Being involved in an Oregon automobile accident large or small, automatically becomes a legal matter and it is advisable to consult with an Oregon personal injury attorney immediately. The personal injury attorneys at Shlesinger & deVilleneuve can provide knowledgeable and experienced counsel and assistance so that you comply with any and all DMV reporting requirements. There are many ins and outs that you need to be aware of concerning reporting the details of the accident to the authorities and here are a few.
Failure to Report the Accident may be in violation of Oregon law. It is against the law for you to pay for the damages the other party incurred in lieu of the other party reporting the accident to the Oregon Department of Motor Vehicles. If the total damages are in excess of $1500, you must be aware of your legal obligations. If you are involved in a automobile accident where the damages are over $1500, or if a vehicle had to be towed, or if injuries were sustained by parties to the accident, you are required to fill out Form 735-32 and file it with DMV within 72 hours. Even if you are the only one involved in the accident you still must file. Failure to do so may result in your driver’s license being suspended.
Why an Attorney Can Help
Even minor accidents can cause a serious upheaval in your life. Your vehicle may be damaged to the point in leaving you without transportation, or you may have a minor injury that keeps you out of work for a week or two. Sometimes injuries don’t become apparent for a few days until after the date of the accident. As always, it is critically important to have an attorney who can advise you of your legal rights and one who is experienced with filling out and filing of the forms to help you with this. There are intricacies in the law and in instances where the other party was uninsured, there are special circumstances that apply. For example, insurance companies and agents are responsible to report any uninsured driver, accident or not, to the DMV. If you tell your insurance company that the other driver was uninsured, the insurance company has the responsibility to report the driver. The penalty for uninsured motor vehicle operators starts with a one year driver’s license suspension.
Other benefits of using an attorney to process your DMV reporting requirements is that in so doing you may uncover negligence on the part of the other party and you may be able to pursue a personal injury lawsuit. Call the personal injury attorneys at Shlesinger & deVilleneuve today.
