U.S. 26 Accidents in Washington County

Washington County, which has the second-highest population in Oregon, logs the second-most number of crashes annually. Despite the county being the home of several population centers, one of the most dangerous highways in all of Oregon lies in a very sparsely populated area. This reminds us that an injury accident can befall you in a densely populated area or a rural location. Each type of accident (city vs. rural) carries unique characteristics, but both require the assistance of a skilled Oregon motor vehicle accident lawyer to hold accountable the people (or entities) who caused the collision.

In 2023, the website Stacker tabulated Oregon’s crash data and ranked the state’s deadliest roadsr. Sunset Highway (U.S. 26) ranked 14th. One of the most treacherous parts of U.S. 26 in Washington County is the interchange where it meets Highway 6 (OR 6). OR 6 was so problematic that the State Legislature passed a law commanding ODOT to conduct a safety review. The interchange of those two roads is the home to many serious collisions each year.

ODOT has taken action in this area before, installing rumble strips on OR 6 near U.S. 26 in 2013. Nevertheless, dangers remain. OR 6 is a highway without a parallel route and is a key connector between Portland and communities like Tillamook along the central Oregon coast. That geographical reality and a steady increase of tourists and freight vehicles using the road make traffic volume a factor, even in rural areas like the interchange with U.S. 26.

Pursuing Justice in a Washington County Crash Case

If you have been injured in a collision with a tourist or a commercial vehicle at this intersection, there are a host of things that go into getting justice and holding the right people and entities accountable. A truck accident scenario may mean holding the trucker and the trucking company responsible. To do so, you will need to seek out and secure an array of information, including the trucker’s log books, the truck’s “black box” data recorder, the trucker’s driving history, and more.

This data may help you focus on potential bases for success, one of which may be distracted driving. Distracted driving is a dangerous behavior that both commercial drivers and tourists may engage in -- for different reasons. The life of a trucker is often filled with hours of monotony and boredom behind the wheel. Some commercial drivers unsafely choose to alleviate that monotony and boredom by using their cell phones or other smart devices while driving.

The problem with tourists is similar yet different. Today, many tourists enjoy documenting the sights, sounds, and scenery of their road trips by recording videos they share on social media. When they are recording, typing, and sharing from a passenger’s seat, there is no problem. When they engage in this conduct while driving, they potentially place themselves and everyone on the road in great danger.

A case that involves one or more distracted drivers may implicate behavior that goes beyond negligence and enters the realm of recklessness. A knowledgeable Oregon accident attorney can help you determine whether a distracted driver operated their vehicle negligently or recklessly and what this means for any insurance claims or civil lawsuits you might need to pursue.

The area’s popularity with tourists presents another potential challenge, which arises if you arethe tourist injured in a Washinton County crash. If you live outside Oregon, the legal rules regarding jurisdiction and venue may dictate that you have to pursue the negligent people/entities in the courts of this state, regardless of how far away your home is.

That can be incredibly complicated. Even if you have an attorney back home, they cannot help you unless they are licensed to appear before Oregon courts or obtain special permission to do so. Trying to litigate an injury lawsuit on your own is extraordinarily difficult enough (and almost always highly unwise.) It becomes exponentially morecomplicatedif hundreds or thousands of miles separate you and your case.

Whether you live in Washington County or across the country, your Washington County accident case deserves a legal advocate who is deeply knowledgeable in Oregon injury law, highly experienced in litigating these matters and dealing with insurance companies, and personally familiar with interacting with the courts in Washington County. For that kind of effective representation, call upon the Oregon motor vehicle accident attorneys at Kaplan Law LLC. Our team specializes in helping people who have been seriously hurt and routinely handles cases in the Washington County Circuit Court (as well as the other courts in the area.) If you have questions, call us at (503) 226-3844 or contact us online today.