In Portland, homelessness is part of the street-level reality visible at intersections, bus stops, and along high-speed corridors where pedestrians already face uneven risk. For people living outside, a crash can feel like hitting a wall with no backup plan, no insurance, no clear way forward. But the legal reality is different. A person’s housing status doesn’t shrink their rights. When someone is hit, responsibility still applies, and the right to pursue compensation doesn’t disappear because of where that person sleeps. Treating these cases as less serious or less deserving misses what the law actually requires....
