If you are hurt in a car accident in Oregon, you are probably wondering how you get the responsible party to cover your damages and losses. The best thing to do is to hire a car accident lawyer in Portland Oregon to help you sort it all out. But these are the most important liability laws in the state to be aware of:
First, Oregon has a Dram Shop Law that allows an injured party to hold people and entities responsible for serving alcohol to the person who hurt them in an accident.
Under Oregon law, it’s illegal for a host or business to serve alcohol to someone who is obviously intoxicated. It’s also against the law for the person or entity to serve alcohol to a minor. If the intoxicated person hurts you in a car accident, your car accident lawyer in Portland Oregon may file a personal injury lawsuit seeking compensation.
Second, an important consideration regarding accident liability in Oregon is the amount of insurance people must carry on their vehicles. After all, even if the other party is liable for the accident, they may not have enough insurance to cover your damages.
Oregon requires each driver to have at least $25,000 of coverage per person; $50,000 for two or more parties, and $20,000 per event for property damage.
Third, understanding the comparative negligence (51% rule) is very important in Oregon car accidents.
In this state, you can sue the responsible driver for damages after a car accident, but your own level of responsibility will affect how much money you get. If you were responsible for less than 51% of the negligence that led to the accident, the money you receive will be reduced by that amount. Note that if you were more than 51% responsible for the accident, you cannot sue anyone for damages in Oregon.
For example, let’s say you are rear-ended at a traffic light and suffer a dislocated hip and shoulder. Your medical expenses are $30,000. However, your brake lights were out and the jury finds you were 20% responsible for the accident. So, your settlement or verdict amount would be reduced by $6,000 for a total of $24,000.
Next, remember that Oregon has no-fault insurance requirements. Every driver is required to have personal injury protection insurance for at least a few thousand dollars. This policy will cover your injuries and damages up to that amount. If your damages exceed the coverage amount, you can sue the responsible driver for the rest.
Last, like all states, Oregon has a statute of limitations in effect for how long you can sue for damages after a car accident. The statute of limitations in Oregon is six years from the date of injury.
Now that you know more about Oregon car accident laws, you are more likely to have a successful car accident claim or lawsuit.
Please visit us at: https://portlandinjuryfirm.com/portland-car-accident-lawyer/