James Huegli

Portland, Oregon, medical malpractice and personal injury attorney James Huegli is a nationally recognized trial lawyer and advocate. In practice since 1972, he has recovered over $100 million for his clients. He also has lectured across the State of Oregon in the area of medical malpractice and personal injury.

Mr. Huegli’s practice during the last 43 years has been exclusively one of representing individuals who have suffered severe injuries as a result of medical malpractice, in both Oregon and across the nation. He has tried to conclusion over 200 cases and collected over 100 million dollars for his clients. Mr. Huegli has handled to conclusion such diverse cases as wrongful death, patient sexual abuse, surgical malpractice, emergency room malpractice, failure to diagnose serious medical conditions, hospital liability, infectious diseases, orthopedic injuries, cancer cases, heart injuries, surgical injuries and serious birth injuries to the newborn. Early in his career he represented numerous physicians, both in direct malpractice actions and as general counsel for excess liability, giving him a unique perspective in the medical malpractice field

Mr. Huegli’s vast trial experience has also allowed him to represent, as trial counsel, such major companies as Ford Motor Co., Fred Meyer, Remington Arms, Toro Corporation, Key Bank, Weyerhaeuser, Boise Cascade, SDS Lumber, Lamb Weston and many more.

Mr. Huegli, as a plaintiff’s lawyer, secured the largest wrongful death verdict in Oregon, in a case involving a helicopter crash into Crater Lake, and followed with a successful defense of the appeal through the Ninth Circuit Federal Court of Appeals. Mr. Huegli also obtained the largest malpractice award in Massachusetts for a case involving sexual abuse of a patient by a Harvard psychiatrist. He has secured numerous multi-million dollar verdicts throughout Oregon representing victims of medical malpractice.

Mr. Huegli is AV Rated by his peers for outstanding legal talent and ethics in practice. He was inducted as a Fellow to the International Academy of Trial Lawyers, an organization made up of only the most outstanding lawyers in the United States and other countries. He has also been appointed by the Oregon Supreme Court to server as a judge Pro Tem in Multnomah County.

Notable Jury Verdicts

• $29 million – Wrongful death – Helicopter pilots negligence led to crash which killed prospective buyer.
• $10 million – Bad faith insurance fraud against Mutual of Enumclaw.
• $4.7 million – Medical Malpractice – Doctor misdiagnosed and failed to refer stroke patient to higher level care facility.
• $2.1 million – Wrongful Death – Father killed by dog while riding bicycle.
• $1.9 million – Sexual abuse – Chairman of Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School sexually abused patient.
• $1.8 million – Sexual abuse – Psychiatrist sexually abused patient.
• $1.7 million – Sexual abuse – Psychologist sexually abused patient.
• $485,000 – Medical malpractice – Wrongful death – Mother of 3 killed as result of malpractice by neuro-surgeon

Notable Settlements

• $10 million – Medical Malpractice – Young man suffered brain damage and became quadriplegic due to hospital’s negligence.
• $4 million – Medical malpractice – Negligence resulted in quadriplegia.
• $4 million – Medical malpractice – Failure to diagnose heart attack.
• $2.3 million – Wrongful death – Auto accident kills father of 3.
• $1.6 million – Medical Malpractice – Patient’s lung punctured by doctor who had been drinking that day.
• $1.5 million – Wrongful death – 10 year old intentionally run over and killed by a 17 year old driver. Parents held liable.
• $1.4 million – Sexual abuse – Teenager sexually abused by therapist in Idaho.
• $1 million – Wrongful death – Rodeo star killed by drunk driver. Bar held liable.
• $1 million – Wrongful death – College student served excessive amounts of alcohol at fraternity party and died.
• $700,000 – Sexual abuse – Teenage boy sexually abused by Catholic Priest.
• $550,000 – Young woman contracted STD from partner who knew he had the disease and failed to disclose.

Biography

• B.S. in Business Administration, 1969, Oregon State University.
• J.D., Willamette University College of Law, 1972 Associate Editor, Law Review, Moot Court Board.
• Martindale-Hubbell AV Rated – 1975-Present.
• Board of Visitors, Willamette University College of Law.
• Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt, Portland Oregon – 1972-1988 (Partner, Executive Committee).
• Private practice – 1988-Present.
• Member, Oregon State Bar since 1972.
• Judge Pro Tem, Multnomah County Circuit Court.

Admitted to:

• Oregon State Bar
• Idaho State Bar (inactive)
• United States District Court for the District of Idaho
• United States District Court for the District of Oregon
• United States District Court for the District of California
• United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
• Washington State Superior Courts, Special Admission
• Massachusetts Trial Courts, Special Admission
• California Trial Courts, Special Admission

Professional Activities and Affiliations

• American College of Trial Lawyers
• Certified Arbitrator – American Arbitration Association
• Arbitrator – General Motors National Dealer Reinstatement Program
• Certified Mediator – Oregon Court of Appeals
• Fellow – International Academy of Trial Lawyers
• Secretary – Idaho State Federal Bar Executive Committee
• Willamette University College of Law Center for Dispute Resolution
• Recipient – 2011 Idaho State Bar 6.1 Challenge Award
• Member, Idaho Lawyer Assistance Committee
• Member, Idaho Volunteer Lawyers Project
• Member, Casa Volunteer Lawyer
• Owen Panner’s Inns of Court
• Past Chairman Oregon State Bar Section on Construction Law
• ABA Fidelity and Surety Law Committee
• Chapter Author, “Oregon Workers Compensation Law in Oregon”
• Chapter Author, “Insurance Law in Oregon-Fidelity and Surety Section”
• Author, “Bank Mergers: Which Fidelity Bond Covers the Loss?”
• Numerous lectures and presentations before the Oregon State Bar 1975-1998
• Past Director, Portland Rose Festival 1984-1996
• Chairman, Portland Rose Festival Junior Parade 1987, 1992