Oregon flips the usual fee question. When a denial is overturned, the insurer pays an assessed fee on top of your benefits, so your award is not cut to pay the attorney.
Timing is tight on both sides. The insurer has 60 days after your employer knows of the claim to accept or deny it. Once a denial is mailed, you have 60 days to request a hearing or up to 180 days if you show good cause.
Oregon weekly checks now and after January 2027
Today the check is two-thirds of your wages. From July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027, the weekly maximum is $1,943.41 for injuries since July 1, 2023.
A new formula starts January 1, 2027 under Senate Bill 1519. It pays 75% of wages up to 75% of the state average weekly wage and 65% of wages above that line.
The first 3 calendar days are unpaid unless you are off 14 days in a row or admitted to a hospital within 14 days. For a ballpark number, open our pay calculator.
| Weekly check | two-thirds (66 2/3%) of your wages |
|---|---|
| Weekly cap paid July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027, injuries since July 1, 2023 | $1,943.41 |
| Waiting period | first 3 calendar days unpaid unless you are off 14 days in a row or admitted to a hospital within 14 days |
Oregon notice and hearing deadlines
- Tell your employer: the law says immediately and no later than 90 days after the accident.
- Your employer sends Form 801 to its insurer: within five days of your report.
- Insurer accepts or denies: within 60 days after your employer knows of the claim.
- Request a hearing on a denial: within 60 days of the mailing or up to 180 days with good cause.
- Challenge a Notice of Closure, the letter that closes your claim: within 60 days of its mailing date.
Free help and the hearing process in Oregon
A hearing request goes to the Workers' Compensation Board. Separately, the Ombuds Office for Oregon Workers is a free state advocate you can call at 800-927-1271. The Workers' Compensation Division posts the rules and forms.
If the letter you got is hard to follow, our letter explainer can break it down. Our page on a denied claim covers what a denial usually means.
What an Oregon workers comp lawyer is paid
Two rules cover most cases. After a denial is overturned, the insurer pays an assessed fee. That fee does not come out of your benefits, which matters most when the insurer denied the whole claim. On a settlement, the fee is 25% of the first $50,000 and 10% of the rest.
People also ask
The insurer has not answered in two months. Is that normal?
Oregon gives the insurer 60 days after your employer knows of the claim to accept or deny it. Past that point, ask an attorney or the Ombuds Office what to do next.
Will the 2027 formula raise my check?
It depends on your wage. From January 1, 2027, wages up to 75% of the state average weekly wage are paid at 75% and the part above that is paid at 65%.
Who can I call for free help in Oregon?
The Ombuds Office for Oregon Workers is a free state advocate for injured workers, at 800-927-1271. The Workers' Compensation Division can be reached at 800-452-0288.