Tom D'Amore

Practice Areas

Personal Injury (Catastrophic); Wrongful Death; Trucking & Commercial Vehicle Accidents; Construction and Jobsite Accidents; Sexual Abuse & Institutional Liability; Dangerous Products Liability; Gun Violence; Medical Malpractice; Class Actions; Mass Torts; and Bad Faith Insurance Practices

Career

The founding partner of D’Amore Law Group, established in 1992, Tom D’Amore, is widely recognized as one of the Pacific Northwest’s most accomplished and tenacious plaintiff trial lawyers. Before entering the law, he built a foundation in finance as a CPA with a Big 8 accounting firm, a background that informs his methodical, detail-driven approach to complex litigation.

Licensed in Oregon, Washington, and California, Tom’s practice is devoted to representing individuals and families in catastrophic personal injury, wrongful death, trucking accidents, sexual abuse, product liability, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, medical malpractice, class actions, mass torts, and bad faith insurance disputes. He is the only attorney in Oregon to hold Board Certification from the National Board of Trial Advocacy in Truck Accident Law, the only ABA-recognized truck accident law certification in the country.

Tom has secured some of the largest verdicts in Oregon history. In 2019, he obtained a $26.5 million jury verdict in a commercial trucking road rage fatality case, the highest trucking accident verdict in Oregon to date. In 2024, he secured a $21.25 million verdict for the family of Freddy Nelson Jr., who was fatally shot by a security guard in a Portland parking lot, and a $33 million construction accident settlement for a worker who suffered a catastrophic brain injury on the job. In the National Prescription Opioid Litigation, Tom represented nine Oregon counties, securing nearly $600 million, a figure that continues to grow, in total settlements from national manufacturers, distributors, and retailers in one of the most consequential plaintiff-side representations in history.

Tom is a national Board of Governors member and current Executive Committee member of the American Association for Justice (AAJ) and served as President of the Oregon Trial Lawyers Association from 2010 to 2011. He regularly teaches fellow trial lawyers on topics including trucking litigation, trial strategy, bad faith insurance, gun violence, and his casework consistently garners local and national media attention. He has co-authored several widely used practice guides and contributes frequently to national legal education programs.

Professional Memberships

American Association for Justice (AAJ) — Board of Governors (2009–Present); Executive Committee Member; Past Chair, Budget Committee, Inaugural Chair, Audit Committee; Past Chair, Motor Vehicles Section

Oregon Trial Lawyers Association — Member (1992–Present); President (2010–2011); Board of Governors (2005-Present)

Washington State Association for Justice — Eagle Member (1995–Present)

National Board of Trial Advocacy (NBTA) —Member (1999–Present); Board Certified in Truck Accident Law, Civil Trial Law, and Civil Practice Advocacy

American Board of Trial Advocates — Member

Academy of Truck Accident Attorneys — Board Member; NBTA Board-Certified in Trucking Accident Law

National Crime Victims Bar Association — Member

Pound Civil Justice Institute — Member

Multnomah County Bar Association — Member

Publications

Anatomy of a Personal Injury Lawsuit, 4th Edition — Co-Author (2015)

Litigating Major Automobile Injury and Death Cases — Co-Editor, AAJ Press (2018, with Ken Levinson)

Oregon State Bar Civil Practice and Procedures Manual — Author, “Defense Medical Examinations” chapter

Oregon Trial Lawyers Motor Vehicle Deskbook — Author, “Rules of the Road” chapter

Tom has spoken at dozens of national and state trial lawyer conferences, including the American Association for Justice, Oregon Trial Lawyers Association, Oregon State Bar Association, Oregon Law Institute, Nevada Trial Lawyers Association, Academy of Truck Accident Attorneys, Multnomah Bar Association, and the Western Trial Lawyers Association. Topics include trucking litigation strategy; bad faith insurance; depositions; leveraging media to advance litigation; the opioid epidemic and the role of litigation; voir dire; focus groups on trial strategy; underinsured motorist claims; and successful gun violence claims.

Personal

Tom lives outside Portland, Oregon. He has been married to his wife, Lisa, for more than 30 years and has three adult children. He spent many years coaching youth sports at the competitive and recreational level, including football, basketball, and baseball. Outside the office, he enjoys traveling with Lisa, attending sporting events, trying new restaurants, and playing softball and basketball.

Clients

Tom represents individuals and families in catastrophic personal injury, wrongful death, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, trucking accidents, sexual abuse, medical malpractice, bad faith insurance, product liability, class actions, and mass torts. He also represents governmental entities, including Oregon counties, in complex public health litigation, most notably in the National Prescription Opioid Litigation.

Work Highlights

Allison et al. v. Smoot Enterprises, Inc. et al. (2019)

$26.5 million jury verdict — the highest trucking accident verdict in Oregon history — for the estate of Sara Allison, killed in a road rage incident between two commercial truck drivers from competing companies.

Nelson v. TMT Development Co., et al. (2024)

$21.25 million jury verdict in Multnomah County Circuit Court for the estate of Freddy Nelson Jr., who was fatally shot by a security guard in a Portland parking lot.

National Opioid Litigation — Nine Oregon Counties (2024)

Secured a $239 million recovery from the primary opioid distributors and nearly $600 million in total settlements on behalf of nine Oregon counties, providing critical resources to communities devastated by the opioid epidemic.

Construction Accident Result (2023)

$33 million recovery for a construction worker who sustained a catastrophic traumatic brain injury after being struck by a steel I-beam on a job site.

Workplace Wrongful Death Recovery (2023)

$5.5 million wrongful death recovery for the family of a construction worker killed when a heavy rolling cart was unsafely used on a sloped roof without proper safeguards.

Drunk Driving and Dramshop Recovery (2022)

$8.5 million recovery for a woman catastrophically injured by a drunk driver who was overserved at a company event and then permitted to drive home.

Defective Pool Design Settlement (2022)

$8 million recovery for a young man rendered quadriplegic by a defectively designed hotel pool that lacked required signage, lighting, and depth-marking tiles.

Industry Sector Expertise

Personal Injury & Catastrophic Harm; Trucking & Transportation; Insurance; Product Liability; Medical Malpractice; Sexual Abuse & Institutional Liability; Construction; Pharmaceutical & Opioid Litigation; Gun Violence

Expert in these Jurisdictions

Oregon; Washington; California

Languages Spoken

English

Experience

Managing Partner & Owner: D’Amore Law Group, 1992–Present

Certified Public Accountant (CPA): Big 8 Accounting Firm, Arthur Andersen & Co. (prior to legal career)

Education

Awards