Salem Car Accident Attorneys – Fighting for You Since 1958

Salem’s busiest corridors, Lancaster Drive, I-5, Mission Street, see a steady pattern of the same mistakes. Distracted driving is at the top of the list: phones, GPS adjustments, drive-through food. Speeding follows close behind, especially on stretches of I-5 where higher speeds mean worse outcomes. Failure to yield at busy intersections, running red lights, and drunk or drugged driving round out the picture. Alcohol alone accounts for more than a third of Oregon’s traffic fatalities. If any of these played a role in your crash, that’s a case worth talking through.

In most cases, Oregon gives you two years from the date of the accident to file a personal injury lawsuit, but there are several conditions that may reduce that window significantly. For example, if your accident involved a city, county, or state employee, you may have as little as 180 days to file a tort claim notice. Other factors that impact your window include age, wrongful death, or a delayed onset of injuries. Missing a deadline can permanently bar your claim, so it’s critical to speak with an attorney as soon as possible to determine the exact filing requirements for your case.

You can still recover compensation. Oregon follows a modified comparative negligence rule, meaning your payout is reduced by your percentage of fault, but you’re not shut out unless you were 51% or more responsible. If you were 20% at fault on a $100,000 claim, you’d recover $80,000. Insurance companies often push to inflate your share of blame to reduce what they owe, which is exactly why having someone in your corner matters.

Oregon requires all drivers to carry PIP insurance, which kicks in after a crash regardless of who caused it. It covers medical expenses up to $15,000 per person, 70% of lost wages up to $3,000 a month, help with household tasks you can’t perform due to injury, and up to $5,000 in funeral expenses. PIP is a starting point, but for serious injuries, it rarely covers everything. A personal injury claim can help you recover the rest.

Oregon requires insurance, but plenty of drivers don’t carry it. If you’re hit by an uninsured driver, your own uninsured motorist coverage can step in. If the at-fault driver has insurance but not enough to cover your damages, underinsured motorist coverage can fill the gap. PIP can also help with immediate medical costs while the bigger picture gets sorted out. We’ll help you figure out exactly what coverage applies to your situation.

Yes. Oregon law requires at least $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for bodily injury, $20,000 for property damage, and $15,000 in PIP coverage. The problem is that minimum coverage often isn’t enough when injuries are serious. If the at-fault driver’s policy caps out before your bills do, your own UM/UIM coverage becomes a critical piece of the puzzle.