Portland Car Accident Lawyers
The city of Portland sees over 10,000 traffic crashes every year on average, resulting in injury or death a large majority of the time. Most often, traffic accidents happen because one of the drivers was careless, reckless, aggressive, disobeyed traffic laws, or was otherwise negligent. If you have been hurt in a crash, or if you tragically lost a loved one because of a negligent driver, the personal injury and wrongful death attorneys at Rosenbaum Law Group can help you hold the responsible driver accountable for the damage they have caused, including the costs of your present and future medical expenses, loss of income, pain and suffering, and more. Contact our experienced Portland car accident lawyers today for a free consultation to discuss your claims.
Auto Insurance Laws for Oregon Drivers
Oregon drivers must carry liability insurance to pay for personal injury and property damage of others they injure in a crash that was their fault. The minimum amounts required by law are $25,000 for personal injury per person, $50,000 for personal injury per accident, and $20,000 for property damage. As the injured party, you might need to prove the other driver’s negligence and fault in order to recover compensation from their liability insurance.
Drivers must also carry at least $15,000 in Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage. PIP benefits help pay for medical bills, lost wages, or financial assistance in case of death. PIP benefits are no-fault; you don’t need to prove another driver was at-fault (or you weren’t at fault) to make a no-fault PIP claim.
Finally, Oregon auto insurance law requires drivers to carry Uninsured Motorist/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM) insurance to cover bodily injury to the driver and passengers if they are hit by an uninsured driver. The minimum amounts required by law are $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident. About one in ten Oregon drivers are uninsured, so it’s important to accept and maintain this coverage as part of your overall auto insurance policy.
Oregon Traffic Crash Reporting Requirements
Oregon law requires that you file an Oregon State Accident Report with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) in any of the following circumstances:
- More than $1,500 in damage to your vehicle
- More than $1,500 in damage to any vehicle, and a vehicle had to be towed
- More than $1,500 in damage to other property
- Injury or death
If any of these circumstances apply, you must report to the DMV within 72 hours of the crash, or as soon as possible, or risk suspension of your driver’s license. This duty applies regardless of whether the police came to the scene and made their own report.
Reporting to the DMV in an injury crash is important not just because it is required by law and to protect your driving privileges; it can also help your claim against a negligent driver. Reporting the crash is an early opportunity to explain the details about how the crash happened and have them entered into an official record. Accident victims aren’t always able to give a statement to police at the scene of the accident, so filing the crash report is a crucial way to relate what happened.
How Rosenbaum Law Group Can Help After a Crash
If you get hit by a negligent driver, their insurance company might argue over who was liable for causing the crash. They might try to pin some or all of the blame on you, on other drivers, or on other factors outside their driver’s control. Any amount of blame they can shift to you reduces the amount they have to pay you, and if you are considered more than 50% at fault, they don’t have to pay you anything.
Another thing insurance companies do, even when their liability is clear, is to argue over the extent of the damages, saying you weren’t hurt as bad as you say or your injuries aren’t attributable to the crash. At Rosenbaum Law Group, we have decades of experience settling car accident claims, along with significant trial experience. We know what it takes to build a strong case proving the full extent of the other driver’s fault and the full extent of your damages. Whether negotiating a settlement or taking your case to a jury, our firm is dedicated to resolving your case successfully and for a meaningful amount that meets your needs.
Contact Rosenbaum Law Group Today
If you have been injured in a Portland automobile accident, or if you lost a loved one in a fatal crash caused by a negligent or reckless driver, Rosenbaum Law Group is here to help. Call our experienced Portland car accident lawyers today.
