Motor Vehicle Accidents

August 31, 2026

An SUV Passenger Dies in a Fiery Single-Vehicle Crash on I-84 Near Pendleton

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, roughly 1/3 of all motor vehicle accidents in the United States are single-vehicle crashes. Of those, more than 2/3 (roughly 70%) involve vehicles running off the road. Even if no other vehicle is involved, these accidents can be very serious or even catastrophic. While single-vehicle crashes account for only 33% of all crashes, they account for 53% of all traffic fatalities, according to the National Safety Council. If you are a passenger who was hurt in a single-vehicle crash, you have rights. To protect yourself and your ability to get a proper recovery, start by talking to an experienced Oregon auto accident lawyer about your situation.

One such accident occurred earlier this month in eastern Oregon. According to the Oregon State Police’s investigation, a Honda CRV was traveling eastbound on Interstate 84 “when it left the freeway for an unknown reason,” Apple Valley News Now reported. The CRV subsequently entered the median, went airborne, and caught fire upon landing.

The driver suffered serious injuries. A passenger in the CRV died at the scene.

August 17, 2026

A Rear-End Crash on Interstate 84 Leaves 1 Dead and Another Seriously Hurt

by Matthew D. Kaplan

If you have endured serious or catastrophic injuries in an auto accident, you are (rightly) focused on your recovery. At the same time, though, there are other things that you cannot lose sight of; namely, getting the financial recovery you need and holding accountable those who were liable for your accident. This could involve insurance claims, civil lawsuits, or both. An experienced Oregon auto accident lawyer can help you analyze your situation and decide on your next steps.

A few days ago, Gilliam County was the scene of a three-vehicle crash that claimed one life and left another man seriously hurt.

The accident occurred after a driver from Western Washington developed a flat tire on Interstate 84 westbound about 40 miles east of The Dalles. After the driver pulled to the shoulder, an Oregon Department of Transportation worker stopped to help. According to the Oregon State Police, the ODOT worker “was parked behind the disabled vehicle blocking the right lane of travel with a large electronic reader board alerting oncoming traffic to move over.”

July 31, 2026

A Portland Pedestrian Dies in a Hit-and-Run Collision: What You Need to Know About Hit-and-Run Injuries

by Matthew D. Kaplan

This past March, AAA issued a press release about its latest research into hit-and-run accidents. According to AAA, “15% of all police-reported crashes in 2023 involved a driver who fled the scene.” (2023 was the most recent year for which data was available.) AAA data tells us that hundreds of thousands of hit-and-run accidents occur each year, resulting in thousands of deaths. Many of those victims are pedestrians. Suffering a catastrophic injury (or losing a loved one) at the hands of a hit-and-run driver can present some serious challenges for you. A knowledgeable Oregon pedestrian accident lawyer can provide invaluable aid in pursuing the best avenues to help you get the recovery you need.

One of these hit-and-run incidents occurred here in Portland this week. Early Tuesday morning, police arrived at the eastbound side of Highway 26 near the Oregon Zoo, according to KATU. At the scene, the officers found a dead pedestrian. They found no driver. That person had already fled the scene.

So far, the police have made no arrests.

July 17, 2026

A Fatal Intersection Collision Near Klamath Falls Reminds Us How Dangerous Left Turns Can Be

by Matthew D. Kaplan

Drivers navigate potential dangers every day, often without realizing it. For example, statistics show that more than 12,000 fatal crashes occur at intersections. More than 1 in 5 (22%) involve a driver turning left. According to Nationwide Mutual Insurance, left-turn accidents represent the #2 “most frequent high-severity type of auto claim,” behind only rear-end collisions. While drivers making left turns are often at fault in their crashes, that is not a universal truth. Determining who was at fault in any collision, including a left-turn crash, involves careful investigation and analysis by a seasoned professional, which is why securing the services of an experienced Oregon motor vehicle accident lawyer is so important.

A fatal crash in Klamath County is just one of the latest examples of how dangerous intersections can be. In the Klamath County incident, L.K., a 71-year-old woman behind the wheel of a Chrysler PT Cruiser, was executing a left turn from eastbound Highway 140 to northbound Highway 39. According to the Oregon State Police’s preliminary investigation, the woman stopped at the intersection’s stop sign but then pulled out onto Highway 39 without yielding the right of way to oncoming traffic. A southbound Kia Sedona van crashed into the Chrysler. The van’s occupants suffered minor injuries, but L.K. died at the scene.

In most situations, left-hand turn crashes are the fault of the driver making the left turn. That is true because the law requires drivers making left turns to yield the right of way to oncoming traffic.

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.

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 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.

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.