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Hillsboro Head-on Crash Injures 3 Children & 2 Adults

Date: November 11, 2014

Location: West Baseline Street

Names: Daniel Estrella

Hillsboro Head-on Crash Injures 3 Children & 2 Adults

Tuesday evening a crash occurred at West Baseline near the intersection of Southeast 58^th Court when a 2005 Chevy Impala crossed the center lane and hit a Kia Sedona minivan head-on.

The Chevy driver, 24-year-old Daniel Estrella was critically injured and his three children, a 5-year-old, 7-year-old, and 2-year-old in the vehicle suffered non-life threatening injuries.

The Kia driver suffered non-life threatening injuries and were all taken to a local hospital.

We wish all the people involved in this crash a full and speedy recovery.

As Portland car accident attorneys, we know that filing an insurance claim can be extremely complicated and stressful. After a crash like this, any injured person can seek compensation through the at-fault driver’s insurance policy, or through their own uninsured motorist coverage.

Steps to Take for Filing an Insurance Claim after an Oregon Accident:

Get medical treatment. If you’ve been injured, waiting to seek medical treatment can greatly affect the value of your claim.
Right after the accident, write down any details you remember.
Contact your insurance company and get a copy of your insurance policy if you don’t have one. Talk to your adjuster about using your personal injury protection (PIP) coverage for medical treatment, lost wages, etc.
Determine the amount of property damage done.
Start keeping good records. Get the police report, copies of medical bills, pictures of your car before and after repairs, etc.
If you are considering hiring a lawyer, talk to the lawyer before you talk to the other driver’s insurance company.
If you know you are not going to hire an attorney, contact the insurance company for the other driver yourself. Be honest, but do not give a recorded statement and do not admit any liability.
Get all correspondence with both insurance companies in writing.
Do not sign anything until you are done treating and are medically stationary.
Check the statute of limitations on your claim. For most car accidents in Oregon, the time limit is two years, but this is not true for all cases. In some cases, you will only have 180 days – speaking to an attorney can clarify your time limits.
Discuss your case with a car accident attorney in Portland who offers free consultations to start understanding the laws that affect your case and your rights as an accident victim.

But before you speak to the insurance adjuster or an attorney, you can learn more about the Oregon insurance claim process in the very helpful book, 7 Common Mistakes That Can Wreck Your Oregon Accident Case.