Police Misconduct Settlements in Oregon Average $676,000 Per Case Far Below National Levels
A recent study by law firm Bader Scott indicates that while New York topped the ranking, paying an average of $72,961,800 per police misconduct case, Oregon spent $ 676,000 per police misconduct case, according to a police funding database.
Oregon Settled Police Misconduct Cases For $676K On Average
A new study by injury lawyers Bader Scott ranks Oregon’s settlement for police misconduct cases the 31st highest nationwide, with an average settlement of $676,000 per case.
New York topped the ranking with the highest settlement amount in the country, while California had the most cases overall, with 30 settlements totaling $333,455,000 in payouts.
The law firm analyzed data from the National Police Funding Database to determine which states have paid the most in police misconduct settlements on a per-case basis. The source was last updated July 10, 2025, but the most recent settlement reflected was in 2022.
Oregon ranked 31st overall in the study, with five cases resulting in a total of $3,380,000 —an average settlement of $676,000 per case. This is 89% less than the national average of $5,930,098.
The firm believes that these significant payouts could have been spent on more training for officers to avoid these situations in the first place. The top ten states with the highest settlement amounts per misconduct case in the study were:
| Rank | State | Total Settlement Amount (All-Time) | Number of Misconduct Cases (All-Time) | Average Settlement Per Case |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $1,094,427,000 | 15 | $72,961,800 |
| 2 | Illinois | $345,730,000 | 17 | $20,337,059 |
| 3 | Pennsylvania | $59,192,000 | 4 | $14,798,000 |
| 4 | California | $333,455,000 | 30 | $11,115,167 |
| 5 | Wisconsin | $22,150,000 | 2 | $11,075,000 |
| 6 | Michigan | $19,435,000 | 3 | $6,478,333 |
| 7 | Kentucky | $12,050,000 | 2 | $6,025,000 |
| 8 | Louisiana | $17,835,000 | 3 | $5,945,000 |
| 9 | Arizona | $29,600,000 | 5 | $5,920,000 |
| 10 | Massachusetts | $39,299,997 | 7 | $5,614,285 |
| 31 | Oregon | $3,380,000 | 5 | $676,000 |
Seth Bader, spokesperson at Bader Scott, observed that police misconduct is a nationwide problem and isn’t limited to one specific area of the country. States with higher settlement amounts could be responding to public pressure for accountability, and states could have unique circumstances with specific high-profile cases that significantly raise their averages.