovered, by the personal representative or a beneficiary. In no case may the action be filed more than 3 years after the decedent's death.

Missing the statute of limitations forfeits the family's right to file in the Multnomah County Circuit Court entirely. We strongly encourage Portland families to contact our office as early as possible. Early engagement allows our team to preserve evidence, secure witnesses, and build the strongest foundation for your claim. Time works against wrongful death claimants in Oregon, and every week of delay carries real legal risk.

How Our Portland Wrongful Death Lawyers Build Your Case

Our approach to wrongful death litigation is deliberate and thorough. From the first consultation, we treat every case as trial-ready, which protects our clients whether their matter resolves through settlement or goes before a Multnomah County jury. Our process includes:

• Scene investigation and evidence preservation: We act quickly to secure crash data, photographs, surveillance footage, and physical evidence before it is lost or destroyed.
• Expert retention: We work with accident reconstructionists, medical professionals, and vocational and economic analysts to document the full scope of your family's losses.
• Insurance and corporate accountability: We identify all liable parties, including employers, insurers, and manufacturers, and pursue every available avenue of recovery.
• Damages documentation: We build a comprehensive economic damages model that accounts for lifetime earnings, benefits, household contributions, and future financial impact on surviving family members.
• Negotiation and litigation: Our attorneys negotiate with full trial capability behind every offer. If the responsible party will not offer fair compensation, we take the case to trial.

This level of preparation matters because insurers and defense teams evaluate opposing counsel before making settlement offers. When they know a firm has a genuine trial record, they take demand letters more seriously and approach negotiations differently. Our clients benefit from that reputation at every stage of their case, from initial demand through resolution.

Contact a Portland Wrongful Death Lawyer at Metier Law Firm Today

Your family deserves attorneys who will fight as hard for you as they would for their own. Metier Law Firm represents Portland families in wrongful death claims with the preparation and tenacity every case demands. If you lost a loved one due to someone else's negligence, contact our Portland wrongful death lawyer team today. Call (866) 377-3800 for a free consultation.