Oregon Revised Statutes

Or. Rev. Stat. § 742.544 (2026)

Reimbursement for benefits paid

✓ current as of May 2026
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      742.544 Reimbursement for benefits paid. (1)(a) As used in this subsection, “total amount of the recovery” means the amount that a person injured in a motor vehicle accident recovers from:

      (A) Underinsured motorist benefits described in ORS 742.502 (2);

      (B) Liability insurance coverage the injured person receives from other parties involved in the motor vehicle accident;

      (C) Personal injury protection benefits or health insurance benefits; and

      (D) Any other payment by or on behalf of the party that caused the motor vehicle accident.

      (b) An insurer may not receive a reimbursement or subrogation for personal injury protection benefits or health benefits the insurer provided to a person injured in a motor vehicle accident from any recovery the injured person obtains in an action for damages except to the extent that:

      (A) The injured person first receives full compensation for the injured person’s injuries; and

      (B) The reimbursement or subrogation is paid only from the total amount of the recovery in excess of the amount that fully compensates for the injured person’s injuries.

      (2) For purposes of this section, the following rebuttable presumptions apply:

      (a) The amount of any judgment that an injured person obtains is the amount necessary to fully compensate for the injured person’s injuries.

      (b) An injured person has received full compensation for the injured person’s injuries if the amount of the recovery is less than the coverage available to the injured person from the sum of benefits paid under another person’s motor vehicle liability policy, under an underinsured motorist policy described in ORS 742.502 (2), as personal injury protection payments and from any other source of payment from or on behalf of the party whose fault caused the injuries.

      (c) An injured person has not received full compensation for the injured person’s injuries if the injured person recovers an amount that is equal to the coverage available to the injured person from the sum of benefits paid under another person’s motor vehicle liability policy, under an underinsured motorist policy described in ORS 742.502 (2), as personal injury protection payments and from any other source of payment from or on behalf of the party whose fault caused the injuries.

      (3) An insurer may not deny or refuse to provide benefits that are otherwise available to an injured person because of the potential the injured person has to make a claim or bring an action against another person or enter into a settlement with another person.

      (4) A person with whom an injured person enters into a settlement or from whom the injured person obtains a judgment in connection with a claim or action may not name an insurer that seeks a reimbursement or subrogation under ORS 742.536 or 742.538 as a payee on a check, draft or other form of payment in satisfaction of the claim or judgment.

      (5) An insurer may not delay, withhold or reduce benefits to an injured person because of an act or omission for which a third party is or may be liable or as a means of enforcing or attempting to enforce a claim for reimbursement or subrogation.

      (6) An insurer that receives a reimbursement for benefits the insurer provided to an injured person shall apply the amount of the reimbursement as a credit against any lifetime maximum benefit set forth for the injured person in the policy, benefit plan or contract under which the insurer paid the benefits.

      (7) A provision in a policy, benefit plan or contract that permits reimbursement or subrogation other than as provided in this section is void and unenforceable.

      (8) This section does not:

      (a) Prohibit insurers from coordinating benefits;

      (b) Limit an insurer’s right to seek reimbursement or subrogation to recover, without reduction, amounts the insurer paid for property damage;

      (c) Limit an insurer that provided coverage against underinsured motorists from pursuing a claim against a party at fault; or

      (d) Require a person to repay more than the amount of personal injury protection benefits that the person actually received. [1993 c.709 §9; 2015 c.5 §5; 2019 c.460 §4]

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 13 cases, 1996–2013 · leading case: Farmers Ins. v. Conner, 182 P.3d 878 (Or. Ct. App. 2008).
Farmers Ins. v. Conner, 182 P.3d 878 (Or. Ct. App. 2008). · cites it 33× “We explained that the parties and the trial court had operated under the belief that ORS 742.544 provided a substantive entitlement to an insurer for the reimbursement of PIP benefits — a proposition that we rejected in Gaucin v.”
Gaucin v. Farmers Ins., 146 P.3d 370 (Or. Ct. App. 2006). · cites it 33× “The trial court ruled that defendant was entitled to reimbursement by virtue of ORS 742.544. 1 Plaintiff argues that ORS 742.”
North Pac. Ins. v. Hamilton, 957 P.2d 165 (Or. Ct. App. 1998). · cites it 59× “They also argued that "[t]o the extent that the policy * * * provides for reimbursement of PIP payments, that provision is unenforceable as contrary to the provisions of ORS 742.544." ORS 742.544 provides that PIP providers can be reimbursed for money that they have paid in PIP…”
State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins. v. Hale, 168 P.3d 285 (Or. Ct. App. 2007). · cites it 11× “544, it is useful to note certain legal developments that led to its drafting.”
Providence Health Plan v. Winchester, 288 P.3d 13 (Or. Ct. App. 2012). · cites it 6× “534 provides: “(1) Except as provided in ORS 742.544, every authorized motor vehicle liability insurer whose insured is or would be held legally liable for damages for injuries sustained in a motor vehicle accident by a person for whom personal injury protection benefits have…”
Farmers Ins. Co. of Oregon v. Conner, 174 P.3d 1058 (Or. Ct. App. 2007). · cites it 39× “Farmers argued that it was entitled to reimbursement pursuant to ORS 742.544, which provides: “(1) A provider of personal injury protection benefits shall be reimbursed for personal injury protection payments made on behalf of any person only to the extent that the total amount…”
Mid-Century Ins.. v. Turner, 182 P.3d 855 (Or. Ct. App. 2008). “534 — which is often referred to as the “direct reimbursement” or “interinsurer reimbursement” statute— provided: “(1) Except as provided in ORS 742.544, every authorized motor vehicle liability insurer whose insured is or would be held legally liable for damages for injuries…”
Bell v. Morales, 142 P.3d 76 (Or. Ct. App. 2006). · cites it 2× “2 Furthermore, a PIP insurer may be reimbursed for PIP benefits by an injured person “only to the extent that the total amount of [PIP] benefits paid exceeds the economic damages * * * suffered by that person,” ORS 742.544(1), and “[n]othing in this section requires a person to…”
Providence Health Plan v. Charriere, 666 F. Supp. 2d 1169 (D. Or. 2009). “It provides: (1) Except as provided in ORS 742.544 [addressing reimbursement to a provider of personal injury protection benefits and not at issue here], every authorized motor vehicle liability insurer whose insured is or would be held legally liable for damages for injuries…”
Wynia v. Fick, 986 P.2d 625 (Or. Ct. App. 1999). “534 provides: “(1) Except as provided in ORS 742.544, every authorized motor vehicle liability insurer whose insured is or would be held legally liable for damages for injuries sustained in a motor vehicle accident by a person for whom personal injury protection benefits have…”
Horlacher v. Mid-Century Ins., 923 P.2d 1317 (Or. Ct. App. 1996). · cites it 20× “Plaintiff argued that ORS 742.544 applied and prevented defendant from offsetting PIP payments made to her after the effective date of the statute.”
Hughes v. City of Portland, 296 P.3d 642 (Or. Ct. App. 2013). “Subsection (1) of that statute provides, in part: “Except as provided in ORS 742.544, every authorized motor vehicle liability insurer whose insured is or would be held legally liable for damages for injuries sustained in a motor vehicle accident by a person for whom personal…”
— Or. Rev. Stat. § 742.544(1) — 6 cases
Gaucin v. Farmers Ins., 146 P.3d 370 (Or. Ct. App. 2006). “The trial court ruled that defendant was entitled to reimbursement by virtue of ORS 742.544. 1 Plaintiff argues that ORS 742.”
Farmers Ins. v. Conner, 182 P.3d 878 (Or. Ct. App. 2008). “We explained that the parties and the trial court had operated under the belief that ORS 742.544 provided a substantive entitlement to an insurer for the reimbursement of PIP benefits — a proposition that we rejected in Gaucin v.”
North Pac. Ins. v. Hamilton, 957 P.2d 165 (Or. Ct. App. 1998). “They also argued that "[t]o the extent that the policy * * * provides for reimbursement of PIP payments, that provision is unenforceable as contrary to the provisions of ORS 742.544." ORS 742.544 provides that PIP providers can be reimbursed for money that they have paid in PIP…”
State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins. v. Hale, 168 P.3d 285 (Or. Ct. App. 2007). “544, it is useful to note certain legal developments that led to its drafting.”
Bell v. Morales, 142 P.3d 76 (Or. Ct. App. 2006). “2 Furthermore, a PIP insurer may be reimbursed for PIP benefits by an injured person “only to the extent that the total amount of [PIP] benefits paid exceeds the economic damages * * * suffered by that person,” ORS 742.544(1), and “[n]othing in this section requires a person to…”
— Or. Rev. Stat. § 742.544(1)(a) — 1 case
North Pac. Ins. v. Hamilton, 957 P.2d 165 (Or. Ct. App. 1998). “They also argued that "[t]o the extent that the policy * * * provides for reimbursement of PIP payments, that provision is unenforceable as contrary to the provisions of ORS 742.544." ORS 742.544 provides that PIP providers can be reimbursed for money that they have paid in PIP…”
— Or. Rev. Stat. § 742.544(2) — 2 cases
Gaucin v. Farmers Ins., 146 P.3d 370 (Or. Ct. App. 2006). “The trial court ruled that defendant was entitled to reimbursement by virtue of ORS 742.544. 1 Plaintiff argues that ORS 742.”
Bell v. Morales, 142 P.3d 76 (Or. Ct. App. 2006). “2 Furthermore, a PIP insurer may be reimbursed for PIP benefits by an injured person “only to the extent that the total amount of [PIP] benefits paid exceeds the economic damages * * * suffered by that person,” ORS 742.544(1), and “[n]othing in this section requires a person to…”
— Or. Rev. Stat. § 742.544(b) — 1 case
North Pac. Ins. v. Hamilton, 957 P.2d 165 (Or. Ct. App. 1998). “They also argued that "[t]o the extent that the policy * * * provides for reimbursement of PIP payments, that provision is unenforceable as contrary to the provisions of ORS 742.544." ORS 742.544 provides that PIP providers can be reimbursed for money that they have paid in PIP…”
— Or. Rev. Stat. § 742.544(l)(a) — 1 case
North Pac. Ins. v. Hamilton, 957 P.2d 165 (Or. Ct. App. 1998). “They also argued that "[t]o the extent that the policy * * * provides for reimbursement of PIP payments, that provision is unenforceable as contrary to the provisions of ORS 742.544." ORS 742.544 provides that PIP providers can be reimbursed for money that they have paid in PIP…”
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