Tim Williams | Bend Personal Injury Lawyer

A Dedication To Success

Not many lawyers are as successful in court as they have been on the court.  But Tim Williams is a rare breed.  Before he became this firm’s lead litigator and honored as an Oregon Super Lawyer, Tim sharpened his competitive edge as a forward on Southern Oregon University’s nationally ranked basketball team.  He’s been winning ever since, first graduating from SOU with honors, then finishing law school and being nominated to top leadership positions with professional and civic organizations across the state and nation.

Tim brings that drive to every case he takes.  Among Oregon lawyers, you’ll be hard pressed to find anyone who’s taken more personal injury cases to trial than Tim, who has been with the firm since 1999.  His tenacity comes from Tim’s firmly held belief that individuals and corporations that harm people or cause death must be held fully accountable.

The competence and professionalism Tim brings to the courtroom extends to his work with various organizations that have become a priority for this civically active lawyer.  Tim has held leadership positions with the Oregon State Bar, the Oregon Trial Lawyers Association, the American Association for Justice, the J.R. Campbell Inns of Court, and the Rotary Club of Bend.  He has also been admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court – a distinction held by few.

Whether he’s working with leaders in the community or clients dealing with injury from a car crash, semi-truck collision, a work-related incident or who have lost a loved one due to wrongful death, Tim’s track record of bringing home wins speaks for itself.  Since 2003, Tim has won tens of millions of dollars for his clients.

Position	Organization	Location	Duration
Owner | Managing Partner	Dwyer Williams Cherkoss Atorneys, P.C.	Bend, Oregon	1/2019 - Present
Partner	Dwyer Williams Cherkoss Atorneys, P.C.	Bend, Oregon	01/2004 - 12/2018
Associate Lawyer	Dwyer Shlesingter & deVilleneuve Attorneys, LLP	Eugene, Oregon	09/2003 - 12/2003

School	Degree	Major	Graduation
University of Oregon School of Law	J.D.	Law School	2003
Southern Oregon University	Bachelors		1999

State / Court	Date
Oregon	2003

• Oregon Trial Lawyers Association
  American Association for Justice
  American Board of Trial Advocates
  Trial Lawyers for Public Justice
  The Fellows of the American Bar Foundation
  National Crime Victim Bar Association

• National Association of Distinguished Counsel - Nation's Top One Percent
  SuperLawyers (2016 - present)
  OTLA Volunteer of the Year

• $4.4 million verdict - semi truck collision
  Our client was driving his 1994 Honda Civic southbound on I-5 in the right lane just south of Custer Way, Tumwater, Washington. At the same time, an agent of Walgreens Oshkosh, Inc. (“Walgreens”) was driving a 2009 International semi-truck and trailer slightly behind him. It was dark and rainy. The semi was attempting to change lanes from Lane 2 (middle lane) to Lane 1 (right lane) on southbound Interstate 5. In doing so, its driver failed to see our client in Lane 1, and struck the left rear corner of his car. 1b Damage to CarThis caused our client’s car to rotate counterclockwise in front of the semi-truck, pushing it sideways down the road a short distance. Our client’s car then continued across Lanes 2 and 3, striking the center jersey barrier, and rebounding back into the lanes of travel only to be struck by the trailer of the semi as it jackknifed across the freeway. Our client’s car finally came to rest blocking traffic, facing oncoming traffic. Not only was our client knocked around in his car, but the driver’s side of the Honda was so mangled, he had to be extracted by paramedics. As a result of the collision, our client suffered the following injuries: Damage to the muscles, ligaments, tendons, nerves and other soft tissue of the head, neck, back, knees, left foot, shoulders, and wrists; Lumbar radiculopathy, requiring multiple injections and surgery, with permanent residual symptoms; Cervical radiculopathy, requiring multiple injections, with permanent residual symptoms; and Severe emotional distress, including Pain Disorder, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and Adjustment Disorder. Walgreens denied liability and went so far as to claim that our client was at fault in causing the collision. We had no option but to file the case in federal court. Walgreens, in turn, hired a very large and experienced law firm to represent their interests, with two extremely qualified defense attorneys leading the charge. We were not intimidated. Tim Williams headed the federal litigation team for our firm. Only weeks from the trial, and after many months of hard-fought discovery and expert disclosures, Walgreens finally admitted it was responsible in causing the collision, and withdrew its claims that our client was at fault. However, it continued to deny that our client was significantly injured, claiming, instead, that his left leg and right arm symptoms were the results of spinal degeneration, even though he was only 36 years old at the time of his injury. This ultimately necessitated a trial in the United States District Court for the District of Oregon in Portland. At trial, Walgreens admitted some soft tissue injury but claimed the left leg and right arm symptoms were a result of known prior spinal degeneration. It is true that, prior to this motor vehicle collision, our client had been diagnosed with mild to moderate degeneration of the spine, and had sustained several acute back injuries over the preceding several years. However, we pointed out that those injuries resolved prior to this collision. Indeed, Walgreen’s medical expert conceded many points during our skillful cross-examination. We were quick to point out that, while our client did have intermittent upper back pain, as one might expect for a dockworker, those pains quickly resolved with only a few chiropractic visits. He also suffered from prior intermittent, though severe, low back pain with radiculopathy into his left foot. However, in the past, the radicular symptoms would go away with time. Their doctor had to admit that they did not do so after this collision. Additionally, our client was a union dockworker at the time of the collision. Indeed, he was a senior dockworker, who received not only high pay but the most sought-after assignments. His job required extensive travel, often to the Seattle area. Because of his injuries, he could no longer work most of the jobs required of him. Walgreens was quick to point out that he had worked intermittently since the collision. However, we pointed out that, during that time, his friends initially did most of his jobs for him, or he only took the easy jobs when available, turning down work that he could not do. To complicate matters slightly, the Port of Portland lost two major accounts for their shipping terminal in the two years prior to the trial. By some accounts, shipping had decreased by 85% to Terminal 6, which is where our client primarily worked when working at the Port of Portland. However, we were able to show that, while the Port of Portland may have been slow during part of the time following our client’s injuries, this actually made his position more valuable, as his seniority allowed him to select the out-of-state jobs which not only increased his hourly rate but also enabled him to collect per diem travel payments as well. Moreover, as his supervisors testified, our client was on track to one day become a foreman, meaning a much higher pay rate with much less physical requirements. Our vocational rehabilitation expert made it clear that our client could not work his at-injury position anywhere near the same capacity that he was able to at the time of the collision. Ultimately, he will need to undergo vocational rehabilitation and retraining, and enter the workforce in a less physically demanding position, though he will never make what he was making as a dockworker. Walgreens, of course, disputed this evidence with an expert of their own, who agreed our client had an impairment of his earning capacity, but claimed that he could not determine to what extent. The semi truck accident brought important material changes to our client’s personal life as well. As an avid outdoorsman, he can no longer hunt in the field as he once did. He has difficulty playing with his kids, including playing basketball and golf with his son. He was an avid skier, but can no longer go to the mountain. He has difficulty even doing simple house chores. Indeed, he has issues even getting his pants and boots on in the morning. His physical struggles are real, immeasurable, and permanent. As for the emotional impact his injuries have had, he was diagnosed with, and treated for, PTSD. Walgreens did not dispute this diagnosis, and all parties agreed that he was much improved within a year following the collision. However, his physical injuries and limitations persist, and are permanent. Ultimately, after four days of trial, including the testimony of six expert witnesses and several friends, family, and coworkers, and after skillful and passionate closing arguments on both sides, a jury returned a unanimous verdict in our client’s favor of $4,386,817. This verdict was more than eight times Walgreens’ highest settlement offer!

• Oregon State Bar - Torts Handbook
  Oregon Trial Lawyers Association - Motor Vehicle Deskbook
  Oregon Trial Lawyers Association - Trial Lawyer Magazine

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Verified Credentials	Date Verified
(2003) Licensed as Attorney in Oregon. Verified with Oregon State Bar.	August 06, 2020

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