If you have questions about your case, don’t rely on the information you read online only – speak to a Portland Oregon personal injury attorney.

First, many people don’t understand that car accident laws and liability laws are different in every state. Each state, including Oregon, has separate laws dictating when you should report a car accident and how it is determined who is at fault.

For example, in Oregon, all drivers must carry PIP or personal injury protection insurance. This is limited insurance coverage that pays for the initial damages you suffer in a car accident. It does not matter if you caused the accident or not; all drivers are required to have PIP coverage. This insurance makes many claims easier because you can get your initial costs covered quickly for your own policy. If the other driver caused the accident, your insurance company may demand reimbursement from the other insurer later. Also, the laws of Oregon still allow you to file a lawsuit if your costs and damages exceed your PIP coverage.

Also, you can receive compensation in Oregon even if you partially caused the auto accident. But if you were more than 50% at fault, you cannot get any compensation. This is different from contributory negligence states, such as Virginia, where if you bear any fault for the accident, you cannot get compensation. If you have questions about Oregon’s accident laws, talk to your Portland, Oregon personal injury attorney.

Next, some people think that you should just let both insurance companies work out liability issues after an accident. There are cases, such as a minor accident without injuries, where the insurance companies can probably settle things on their own. However, if you have major accident damage and serious personal injuries, it is always best to have a Portland, Oregon personal injury attorney represent your side. Even your own car insurance company may try to shortchange you in the claim, so you should have an attorney speaking to any insurance company when there is a serious accident.

Another myth is that any kind of attorney can handle a personal injury claim. However most attorneys are specialized in certain areas, and this is the case with personal injury law. Car accidents are a specialty of personal injury law that only an experienced attorney in the field should handle. You should ask your Portland Oregon personal injury attorney if they are experienced with car accident cases and how many they handle in a year.

Last, you may have read that you can usually handle your own car accident case. As we noted earlier, minor fender benders with negligible or no injuries could be handled by the driver himself. But any accident with major car damage and serious injuries should at least be reviewed by a skilled attorney. You could leave thousands of dollars on the table if you don’t have an attorney representing you. Besides, personal injury attorneys review cases for free and won’t charge you anything if they don’t take your case.

Website: https://portlandinjuryfirm.com/