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Types of Auto Accidents

In 2022, motor vehicle crashes resulted in about 46,027 deaths and about 5.2 million visits to the doctors. Certain types of collisions are more likely to result in catastrophic injury or death. Common types of car crashes around Portland and Beaverton include the following:

• Head-On Collisions: Often connected to drunk driving or speeding, leading to traumatic brain injuries or spinal cord damage or death.

• Rear-End Collision: About 29% of all car crashes are rear-end collisions. Rear-end crashes account for about 7.2% of all crash fatalities.

• T-bone or Side-Impact Crashes: These types of crashes are especially frequent at intersections when drivers fail to yield or run red lights.

• Truck and Commercial Vehicle Accidents: Larger and heavier trucks can devastate smaller vehicles, causing severe injuries.

• Multi-Vehicle Pileups: Multiple parties may share fault, and injuries can be widespread.

• Street Takeovers: These types of events, unfortunately, started to take place more often in Portland since the pandemic, and many have resulted in the injury and death of participants and bystanders.

• Traffic Crimes: Certain behaviors—like fleeing the scene of an accident (hit-and-run), excessive speeding (sometimes charged as reckless driving), driving under the influence of intoxicants, or drag racing—rise to the level of criminal offenses. Victims of these serious traffic crimes have recourse. Please see our Crime Victims practice page for more information.

Types of Injuries Resulting from Catastrophic Auto Accidents

Auto accidents can tragically lead to injuries requiring significant medical treatment and long-term or life-long medical care. Some of the more devasting injuries include the following:

Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs): According to the CDC, these TBIs account for nearly a third of U.S. injury-related deaths. Long-term impacts include cognitive and behavioral changes. Please visit our Brain Injury practice page for more information. An experienced Portland auto accident attorney can help victims obtain just compensation for all of TBIs’ debilitating effects.

Spinal Cord Injuries: A sudden, forceful impact—common in rear-end or side-impact accidents—can damage the vertebrae or spinal cord. The National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center reports that motor vehicle collisions are a leading cause of spinal cord injury. And spinal cord injuries are the second leading cause of paralysis in the United States. Victims may require lifelong care, from surgeries and rehabilitation to assistive devices. Working with an experienced Portland car accident attorney can help you properly account for these ongoing expenses in any settlement or verdict.

Amputations: Severe crashes or truck accidents can lead to crushed limbs or deep lacerations, resulting in amputations. While less common, they do occur, for example, when metal intrusion or rollovers trap limbs in the wreckage. Amputation injuries require prosthetics, extensive rehabilitation, and substantial life changes. An experienced Beaverton car accident lawyer can help a victim obtain just compensation for these life-altering costs.

Severe Burns and Disfigurement: Post-collision vehicle fires, contact with hot metal, or exposure to hazardous materials can cause significant burns. Though not as frequent as fractures, burns can necessitate multiple surgeries, skin grafts, and psychological support to cope with scarring. A knowledgeable Portland auto accident attorney can help victims receive just compensation for medical care and emotional trauma.

Paralysis: Paralysis is one of the most severe injuries that can result from a motor vehicle accident. This condition typically occurs when the spinal cord sustains significant trauma, disrupting communication between the brain and the affected parts of the body. Depending on the severity and location of the injury, a person may experience partial or total paralysis, profoundly altering their daily life and long-term outlook. In addition to overwhelming medical bills, individuals living with paralysis may require lifelong care, rehabilitation, and specialized equipment. Because these expenses often extend far beyond initial hospitalization and treatment, working with a knowledgeable Portland car crash attorney is essential. An attorney can investigate the circumstances of the crash, identify liable parties, and pursue compensation that accounts for both immediate and long-term costs—including assistive devices, home modifications, and ongoing therapy.

Internal Organ Damage: Sudden deceleration in serious auto accidents can damage organs like the liver, spleen, or lungs—sometimes undetected until symptoms worsen. Seat belts, while life-saving, may also contribute to internal injuries under extreme force. Because untreated internal damage can be life-threatening, immediate care and thorough documentation are vital in pursuing a claim.

Fractures or Crush Injuries: High-speed collisions can break bones in the arms, legs, hips, or ribs. The intrusion of vehicle metal into the passenger compartment is especially dangerous. Fractures may require surgeries, metal hardware, and extensive physical therapy. Victims should consult a Portland car accident lawyer who can help them obtain just compensation that covers both immediate and future medical needs.

Wrongful Death: Tragically, some auto accidents are fatal, leaving grieving families to shoulder funeral expenses, lost income, and emotional hardship. Drunk driving accidents, reckless driving, and truck collisions are frequent culprits. Surviving family members can pursue a wrongful death claim to hold at-fault parties accountable and secure financial support for the future. Please visit our Wrongful Death practice page for more information.

Prompt medical attention is critical not only to protect your health but also to thoroughly document your injuries for any future legal claim. Catastrophic injury cases demand an experienced auto accident attorney with the expertise to conduct a thorough and in-depth evaluation. In catastrophic injury cases, a thorough evaluation usually involves collaborating with medical experts, life care planners, and actuaries to accurately project a person's long-term prognosis and calculate the lifetime costs of care. By considering all these factors, we can pursue compensation that truly reflects the full impact of these injuries on the victim’s life.

Oregon Insurance Coverage and Damages

In Oregon, drivers must carry Motor Vehicle Insurance that meets minimum insurance coverage requirements. Unfortunately, in catastrophic injury cases, policy limits often fall short of providing compensation for all injuries. The current minimum Motor Vehicle Liability Limits in Oregon are only $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident.

1.   Personal Injury Protection (PIP): This is another type of required insurance coverage in Oregon. It pays for expenses like medical bills and lost wages up to a certain limit, irrespective of fault. Oregon's current minimum PIP policy is $15,000 coverage for medical expenses.

2.   Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM) Coverage: This is another type of required insurance coverage in Oregon. UM/UIM coverage steps in if the at-fault driver's policy can't cover your full damages. See our blog post on UM/UIM Coverage: Protecting Yourself Before And After An Accident for more information.

In catastrophic Injury cases, having an experienced and skilled lawyer can be crucial because initial insurance coverages are often insufficient to cover all damages. Our firm has been called upon by other attorneys in these complex situations, and through meticulous investigation and research, we have successfully identified additional liable parties, such as employers and motor vehicle carriers. This type of thoroughness and attention to detail is critical in catastrophic injury cases and is exactly the type of legal representation our office provides.

Recoverable Damages in an Oregon Auto Accident Case

In auto accident cases, victims who suffer personal injuries may be entitled to significant compensation, including the following types of damages:

1.   Medical Bills: Hospital stays, surgeries, rehabilitation, prosthetics (e.g., after an amputation), and ongoing therapies.

2.   Lost Wages & Earning Potential: For those unable to return to work or forced into lower-paying positions due to injuries.

3.   Pain and Suffering: Reflecting physical suffering, emotional trauma, and diminished quality of life.

4.   Property Damage: Covering the repair or replacement of your vehicle.

5.   Loss of Consortium: Spouses may claim damages for the loss of society, companionship, affection, and loss of services from injuries caused by a defendant's tortious conduct.

6.   Punitive Damages: Awarded in appropriate circumstances to punish especially reckless or malicious behavior, such as in drunk driving cases.

In auto accidents where a fatality occurs, survivors may recover funeral costs, lost financial support, and other damages. See our Wrongful Death practice page for more information.