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Hiring a Car Accident Attorney in Oregon

You may have many questions when you are involved in a car wreck, we are here to help! We have compiled a list of the most frequently asked questions by car accident victims in the state of Oregon.

What To Do After A Car Accident In Oregon

Being involved in a car accident can be a life-altering event. It can injure not only your body but also your finances. If you have been in a car accident, it can be confusing to know which steps need to be taken and when. The following are a few of the steps that you should take directly following a car wreck:

  • Call 911 – as soon as you are able to, you need to contact emergency services. The 911 operator will be able to dispatch all the emergency services you need: the police, the fire department and emergency medical technicians. You need to receive medical attention as soon as you can – some injuries can be masked by adrenaline and you may not be aware of how injured you are. It is paramount that you follow the instructions of the doctor if you receive medical treatment.
  • Oregon law also requires you to remain on the scene of an accident until you are cleared to leave.
  • Collect all medical bills – car accident injuries can be devastating and very expensive to treat. It is important that you keep track of every piece of medical related information you are given. Your medical bills can oftentimes be reimbursed by your insurance company and your car accident lawyer will need them for your personal injury case.
  • Collect the police report – when an officer is called to the scene of the accident, they immediately begin building a report. This report will have every detail possible about the accident, including: witness interviews, both of the drivers’ interviews, details about the scene such as tire tracks and who they believe to be responsible for the accident. This is very important information for both party’s insurance companies and your personal injury lawyer.
  • Contact your insurance provider – you need to contact your insurance company in a timely manner to report the accident. They will begin the process of reviewing your case and usually talk to the other insurance company on your behalf. If you have difficulty in dealing with the insurance company and receiving adequate compensation for your covered losses, an attorney can be helpful to negotiate with the insurance company on your behalf.

These are only a few of the things you need to do once you have been in a car wreck but they will get you moving in the right direction.

What Are The Most Common Car Accident Injuries?

When the human body is involved in a car crash, there can be minor injuries such as scrapes to catastrophic injuries such as irreversible brain damage and possibly death. Humans are not made to withstand the force that such impacts can have. Emergency room doctors are familiar with the types of injuries caused by car accidents and know what to look for. These injuries can include:

  • Bruises
  • Scrapes
  • Burns
  • Broken bones
  • Concussions
  • Soft tissue damage
  • Internal bleeding
  • Ruptured organs
  • Spinal cord injuries
  • Traumatic brain injuries

An injured person should always seek medical care, no matter how minor they believe their injuries are. It is important to let a trained professional make the decision on how serious injuries are.

Should I Hire A Personal Injury Attorney After A Motor Vehicle Accident?

Hiring a personal injury attorney can often be a big decision. People are concerned about the financial burden of yet another aspect of the car accident they were involved in. However, hiring a personal injury lawyer can be the best decision you make. LegalFinders was designed to help match clients with car accident lawyers that best meet their needs.

After a car accident occurs, there are deadlines that immediately begin ticking. There are people who need immediate answers and information about the car wreck. A personal injury attorney can handle all of this for you and allow you to focus on healing and recovering.

In the tragic event that someone you love has died in a car accident, a personal injury lawyer will be able to walk you through each step of the legal process and handle the details so you can deal with the more important matters. This can be a great relief for those who are grieving and not in a space to understand everything they must now do.

To find a car accident lawyer whose practice area is near you, use LegalFinders today!

What To Know Before Calling Your Insurance Company

In Oregon, every driver is required by law to carry insurance. Uninsured drivers are breaking the law and could receive penalties for doing so. Motorists in Oregon are required to carry a minimum of $15,000 in personal injury protection coverage.

One of the most important steps you take after being involved in an auto accident is contacting your insurance company. The sooner you can get your insurance claim filed the better. When you call your insurance company, there are a few things they will want.

  1. Your insurance policy number – you can usually find this on your bill. This identifies your specific account with the insurance company.
  2. Medical bills – any medical expenses you have accumulated due to your car accident. These are helpful in showing your insurance company how much you need to be reimbursed for.
  3. Evidence of property damage – if you have taken pictures or videos of your car or the property that was damaged, your insurance is also going to want these. They will also send out their own insurance adjuster to assess the extent of the damage.
  4. Police report– your insurance company is going to especially find the police report helpful when trying to determine who was at fault in the accident.

Once your insurance company has received these items, they will then send an insurance adjuster. An insurance adjuster acts almost like an investigator for the insurance company. They will examine the scene in person, even if the accident has been cleared. They can still see tire marks and any damage to fences or guardrails that may have happened. They will also examine the cars and talk to any witnesses who may have seen the accident.

Once they have done their investigation, they will figure how much this costs financially. They will present their findings to the insurance company, who will then decide what settlement amount to offer, if any. It is important to know that you can hire a personal injury attorney if you disagree with the findings of your insurance company. It is important to know your options.

Is Oregon A No-Fault State?

In the state of Oregon, if you cause an accident you are responsible for the damages that stem from it. This can include medical bills, lost earning capacity (if the other person has to miss work and lose wages), property damage bills, etc.

If you are the victim of a car accident, you can either:

  1. File a claim with your own insurance
  2. File a claim with the at-fault driver’s insurance directly
  3. File a personal injury lawsuit in civil court.

Understanding what type of insurance your state requires is critical. You may not think you need to care about it until something happens. Do not wait until it is too late to learn what your rights are as an accident victim.

What Is Oregon’s Statute Of Limitations For Personal Injury Claims?

If you are in an accident in Oregon, you have two years from the day of the car accident to file a personal injury case in court. This means if you do not file before your two year date is up, you have lost your chance to ever file and any claims relating to injuries sustained from the accident will be barred.

If someone has died as a result of the car accident, their family has up to three years to file a wrongful death claim. Personal injury attorneys are equipped to help you through the legal process, so that you can deal with the process of grieving and preparing for a funeral.

However, you actually have up to six years to file any claims for property damage or vehicular damage caused by a collision. Again, you only have up to six years to file, if you miss this deadline you have missed your ability to file.

Learning about the different but very important deadlines for each type of damage that occurred can be overwhelming. You already have doctors appointments and mechanic’s hours to contend with. Hiring a car accident attorney can help you make sure you do not miss any important filing deadlines.

If you or someone you love have been involved in a car accident, you may be wondering what to do next. If you are in need of legal advice, you need a law firm that you trust to give you honest answers and competent representation. LegalFinders was created in order to help match potential clients to law offices that best meet their needs.

Oregon Car Accident

Connecting You To The Best Oregon Car Accident Lawyers

Oregon is best known for its beautiful scenery. From the beaches to the mountains and the areas in between, it is easy to see why many motorists are flocking to take a long drive through Oregon. Unfortunately, not all drivers make it through unscathed. Car accidents occur daily in the United States, and Oregon is no exception.

 

Oregon Car Crash Statistics

While driving through the beautiful scenery can be relaxing, getting into a car accident is anything but stress-free. In 2019, Oregon reported 50,128 vehicle accidents. Of these accidents, 456 accidents were fatal with 494 people tragically losing their lives. There were also  a reported 27,032 accidents that resulted in injuries.

To help you gain a better picture of what car accidents rates are around the state, we have provided statistics from a few different cities from 2020.

Eugene, Oregon auto accidents

10

Hillsboro auto accidents

13

Lake Oswego accidents

6

Portland, Oregon car wrecks

114

Salem, Oregon vehicular accidents

33

These days there can be many factors that cause a car accident. The Department of Transportation in Oregon collects the data from different types of accidents that occur in the state. They use this information to see if trends in certain types of accidents are rising. The following are few types of accidents that Oregonian drivers may have to deal with at some point:

  • Drunk driving: drunk drivers lack the ability to act in real time.
  • Rear-end collisions due to failure to control speed or brake in time.
  • Hit-and-run accidents, which is what occurs when someone’s vehicle crashes into another person or vehicle and that person and then leaves the scene.
  • Failure to yield to a red light. Not obeying traffic signs and traffic lights is a very dangerous problem when some people are following the rules and others are not.
  • Distracted driver accidents. Driving while distracted has become a big problem in the United States, and Oregon has not escaped it.
  • Big truck accidents. Sharing the road with large commercial vehicles has become especially dangerous. They have large blind spots and are not able to quickly brake.

No matter what your situation is on the road, it is up to each individual motorist to make sure they are obeying the rules of the road. Following the laws is necessary not only for their own safety but for the safety of others as well. Fatalities are tragic and often could have been avoided if everyone obeyed the laws of the road.

 

Most Dangerous Oregon Roadways

While it is true that any road can be dangerous if there are reckless drivers, there are some roads that are more dangerous for motorists than others. Whether it is due to high speed limits, dangerous curves or the distracting beauty of the surrounding scenery, the following highways have been noted as being especially treacherous:

Highways
Tualatin Valley Highway
SW Beaverton Hillsdale Highway
Sunset Highway, especially nearing the Vista Ridge tunnels
Highway 97
Highway 199
Oregon Coast Highway

If you happen to find yourself driving along one of these highways, make sure to be extra observant of your surroundings. Just because you are a careful driver does not mean all drivers are driving as diligently.

Call LegalFinders To Find The Best Oregon Car Accident Attorneys

If you or a loved one have been involved in an accident, you know that there can be a lot of stressful steps that have to be taken to wrap up the event. If you have been involved in an accident in the Portland area, LegalFinders will help you find the car accident attorney that best fits your specific and unique needs. Legal representation can be a very valuable asset in the aftermath of a car wreck. You can now easily find Portland car accident attorneys or attorneys from any other part of the state to provide a case evaluation and a free consultation regarding your car accident case. Let LegalFinders find your car accident attorney to fight for maximum compensation in the Portland area today!

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Published: 21 March 2022

ARTICLE SOURCES

Legal Information Institute — Personal injury

Oregon Department of Transportation — Insurance Requirements : Oregon Driver & Motor Vehicle Services

Oregon Department of Transportation — Most Common Driver Errors (oregon.gov)

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