5 Things to Know After a Car Crash in Oregon
Crashes happen in an instant, but the decisions you make in the hours and days afterward can significantly impact your health, your finances, and your legal rights. If you’ve been involved in a crash in Oregon, here are five critical things to know.
1. Your Health Comes First—Get Medical Care Immediately
Even if you feel “fine,” injuries from a car crash can take hours or days to appear. Conditions like concussions, whiplash, and internal injuries are often not immediately obvious.
Prompt medical care not only protects your health, and it also creates important documentation linking your injuries to the crash. Insurance companies often use gaps in treatment to argue that injuries aren’t serious or weren’t caused by the accident.
2. Oregon Is a Comparative Fault State
Under Oregon law, fault can be shared between drivers. This is known as modified comparative negligence.
If you are partially at fault, you can still recover damages—as long as you are less than 51% responsible. However, your compensation will be reduced by your percentage of fault.
For example, if you are found 20% at fault, your recovery is reduced by 20%. Insurance companies frequently try to shift blame, which makes early legal guidance critical.
3. You May Have Personal Injury Protection (PIP) Coverage
Oregon requires drivers to carry Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage. This coverage can help pay for:
Medical bills
Lost wages
Necessary services (like childcare or household help)
PIP applies regardless of who caused the crash, but benefits are limited and subject to strict rules. Understanding how to use PIP effectively—and when to pursue additional claims—is key to maximizing your recovery.
4. Evidence Disappears Quickly
The strength of your case often depends on the evidence you preserve early. This includes:
Photos of the vehicles and crash scene
Witness information
Police reports
Surveillance or dashcam footage
In serious cases, accident reconstruction and expert analysis may be necessary. Acting quickly ensures critical evidence isn’t lost or overwritten.
5. Deadlines Can Bar Your Claim
Oregon has strict time limits for filing injury claims. In most cases, you have two years from the date of the crash to file a personal injury lawsuit.
However, if a public entity is involved (such as a city vehicle or dangerous roadway conditions), the Oregon Tort Claims Act requires formal notice of your claim—typically within 180 days.
Missing these deadlines can permanently bar your right to recover compensation.
How Ross Law Can Help
At Ross Law, we represent individuals and families across Oregon who have been seriously injured due to negligence. Our work includes cases involving unsafe conditions and failures by public institutions—including representing the estate of a woman who was attacked while a patient at the Oregon State Hospital.
We bring that same commitment to accountability to every car crash case we handle—investigating thoroughly, preserving evidence, and holding insurers and negligent parties responsible.
Free Consultation
If you’ve been injured in a car crash, you don’t have to navigate the process alone. Contact Ross Law to discuss your case and understand your options.
Your recovery matters—and so does accountability.