Top Rated Auto Accident Lawyer
Portland Car Accident Lawyer
Fighting for Injury Victims Since 1996
Oregon gives you 2 years from the crash to file (ORS 12.110), or just 180 days if a government vehicle was involved. The state's modified comparative negligence rule lets you recover damages as long as you're less than 51% at fault. Claimants who hire an attorney recover 3.5x to 4.4x more on average than those who handle it alone (IRC; Nolo).
George Goldberg has been practicing personal injury law since 1994 and founded Goldberg & Loren in 1996. The firm represents Portland clients from its office at 6500 S Macadam Ave.
Why Portland Crash Victims Choose
Goldberg & Loren
I started my legal career in 1994 at an aviation defense firm in Miami, right out of the University of Miami School of Law.
For two years, my job was to defend airlines and their insurers against the injury claims brought by passengers and accident victims. I learned every delay tactic, every lowball formula, and every disclosure trick the defense side uses, because I was the one being trained to use them.
In 1996 I left to start Goldberg & Loren, a firm built specifically to represent the people I had been working against. Thirty-two years into my legal career, with over 20,000 injury cases handled, when an adjuster offers one of my Portland clients $5,000 for a herniated disc, I already know what comes next. I used to write that playbook.
What that means for your case:
- Defense-side training. I learned how insurers build a file to deny your claim before I ever filed one for an injury victim.
- Admitted to the Oregon State Bar and personally responsible for Portland case strategy.
- Martindale-Hubbell Distinguished Rating, the peer-review standard for ethical and legal ability.
- No fee unless we win. We front every litigation cost.
- The senior partner runs your case, not a junior associate or a call center.
Meet Your Portland Attorneys
George Goldberg
Founder of Goldberg & Loren (1996). 32 years of practice. 20,000+ injury cases handled. 98% success rate.
- Oregon State Bar
- J.D. magna cum laude, University of Miami School of Law (1994)
- B.A., Emory University
- Martindale-Hubbell Distinguished Rating
James Loren
50+ trials to verdict. $500M+ in client recoveries. The firm's most senior trial lawyer when negotiations stall.
- Oregon State Bar
- J.D., Nova Southeastern University Shepard Broad College of Law
- 50+ trials to verdict
- $500M+ in client recoveries
Portland Car Accident Statistics: 2025
Portland’s 2025 numbers, released by PBOT on March 5, 2026:
- 39 traffic deaths. The lowest since 2018, and a 38% drop from the 2021 to 2024 average.
- 51% of fatalities were pedestrians. Third straight year of declining pedestrian deaths.
- 33% of victims were 65 or older. More than double the prior years’ share.
- East Portland deaths fell 56%, reaching 11 total. The first time East Portland recorded fewer than 20 traffic deaths since 2018.
- Zero deadly crashes on SE 82nd Avenue in 2025, after PBOT added median islands, striping, flashing beacons, marked crosswalks, and signage to one of Portland’s most dangerous corridors.
- Zero DUII-related deadly crashes during peak holiday periods.
The 2024 baseline: 58 fatalities (down from a 2023 record of 69), with 48% involving speeding, 71% on the High Crash Network (which is just 8% of Portland’s streets), and 83% at night.
If your crash happened on a High Crash Network corridor, the city’s own data is evidence that the road is a known hazard, and that helps your claim.
Table of Contents
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Portland Car Accident Claims in 30 Seconds
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What to Do if You Were Just in a Crash
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Why Portland Crash Victims Choose Goldberg & Loren
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Meet Your Portland Attorneys
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Portland Car Accident Statistics: 2025
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Portland's Most Dangerous Roads
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What Is Your Portland Car Accident Case Worth?
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Oregon Car Accident Laws You Need to Know
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What to Do After a Portland Car Accident
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Who Can Be Held Liable
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Damages You Can Recover
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Types of Portland Car Accidents We Handle
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Insurance Company Tactics I've Seen From the Inside
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Frequently Asked Questions
Portland's Most Dangerous Roads
Three highways carry the bulk of Portland crashes: I-84 (83 crashes), I-205 (69), and I-5 (67), all per the most recent ODOT data.
The five worst intersections, all in East Portland:
- SE 122nd Ave & Stark St
- SE 122nd Ave & Division St
- SE 82nd Ave & Powell Blvd
- SE 148th Ave & Stark St
- NE 82nd Ave & Glisan St
If your accident happened on one of these, that’s already evidence in your favor. Our deeper guide covers Portland’s 15 most dangerous intersections.
What Is Your Portland Car Accident Case Worth?
In 32 years of practice, I’ve never seen an insurance company’s first offer be their best. The real question isn’t what the adjuster offers. It’s what the evidence supports.
Settlement ranges by injury severity (NHTSA + ODOT data):
| Injury Type | Typical Range |
|---|---|
| Property damage only | ~$5,250 |
| Possible injury (soft tissue) | ~$19,300 |
| Evident injury (fractures, whiplash) | ~$71,400 |
| Disabling injury (TBI, spinal cord) | ~$280,700 |
| Severe / catastrophic (paralysis, amputation) | $675,700 – $979,300 |
| Fatal crash (wrongful death) | ~$1,606,600 |
The attorney difference: A Nolo survey of 5,800+ claimants found those represented by attorneys received an average of $77,600 versus $17,600 for unrepresented claimants. That’s 4.4x the recovery. The Insurance Research Council confirmed a similar 3.5x multiple in its own study.
Recent Portland-Area Settlements
| Amount | Date | Case |
|---|---|---|
| $1,200,000 | Jul 2023 | Wrongful death, head-on collision, Lebanon OR |
| $1,025,000 | Jul 2023 | 8-year-old severely injured by commercial vehicle in Portland |
| $1,000,000 | Jul 2023 | Brain injury, commercial truck rear-end, Portland |
| $680,000 | Jan 2023 | Portland dram shop — bar liability under ORS 471.565. We pursued the bar that served alcohol to a visibly intoxicated patron after the driver's limited policy was exhausted. |
Oregon Car Accident Laws You Need to Know
Statute of Limitations: 2 Years
Under ORS 12.110, you have two years from the date of the accident to file a personal injury lawsuit. Miss this deadline and your claim is permanently barred.
Critical exception: If a government employee or vehicle caused your crash (TriMet bus, city vehicle, state highway defect), you may have only 180 days to file a tort claim notice (ORS 30.275).
Modified Comparative Negligence
Oregon follows a modified comparative negligence rule. You can recover damages if you were less than 51% responsible. Your award is reduced by your fault percentage, so a 20% fault assignment cuts a $100,000 award to $80,000. (ORS 31.600)
Oregon Is an At-Fault State
The driver who caused the crash (or their insurer) pays for your injuries. This is different from no-fault states where you file against your own insurance first.
Oregon Minimum Insurance Requirements (ORS 806.070)
- Bodily injury: $25,000 / $50,000
- Property damage: $20,000
- Personal Injury Protection (PIP): $15,000
- Uninsured motorist (UM): $25,000 / $50,000
These minimums are often insufficient for serious injuries. If the at-fault driver carries only the minimum and your surgery costs $150,000, your own underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage (required in all Oregon policies unless waived in writing) covers the gap.
Oregon Statutes Quick Reference
Oregon Statutes Quick Reference
| ORS | Topic | Key Detail |
|---|---|---|
| ORS 12.110 | Statute of Limitations | 2 years for personal injury |
| ORS 31.600 | Comparative Negligence | Recover if < 51% at fault |
| ORS 31.730 | Punitive Damages | For intentional or outrageously reckless conduct |
| ORS 471.565 | Dram Shop | Bar/restaurant liable for serving visibly intoxicated patrons |
| ORS 806.070 | Minimum Insurance | $25K/$50K BI, $20K PD, $15K PIP, $25K/$50K UM |
| ORS 811.720 | Crash Reporting | Required if damage > $2,500 or anyone injured |
| ORS 811.725 | Reporting Deadline | DMV report within 72 hours |
| ORS 30.275 | Govt Tort Claims | 180-day notice; 1 year for wrongful death |
What to Do After a Portland Car Accident
After 32 years and 20,000 cases, I can tell you the biggest mistakes happen in the first 72 hours.
- Call 911 and get medical attention, even if you feel fine. Adrenaline masks injuries; TBI and internal bleeding can take hours to show.
- Document everything at the scene. Photos of vehicle damage, skid marks, signals, road conditions, your injuries. Names and numbers of every witness.
- File your Oregon Traffic & Insurance Report within 72 hours. Required by ORS 811.720 if damage exceeds $2,500 or anyone is injured. File online at DMV2U.oregon.gov.
- Do NOT give a recorded statement to the other driver’s insurance company. You’re not legally required to. This is the single biggest trap I see, and I know it intimately because I used to coach the adjusters making those calls. They’ll ask “how are you?” so they can play your “I’m okay” back to you six weeks later when the MRI shows two herniated discs. They’ll ask “did you see the other car?” so they can argue you should have avoided the crash.
- Do NOT sign a medical records release from the other driver’s insurer. They want your entire history so they can argue your injuries pre-existed the crash. Provide only relevant records, through your attorney.
- Call a Portland car accident lawyer immediately. The insurer has a team working against you from day one. You need one working for you. Our consultation is free: (971) 339-8080.
In 32 years and 20,000 cases, I have never seen a recorded statement help a client. Not once.
Who Can Be Held Liable
Determining liability is where my defense-side experience becomes your advantage. Insurance companies don’t just evaluate fault. They engineer it. Potentially liable parties include:
- The other driver, for speeding, distracted, impaired, or running a signal
- The driver’s employer, if they were on the job (vicarious liability)
- Bar or restaurant, under Oregon dram shop law (ORS 471.565) for serving a visibly intoxicated person who then crashed
- Rideshare companies. Uber and Lyft carry $1M policies when drivers are actively transporting passengers
- Government agencies, for dangerous road design, missing signage, or poor maintenance
- Vehicle or parts manufacturers, for defective brakes, tires, or airbags
Our $680,000 Portland dram shop recovery is the textbook example: the drunk driver had limited insurance, so we pursued the bar that served him after he was visibly intoxicated. The combined recovery was many times what the driver’s policy alone would have paid.
Damages You Can Recover
Economic damages (verifiable financial losses): medical bills, future medical expenses, lost wages, reduced earning capacity, property damage, rehabilitation costs.
Non-economic damages (intangible losses): pain and suffering, emotional distress (PTSD, anxiety), loss of enjoyment of life, loss of consortium, disfigurement.
Oregon’s non-economic damages cap: Oregon previously capped non-economic damages at $500,000, but the Oregon Supreme Court ruled this cap unconstitutional as applied to plaintiffs who survive their injuries (Busch v. McInnis Waste Systems). Your pain-and-suffering claim is not limited to $500K. That’s a critical detail most car-accident pages won’t tell you.
Punitive damages under ORS 31.730 are rare but available when the defendant acted intentionally, maliciously, or with outrageous disregard for safety, such as street racing or extreme DUI.
Types of Portland Car Accidents We Handle
Each crash type has its own legal and medical pattern. The most common Portland cases we handle:
Rear-End Collisions
The most common Portland crash type, especially on I-5 and I-84 in stop-and-go traffic. Insurers routinely dismiss whiplash and herniated discs as “soft tissue.” We document the full injury.
T-Bone (Side-Impact)
Usually at intersections from red-light or yield violations. Severe because vehicles offer little side protection: broken ribs, organ damage, hip fractures, head injuries.
Head-On Collisions
The deadliest crash type because both vehicles’ speeds combine on impact. Common on rural highways around Portland and from wrong-way drivers on I-5 / I-205. Head-on collision attorney →
Drunk Driving Crashes
Often allow us to pursue punitive damages (ORS 31.730) and dram shop claims against the bar that over-served the driver, as we did in our $680K Portland dram shop recovery.
Rideshare (Uber / Lyft) Accidents
Three policies typically fight over coverage: the driver’s personal, the rideshare $1M commercial, and your own UM/UIM. Which one pays depends on whether the driver was logged in, waiting, or actively transporting a passenger.
We also handle truck accidents, motorcycle crashes, pedestrian and bicycle collisions, rollovers, sideswipes, hit-and-runs, multi-vehicle pile-ups, and drowsy-driving cases.
Insurance Company Tactics I've Seen
From the Inside
I used to help insurance companies fight injury claims. Here’s exactly what they’ll try, and how we counter each:
- “We need a recorded statement.” They don’t. We handle all communication.
- “Sign this medical release.” They want your full history to argue your injuries pre-existed. We provide only relevant records.
- “Here’s our best and final offer.” In 32 years of practice, I’ve seen first offers that were 10% of what we eventually recovered.
- “You waited too long to see a doctor.” They’ll argue treatment gaps mean you weren’t really hurt. We keep your medical timeline airtight.
- “You were partially at fault.” They inflate your fault percentage to reduce payout under Oregon’s comparative negligence rule. We push back with evidence.
- Delay. They know the longer it drags, the more pressure builds on you to settle. We have the resources to outlast them.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do I have to file a car accident lawsuit in Portland, Oregon?
Two years from the date of the accident (ORS 12.110). If a government entity is involved (TriMet, city vehicle, state highway), you may have only 180 days to file a tort claim notice. Missing either deadline permanently bars your claim. Contact an attorney within days, not months.
How much does a Portland car accident lawyer cost?
Nothing upfront. At Goldberg & Loren we work on contingency: 33% to 44% of the recovery depending on case complexity. We front all litigation costs. If we don’t win, you owe nothing.
What is the average car accident settlement in Oregon?
It varies by injury severity. Property-damage-only claims average ~$5,250; disabling injuries ~$280,700; fatal crashes ~$1,606,600 (NHTSA data). The bigger factor is representation. Claimants with attorneys recover 3.5x to 4.4x more on average ($77,600 vs $17,600 in the Nolo survey).
What if I was partly at fault?
You can still recover under Oregon’s modified comparative negligence rule as long as you were less than 51% at fault (ORS 31.600). Your award is reduced by your fault percentage. Insurers routinely try to inflate that percentage, which is exactly why you need an attorney to push back.
Should I talk to the other driver’s insurance company?
No. In 32 years of practice I have never seen a recorded statement help a client. Adjusters are trained to ask questions designed to minimize your claim. You are under no legal obligation to give a statement. Call us at (971) 339-8080 and we’ll handle every conversation for you.
What Our Portland Clients Say:
★★★★★ 4.6 (475 Google reviews)
What Our Portland Clients Say
"I had a great experience working with this law firm. Sam and Emilio were professional, supportive, and kept me informed throughout the entire process. They fought hard for my case and were able to get me a settlement much higher than I expected."
"Excellent attorney. She helped me with my car accident case and explained everything step by step. The process was much smoother and the outcome was great."
Goldberg & Loren
6500 S Macadam Ave Suite 380,
Portland, OR 97239,United States
(971) 339-8080
I spent the first two years of my career defending insurance companies. I learned every tactic they use to minimize a claim. In 1996 I walked away to use that knowledge for injury victims instead. Their first offer is never their best — it's a test to see if you'll fold.
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We Represent Those Injured in Car Accidents in the Following Cities and Communities Near Portland, Oregon.
- Clackamas County, OR
- Clark County, WA
- Columbia County, OR
- Multnomah County, OR
- Skamania County, WA
- Washington County, OR
- Skamania County, WA
- Yamhill County, OR
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