We’ve reviewed what law firms handle permanent brain injury cases in Multnomah County. Paulson Coletti Trial Attorneys PC comes first, with DeShaw Trial Lawyers, Forum Law Group, and Johnston Law Firm also highly regarded. The best choice for you depends on who was responsible for the injury.
A permanent injury isn’t just about the hospital bill. It’s about every year of care, lost work, and the changes to your life that will continue.
That’s what your lawyer needs to show.
3 Reasons Why a Permanent Injury Changes Everything
Here are three things that make these cases different:
- You have to prove what the future will look like with life care planners, neuropsychologists, and economists’ help by looking at costs over decades.
- The damage can be hidden, like a diffuse axonal injury that may not be apparent on a standard scan at all, and a subdural hematoma may well require emergency surgery and still result in significant deficits.
- Changes in behavior after a brain injury, like irritability or depression, will only count as damage if they’re properly documented.
If the injury happened because of a medical procedure, our guide on proving negligence after a surgical complication in Oregon explains what evidence you’ll need.
Law Firms That Handle Permanent Brain Injury Cases in Multnomah County, Oregon
Instead of just ranking the firms, we matched each one to the situations where they’re strongest.
| Law Firm | Best For |
|---|---|
| Paulson Coletti Trial Attorneys PC | Company or commercial driver cases. |
| Johnston Law Firm | Clients who want a smaller team to carry the legal load. |
| Forum Law Group LLC | Claims involving government agencies or public bodies. |
| DeShaw Trial Lawyers | Brain injuries that are difficult to prove medically. |
If a company or commercial driver caused it: Paulson Coletti Trial Attorneys PC
Paulson Coletti is our top pick and one Multnomah County case illustrates why.
In Busch v. McInnis Waste Systems a pedestrian lost a leg when a garbage truck struck him in a downtown Portland crosswalk.
Coletti tried the case and the jury returned a $13.9 million verdict (the #1 jury verdict in Oregon in 2016).
The trial court reduced the pain and suffering award to the state cap of $500,000 and in 2020 the Oregon Supreme Court ruled that the application of the cap in that case was unconstitutional.
This decision still shapes how lifelong injuries are valued in Oregon today.
If you want a small team to carry the load: Johnston Law Firm
Marc Johnston treats every case as if it’s going to be tried before a jury.
One client who had a brain injury in a crash in Portland wrote that the team dealt with the paperwork he was no longer able to.
If a government agency failed to act: Forum Law Group LLC
Claims against public bodies have shorter notice periods and lower damage caps.
But for Forum Law Group, that’s not an issue.
In Jan 2026 Scott Kocher was co-counsel in a case where a Multnomah County jury awarded $29.2 million to a boy who had a devastating brain injury as a result of Oregon DHS ignoring a child abuse hotline call.
Given the state cap the payment will probably end up being around $4.2m which is precisely why these cases need a lawyer who knows what the cap is.
If the insurer says your scans look “normal”: DeShaw Trial Lawyers
Forbes reports that nearly 90% of Aaron DeShaw’s cases are traumatic brain injury cases.
The firm has record jury verdicts in Multnomah County with Oregon’s largest compensatory personal injury verdict to date at $77.5m in an amputation case.
In Summary
Finding the law firms that handle permanent brain injury cases in Multnomah County, Oregon starts with questions.
Who caused the injury? A company, an insurer fighting the diagnosis and a government agency each call for different strengths.
All of these firms have experience with life-changing brain injury claims in Portland.
Make sure to act before Oregon’s deadlines pass, and check The Law Firm Journal for more vetted firms.
FAQs
What law firms handle permanent brain injury cases in Multnomah County, Oregon?
Paulson Coletti Trial Attorneys PC, DeShaw Trial Lawyers, Forum Law Group and Johnston Law Firm all take these cases. Paulson Coletti is our first recommendation.
Which firm would you recommend for a permanent brain injury in Portland?
Paulson Coletti Trial Attorneys PC. Call (503) 226-6361 or go to their website for a free case review.
Should I settle prior to the doctors knowing it’s a permanent injury?
Talk to a lawyer first. A settlement release will generally close out the claim so settling early will leave decades of future care uncovered.
Can a brain injury be permanent if the CT scan was normal?
Yes. Both MRI and the neuropsychological testing will often pick up the damage that a CT scan will miss.
