Statute of limitations for car accidents in Oregon

Rule or statute summary

Run this scenario in DocketMath using the Statute Of Limitations calculator.

In Oregon, the statute of limitations for a car accident claim depends mainly on (1) the type of claim you plan to bring and (2) who the defendant is (an individual/private party vs. a public entity like a city, county, or state agency).

If you’re considering suing another driver (or a non-government defendant), a common starting point is Oregon’s general statute of limitations for “an action for … injury to the person.” In many car crash situations, that means a 2-year period.

If your focus is property damage, Oregon can provide different (often shorter) time limits, depending on how the claim is framed and what legal theory you use (for example, claims involving injury to property or related statutory categories).

If the defendant is a public entity, Oregon typically adds an important notice requirement before a lawsuit can proceed. This is not just administrative: missing the notice deadline can affect whether the claim is timely even if you otherwise think the lawsuit filing date is within the limitations period.

Practical “what to track” checklist

• Date of the crash (often the key reference point for limitations)
• Claim type you might file:

  • Personal injury / bodily injury (injury to the person)
  • Property damage (property-related claims may fall under a different statute)
  • Public entity / government defendant (may involve notice + suit timing)
• Whether required notice was given (especially if suing a public entity)
• Potential tolling or trigger issues (in limited situations, deadlines can be paused or restarted, but the details depend on the statute and facts)

Citations

Below are Oregon statutes that most often control timing in car accident-related lawsuits.

Use these sources to confirm the authoritative text before finalizing the calculation.

• Or. Rev. Stat. § 12.010

Capture the source for each input so another team member can verify the same result quickly.

1) Personal injury / “injury to the person”

Oregon generally provides a 2-year limitations period for actions involving injury to the person:

• ORS 12.110(1) — “an action for … injury to the person … shall be commenced within two years.”

2) Property damage (and property-related actions connected to personal injury)

Oregon also has specific statutes that can apply to certain property-focused claims connected to injury events. One commonly cited provision in accident contexts is:

• ORS 12.120 — establishes a one-year limitations period for certain actions involving injury to, or detention of, personal property (how it applies can depend on how the claim is pleaded and the specific property-interest being asserted).

3) Government defendants: notice and suit timing

When the defendant is a public body, Oregon’s timing is often shaped by a required pre-suit notice of claim and related rules for when an action can be commenced after notice.

• ORS 30.275 — requires filing a notice of claim against a public body within 180 days of the alleged loss.
• ORS 30.280 — provides the framework for when a lawsuit may be commenced in connection with the notice process.

Use the calculator

Use DocketMath’s statute-of-limitations calculator to estimate a likely “latest filing date” based on the Oregon statute category that best matches your case. (The calculator is an estimate tool—always confirm the relevant trigger and any special rules for your facts.)

Step 1: Choose the claim category (this changes the output)

In the calculator, select the Oregon category that matches what you plan to file:

• Personal injury (injury to the person) → uses ORS 12.110(1) (2 years)
• Property damage → uses the applicable Oregon property-damage limitations rule (often tied to the statute that covers injury to/detention of personal property, such as ORS 12.120 depending on how your claim is characterized)
• Public entity / government defendant → the calculator incorporates Oregon’s notice framework (e.g., ORS 30.275) and then applies associated lawsuit timing (e.g., ORS 30.280)

Step 2: Enter the correct “starting date”

Most Oregon limitations calculations start from the date of injury (commonly the accident date). Enter:

• **Accident date (YYYY-MM-DD)

If you believe the claim may use a different trigger (for example, a discovery-based trigger or another statutory timing event), you should verify whether the specific statute for that claim uses that trigger. The calculator is designed for common statutory triggers and may not account for unusual timing provisions.

Step 3: Review the output window

The calculator will generate:

• Recommended latest filing date (estimated)
• Days remaining / days elapsed (based on today’s date)

Because deadlines are strict, treat the “latest filing date” as a ceiling, not a safe target. If you’re close to the deadline, filing earlier is generally safer.

DocketMath link (primary CTA)

Go to the tool here: /tools/statute-of-limitations

Related reading

• Choosing the right statute of limitations tool for Vermont — How to choose the right calculator
• Statute of limitations in Singapore: how to estimate the deadline — Full how-to guide with jurisdiction-specific rules
• Choosing the right statute of limitations tool for Connecticut — How to choose the right calculator