Oregon Personal Injury Laws

Personal injury laws differ depending on which state you’re in, but Oregon has quite a few in place that can protect anyone who has been injured. The process of what you should do varies depending on the specific situation. Additionally, the amount and type of damages or compensation that a victim can hope to receive can change based on the circumstances.

Here you are provided a basic overview of some of the main personal injury laws and statutory rules in Oregon. However, I highly recommend getting in touch with a personal injury attorney if you or someone you care about has been injured. Having a strong legal strategy can be critical to getting what you deserve.

What to Do If You’re Injured

If you sustain any injury, it’s important to know that the first thing you should do is seek medical attention. It’s wise to contact a personal injury attorney as soon as possible, but this is always a secondary priority to making sure that you’re physically safe.

There Is a Time Limit

As with many legal issues, there is a statute of limitations relating to personal injury cases. In the state of Oregon, it is usually two years. However, there are many exceptions to that time limit. For example, any claim against the government has a far shorter time limit, but a wrongful death case may be over two years.

No matter what has happened in your specific situation, it’s best to contact an attorney as soon as possible. It’s generally better to file your claim as soon as possible, and waiting until the last minute can be hard to gather information necessary for a successful case.

What Victims Can Receive

The amount and type of damages that victims could potentially receive depends on many different factors. But, they can basically be described as fitting into two categories: economic and noneconomic. Economic damages are to replace money that you lost or had to pay because of an injury, and this includes lost wages, medical bills, estimates of future monetary losses, and other similar things. Non-economic damages are types of injuries that cannot be measured as easily, such as emotional distress.

Upper Limits on Payments

It is important to know that the laws in the state of Oregon have established an upper limit on certain forms of payment. In most cases, there is no limit on how high the economic damages could be, and this is because they are often based on numbers that are easy to prove. On the other hand, there are certain non-economic damages that do have limits. Since this isn’t very straightforward, it’s best to talk to a legal expert to find out about your case.

The Government Has Different Rules

There is good news and bad news about filing a claim against the government or a governmental employee. The good news is that they aren’t exempt from personal injury laws, so they can be held accountable for any injuries they had a part in causing. However, it can be tricky because they have some different rules. For example, they don’t follow the same amount of time as the standard statute of limitations, so you often are required to file a claim much earlier than you would against a private citizen or company.

The Blame Can Be Shared

The laws of Oregon make it clear that blame for an injury can be shared between different parties involved. In other words, if you receive an injury because of the actions of another person or business, but you had some amount of responsibility for it, you can be held partially responsible.

As long as the injured person is only responsible for a small percentage of the blame, this will most likely only have an influence on the amount of damages paid. However, too much responsibility can cause the injured party to receive no damages at all.

If you’re not sure if you’re responsible for any of the blame in a personal injury case, your best course of action is to consult a lawyer. The other side will likely use this argument against you, and it has the potential to lower the amount of compensation you could receive.

Alternatives to Lawsuits

Remember that much of this information relates to the requirements a court will enforce when handling a lawsuit about a personal injury. However, these cases don’t always have to go so far. There are many times when they can be solved outside of court, and this can often be much easier for everyone involved. It’s a good idea to explore your options before officially filing with the court.

You Don’t Have to Do This Alone

While it’s beneficial to know the basic ideas of the laws that will protect you if you are injured, you shouldn’t overlook the assistance you could gain from a personal injury attorney. The knowledge and experience gained from helping others through similar situations can be invaluable in helping you get what you deserve in such an unfortunate situation.

ce that can protect anyone who has been injured. The process of what you should do varies depending on the specific situation. Additionally, the amount and type of damages or compensation that a victim can hope to receive can change based on the circumstances.

Here you are provided a basic overview of some of the main personal injury laws and statutory rules in Oregon. However, I highly recommend getting in touch with a personal injury attorney if you or someone you care about has been injured. Having a strong legal strategy can be critical to getting what you deserve.