The first step in bringing a car accident lawsuit or filing a claim for insurance compensation involves determining who is liable for the accident. Multiple parties can be liable or at fault for the car accident. Drivers have a duty to drive reasonably under the circumstances. When they breach that duty by driving while intoxicated or driving negligently, they are liable for the injuries that result.
Oregon follows a legal doctrine called modified comparative negligence. If you have been injured in a car accident, the amount of compensation you can obtain will be reduced by your percentage of fault in the accident. If your share of fault for the accident is higher than the other parties involved, you will not be able to obtain compensation.
The experienced car accident lawyers at DuBois Law Group, will conduct a thorough investigation into your car accident case and help you determine who is liable. In some cases, the negligent driver is liable, and his or her employer is also liable for negligent hiring practices. In other cases, two negligent drivers may have caused the car accident that resulted in your injuries. In that case, you would be able to bring a lawsuit against both at-fault drivers.