Statute of Limitations
Oregon: 2 years for personal injury, 6 years for property damage (ORS §§ 12.110, 12.080(3)). Discovery rule applies. Oregon's longer property damage SOL provides additional filing time for wildfire property claims.
2–6 years depending on claim type
Where to File in Oregon
PacifiCorp wildfire litigation is concentrated in Lane, Jackson, and Marion County Circuit Courts and the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon (Portland and Eugene). A September 2024 jury in Lane County awarded plaintiffs over $100 million after finding PacifiCorp negligent for failing to shut off power during the September 2020 Archie Creek and other fires. Oregon does not cap compensatory damages in negligence cases. The state follows a modified comparative fault system (ORS § 31.600) where recovery is reduced by the plaintiff's fault percentage. Oregon courts have rejected utility arguments that extreme wind events constitute unforeseeable 'acts of God' when utilities failed to implement available safety protocols.
Exposure in Oregon
Source: Oregon Department of Forestry
Source: Oregon Office of Emergency Management
Source: Lane County Circuit Court records