Oregon Car Accident Settlement Calculator
Get a rough estimate of what a Oregon car-accident injury claim might be worth, based on your medical bills and losses. This is an estimate to understand the factors — not a prediction or an offer.
This is a rough estimate, not a prediction or an offer.
No tool can predict a settlement. This uses the common "multiplier method" to show the factors that drive value and a wide range — actual outcomes depend on the facts, the available insurance limits, the venue, and negotiation. Consult a Oregon car-accident attorney about your case.
Enter your medical bills and losses to see an estimated range
The multiplier method (pain-and-suffering as a multiple of your medical bills) is a common starting point, not a guarantee. A real recovery is also capped by the available insurance (the at-fault driver's limits, or your own UM/UIM coverage). Most car-accident cases settle; an attorney is the only way to value your specific claim. This tool is not legal advice and RecordingLaw.com is not a law firm.
How the Estimate Works
No tool can predict a car-accident settlement — every case is different and the number depends on the facts, the available insurance, the venue, and negotiation. This calculator applies the multiplier method: it adds your economic damages (medical bills, lost wages, vehicle damage), then estimates pain and suffering as a multiple of your medical bills (about 1.5× for minor injuries up to 5× or more for catastrophic ones), and shows a wide range. It then applies Oregon's fault rule and flags the insurance limits that cap a real payout.
Oregon Is an add-on PIP state
Oregon is an at-fault (tort) state with mandatory add-on Personal Injury Protection. Under ORS 742.520-742.524, every private-passenger auto liability policy must include PIP benefits that pay the injured party's own medical, wage-loss, and essential-services losses regardless of fault. But unlike the 12 traditional no-fault states, Oregon does NOT limit the right to sue the at-fault driver. PIP is "add-on" coverage layered on top of an otherwise pure tort liability system. An injured person collects PIP first, then pursues the at-fault driver for all remaining damages (including pain and suffering) with no statutory threshold to clear. The PIP insurer holds reimbursement/inter-insurer recovery rights (ORS 742.534-742.544) against the at-fault driver's insurer.
Minimum Insurance & UM/UIM in Oregon
A settlement is only collectible up to the available insurance. Oregon's minimum required liability coverage is $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident for bodily injury and $20,000 for property damage. Many drivers carry only the minimum, so a large claim can exceed the at-fault driver's policy. Mandatory minimum liability limits under ORS 806.070(2) are 25/50/20: $25,000 bodily injury or death per person; $50,000 bodily injury or death per accident (two or more persons); $20,000 property damage per accident. Note Oregon's property-damage minimum is $20,000, not the more common $25,000. These limits satisfy the Financial Responsibility Law (ORS chapter 806); proof of insurance is required to register and operate a vehicle.
Uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM): if the other driver had no insurance or fled the scene, your recovery comes from your own UM/UIM coverage. In Oregon, UM/UIM is required to carry. Uninsured motorist (UM) bodily-injury coverage is MANDATORY on every Oregon motor-vehicle bodily-injury liability policy (ORS 742.502). UM limits must equal the policy's bodily-injury liability limits unless the named insured elects lower limits in writing, but may never be below the 25/50 statutory minimum (ORS 806.070). Oregon's UM statute includes underinsured-motorist (UIM) coverage within the same coverage (ORS 742.502(2)-(4)); since 2016 (SB 411) UIM is "added-on/stacked" — the tortfeasor's liability payment does not reduce the insured's UIM limit dollar-for-dollar but is credited so the insured recovers up to the higher of the two limits. UM/UIM is required to be carried, not merely offered.
Fault & Your Recovery: modified comparative negligence (51% bar)
Oregon follows modified comparative negligence (51% bar). Your award is reduced by your share of fault, and you recover nothing once you are 51% or more at fault.
Deadline to File a Oregon Car-Accident Claim
Oregon generally requires a car-accident injury lawsuit to be filed within 2 years of the crash (the statute of limitations). Two-year statute of limitations for personal-injury (negligence) actions, including car-accident injury claims, under ORS 12.110(1), running from the date of injury (subject to the discovery rule). Property-damage claims generally have a 6-year limit under ORS 12.080. An ultimate 10-year statute of repose applies to negligent injury under ORS 12.115. Claims against public bodies (e.g., a government-owned vehicle) require a tort-claim notice within 180 days under the Oregon Tort Claims Act, ORS 30.275. Miss it and your claim is usually barred no matter how strong it is, so do not wait to talk to an attorney.
- Oregon is an at-fault (tort) state with mandatory add-on PIP — you collect your own PIP medical/wage benefits first, then pursue the at-fault driver for everything else.
- There is NO no-fault threshold: you can sue the at-fault driver for pain and suffering from the first dollar, with no serious-injury or dollar threshold to clear.
- Mandatory minimum auto liability limits are 25/50/20 — note the property-damage minimum is $20,000, lower than many states' $25,000.
- Every policy must include at least $15,000 in PIP medical coverage per person (ORS 742.524), plus wage-loss and essential-services benefits.
- Uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage is required, not just offered, at limits matching your liability coverage unless you elect lower in writing (never below 25/50).
- You generally have 2 years from the accident to file an injury lawsuit (ORS 12.110); recovery is barred if you are 51% or more at fault (ORS 31.600). Government-vehicle claims need a 180-day tort-claim notice.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is my Oregon car accident claim worth?
No one can tell you a number in advance. A rough estimate adds your economic damages (medical bills, lost wages, vehicle damage) and applies a pain-and-suffering multiplier, then adjusts for fault under Oregon's modified comparative negligence (51% bar) rule. The real value also depends on the available insurance limits — an attorney is the only way to value your specific case.
Is Oregon a no-fault state?
Oregon is an at-fault (tort) state with mandatory add-on Personal Injury Protection. Under ORS 742.520-742.524, every private-passenger auto liability policy must include PIP benefits that pay the injured party's own medical, wage-loss, and essential-services losses regardless of fault. But unlike the 12 traditional no-fault states, Oregon does NOT limit the right to sue the at-fault driver. PIP is "add-on" coverage layered on top of an otherwise pure tort liability system. An injured person collects PIP first, then pursues the at-fault driver for all remaining damages (including pain and suffering) with no statutory threshold to clear. The PIP insurer holds reimbursement/inter-insurer recovery rights (ORS 742.534-742.544) against the at-fault driver's insurer.
Does my own fault reduce my Oregon settlement?
Yes. Oregon follows modified comparative negligence (51% bar). You recover nothing once you are 51% or more at fault.
How long do I have to file in Oregon?
Generally 2 years from the crash. Two-year statute of limitations for personal-injury (negligence) actions, including car-accident injury claims, under ORS 12.110(1), running from the date of injury (subject to the discovery rule). Property-damage claims generally have a 6-year limit under ORS 12.080. An ultimate 10-year statute of repose applies to negligent injury under ORS 12.115. Claims against public bodies (e.g., a government-owned vehicle) require a tort-claim notice within 180 days under the Oregon Tort Claims Act, ORS 30.275.
Is this calculator accurate?
It is a rough estimate to show the factors that drive value — not a prediction or an offer. Real settlements vary enormously and are capped by the available insurance. Treat any number here as a ballpark and consult a Oregon car-accident attorney.
Disclaimer
This estimator is for general informational purposes only and is not legal advice or a prediction of any outcome. RecordingLaw.com is not a law firm. The value of a car-accident claim can only be assessed by a licensed attorney reviewing your specific facts.