Brazilian Personal Injury Lawyers in the US

Getting seriously hurt in the United States is frightening on its own. Being far from home, in a language that is not your first, with bills piling up in dollars, makes it harder. Oliveira Law represents Brazilians who have been seriously injured in the US. We are Brazilian attorneys, licensed to practice here, and from the first phone call to the settlement or the verdict, you deal directly with one of us, in Portuguese or in English, whichever is easier for you. You will not be passed around a call center or handed to a different assistant every time you call.

We focus on serious personal injury cases: a hospital stay, surgery, broken bones, a permanent or disabling injury, the loss of someone in the family. We represent the injured person and their family, never the driver or the company that caused the harm. Because we keep our caseload small on purpose, the attorney you first speak with is the same one who works your case. If we do not win, you pay no attorney’s fees.

Important: Prior results do not guarantee future outcomes. This page is informational and does not constitute legal advice or create an attorney-client relationship.

Who we help

We take on a limited number of cases at a time, on purpose. That is how each client gets a lawyer’s real attention instead of getting lost in a queue. It also means we give priority to serious injuries, and we would rather tell you that plainly than take up your time.

We help injured victims, and the families of victims, when the injury is serious: hospitalization, surgery, fractures, head or spinal trauma, permanent or disabling injuries, and cases where someone lost their life.

We do not take cases involving only damage to a vehicle, accidents with no injuries, or minor injuries. And we represent only the person who was hurt, never the party who caused the accident.

If your case is not a fit for our office, reach out anyway. When we can, we will point you in the right direction.

The personal injury cases we handle

We handle the range of serious personal injury cases that affect the Brazilian community in the US, including:

• Car accidents
• Truck accidents
• Pedestrians hit by a vehicle
• Workplace accidents
• Construction accidents
• Slip and fall and other unsafe-property (premises liability) claims
• Wrongful death
• Medical malpractice
• Sexual abuse (civil claims)

We have written detailed guides on several of these in Portuguese, on our Portuguese hub, if you want to go deeper on a specific type of accident.

Do not talk to the insurance company without a lawyer

A few days after the accident, an insurance adjuster will almost certainly call. They tend to sound friendly and say they just want to “understand what happened” or “get this resolved quickly.” Their real job is to get the insurance company to pay as little as possible, sometimes nothing at all.

Two requests sound harmless and are not. The first is a recorded statement: a sentence you say in pain or in fear can be cut out and used later to shrink your claim, even a simple “I’m feeling a little better” said over the phone. The second is a broad authorization to pull your entire medical history: signed as it is written, it lets the insurer dig through years of your life looking for a reason to argue that your injury “was already there.” You are not required to give a recorded statement to the other side’s insurer, or to sign those authorizations. Until you have spoken with a lawyer, keep it simple: do not give statements, do not sign anything, and do not accept a settlement. Once you hire us, we deal with the insurance company for you.

What compensation can include

When the accident was caused by someone else, another driver, a company, a trucking operation, or a property owner who ignored a known hazard, US law lets the injured person ask for compensation, and that goes well beyond the first hospital bill.

In serious cases, that compensation can often include the medical bills that have already arrived and the ones still to come (further surgery, physical therapy, prosthetics, long-term care); the income you lost while you could not work, along with the loss of your ability to earn in the future; and the pain, suffering, and lasting effects of the injury. When an accident takes a life, the family can seek compensation for that loss.

One thing that catches many people off guard: in the United States, a health plan or a hospital may have the right to be paid back part of what you recover (this is called a lien). Reducing and negotiating those amounts, so that as much as possible stays in your pocket, is part of our job.

Every case is different, and no honest lawyer can promise you a number or a result. What we can say is that a first offer from an insurer is usually far below what a serious case is worth, and that accepting it too soon can close off the chance to ask for more.

Why a Brazilian personal injury lawyer licensed in the US

After a serious injury, the last thing you want is to fight the language and an unfamiliar legal system on top of everything else. Here you do not have to. We are Brazilian lawyers, members of the OAB in Brazil and licensed to practice in the United States. You tell your story in Portuguese, straight to a lawyer, with no interpreter in the middle and nothing lost along the way. The person handling your case knows both worlds: how a claim like this is proven and negotiated under US law, and the reality of someone whose family, documents, or bank account are still in Brazil.

We have offices in El Segundo, California (222 Pacific Coast Hwy, 10th Floor) and Frisco, Texas (2770 Main St, Ste 230). We handle cases in California and Texas directly. In other states, we work together with trusted local partner attorneys, and you are always served by us, in Portuguese.

Your immigration status does not decide whether you can recover. People who are documented, undocumented, and here on a visa can all seek compensation, with no green card or Social Security number required. If at some point a number is needed to receive the funds, there is the ITIN, and we walk you through how to get one.

Why it helps to call early

Evidence does not wait. Traffic and store cameras often record over their footage within days. Witnesses forget details or move away. A vehicle gets repaired or sold. And the insurer is often working to close a low settlement before you fully understand how serious the injury is. Speaking with a lawyer early is what slows that down. The first conversation is free.

Frequently asked questions

1. What kinds of cases do you take?

We concentrate on serious injuries: hospitalization, surgery, fractures, head or spinal trauma, permanent or disabling injuries, and cases where someone died. We do not handle claims that involve only damage to a vehicle or that have no injuries.

2. Do you represent the person who caused the accident?

No. We stay on the side of the person who was hurt, never the party that caused the accident.

3. Do you handle cases in English, or only in Portuguese?

Both. You can speak with us in Portuguese or in English, whichever is more comfortable for you. Many of our clients are Brazilian, and being served in your own language is the whole point of our firm.

4. Do I need documents, a green card, or a Social Security number to have a case?

No. Your right to seek compensation does not depend on your immigration status. If a number is later needed to receive funds, we help you obtain an ITIN.

5. How do you charge?

On contingency: you pay no attorney’s fees up front, and we only charge attorney’s fees if you win. Case costs, such as expert reports and copies of medical records, are handled separately, and we explain all of it before you sign.

6. The insurance adjuster wants a recorded statement. Do I have to give one?

No. You are not required to give a recorded statement to the other side’s insurer. Speak with a lawyer before you say or sign anything.

7. The insurer offered me a settlement. Should I accept it?

Talk to us first. In serious cases, the first offer tends to be far below what the case is worth, and accepting it can end your ability to ask for more.

8. Which states do you cover?

California and Texas directly, where we have offices. In other states, we work together with trusted local partner attorneys, with you always served by us in Portuguese.

9. Will I have to travel to the United States or go to court?

Most of the time, no. Many cases are resolved through settlement, and we handle almost everything remotely. If your presence is ever needed, we tell you well in advance and prepare you.

10. Someone in my family died in the accident. What can the family do?

The family can seek compensation for the loss. We help relatives, including those still in Brazil, with the paperwork and the handling of the case in the United States, and we guide you on support from the Brazilian consulate, such as documentation and repatriation.

11. How much is my case worth?

There is no honest way to name a figure without knowing your case, and anyone who promises you a number up front is not being straight with you. What we can do is review the facts and give you a realistic picture of what a case like yours can involve.

12. I already went back to Brazil. Can I still bring a claim?

In many cases, yes. We handle the case in the United States and bridge everything with you in Brazil.

13. The accident happened some time ago. Is there still anything that can be done?

It depends on the case, and there is no way to know without talking. The important thing is to reach out soon: as time passes, evidence gets lost (cameras erase, witnesses move on, vehicles are repaired). Call us and we will take a look, at no cost.

Prefer to read in Portuguese? See our Portuguese hub: Português: Advogado de Acidentes nos EUA para Brasileiros.

Attorney advertising. Legal services in the United States are provided by Oliveira Law, PLLC. Luciano Oliveira is licensed in California and Texas; matters in other states are handled together with local partner attorneys.