Salem Car Accident Attorneys

Salem Car Accident Questions

Who do I call after a crash in Salem or Marion County?

If anyone is hurt, dial 911. Oregon law requires drivers to notify police right away when a crash causes injury or death, and in certain crashes with more than $2,500 in damage (ORS 811.745, ORS 811.748). For a crash that is not an emergency, Oregon DMV says to use a non-emergency police phone number. The Marion County Sheriff's Office lists (503) 588-5032 for non-emergency dispatch and says its deputies are available 24 hours a day. Marion County's website lists the Salem Police Department at 503-588-6123. Oregon State Police lists 800-442-0776 for non-emergency help in Marion and Polk counties, or *677 from a mobile phone. Once you are safe and have seen a doctor, call or text our Salem legal team at (855) 772-6969.

How do I get the report an officer wrote at my Salem crash?

Go to the agency that wrote it. For a deputy's report, the Marion County Sheriff's Office Records Unit answers questions at (503) 588-5071 on weekdays from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. It has a report request form and charges a fee. It also says a report tied to criminal charges is not released until the case is closed. For a Salem police officer's report, ask Salem Police. Marion County's website lists the department at 503-588-6123. For a state trooper's report, Oregon State Police directs crash report requests to Oregon DMV at 503-945-5000. Hire us, and making those requests is our work, not yours.

Where in Salem can I turn in my Oregon DMV crash report?

Oregon DMV says the most secure and quickest way to file is online, through DMV2U. A paper form is the other route, and a DMV office will accept it. DMV has two in Salem: North Salem at 955 Lancaster Dr NE and South Salem at 4825 Commercial St SE, Suite 120. The report is due within 72 hours if anyone was injured or killed, if damage to your vehicle is over $2,500, or if damage to other property is over $2,500. It is also due if any vehicle has more than $2,500 in damage and any vehicle is towed from the scene (ORS 811.725). DMV says you still need to file even if law enforcement files a report. Keep a copy, because DMV says it cannot give you one later. If you cannot tell whether your crash meets one of those tests, we can look at it with you.

How many Salem crashes happen at intersections, on wet roads or after dark?

State numbers for 2024 answer that. The Oregon Department of Transportation counted 2,585 crashes inside Salem. A little more than half, 1,339, were at intersections. Counted another way, 727 were on a wet road and 793 happened in the dark. Each of those is more than one in four. All told, 2,217 people were injured. Whatever the hour or the weather, if someone else's careless driving hurt you, call or text (855) 772-6969. A consultation costs you nothing.

I missed work after my Salem crash. Does my own insurance cover lost wages?

It may, through your own auto policy. Oregon auto policies include personal injury protection, called PIP, which pays without waiting to decide who was at fault. If your disability lasts at least 14 days, PIP pays 70 percent of lost income, up to $3,000 per month, for up to 52 weeks (ORS 742.524). Those are the minimums, and your policy may offer more. PIP is only the first layer. A driver who causes a crash can be held responsible for the harm, and that driver's liability insurance pays, up to the policy limits. Our Salem legal team opens the wage claim with you and pursues the rest from the other driver's insurer.