Oregon injury rights, deadlines, and help

This page covers Oregon injury deadlines and what to do right now.

Are you in an emergency right now?
Check yourself and others for injuries, breathing, and bleeding.
Call 911 if anyone is hurt or the area is not safe.
Get somewhere safe if you can do it safely.
Get medical care even if you feel fine. Some injuries hide for days.
This page is for after you are safe.

We are the injured person's advocate. We connect you with a lawyer who handles cases like yours, so you get the full settlement your recovery deserves. Always free. Talk to an advocate. We usually reply within minutes, at most one business day.

Your deadlines at a glance

Personal injury lawsuit: 2 years. Oregon's statute of limitations (the legal deadline to file a lawsuit) generally gives you two years from the date of the injury. Source: ORS 12.110(1) (statute text).
Work injury, the 90-day notice that IS your claim. For workers' compensation (the insurance system that pays for work injuries), give your employer written notice of the accident immediately, and no later than 90 days. In Oregon, that written notice is what starts the claim. A late claim can still be allowed up to one year after the accident in limited cases, such as when the employer already knew of the injury or you show good cause. Source: ORS 656.265 (statute text).
Hurt by a government agency: 180 days. Under the Oregon Tort Claims Act (the law for injury claims against the government), formal notice of the claim generally must be given within 180 days after the injury. Wrongful death claims get one year. Source: ORS 30.275 (statute text).

Warning: don't wait! The 90-day work-injury notice is a trap: in Oregon, that written notice IS the claim. A casual spoken mention at work does not protect you, and waiting kills cases. The longer you wait, the fuzzier memories get and documents get lost. Collect and save what you can, then talk to an advocate immediately. And important: medical claims can have different, often shorter deadlines. Do not assume the standard rule covers a hospital or doctor case.

Protect your case

Talk to an advocate at WeHelpInjured. It is free. Talk to an advocate.
Report the injury in writing. In Oregon, the written work injury notice is the claim itself, so do it early and keep a copy.
Save evidence. Take photos, keep receipts, write down names of witnesses, and keep every medical paper.
Write down the date of the injury and count your deadlines from it. Put them on a calendar.
If any government property or vehicle was involved, treat the 180-day notice deadline as your first priority.

Never do these

Never give a recorded statement to an insurance company, even your own. Talk to an advocate first.
Never sign anything from an insurance company, or accept a settlement offer, before you talk to an advocate. Once you sign, you may not be able to undo it.
Never admit fault at the scene. Stick to facts only.
Never post about your injury or recovery on social media. Insurers use these posts against you.

Common situations in Oregon

Hurt at work

Most states separate telling your employer from filing the formal claim. Oregon folds them together: the written 90-day notice to your employer initiates the claim. That makes the paperwork simpler, but it also means a casual spoken mention at work may not protect you. Put it in writing, date it, and keep a copy.

Occupational disease claims run on a different clock that starts at discovery. Do not guess about where you stand. Get help reading your own timeline.

Hurt on the road

Oregon uses modified comparative negligence (a fault-sharing rule). Your recovery is reduced by your share of fault, and you are barred entirely if your fault is greater than the combined fault of everyone else. In plain words, at 51 percent fault you recover nothing. Source: ORS 31.600 (statute text).

Insurers may push a high fault number onto you, so document everything.

Hurt on someone's property, including dog bites

Oregon splits dog-bite damages in an unusual way. For economic damages (bills you can count, like medical costs and lost wages), the owner is strictly liable, with no need to prove the owner could foresee the attack. For non-economic damages (pain and suffering), you still generally must show negligence or that the owner knew the dog was dangerous. Source: ORS 31.360 (statute text).

That split makes evidence about the dog's history worth gathering early, because it can change how much of your harm is covered.

Hiring a lawyer is a strong step, but it is not the finish line. Even a properly hired lawyer can miss a filing deadline. If that happens, your only path may be a malpractice claim against your own attorney, a long fight on top of the one you already had.

That lesson holds in Oregon's two-year state: talk to an advocate and ask your lawyer directly, in writing, when your lawsuit will be filed.

Talk to an advocate. You do not have to sort out Oregon's deadlines alone.

What we can help with

We are the injured person's advocate. We are on your side, and our help is always free to you.

We listen to what happened and help you make sense of it.
We explain your rights and deadlines in plain words.
We explain what to report, what to save, and what to ask.
We help you connect with a lawyer who handles cases like yours, so you get the full settlement your recovery deserves.
We never take money from injured people.

Talk to an advocate. If you or someone you love was hurt in Oregon, you do not have to figure this out alone. Start the form or open the chat.

Sources

Last reviewed: 2026-08-17

This is general information, not legal advice. Deadlines can change or vary with the facts. A licensed attorney can confirm the rule for your situation.

Injury types we cover in Oregon

Pick what happened to see what applies.