July 8, 2026

When a Drunk Driver Changes Everything: Understanding Your Legal Rights as a Victim

Early Sunday morning, a single-vehicle crash on Interstate-82 near milepost 2 in Umatilla County left one man dead and three others injured. According to Oregon State Police, a black Dodge Ram traveling west failed to maintain its lane, left the roadway, and rolled several times. Martin Diaz, 42, of Kennewick, Washington, was a passenger in the vehicle and was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver and one other passenger suffered serious injuries, while a fourth occupant sustained minor injuries. Investigators say speed and impairment are believed to be contributing factors.

This crash is a painful reminder of something we see far too often in our practice: a single decision to get behind the wheel while impaired can permanently alter, or even end, the lives of everyone else in the vehicle and on the road. For the passengers who were hurt, and for the family grieving Mr. Diaz’s death, the legal aftermath of a crash like this is rarely simple. There isn’t just one “case.” There are often several overlapping avenues of recovery, and knowing how they interact can make a significant difference in how a family is compensated.

June 30, 2026

Local Residents Seek Changes After a UO Student Dies Following a Bicycle Accident

by Matthew D. Kaplan

Data from the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety shows that more than 1,000 bicyclists die each year in crashes with motor vehicles. Many times, serious or fatal bicycle accidents happen through no fault of the bicyclist. The motor vehicle driver may have been inattentive, distracted, speeding, or otherwise driving unsafely. Additionally, the roadway itself may have been unreasonably dangerous. This information shows that a bicycle case almost always involves many nuances and variables. If you have been hurt on your bicycle because of a collision with a motor vehicle, obtaining legal representation from a skilled Oregon bicycle lawyer is a vital step on the path to getting justice.

Earlier this year, a Ph.D. student at the University of Oregon died while attempting to bicycle across a street in Eugene. Oregon Public Broadcasting reported that some public records offer clues as to what may have happened in this accident. According to a search warrant filed in Lane County Circuit Court, the driver who struck and killed the bicyclist was speeding at the time of the crash, OPB reported.

People who live near the accident site told OPB that negligent driving (like speeding) is a problem in the area. Nearby residents claimed that “it’s too easy for cars to speed” on that stretch of Patterson Street. Residents called upon the city to make changes to that section of Patterson. The executive director of a local nonprofit, Better Eugene-Springfield Transportation, said that the road’s “design invites people to drive faster,” according to the report.

June 16, 2026

Linn County Authorities Jail a Local Driver for Manslaughter in a Fatal DUII Case

by Matthew D. Kaplan

According to the Oregon Department of Transportation, driving under the influence is “the cause of 70% of all traffic deaths in Oregon.” Nationwide, roughly 32 people die in drunk-driving crashes, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. In 2024, that amounted to 11,904 deaths. As NHTSA highlighted, all 11,904 of these were preventable. Sometimes, the blame for a drunk-driving death falls solely on the impaired driver. Other times, however, blame extends beyond just the impaired driver. If a bar, restaurant, liquor store, or other business provided alcohol to that person even though they were visibly intoxicated, then the business may also be liable. If you have been hurt (or have lost a loved one) in one of these accidents, a knowledgeable Oregon drunk driving accident lawyer can provide you with essential advice about your options in the civil justice system.

An incident from Linn County is just the latest alleged example of impaired driving leading to a deadly outcome. According to the Oregon State Police, a man was driving while impaired when he crashed his pickup truck into a motorcyclist at an intersection north of Albany.

The driver of the pickup truck was uninjured. The motorcyclist died at the scene. Police arrested the driver of the pickup truck and booked him into the Linn County Jail on charges of DUII, reckless driving, driving while suspended, and second-degree manslaughter, KPTV reported.

May 29, 2026

One Driver Suffers ‘Life-Threatening’ Injuries After a Chain-Reaction Crash in Washington County

by Matthew D. Kaplan

U.S. Highway 26 in Washington County (Sunset Highway) is one of the more dangerous roads in Oregon. Crash data placed it as the 14th-deadliest road in the state. Highway 26 is also heavily traveled. These realities increase the odds that, if you are involved in a Sunset Highway accident, the collision may involve more than two vehicles. When you suffer serious harm in an accident like that, you need an experienced Oregon auto accident lawyer who knows how to do a proper (and thorough) investigation of your accident and then use the evidence amassed from that investigation to help you in pursuing all necessary legal and insurance claims.

Beaverton was the site of one of these chain reaction accidents last month, according to a KATU report. The report indicated that the crash occurred between 12:00 and 1:00 am along the Highway 217 ramp to westbound Highway 26. According to the Beaverton Police public information officer, the initial accident involved two vehicles, both of which stopped after the collision. Subsequently, the “at-fault vehicle in that crash was then struck again by another vehicle traveling on Highway 26 in a second crash.”

The “driver who caused the first crash was taken to a hospital with life-threatening injuries,” according to police.

May 26, 2026

Chemical Tank Explosion at Longview Washington Paper Mill Causes Multiple Worker Deaths

by Matthew D. Kaplan

When the Vat Implodes: Workers’ Rights, WISHA Obligations, and Why This Isn’t Just a Workers’ Comp Case

By Matthew D. Kaplan| May 26, 2026

What began as a mass casualty incident has now been confirmed as a mass casualty fatality event. As of approximately 11:20 a.m. Tuesday, fire officials confirmed that multiple people have died in the chemical vat implosion at Nippon Dynawave Packaging Company in Longview, Washington. Additional victims remain in critical condition. The identities of those killed will not be released until families have been notified. What follows is not just a discussion of workers’ rights — it is now a discussion of wrongful death, criminal liability, and the legal reckoning that must follow.

May 22, 2026

A Fatal Pedestrian Accident in Lane County and the Role Distracted Driving May Have Played in It

by Matthew D. Kaplan

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, distracted driving accidents led to more than 3,200 deaths in 2024. As with many types of unsafe driving practices, distracted driving represents a particularly great danger to those who are the most vulnerable on the road, including pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorcyclists. For those who have been injured by a distracted driver (or who have lost a loved one to a fatal distracted driving accident), securing legal counsel from an experienced Oregon auto accident lawyer is an important first step in the process of getting justice for the harm you have suffered.

According to a KTMR report, police believe that distracted driving was a central factor in a recent Lane County accident that claimed the life of a 35-year-old Junction City man.

The man, who was walking along the shoulder of Highway 99W, died after a Hyundai Elantra struck him on the afternoon of May 5. According to police, the Hyundai’s driver, a 16-year-old female, was headed southbound on Highway 99W when she became distracted, left the travel lane, and struck the pedestrian.

May 15, 2026

Industrial Accident Resulting in Wrongful Death Triggers Oregon OSHA Investigation

by Matthew D. Kaplan

A Contractor Is Dead at River Mill Dam. Oregon OSHA Will Investigate — and a Civil Lawsuit May Follow.

A worker went to the River Mill Dam in Clackamas County on Thursday afternoon to do a job. He never made it home.

The accident occurred just before 4:30 p.m. on May 14, 2026, during equipment testing operations at the dam, located at 30800 SE Kilowatt Lane in unincorporated Clackamas County. Despite lifesaving efforts, the contractor was pronounced dead at the scene. One Portland General Electric employee was also injured and transported by ambulance to a local hospital for treatment.

April 30, 2026

A Crook County Crash Leaves a Bicyclist Dead and an SUV Driver Arrested for DUII

by Matthew D. Kaplan

Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) frequently reminds its audience that “drinking and driving don’t mix.” Driving while impaired due to alcohol or drugs places everyone on the road at risk, especially those like bicyclists and pedestrians (who are the most vulnerable to serious or fatal injuries should a crash occur). If you were seriously hurt (or a loved one was killed) aboard a bicycle because of an impaired driver, you potentially may have a variety of legal options available. An experienced Oregon bicycle accident lawyer can help you identify the avenues available to you and outline a strategy best suited to your circumstances.

An alleged example of just how much harm mixing drinking and driving can do came from Crook County earlier this month. OregonLive reported that, at around 11 p.m. on April 25, an SUV struck a bicycle on Oregon 380 near Prineville. The 36-year-old woman behind the wheel of the Ford Expedition was unharmed. The 57-year-old man aboard his bicycle was pronounced dead at the scene.

Law enforcement thinks that impairment played a role in the fatal collision. According to the OregonLive report, police arrested the driver of the SUV “for driving under the influence of intoxicants and believe impairment played a role in the crash, though the investigation remains ongoing.”

April 17, 2026

Despite an Overall Drop, Portland Traffic Deaths Surged Among the Age-65+ Demographic in 2025

by Matthew D. Kaplan

Many older Portlanders are very active, taking in what this area has to offer both by vehicle and on foot. Unfortunately, last year was an especially deadly year for people age 65 and up in Portland. Last month, the City of Portland released its traffic death data for 2025. While traffic deaths were down overall last year, one group saw a substantial upward spike. 13 of Portland’s 39 traffic deaths (33%) were people aged 65 or older. That statistic is a reminder that when older Oregonians take to the roads, whether on foot or in vehicles, they face a unique set of risks.

The 13 traffic deaths among the 65-and-up group were the highest in 10 years. The number represented a sharp rise from 2024, when Portland recorded only eight traffic deaths among those age 65+. Generally, the number of senior deaths has fluctuated between four and eight per year from 2016 to 2024, according to the city’s data.

One place where older people face a heightened risk of injury is while traveling on foot. The health benefits of walking are well known and well established, especially for older Americans. Nevertheless, negligent drivers can place them at risk of harm, and if they are involved in an accident, they face an increased risk of severe injury.

April 9, 2026

A Father Watched His Son Die on I-5 Near Canyonville. Oregon Law May Hold Multiple Parties Accountable.

by Matthew D. Kaplan

A routine road trip turned into an unthinkable tragedy on the afternoon of April 6, 2026, when a California family’s SUV slammed into a stalled semi-truck on Interstate 5 in Douglas County, killing an 18-year-old and seriously injuring his father and twin sister.

According to Oregon State Police, Brenden Larry Christensen, 61, of San Diego, was driving a white Freightliner commercial motor vehicle hauling a loaded trailer northbound on I-5 near milepost 90 near Canyonville when the truck stalled on an uphill grade in the outside lane. Investigators determined that the truck’s speed had dropped below 12 miles per hour as it struggled to climb the grade before stalling completely just before impact.

A young man of 18 from El Sobrante, California was driving an SUV with his father and twin sister as passengers, along with a family friend, when the collision occurred. The impact caused both the Honda and cargo from the truck to catch fire. The driver was pronounced dead at the scene. His father and twin sister were airlifted to area hospitals with serious injuries. The family friend was transported by ground ambulance with minor injuries.

Oregon Injury Lawyer Blog

When a Drunk Driver Changes Everything: Understanding Your Legal Rights as a Victim

A Contractor Is Dead at River Mill Dam. Oregon OSHA Will Investigate — and a Civil Lawsuit May Follow.