Practice Areas

Kaplan Law, LLC is a personal injury law practice based in Portland, Oregon and serving clients with cases throughout Oregon and Washington. Matthew D. Kaplan prides himself on offering representation grounded in compassionate personalized service coupled with a genuine concern for and connection to our community. In an era when ordinary Americans have everything stacked against them, Matt still believes the law, and our courts, have a unique ability to level the playing field, achieving outcomes that are both just and fair. No other institution in American life is able to hold the rich and powerful to account in the same way as our courts.

The legal areas in which Matthew D. Kaplan and Kaplan Law, LLC specialize include:

Whether it involves drunk or distracted driving, semi-trucks, public transportation or a private commercial vehicle our legal system offers important ways to hold reckless drivers responsible for their actions. Kaplan Law, LLC offers clients extensive experience in the complex world of motor vehicle law, whether they are victims of drunk driving (formally known as DUII in Oregon and DUI in Washington) or have suffered because of a driver’s negligence.

In many rural parts of both Oregon and Washington other drivers, along with pedestrians and cyclists, face particular dangers from large semi-trucks. When an accident involves a truck it is particularly important to consider not only whether the truck operator was driving responsibly and according to conditions, but also whether the driver’s employer may bear some responsibility, for example through over-scheduling the driver or setting unrealistic delivery schedules that encourage unsafe driving habits.

Unfortunately, despite decades of public education campaigns, alcohol or drugs are still factors in many car accidents. Kaplan Law, LLC is particularly experienced in the ins-and-outs of Oregon’s Dram Shop Regulations. Under the dram shop law anyone who serves or sells alcohol to a visibly intoxicated person bears a portion of responsibility for any accident the drunk driver later causes. This liability covers restaurant and bar owners and servers, retail store clerks and even people hosting private parties (what the law refers to as a “social host”).

Matthew D. Kaplan is an experienced litigator who understands the ins-and-outs of these legal areas and can help you understand exactly what sort of relief the court system can offer. Please click on the following links for further information:

• Auto Accidents
• Uber & Lyft Accidents
• Motorcycle accidents
• Trucking Collisions
• Distracted Driving
• Drunk Driving Accidents

Here in the Pacific Northwest we are lucky enough to live in one some of the greenest, most environmentally aware communities in the country. Portland, in particular, has long been recognized as one of the most bike-friendly cities in the United States.

With that distinction, however, comes responsibility. Kaplan Law, LLC advocates both for Portland’s biking community and for increased bike safety measures on our roads. All of us can take pride in the reputation Portland and other Oregon cities have won for promoting cycling, but that does not mean we can rest while bike infrastructure still has to fight for public funding and when too many drivers still are unwilling to Share the Road.

Matthew D. Kaplan is an advocate of child safety and is a strong supporter of the work done by SafeKids Oregon and other safety advocacy groups, including the Aaron Peters Water Safety Fund. The Kaplan Law, LLC blog has regularly highlighted issues such as window falls, hot car deaths, injuries from defective or dangerous toys and the dangers of sports injuries including traumatic brain injuries and concussions.

School sports in Oregon fall under the 2010 legislation known as “Max’s Law.” This requires coaches to be trained in recognizing the symptoms of concussion and other brain injuries and to remove any player from a game or practice if they are suspected of having suffered a head injury In 2013 “Jenna’s Law” extended these provisions to youth sports organized outside of schools. Together, these measures offer powerful legal protections for young athletes and their families. Kaplan Law, LLC can help you understand when and how these laws apply to your children.

• Injuries to Children
• Severe/Catastrophic Injuries
• Brain Injuries
• Spinal Cord Injuries
• Burn Injuries
• Amputations
• Dog Attacks

Oregon and Washington are extraordinary places to live. We are all lucky to be part of such a healthy, green and compassionate community. We are also lucky to live in a country where every person is guaranteed the chance to have their day in court when things go wrong, or when rich and powerful corporations try to put their bottom lines ahead of everyone else’s health, safety and security.

Kaplan Law, LLC is proud to be able to help people in Portland, and throughout Oregon and Washington, to live safe and healthy lives and, when necessary, to obtain the justice they deserve.

• Wrongful Death Claims
• Industrial Accidents
• Premises Liability
• Patient Safety/Medical Malpractice