Oregon Injury Lawyer Blog
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.
Seniors are at the Highest Risk
OregonLive, in a piece covering the uptick in traffic deaths among those 65 and over, spotlighted one example: an 87-year-old woman died on her daily walk to Mount Tabor after a driver struck her near Southeast César E. Chávez Boulevard and Harrison Street.
Seven of the 13 senior deaths (54%) were, like the woman walking to Mount Tabor, pedestrians. Nationwide, older people are at the highest risk of fatal pedestrian accidents. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that “age groups 55 to 59 and 65 to 70 had the largest percentage of pedestrian fatalities (23%)” and that, although adults age 65+ “walk less than other age groups, … some 18% of all pedestrian fatalities with known age were 65 and older.”
Increased Physical Fragility Among Those Age 65+
One challenge seniors face (that can contribute to severe injuries) is the loss of bone density. Medical research shows that humans reach peak bone density around ages 25-30, and it remains stable through age 40. After age 50, bone breakdown outpaces bone formation. After age 65, the risks of osteopenia and osteoporosis substantially increase. This loss of bone density and increase in bone brittleness mean that seniors have a heightened risk of suffering one or more bone fractures if they are involved in a traffic accident.
What the Law Says
Under the standards of civil law, the fact that your body was especially fragile does not “count against” you in an injury lawsuit. The law says that a liable driver who hits you is responsible for all the harm they caused to you, even if you were someone in an especially fragile state. So, for example, if you suffered multiple fractures in a pedestrian accident, the fact that you had advanced osteoporosis would not reduce your recovery.
All of this matters a great deal if you have suffered a severe injury. Recovering from a severe injury may entail many things, possibly including emergency medical care, surgical procedures, and rehab. That, of course, does not include the pain and suffering and your loss of the ability to do the things you did before the accident, whether that is the loss of the ability to do your job or the loss of the ability to engage in activities you previously enjoyed.
That list is far from exhaustive. The totality of your loss in a serious injury accident is almost always complex and multifaceted. That is why selecting the right legal counsel is crucial. You need legal counsel that knows how to do a thorough investigation, collect the necessary evidence, and develop that evidence into a compelling case that will allow you to get a fair recovery for all the ways you have been hurt.
This often also necessitates taking on insurance companies. With Oregon’s modest minimum-coverage requirements and the extent of your losses in a serious crash, it may be necessary to pursue claims against the at-fault driver’s insurer as well as file a claim with your own auto insurer (under your uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage). Whatever your case requires, you can count on the knowledgeable Oregon auto accident lawyers at Kaplan Law LLC. We have an extensive history of taking on negligent drivers and auto insurance companies. The sooner you call, the sooner we can begin helping you. Call (503) 226-3844 today or contact us online to schedule your free consultation.
