Statute of Limitations for Car Accidents

Car accidents can be incredibly traumatic experiences. Recovery after an accident can be a long process, and physical healing is just one consideration. Injuries caused by car accidents are covered by a statute of limitations. This means that if you postpone legal action for too long, you may lose your claim.

Car accident statutes of limitations vary depending on the state the accident occurred in and the type of damage caused by the accident. In Oregon, the statute of limitations is two years. There are also 180 day Tort Claim Notice requirements for cases involving public bodies and dram shop claims.

The Oregon Statute of Limitations.

The statute of limitations that covers most car accidents can be found in the Oregon Revised Statutes, Volume 1, chapter 12:

“An action for assault, battery, false imprisonment, or for any injury to the person or rights of another, not arising on contract, and not especially enumerated in this chapter, shall be commenced within two years; provided, that in an action at law based upon fraud or deceit, the limitation shall be deemed to commence only from the discovery of the fraud or deceit.”

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Dealing with a Running Clock

After any car accident in Oregon, you have two years to either settle the case or file a lawsuit. legal compensation. This is why anyone injured in a car accident needs to move with urgency if they want to seek compensation through the legal system.