Common Causes of Car Accidents in Happy Valley
There can be so much variance in how accidents happen but like other types of occurrences, there tends to be common types. Below are some of the most common causes of car accidents in Oregon:
- Distracted driving: texting, drinking
- Following too closely behind
- Reckless driving tactics: illegal lane changes, speeding
- Not avoiding vehicle in front
- Driving too fast for the current conditions
What to Do After a Car Accident in Happy Valley
The first thing to do immediately after an accident is to ensure the safety of yourself and your passengers, seek any medical attention if needed. Call the police and wait for their arrival. If you are not already off the road away from traffic, move yourself and vehicle if able to the side of the road.
- Obtain photos of your vehicle, the other vehicle (s), road signs, and any missing vehicle parts
- Obtain photos of the other driver (s) license and insurance coverage
- Gather any information from possible witnesses of the accident: name, number, what they saw
- Return safely home and call your insurance company to report the accident (DO NOT give any recorded statements to either insurance company)
- Fill out an accident report through the DMV within 72 hours of the accident
- Call your car accident lawyer
The sooner you can do these things, the better the process will turn out to be. The sooner you call the Johnston Law Firm, the sooner we can assess what your next step should be and the sooner you can move on from this unfortunate incident.
Helpful Tips When Dealing with a Motor Vehicle Accident in Happy Valley
Not all of us have been in an accident so if or when this happens, many of us are unprepared of what to do. There is some knowledge that we may not have if this time comes, and it can get very confusing very fast. Below are some helpful tips from us, who know how this process goes and who know how scary it can be:
- Do not say anything to the other driver (s) about the details of the accident: how it happened, whose fault it is, etc. This information could come back later to hurt your chances for compensation.
- Be thorough with your pictures and recordings of the scene
- Report the accident to your insurance company and the DMV as soon as you are able
- DO NOT give any recorded statements to either insurance companies without first calling your car accident attorney
- You will receive phone calls from both insurance companies, possibly every day, but once you officially report the accident to them, you have no obligation to answer these calls. You can either ignore the calls or answer and tell them, “My attorney will be handling this, thank you and goodbye”.
- Do not communicate with the other party (s) about the accident afterwards, the at-fault driver may try and contact you, but you have no obligation to reply.
Types of Damages that are Eligible in Happy Valley Car Accidents
In the state of Oregon, car accident victims are eligible to receive two types of compensation after an auto accident, both of which are designed to compensate the victim for their losses:
Economic Damages: compensate an injured victim for direct financial losses, such as medication costs, hospitalization stays, surgery bills and lost wages. Economic damages are defined by Oregon law as “objectively verifiable monetary losses including but not limited to reasonable charges necessarily incurred for medical, hospital, nursing and rehabilitative services and other health care services, burial and memorial expenses, loss of income and past and future impairment of earning capacity”.
Noneconomic Damages: compensate an injured victim for more subjective losses such as emotional trauma or distress. Oregon law defines these as “subjective, non-monetary losses, including but not limited to pain, mental suffering, emotional distress, humiliation”. These damages are more difficult to quantify, as emotional pain can be traumatic and long-lasting, as well as difficult to recover from.
The specific amount you will be eligible for will depend on various factors but trust us at the Johnston Law Firm that we will fight tooth and nail to get you back what you lost. Contact us to find out more about how we can help you.
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