Do I need a lawyer after a car accident in Oregon?
Every rule below is quoted from Oregon law or a state agency, with a link. Checked September 17, 2026.
The short answer
We can't tell you whether you need a lawyer. We can show you the Oregon rules that usually decide it: how fault is split, how long you have, and how injury lawyers are allowed to charge. Many people with only car damage settle directly with the insurer. People with injuries, disputed fault or a claim near a deadline often talk to a lawyer first.
How fault changes your claim
If you were partly at fault
Oregon uses modified comparative negligence with a 51 percent bar. You can recover money as long as your share of fault is not greater than the combined fault of everyone you are suing. Your award is reduced by your own percentage of fault.
“Contributory negligence shall not bar recovery in an action by any person or the legal representative of the person to recover damages for death or injury to person or property if the fault attributable to the claimant was not greater than the combined fault of all persons specified in subsection (2) of this section, but any damages allowed shall be diminished in the proportion to the percentage of fault attributable to the claimant.”
How long you have
- 2 years
- to sue for injuriesORS 12.110
- 6 years
- to sue for car or property damageORS 12.080
- 3 years
- for a family to sue after a deathORS 30.020
- 180 days
- to notify the government if a public vehicle or road was involvedORS 30.275
Deadline to sue for injuries
You have 2 years to sue over injuries from a car crash in Oregon.
“An action for assault, battery, false imprisonment, or for any injury to the person or rights of another, not arising on contract...shall be commenced within two years.”
If a government vehicle or road was involved
If a government vehicle or road is involved, you must give written notice of the claim within 180 days of the crash. If the crash caused a death, the family has 1 year to give notice.
“within 180 days after the alleged loss or injury”
How injury lawyers charge in Oregon
Contingency fee rules
Oregon does not require a lawyer to put an ordinary injury case contingency fee agreement in writing under its ethics rules, but a lawyer can never charge a clearly excessive fee, and the rules specifically ban contingent fees in criminal defense cases and in divorce or child support cases.
“A lawyer shall not enter into an arrangement for, charge or collect: (1) any fee in a domestic relations matter, the payment or amount of which is contingent upon the securing of a divorce or upon the amount of spousal or child support or a property settlement; (2) a contingent fee for representing a defendant in a criminal case”
Questions to ask any lawyer before you sign
- What percentage do you charge, and does it change if the case goes to trial?
- Who pays case costs like records and expert fees if we lose?
- Will you handle my case yourself, or pass it to someone else?
- How long do cases like mine usually take here?
- What is the deadline for my claim, and when will you file?
If the insurer is the problem
File a complaint with the state
You can file a complaint against an insurance company with Oregon's Division of Financial Regulation online, or call their consumer advocacy line for help.
“The Division of Financial Regulation handles complaints about mortgage lenders, loan originators, finance service professionals, and most lines of insurance.”
Sources on this page
Each one was opened and checked on September 17, 2026.
Know My Claim is not a law firm or a government agency, and this page is not legal advice. Laws change, so check the linked source before you rely on a deadline.