Snowpocalypse has arrived in Oregon. The Willamette Valley , Coast, and Central Oregon have all been buried in Snow. Last night when snow began to fall, Oregon's roads predictably became snarled with drivers trying to get home. Many driver's were unprepared t and either crashed into another car, ran off the road, or simply abandon there vehicles in the road. The Oregonian reported 101 car crashes in Portland alone. Area hospitals also reported an increase of persons being admitted for car crash injuries. These visits can become costly if injured people do not take steps to protect themselves. If you were one of those people that were involved in a crash here are things you should do:

A video taken by SW Portland resident Kathryn King shows a school bus crashing into several other vehicles in her neighborhood during a snow storm on Dec. 14, 2016. (Warning video contains explicit language)

At the Scene: Once the area is safe, USE YOUR CELL PHONE to gather evidence: Take pictures of the car damage, the scene, the bad driver, witnesses, and the bad driver' driver's license, the bad driver's license plate, and the bad driver's insurance card. Call 911 if there is an injury and relay what the injuries are. Have witnesses text or email you their contact information from their phones. This way you can locate them later if needed.
Seek Medical Care: Immediately seek treatment if you are injured. Your Oregon issued auto insurance should pay $15,000.00 for up to two years of crash related medical treatment. This does not mean you need to go to the Emergency Room, but you should schedule an appointment with a Doctor or Chiropractor to ensure you have not suffered serious injuries.
Contact Insurance and the DMV: Call your insurance company to set up a claim. Cooperate with them, but be cautious of their motives. If there was an injury or more than $1500.00 in property damage submit the proper Accident Report to the DMV ASAP. Here is a link to the form: DMV Accident Form.
If you were in a hit and run you must make a police report or notify the DMV within 24 hours and notify your insurer within 30 days. I advise reporting the matter to law enforcement as soon as possible. This is important as you may not be able to make a claim in the future if you were a victim of a hit and run.
Call A Lawyer at 503.224.1658: It won't cost you anything to chat, and you can learn about what you need to do next.

Please be safe out there. The roads are still treacherous and there is more snow and ice on the way. Please do not hesitate to call if you have any questions. Please remember this blog and web-site may be considered attorney advertisement.