07/29/2026
$25,000.
That's the least an Oregon driver has to carry to cover your injuries — and it's the same $25,000 the legislature wrote into the statute way back in 1983. (ORS 806.070)
Here's what four decades did to that number:
📉 $25,000 in 1983 dollars is worth about $83,800 today. 🏥 Measured against medical costs, today's $25,000 covers roughly 17% of the care it once did. 🚑 One ER visit, one surgery, one ambulance ride — and it could be gone.
And the Insurance Research Council found that in 2023, 1 in 3 U.S. drivers was uninsured or underinsured.
Here's the part most people miss: liability coverage protects other people. UM/UIM coverage protects YOU AND YOUR FAMILY. In Oregon it automatically matches your liability limits — unless someone talked you into signing for less.
Pull out your declarations page tonight. Find the line that says "Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist." If it says 25/50, call your agent tomorrow. Going to 100/300 usually costs only a few dollars a month. It is the cheapest coverage on the policy and the only one that pays YOU.
Questions about a crash with an underinsured driver? Call us or go to RoyDwyer.com — free consultation, and no fee unless we win.
