What to Do After a Car Accident in Oregon

Last updated: July 13, 2026  ·  Written by Kaith Sheikhly, Oregon personal injury attorney

1. At the scene: safety first, then evidence

Check yourself and your passengers. Call 911 if anyone may be hurt — some serious injuries don't announce themselves right away. If the vehicles are drivable and it's safe, move them out of traffic.

Then document everything you can:

• Photos of all vehicles, their positions, the road, skid marks, traffic signs, and your visible injuries
• The other driver's name, license, plate, and insurance card
• Names and phone numbers of witnesses — they leave fast
• The responding officer's name and the report number, if police attend

Don't apologize or speculate about fault at the scene. "I'm sorry" feels polite in the moment; an insurance adjuster will read it as an admission.

2. Report the crash to Oregon DMV within 72 hours

Oregon law requires you to file an Accident and Insurance Report with the DMV within 72 hours if anyone was injured or killed, any vehicle was towed, or the damage to any vehicle or property appears to exceed $2,500. This applies even when police responded — the police report does not replace your DMV report, and failing to file can lead to a license suspension.

3. Get medical care right away — and follow through

See a doctor as soon as possible, even if you feel "mostly fine." Adrenaline masks pain, and soft-tissue, back, and head injuries often surface days later. Prompt care protects your health first — and it also creates the medical record that your claim will be built on. Gaps in treatment are one of the most common reasons insurers discount injury claims.

4. Use your PIP benefits

Every Oregon auto policy includes Personal Injury Protection (PIP): at least $15,000 per person for medical expenses incurred within two years of the crash, no matter who was at fault. PIP can also cover a portion of lost wages if you're unable to work. Open a PIP claim with your own insurer early — using it does not mean you're accepting blame, and it keeps medical bills from piling up while the injury claim is resolved.

5. Be careful with the other driver's insurer

Expect a friendly call from the other driver's insurance company, sometimes within a day. Remember whose side they're on:

• You do not have to give a recorded statement — and usually shouldn't
• Don't sign medical releases or settlement paperwork you haven't had reviewed
• Be wary of early offers: quick money now often means signing away future care later

Insurers price injuries with formulas. The real cost of an injury — future treatment, lost earning capacity, the things you can no longer do — usually isn't in their number.

6. Know Oregon's deadlines

• Most injury claims: two years from the date of injury
• Wrongful death: generally three years
• Claims against a city, county, or state body: a tort claim notice within 180 days — far sooner than most people expect

These are the general rules, and exceptions run in both directions. If a deadline might be close, talk to a lawyer immediately — a missed deadline usually ends the claim, no matter how strong it is.

7. Partly at fault? You may still have a claim

Oregon follows modified comparative negligence. You can recover as long as your share of fault is not greater than the combined fault of everyone else involved, and your compensation is reduced by your percentage. Don't assume you have no case because you think you contributed to the crash — fault allocation is exactly the kind of thing insurers get wrong in their own favor.

8. When to call a lawyer

Not every fender-bender needs an attorney. Call one when:

• Anyone was seriously hurt, or symptoms are lingering
• Fault is disputed, or more than two vehicles were involved
• A commercial truck, rideshare, or delivery vehicle was involved
• The insurer's offer feels fast, low, or final
• The at-fault driver was uninsured or underinsured

Injury consultations at Sheikhly Law are free, in English or Arabic (العربية). There is no attorney fee unless we recover for you. If there's no recovery, you owe nothing — including case costs. Kaith is a former investment banking analyst, and he uses that training to document what an injury costs over a lifetime.