Oklahoma City Car Accident Lawyer

Oklahoma City Car Accident Attorney

Car accidents can happen without warning for a number of reasons, and it’s natural for the victim of any vehicle accident to have lots of pressing legal questions in this challenging situation. If you recently had a car crash in the Oklahoma City area due to the actions of another party, it is vital to understand your options for recourse and what you can expect in terms of recovery. The driver who caused your accident is liable for your damages, but the actual legal process of proving fault and securing the compensation you legally deserve can be more difficult than you might initially expect.

Helping Oklahoma City, OK, Clients Recover From Car Accidents

222 Injury Lawyers is an experienced team of attorneys ready to provide compassionate and comprehensive legal assistance in your recovery efforts following a car crash in the Oklahoma City area. We have a strong professional record of successful cases behind us because we are committed to client-focused and responsive legal counsel. As your case progresses, we can provide you with updates and answer any questions you have about the insurance claim process or the civil filing process.

We aim to help you recover as fully as possible and as quickly as possible, and we are equipped and prepared to address any unexpected complications that might arise during these proceedings. We can immediately get to work helping you secure whatever evidence you may need to prove fault for your accident, and we will carefully listen to your story to ensure the compensation you ultimately secure will appropriately reflect your experience.

Why You Should Hire an Oklahoma City Car Accident Attorney

There is no law that requires a car crash victim to hire legal representation after their accident; you can try to manage recovery on your own. Unfortunately, many people mistakenly believe that an attorney would cost more than they could potentially recover in compensation, and this deters many accident victims from seeking the legal representation they need when they need it most.

The reality of this situation is that legal counsel is more accessible than you might expect when you choose 222 Injury Lawyers to represent you. Our firm operates on a contingency fee basis, so there is no financial risk to you when you are already experiencing the expensive aftermath of an accident someone else caused. Instead of attempting to handle your medical issues and your legal affairs all at once after an accident, you can have your legal counsel manage your case proceedings while you focus on recovery with peace of mind. You will not only be more likely to succeed with a car insurance claim and a subsequent personal injury case against the at-fault driver, but your attorney can likely recover far more compensation than you could have managed on your own.

In every case our firm accepts, we aim to help our client recover as much compensation as possible by filing a car insurance claim. However, insurance alone is unlikely to fully cover the scope of damages possible from a serious accident. In these situations, we help our clients develop the strongest civil suits possible against those responsible for their damages. Ultimately, you are not only more likely to succeed with a car insurance claim and a personal injury suit when you have an attorney representing you but also more likely to win a subsequent personal injury case with their help as well.

Common Reasons for Car Accidents in Oklahoma City

The first step in recovering your damages from a car crash is proving how it happened. Under the state’s fault rule, the driver responsible for your accident is liable for the resulting damages. A few common causes of accidents in the Oklahoma City area include:

• Driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol or drugs. DUI is illegal, punishable by jail time, fines, driver’s license suspension, and more penalties at the discretion of the sentencing judge. Penalties for DUI convictions automatically increase for a defendant who has had a prior DUI conviction and/or has caused an accident resulting in bodily harm or death. Your Oklahoma City car accident attorney can explain how the defendant’s illegal actions and criminal court proceedings might impact your recovery.
• This is not only a top cause of accidents but also a top cause of fatal injuries when accidents occur. Any measure of speeding is inherently dangerous because it reduces the time and distance a driver has to slow or stop to avoid a collision. Excessive speeding, especially when it causes an accident, could lead to reckless driving charges for the at-fault driver.
• Distracted driving. Throughout the United States, distracted and inattentive driving is a top cause of accidents every year. Any measure of distracted driving is extremely dangerous, especially cell phone use behind the wheel. Your Oklahoma City car accident attorney can help gather the evidence needed to prove that the defendant was distracted behind the wheel so you can prove liability for your damages.
• Traffic violations. Drivers are expected to follow posted traffic signals and obey the rules of the road. Illegal turns, improper lane changes, running red lights, and failure to yield are only a few ways traffic violations might cause very serious accidents. Traffic camera footage is often vital to success with car accident cases arising from traffic violations.
• Vehicle defects. It’s possible for an accident to happen because of an unreasonably dangerous or defective element of a vehicle. If your recent accident happened because of a product defect of any kind, your Oklahoma City car accident attorney may need to assist you in filing a product liability suit against the manufacturer.

These are just a few possible examples of how car accidents happen in the Oklahoma City area. Most of these accidents are the result of negligence, or failure to use reasonable care behind the wheel. However, accidents can also happen because of illegal and intentional misconduct, leading to more complex legal proceedings in the aftermath.

Your Oklahoma City car accident attorney can be invaluable for their assistance in gathering the evidence and testimony you will need to convincingly establish liability for your recent accident. You may need a combination of physical evidence from the scene of your accident, recordings from traffic cameras around the accident scene, vehicle computer data, cell phone records, and testimony from eyewitnesses who witnessed the accident. This is another reason it is important to seek legal counsel as soon as possible after an accident in the Oklahoma City area; swift legal action helps preserve the integrity of any physical evidence you need to prove fault and the reliability of witness testimony.

If you are severely injured and do not remember the details of your accident, it is vital to connect with an experienced Oklahoma City car accident attorney after receiving medical care. While you rest and recover, your legal counsel can begin securing the evidence needed to compile the foundation of your case. Once you have a copy of the police report for your accident and the evidence you need to establish fault, you are ready to begin your recovery efforts with a car insurance claim against the at-fault driver.

Filing a Car Insurance Claim in Oklahoma City

When an at-fault driver has auto insurance as required by law, an injured driver would initiate a claim against their insurance policy to seek compensation for their damages. This insurance claim may yield appropriate repayment of vehicle repair costs and some compensation for the victim’s medical expenses. However, while a car insurance claim may be enough to cover the damages from a minor accident, insurance alone is unlikely to fully compensate your damages if you experience a serious crash. Additionally, there is no guarantee that the insurance company will provide a speedy resolution or that they will handle your claim in good faith.

222 Injury Lawyers has years of experience confronting insurance companies for our clients, and We understand the tactics they use to coerce claimants into accepting the lowest possible offers. We will not let the responsible driver’s insurance carrier bully you in the aftermath of your accident. We can assist you in drafting a compelling demand letter and resolve any disputes they raise against your claim.

Once you receive your settlement offer, we can compare it to the terms of the policy to ensure you are compensated to the fullest extent possible under the policy. If you encounter any bad faith treatment from the insurance company, our team can advise you as to your most viable options for legal recourse against them, helping to secure the claim settlement you deserve and explore your options for seeking additional compensation to reflect the insurance carrier’s poor treatment of your claim.

Claiming Compensation With a Personal Injury Claim in Oklahoma City

Insurance may only cover a fraction of your total damages. In that case, you will need to pursue a personal injury claim. The objective of this type of civil case is for the plaintiff to become as whole as possible again after suffering harm from another party’s illegal actions or failure to exercise reasonable care. After proving fault and securing as much compensation for your car accident as you can through auto insurance, your Oklahoma City car accident attorney can help file your personal injury claim to pursue repayment of your remaining damages.

State law allows a personal injury plaintiff to claim full compensation for any economic losses they suffered because of a defendant’s actions. These economic damages may include:

• Vehicle repair costs not covered by insurance. You may need to pay for extensive vehicle repairs or secure compensation for the actual cash value of your vehicle if it was totaled in your accident. In either case, your legal counsel can help you recover any vehicle repair costs and other property losses that the defendant’s insurance can’t compensate.
• Medical expenses. Car accidents cause many severe injuries, some of which will require extensive in-home care and ongoing rehabilitation. The defendant who injured you is liable for the entire spectrum of medical expenses you face after the accident they caused, including long-term medical costs.
• Lost wages. Often, people injured in car accidents cannot work and earn money for their families. If you have lost income because of a personal injury, you can seek repayment from the defendant with your personal injury claim. This includes lost future income as well if you were permanently disabled by your injuries and cannot go back to work at all.

Why You Need an Accident Attorney

Insurance companies are notorious for manipulative tactics when it comes to dealing with clients and their claims. We can protect you from such issues, and make sure your compensation is fair.

Your Oklahoma City car accident attorney is your most valuable asset when it comes to maximizing compensation for your immediate and future economic damages from a car crash. You may be surprised to learn that you can claim much more than you originally expected, but your damages do not end with your economic losses. State law allows you to hold the defendant accountable for the pain and suffering they inflicted.

It may seem difficult to assign a monetary value to an intangible and subjective loss like physical pain, emotional trauma, or psychological distress, but the law deems these non-economic damages as worthy of compensation in a personal injury case. Additionally, nothing limits how much the plaintiff may claim; the amount sought must simply be reflective of their experience. Your attorney can help determine an acceptable amount to seek based on the scope of your injuries and/or the length of time it will take you to recover as much as possible.

Finalizing a Personal Injury Case for a Car Crash in Oklahoma City

Once you determine the extent of the damages you can seek from the defendant, you might discover that you are entitled to claim much more than you initially anticipated, but you must be aware of the other variables that could influence the final outcome of your case. For example, if you share fault for causing the accident, it will diminish your case award under the state’s modified comparative negligence law, but if the defendant caused the accident through illegal misconduct, it could amount to additional compensation for you in the form of punitive damages or restitution.

222 Injury Lawyers has the experience necessary to streamline your recovery efforts after a serious accident in Oklahoma City. We can assist you in gathering whatever evidence is necessary to firmly establish liability for your damages, and once fault is proven, you can rely on us to guide you through filing your insurance claim. We can resolve any problems you encounter with your claim; if you have grounds to seek compensation that insurance can’t provide, you can rely on our team for ongoing counsel throughout all your personal injury claim proceedings.

The majority of personal injury claims filed in the Oklahoma City court do not end in the courtroom. Instead, most parties involved in these cases will aim to settle their claims out of court. As long as you have the right attorney to manage your case and the defendant accepts liability for the accident, they are likely to agree to negotiate a settlement. When both parties are willing to compromise, they can potentially reach a more agreeable outcome than a judge would deliver in litigation and in a fraction of the time that courtroom proceedings would likely require.

Ultimately, every car accident case is entirely unique, and each plaintiff has a different recovery experience. There is no single legal strategy that ensures success for every car accident victim’s recovery efforts, and it is essential to find an attorney you can trust to address your individual needs as your case unfolds. When you choose 222 Injury Lawyers to represent you, you are investing in years of professional experience in civil law. We get to know every client, learning as much as we can about their experiences so we can have the greatest chances of maximizing their recoveries. You have a limited time in which to pursue your recovery from an accident another driver caused, so it is crucial that you connect with legal counsel you can trust as soon as possible in the aftermath of an accident.

FAQs About Oklahoma City Car Accident Law

Is Oklahoma a No-Fault State for Car Accidents?

No, the state follows the fault rule for resolving vehicle accidents. This means that proving fault is an essential first step in recovering from any vehicle accident, and the driver at fault for an accident is liable for all the damages they inflicted on the victim. You will need to prove fault for an insurance claim as well as a personal injury case against the responsible driver. Your Oklahoma City car accident attorney is the ideal asset when it comes to proving fault and ensuring liability for your damages.

What Happens if I Share Fault for an Accident in Oklahoma City?

The state enforces a modified comparative fault rule that applies whenever a plaintiff shares fault with a defendant for causing civil damages. Under this rule, the plaintiff can recover compensation as long as they are less than 50% at fault. Their fault percentage is deducted from their case award, and they keep the remainder. If the plaintiff is found more than 50% at fault, they cannot claim compensation from the defendant.

What Is the Car Insurance Requirement?

Every driver is required to have personal auto insurance that meets basic coverage requirements. At a minimum, an individual auto insurance policy must provide at least $25,000 for bodily injury to a single person and at least $50,000 for bodily injury to multiple people hurt in a single accident. The policy must also include at least $25,000 in property damage liability coverage. While not strictly required, it is strongly recommended that drivers also purchase uninsured motorist coverage, which allows them to seek compensation from their own policies if uninsured drivers cause accidents.

Will I Win More Compensation if I Hire an Oklahoma City Car Accident Attorney?

Hiring an experienced attorney to help with your claim is the optimal method of maximizing your case award after a car crash in Oklahoma City. Your attorney can help gather whatever evidence you need to prove fault, help file your auto insurance claim, and then build a compelling personal injury suit for you when insurance alone cannot compensate your losses. You are more likely to succeed with your recovery efforts and more likely to secure the maximum possible compensation for your damages with the right attorney handling your case.

What Does Hiring an Oklahoma City Car Accident Attorney Cost?

It’s natural for a car crash victim to worry about the potential cost of legal representation when they are already struggling with expensive damages. 222 Injury Lawyers understands this concern and will not add to your economic troubles when you need legal counsel to help you recover. Our firm takes clients with personal injury claims on a contingency fee basis, meaning we don’t get paid until you get paid. When we win your case, you pay our firm a portion of the amount recovered, but if we are unsuccessful with your claim, you don’t pay anything in legal fees.

Experienced Oklahoma City Car Accident Attorneys

The right attorney can help you approach the aftermath of a car crash in Oklahoma City with greater confidence and peace of mind. Our firm has years of professional experience handling a wide range of civil claims for damages in the Oklahoma City area, including many car accident cases. We understand the various challenges you could face when you seek recompense for your injuries and other damages, and we know how to streamline your recovery proceedings. The faster you reach out to our firm, the more time we have to build a strong case for you. Contact us today and set up your free consultation with 222 Injury Lawyers to learn how an Oklahoma City car accident attorney can assist with your recovery.