By your side after a life-changing collision
Getting hit by a car while walking can change everything in a moment. Our Eugene pedestrian accident lawyers help injured walkers hold negligent drivers accountable, recover their medical costs and lost income, and rebuild their lives. We handle the insurance companies and the paperwork so you can focus on healing.
If you were struck by a vehicle anywhere in Eugene or Lane County, we offer a free, confidential consultation and we do not charge a fee unless we win.
You did nothing wrong by walking. Now the pressure is coming from every direction: medical bills, missed work, and an insurance adjuster who wants a quick statement. Let us carry that weight.
Call (541) 329-7455 now for a free case review with a Eugene pedestrian accident lawyer.
Table of contents
- Do You Need a Eugene Pedestrian Accident Lawyer?
- What Should You Do After a Pedestrian Accident in Eugene?
- Who Pays Your Medical Bills After You Are Hit While Walking?
- How Long Do You Have to File a Pedestrian Accident Claim in Oregon?
- What If the Driver Says the Accident Was Partly Your Fault?
- What Is a Eugene Pedestrian Accident Claim Worth?
- What If the Driver Had No Insurance or Left the Scene?
- How Our Eugene Pedestrian Accident Lawyers Build Your Case
- What Injuries Do Eugene Pedestrian Accidents Cause?
- Why Injured Pedestrians in Eugene Trust Pacific Cascade Legal
- Ask Pacific Cascade Legal
- Frequently Asked Questions
Do You Need a Eugene Pedestrian Accident Lawyer?
You need a lawyer any time a pedestrian crash leaves you with serious injuries, mounting bills, or a driver's insurer questioning what happened. Pedestrian cases move fast, and the insurance company starts building its defense the day of the crash.
Walkers have almost no protection in a collision, so injuries tend to be severe: broken bones, head trauma, spinal damage, and internal injuries. These cases are worth more and are fought harder by insurers. Many victims are taken to PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center at RiverBend while an adjuster is already gathering evidence.
Our team levels that playing field. We investigate the crash, deal with the insurer, and protect your claim from the tactics used to reduce or deny it.
What Should You Do After a Pedestrian Accident in Eugene?
Get medical care first, then protect the evidence. Your health comes before anything else, and a prompt medical record also ties your injuries directly to the crash, which matters for your claim.
If you are able, or a friend can help, take these steps:
- Call 911 and make sure a police report is filed.
- Photograph the scene, the vehicle, the crosswalk, and your injuries.
- Get the driver's name, insurance, and license plate.
- Collect names and numbers of any witnesses.
- Do not give a recorded statement to the driver's insurer before you talk to a lawyer.
Evidence disappears quickly. Skid marks fade, vehicles get repaired, and traffic camera footage is often erased within days. The sooner we start, the more we can preserve.
Talk to us before you talk to the insurance company. Call (541) 329-7455 for a free consultation.
Who Pays Your Medical Bills After You Are Hit While Walking?
Your medical bills are usually paid first through Personal Injury Protection, or PIP, which is no-fault coverage that pays no matter who caused the crash. Here is the part many walkers do not know: if you do not own a car, the PIP coverage on the vehicle that hit you generally pays your early medical bills. An experienced Eugene personal injury lawyer can review the available insurance coverage and help you pursue the compensation you are entitled to. This comes from Oregon insurance law under ORS 742.520.
PIP is only the starting point. Once your damages pass what PIP covers, we pursue the at-fault driver's liability insurance for the full value of your injuries. That second claim, against the driver who hit you, is often where the real recovery is in a personal injury claim after an accident.
The table below shows the minimum PIP benefits Oregon drivers must carry. Confirm your exact limits before relying on them.
| PIP benefit | Oregon minimum coverage |
| Medical expenses | Up to $15,000 per person (within 2 years of the crash) |
| Lost wages | 70% of lost income, up to $3,000 per month, up to 52 weeks |
| Essential services | Up to $30 per day, up to 52 weeks |
| Funeral expenses | Up to $5,000 |
How Long Do You Have to File a Pedestrian Accident Claim in Oregon?
In most cases you have two years from the date of the crash to file a pedestrian injury lawsuit in Oregon. This deadline is called the statute of limitations, and it comes from ORS 12.110. Miss it, and you usually lose the right to recover anything.
Some situations change the clock. If the injured person is a child, the deadline can be extended. If a public agency is involved, such as a city vehicle or a dangerous road, a much shorter notice deadline may apply. Because these rules are strict, talk to a lawyer early.
Two years feels like a long time, but building a strong case takes months. Waiting only helps the insurance company.
What If the Driver Says the Accident Was Partly Your Fault?
You can still recover money in Oregon even if you were partly at fault, as long as you were not more than 50% responsible. Oregon uses a rule called modified comparative negligence under ORS 31.600. Your compensation is simply reduced by your share of fault.
Insurers know this rule and use it. They may claim you were jaywalking or looking at your phone to push your fault above 50% and pay nothing. Oregon law is often on your side: drivers must stop and stay stopped for pedestrians in a crosswalk under ORS 811.028.
We push back on unfair blame with hard evidence: witness accounts, camera footage, and crash reconstruction. Do not accept the insurer's version of who was at fault.
What Is a Eugene Pedestrian Accident Claim Worth?
Every case is different, but a pedestrian claim can include far more than your hospital bill. You can recover economic losses, like medical care, future treatment, and lost wages, plus non-economic losses, like pain, physical limitation, and the impact on your daily life.
Oregon does not cap non-economic damages in most personal injury cases, so serious, life-altering injuries can support a substantial recovery. The value depends on the severity of your injuries, your long-term prognosis, and how the crash changed your ability to work and live. Understanding the damages to seek after an accident can help you evaluate the full value of your claim.
We calculate the full cost of your injury, including care you will still need years from now, so you are not left short.
What If the Driver Had No Insurance or Left the Scene?
You may still have a path to compensation through your own Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist coverage, known as UM and UIM. This coverage applies when the at-fault driver has no insurance, too little insurance, or flees the scene in a hit-and-run.
If you own a vehicle, your own auto policy may cover you as an injured pedestrian. If you live with a family member who has coverage, their policy may apply too. These claims are technical, and your own insurer does not always volunteer the benefit.
We track down every available source of coverage, because a driver's lack of insurance should not become your financial ruin.
How Our Eugene Pedestrian Accident Lawyers Build Your Case
We build your case by moving fast on evidence and slow on nothing. From the first meeting, our team works to preserve proof, document your injuries, and calculate your full losses while you focus on recovery.
Our process includes obtaining the police and 911 records, securing traffic and business camera footage before it is erased, interviewing witnesses, and when needed, hiring crash reconstruction and medical experts. We also coordinate with your providers, including PeaceHealth clinics across Lane County, so your treatment is fully documented.
Because this is our focus, we know how Lane County juries and the Lane County Circuit Court handle these cases, and we prepare every claim as if it could go to trial.
What Injuries Do Eugene Pedestrian Accidents Cause?
Pedestrian crashes tend to cause severe, lasting injuries because a walker has nothing to absorb the impact of a vehicle. The type and severity of your injury drives the value of your claim, which is why we document it fully from day one.
Common pedestrian injuries include traumatic brain injury (TBI), which is damage to the brain from a blow to the head, along with spinal cord damage, broken bones, internal bleeding, and serious road rash. Many of these injuries require surgery, months of rehabilitation, and sometimes lifelong care. Victims suffering a TBI may benefit from working with Eugene brain injury lawyers who understand the long-term medical and financial consequences of these cases.
These injuries also create losses that are easy to overlook: future medical costs, reduced earning power, and the daily limits an injury places on your life. Insurers often ignore these long-term costs when they make an early offer.
We work with your doctors and, when needed, medical experts to show the full picture of your injury, both today and years down the road. That is how we make sure a settlement covers what you will actually need, not just the bills already in hand.
Why Injured Pedestrians in Eugene Trust Pacific Cascade Legal
Injured walkers trust us because we combine serious legal skill with real care for the people behind the case. Pacific Cascade Legal has earned more than 340 Google reviews, and our attorneys bring years of Oregon injury experience to every pedestrian accident claim.
We are straightforward, level-headed advocates. We tell you honestly what your case is worth, we handle the insurers so they stop calling you, and we work on a contingency fee, which means you pay nothing unless we recover money for you.
Through our client match process, we pair you with the right attorney, and through our aftercare approach, we stay available long after your case closes. Your first consultation is always free and confidential, from our Eugene office at 132 East Broadway, Suite 600.
Get answers today. Call (541) 329-7455 or request your free consultation online.
Ask Pacific Cascade Legal
These are questions injured pedestrians in Eugene ask us before they hire a lawyer.
Q: How much does it cost to hire a pedestrian accident lawyer in Eugene? A: Nothing upfront. We work on a contingency fee, which means our fee comes out of the money we recover for you. If we do not win your case, you owe us no attorney fee. Your first consultation is always free and confidential.
Q: Should I take the insurance company's first settlement offer? A: Almost never without legal advice. First offers are usually far below the true value of a serious pedestrian injury, and once you accept, you cannot reopen the claim. Let us review any offer before you sign so you do not leave money on the table.
Q: The driver was cited by police. Does that mean my case is easy? A: A citation helps, but it does not guarantee payment. The driver's insurer can still dispute your injuries, your fault, or the amount you are owed. A police citation is strong evidence, and we use it, but the insurer will still fight the value of your claim.
Q: How long will my pedestrian accident case take? A: It depends on your injuries and whether the insurer negotiates fairly. Many cases settle within several months to a year, while cases with severe injuries or a trial take longer. We do not rush you into a low settlement before you know the full extent of your injuries.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have a case if I was hit outside of a crosswalk?
Possibly, yes. Being outside a crosswalk does not automatically make the crash your fault. Drivers still have a duty to watch for people and avoid hitting them. Your compensation may be reduced by your share of fault, but you can still recover if you were not more than half responsible.
What if I feel fine after the accident but hurt later?
See a doctor right away even if you feel okay. Adrenaline hides pain, and serious injuries like concussions and internal bleeding can appear hours or days later. A prompt medical record protects both your health and your claim by linking your injuries to the crash.
Can I afford a lawyer if I am already facing medical bills?
Yes. We take pedestrian cases on a contingency fee, so there is no upfront cost and no hourly bill. We advance the costs of investigating your case, and our fee only comes from a recovery. That lets injured walkers get top representation without adding to their bills.
How do I start my case with your Eugene team?
Call (541) 329-7455 or complete our online form for a free, confidential consultation. We will review what happened, explain your options, and match you with the attorney best suited to your case. There is no pressure and no cost to talk.
You focus on healing. We will handle the fight. Call (541) 329-7455 for a free consultation with a Eugene pedestrian accident lawyer.