Car Accident

All content in this category is related to car accidents. If you’ve been injured in a car accident in Oregon, please contact an Oregon car accident attorney like Ryan Hilts, Attorney at Law.

Oregon is a Fault State

Oregon is a “Fault” State

 

In Oregon the at-fault insurance company will cover pain and suffering, loss of wages, vehicular damage, medical bills, counseling and more.

You Must Report An Accident Within 72 Hours

The first step you must take after being involved in an accident is to report it. You’ll need to notify the Department of Transportation within 72 hours of the accident. This is found in the Oregon Revised Statutes, Section 811.725. At that time, you’ll also provide evidence of insurance and other necessary forms as required.

Applies to Accident Cases

A Statute of Limitations Applies to Accident Cases

 

A statute of limitations relating to personal injury in Oregon applies here. If you’re filing a lawsuit relating to personal injury from an accident, you must do it within two years. If you don’t meet this deadline, you’ll lose the ability to sue.

The Insurance Company Does Not Choose Where You Get Your Vehicle Repaired

During negotiations and proceedings with the car insurance company, they may strongly imply that you must get your car repaired at a shop in their network. Please note that this is not true, and while you can work with a preferred shop of theirs if you are so inclined, you ultimately have a say in where your car is repaired.

What Minimum Coverage Policies Mean For You

What Minimum Coverage Policies Mean For You

In Oregon, you must carry minimum coverage of $25,000 per person, $50,000 per claim with your insurance.

This ensures that if you get into an accident, your insurance company will pay out up to $25,000 per person injured in the other car, with a maximum of $50,000 paid out to any occupants for the accident. However, if you’ve ever been in a serious accident you know that $25,000 doesn’t usually cover a car repair or replacement, medical bills and loss of wages.

Uninsured? Read Oregon Uninsured Motorist Laws

DUI Personal Injury Settlements

Insurance companies know that the courts look very harshly on driving under the influence, which increases the chance that either the driver’s insurance company or lawyers will attempt to settle out of court. Insurance companies will also do their best to whittle this settlement amount down to the lowest figure they can manage to save money. Because of this, it is very important to retain an experienced personal injury attorney to make sure that the settlement figure will adequately cover your tangible and intangible damages.

 Injury Settlements

What to Know About DUI Personal Injury Settlements

What to Know About DUI Personal Injury Settlements

What is Included in a Personal Injury Settlement

When you agree to a personal injury settlement, it’s important not to leave any money on the table. Ideally, all your financial losses pertaining to a car accident should be recouped. These include, but are not limited to:

  • Repair or replace for the cost of your vehicle
  • Hospital bills and bills for follow-up visits
  • Therapy and counseling bills in the case of mental or emotional distress
  • Physical therapy costs
  • Lost wages from not being able to work

Financial losses from a car accident don’t just apply to the scene of the accident. After all, the damages from a car accident can be felt for months and even years after the incident.

Do Not Settle Right Away

Because the full damages of a car accident can take months or even years to assess and be fully realized, it is important that you do not settle soon after the accident. Most insurance companies will attempt to pressure you into accepting a settlement immediately. This settlement will often include some type of release of liability. The release of liability will prohibit you from pursuing further injury claims after accepting the settlement. The release of liability form is final, which makes it doubly important that a personal injury attorney looks over the settlement agreement before you sign the document.

It’s also important not to settle right away so that you can assess your health and financial setback from the asset in the months after the accident in case long-term injury manifests itself after your initial treatment.

DUI Personal Injury Settlements

Begin Preparing Yourself As Soon as Possible

Whether you intend to settle with the insurance company or go to court, it’s important to prepare for either outcome as soon as possible. Collecting detailed records of all incidents, injuries, and bills as soon as you are able will help you and your attorney negotiate for an appropriate amount of damages. 

 

 

 Drunk Driver Totaled My Car

An accident involving a drunk driver that leaves your car totaled is devastating. Not only are your health and wellness affected by the accident, but your livelihood as well. We depend on our vehicles to get to important places like school and our job. Because of this, being faced with the cost and time of replacing your vehicle can seem overwhelming. Thankfully, you have legal options on your side to deal with your car being totaled if you were hit by a drunk driver. It’s important to consult with a personal injury attorney before beginning the process, to ensure you receive the damages that you are entitled to.

What to Do If You’ve Been Hit By a Drunk Driver

If you’ve been in a car accident and you suspect the other driver is drunk, call 911 immediately. You’ll want to call emergency services anyway if you have or think you have been injured. However, the police will also arrive, and be able to assess and administer tests to prove whether the other driver was intoxicated.

It is important to get police on the scene, as their report will be valuable documentation for your claim. A police report of the suspected level of intoxication and subsequent arrest will help you pursue the damages you deserve.

What to Do If You've Been Hit By a Drunk Driver

Collect All the Details

Finally, be sure to obtain the insurance information of the other driver. If you’re unable to at the scene, the police documentation will contain this information.

Get Legal Help

If you were injured in the accident, get a personal injury lawyer. Do not sign anything from the insurance company or take any settlements before talking it over with a personal injury attorney.

ryanhiltslaw

Make Contact with Insurance

If the other drivers’ insurance company is difficult for you to reach, it’s possible for your insurance company to step in. In many cases, they will pay out the cost of replacing your vehicle, and sue the other insurance company to get their money back.

Keep meticulous records of anything relating to the accident that you could be awarded damages for. This includes hospital bills, specialist visits, the value of your vehicle, and the cost of rentals where applicable. If your vehicle was paid for under a lien, make sure to get documentation of the original loan amount and the amount still owed on the vehicle at the time of the accident.

Keep in mind that insurance companies are not personally invested in your injuries or inconvenience. They want to pay the least amount that they can get away with on the claim. This is why it is important to have all documentation and offers looked over by a personal injury attorney.

If the Drunk Driver is Not Insured

If the drunk driver you were struck by is not insured or is underinsured, you most likely will need to establish an Uninsured Motorist or Underinsured Motorist Claim to get the damages you need for pain and suffering, medical expenses, lost wages, etc. Review your auto insurance coverage as soon as possible to determine your Uninsured Motorist Coverage or Underinsured Motorist Coverage. This determines whether your insurance company will shoulder some or all of the cost of your expenses and if you’ll need to go to court to collect further damages.

Auto accidents can happen to anyone. Following the rules, being prepared, and using caution can help prevent accidents, but sometimes there’s nothing that can be done to stop them.

Also, they can happen at any time. In 2015, the most common time was on Fridays between 5:00 and 6:00 PM. However, many accidents were at all other hours of the day and night.

If you’ve been involved in a car accident, it’s usually a wise choice to seek legal assistance.

Driving and Accidents in Oregon

Driving in Oregon

Oregon is a beautiful state with a wonderful road system. There are more than 8,000 miles of state highways, and over 700 miles of the Interstate Highway System. When you combine this with all of the smaller city and country roads, it’s clear that you can easily get around the state while traveling in a vehicle. The only downside is that many people drive often, so statistically there will be many accidents.

Accident Statistics in Oregon

In Oregon in 2015 there were:.

  • 28,647 non-fatal car accidents
  • 410 car accidents with fatalities
  • 41, 675 car accidents with injuries

Car accidents might include one driver who only injured himself when going off the road, or can be a 50-car pileup, such as this recent accident caused by the slippery roads in the freezing rain.

Auto Accidents in Oregon

Accidents Don’t Just Include Those Inside of Cars

Car accidents can include pedestrians, cyclists, and anyone else on or near streets.

Pedistrain Caused Auto Accidents

Main Pedestrian Mistakes

Pedestrians are often seriously injured when hit by a car, but it’s not always the fault of the driver. There are of course cases where drivers break the rules and injure or kill a walker, but pedestrians themselves can be at fault because for failure to use a crosswalk, not paying attention to traffic signals, and many other situations.

Common Causes Made by Cyclists

As with pedestrians, cyclists can be victims of auto accidents. Cyclists are also required follow traffic signals and stop signs, and they should also ride in the direction of traffic while on the shoulder of the road.

Know What to do Immediately After an Accident

If you’re involved in an auto accident, there are many things you should specifically do. The most important is to get out of the way of any more danger, and check on the health of everyone involved. Next, you should alert the authorities, and make it clear if anyone desperately requires medical attention.

Before leaving the scene, file a report with the police to help determine who is at fault. Also, you need to get contact and insurance information from anyone else involved.

Get Legal Help After an Accident

No matter who was at fault or what happened, it’s a good idea to get the assistance of a legal expert after an auto accident. They can help prevent others from taking advantage of you, and they can fight to get you any compensation that you deserve.

Also, even if you think the accident was your fault, you shouldn’t say this at the time. A legal expert may be able to prove otherwise, but this is much more difficult if you’ve already said the opposite.

Here to Help

If you or someone you care about has been involved in a car accident, I encourage you to reach out to Ryan Hilts Attorney At Law. As a personal injury and car accident attorney, we can help you get your life back on track with as little difficulty as possible.

 

What To Do in A Car AccidentBeing involved in a car accident is something that we all hope to avoid, but it can, unfortunately, happen to anyone. To be on the safe side, it’s best to be prepared in case you find yourself in such a bad situation.

Do you know what to do if you get into a car accident in Oregon? Follow these pieces of advice, and you’ll be much better off.

Remain Calm

The first thing you should always do, no matter how serious the accident is, is to not panic. You or the people you care about could be injured, and you’ll need to be thinking clearly to help. Even without injuries, minor mistakes can cost a lot of money or legal trouble down the road.

Don’t Leave

This one is fairly obvious, but driving away from an accident is one of the worst things you can do. No matter how severe the accident or who’s to blame, you have to stop and assess the damage with anyone else involved. You can get into serious trouble if you don’t follow the appropriate procedures.

Find Out if Anyone is Injured

Checking on the health of everyone is the first action you should take after a car accident. If anyone is injured, getting them medical attention is the top priority.

Move Out of Traffic (In Non-Serious Accidents)

Oregon Car AccidentIn very serious accidents, or those in non-crowded areas, you may not have much choice but to leave your cars where they are. But, if you have a minor accident on a busy road, it’s usually best to move your vehicles to a safe area. If possible, take pictures before moving, but don’t risk your safety by remaining somewhere where other cars may hit you.

Place Warnings Signs

To help keep yourself safe, you should set up flares, traffic cones, traffic triangles, or any other noticeable objects on the road behind where your cars are.

You should plan ahead for this. You can buy these at any automotive shop, and you should keep a selection inside your car to be prepared. At the same time, it’s wise to keep a first aid kid and some emergency clothes in case of inclement weather.

Inform the Police

Oregon Car Accident AdviceYou’re required by law to inform the police about any accident you have. Also, it doesn’t matter who you believe is at fault, you should tell them everything with complete accuracy. They’re likely to find out the facts eventually, so any lies you tell could come back to haunt you.

It’s also a good idea to record the names and badge numbers of any police officers that are at the scene of the accident. This can sometimes be helpful later on if there are any problems.

Call a Lawyer

If you’ve been injured or sustained serious damage to your car, you should absolutely call a lawyer immediately. There are certain actions that need to be taken, and many of them need to be done as soon as possible.

Even if it seems relatively minor, it’s a really good idea to consult with a lawyer to make sure you aren’t missing anything. A legal expert will be able to tell you if you are eligible for any benefits, and they’ll be able to prepare for any trouble you might face.

Exchange Insurance Information

Even if the police record the insurance information of the other people involved in the accident, make sure you get it, too. Insurance companies are notorious for trying to get out of paying, and you need to be able to tell them exactly who the other drivers were.

Also, make sure that all the documents match. If the registration or insurance of the car doesn’t match the name of the driver, record all of the different names and contact information.

Take Photos

Don’t ever rely on others (including the police) to send you photos after the accident. If you need to prove the truth about what happened, it’s best to take them yourself.

Don’t Admit to Anything

As already mentioned, you should be completely honest with the police. But, that doesn’t mean you have to admit to being at fault for anything. It’s natural to want to apologize in a traumatic situation, but there are many cases where you may think you’re the one who caused the accident, and the law doesn’t. Tell what happened, but don’t ever say you were responsible for the crash.

Look for Witnesses

Witnesses can be incredibly valuable after a car accident. They are normally unbiased, and they had a different view than anyone involved in the wreck. Record the names and contact details of anyone who saw what happened.

Talk to Your Doctor

If you have any pain or injuries, immediately seek medical attention. But, you may have suffered some form of injury even if you don’t feel it. Many issues take time before you’ll notice the symptoms, so it’s best to go get checked by a doctor as soon as possible after the accident.

This is extraordinarily important because as time goes on, it’s much harder to prove that the accident caused your health problems.

Don’t Be in a Hurry to Leave

It can be tempting to want to get away as soon as you can, but be patient to make sure you do everything necessary before leaving the scene of the accident.

You Don’t Have to Go Through This Alone

No matter how severe, car accidents are traumatic experiences. The good news is that with a quality lawyer, you have a caring expert by your side through the whole process. I’ve helped a ton of people through situations they hoped never to be in, and I understand how hard it is. But, please know that the sooner you contact me, the better legal assistance I can offer you.

Drive safely!

If you or someone you love has been injured in an auto accident on or near Highway 99 please do not hesitate to contact Ryan Hilts now

Ryan Hilts and his staff have successfully handled hundreds of auto accident cases and are dedicated to helping you achieve the best possible outcome for your specific case.

Insurance companies try to settle cases as quickly as possible and for as little as possible. While it may seem a bit unethical, the business of insurance is to collect more in premiums than to pay out in claims.

Ryan is a top auto accident attorney in all of Oregon and is known by the insurance companies to take a case to trial if that is in your best interest. Knowing this, the companies are much more likely to offer a fair settlement to put the case behind them.

There are over 12 million auto accidents a year in the U.S alone (over 3000 per day) involving over 20 million vehicles. Five million of those accidents result in some sort of injury.

The U.S. Department of Transportation estimates the typical driver will experience 1 or 2 near accident misses each month. Even the very best drivers are sometimes at the mercy of inexperienced or distracted drivers.

If you do find yourself in the unfortunate position of being injured in an auto accident, contact Ryan Hilts for a free consultation.

Ryan Hilts is an Oregon car accident attorney who has handled many auto accident cases that happened near Sandy, Oregon. If you have been involved in an accident Ryan Hilts can help you get full compensation. Please feel free to contact us if you would like a free consultation. There is no fee unless we win your case.

Imagine this scenario.

You are driving down the road minding your own business when you suddenly notice a car come up beside you. There’s nothing you can do. He decided to merge without checking the other lane, and as a result, he slammed into your car.

accident attorney redmond oregonCar accidents like this are more common than you think. Unfortunately, these accidents often cause injuries. If you are injured, it’s vital that you hire a great attorney. A great attorney will help you get the money that you deserve for your pain and suffering. If you try to navigate the legal system itself or ignore the claim, you could miss out on thousands of dollars that you can use to help deal with medical bills.

Getting injured is tough. When you try to hire an accident attorney Redmond Oregon the last thing you want to do is sift through a ton of attorneys. Luckily, you’ve found the best attorneys in the business. Your search is over.

When you choose our personal injury attorney Redmond Oregon practice, you will be welcomed with open arms. We will really listen to you and offer our support in these trying times. Of course, we want to help you make as much money as possible, but we believe being an attorney is about more than the money. We want to support you in any way that we can.

Redmond OR accident attorneyWe know that you will enjoy working with us. We do the hard, complicated legal work so you can spend time recuperating after your injury.  Ryan Hilts, Attorney at Law specializes in auto accidents and serves the Redmond and Bend area. For more information, contact Ryan today!

If you’ve been involved in any of the following, Ryan Hilts can help:

· Personal Injury
· Car Accident
· Pedestrian Accident
· Bicycle Accident
· Motorcycle Accident
· Trucking Accident
· Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect

Accident Attorney in OregonRyan is a specialist accident attorney in Oregon and has been practicing law for over fifteen years. He has listed as a ‘Rising Star’ in Oregon for six years by Super Lawyers Magazine.

An expert at conflict resolution, Ryan prefers to try to resolve cases before they go to trial. He truly cares for his clients and promises to work with respect and hard work.

Each of Ryan’s clients has access to him as he believes in a personal, one to one approach. You will be treated with respect and he will ensure you get the outcome you deserve.

Call Ryan Hilts today for an informal discussion to see what representation you need.