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How Passengers injured in an Oregon Crash Can Navigate Insurance to Get Bills Paid

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Insurance issues can be complex for people to navigate. They become more complicated when dealing with passengers involved in a car crash or motor vehicle crash. Typically, passengers injured in motor vehicle crashes are focused on getting their medical bills paid first.

Every motor vehicle insurance policy issued in Oregon provides a minimum of $15,000.00 coverage to pay reasonable and necessary crash-related medical bills. Additionally, PIP policies can pay for lost wages and other benefits. The issue with passengers is which insurance policy pays first, and can the injured person use multiple insurance policies?

In Oregon, Personal Injury Protection (PIP) policies can stack, meaning multiple policies may apply to a single accident, especially when medical bills exceed $15,000 within two years. Under ORS 742.526, the law outlines a clear order of which policy pays first when more than one is available:

  1. Primary Coverage: The PIP policy on the vehicle involved in the accident is the first to provide benefits, covering the driver and any passengers. In other words, the vehicle the passenger was riding in will provide coverage first.

  2. Secondary Coverage: If the injured passenger has their own PIP policy (from a different vehicle they own), it can provide additional coverage once the primary policy is exhausted.

  3. Tertiary Coverage: If the injured person lives with a family member who has a PIP policy on another vehicle, that policy may also apply after the first two are maxed out.

This stacking structure ensures that injured parties may access all available coverage options in a tiered manner, offering added financial protection in serious accidents.

Insurance issues are never easy to navigate, and Oregon personal injury lawyers such as Jeremiah Ross work to relieve the stress from dealing with insurers. If you or someone you know has been injured in an Oregon car crash, please call Ross Law at 503.224.1658 for your free personal injury consultation.

Please remember this blog is for informational purposes only. Please do not solely rely on this post and consult with a lawyer and the law. Please remember the law is constantly changing.