Personal Injury Lawsuits in Oklahoma City

As the name suggests, personal injury refers to emotional, mental, or bodily injuries rather than property damage. These injuries often occur due to someone's actions or inactions.

The truth is that not every mental, emotional, or bodily injury falls under personal injury. The best way to find out if you have a valid personal injury claim is by contacting an experienced personal injury attorney. The attorney will review the specifics of our case and determine whether it falls under the personal injury category.

It is also important to note that personal injury cases fall under different subcategories. The right subcategory for your case will depend on the specifics of the case. Some common examples of these subcategories include:

Wrongful death: This covers cases where someone dies due to negligence by another party.

Medical malpractice: You may have a valid medical malpractice claim if you got injured due to a healthcare provider's negligence.

Product liability: These claims are usually brought against product manufacturers, citing injuries caused by the dangerous condition of their products.

Employment lawsuits: This category involves labor and employment-related cases such as wage theft, workers' compensation, discrimination, employer retaliation, etc.

Car accidents: Victims of car accidents or their families can file lawsuits against the liable parties.

Premises liability: These cases involve injuries that occur at someone else's property, such as residential property, business premises, parks, playgrounds, etc.

It is important to note that these subcategories also have other sub-subcategories. For instance, under the premises liability subcategory, you will find cases such as slip and falls.

Contacting an experienced personal injury lawyer is the best way to determine whether you have a valid case and where exactly it falls under. With this knowledge, the attorney should be able to provide the best legal representation you need to obtain a favorable outcome.

Many factors will come to play when determining liability. In most cases, the nature of the injuries can help establish the party responsible for compensation. For example, if you slipped and fell at someone's property in Oklahoma City, such as a mall, the property owner might be responsible.

However, keep in mind that these rules are subject to change. For instance, an independent contractor, such as a cleaning company, might be responsible for the slip and fall incident at the mall, but not the mall owner. The bottom line is that the issue of liability will largely depend on the specifics of your case.

The deadline for filing a personal injury case in Oklahoma City and throughout the state will depend on the injury category. That said, most lawsuits have a two-year statute of limitations. For this reason, it is always important to contact an attorney immediately for a case evaluation. The attorney can help you understand crucial deadlines in your pursuit of justice and compensation for your injuries.

It is never advisable to wait until the statute of limitations on your personal injury case expires. This is because you may lose your right to file a lawsuit when the statute of limitations expires. As a result, when the other party discovers that going to court is not an option for you, they will likely refuse to settle out of court.

Keep in mind that one of the major reasons defendants agree to settle out of court in the first place is because they would want to avoid complex and expensive court processes. Therefore, they do not have anything to worry about when going to court is not an option for the plaintiff (you).

That said, there are some exceptions to this rule. For example, in Oklahoma, you may still be able to file a personal injury lawsuit past the statute of limitations if:

• the plaintiff was legally disabled, preventing them from fighting for their rights
• the defendant goes missing and then resurfaces later. In that case, the statute of limitations clock will pause when the defendant goes missing and resume when they return.
• you were not aware of the injury until much later

The damages you may be able to claim will depend on the specifics of your case. Generally, plaintiffs can claim economic and non-economic damages.

Economic damages cover the financial costs and expenses deriving from the injury. Examples include:

• Current and future medical expenses
• Loss of wages if you were unable to work due to the injury
• Loss of earning potential if you suffered career-ending injuries or lost important opportunities while you recovered from the injury
• Ambulance costs
• Cost of additional services such as caregiving
• Costs of creating the necessary accommodations, such as building a wheelchair ramp or renovating your bathroom to accommodate your disability

On the other hand, non-economic damages cover injuries that do not involve loss of money. Examples of non-economic damages include:

• Pain and suffering, especially if you suffered severe injuries
• Post-traumatic-stress disorder
• Emotional distress
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Inconvenience

Follow these steps if injured due to someone else's negligence:

• Call 911 immediately and request an ambulance if the injuries are life-threatening.
• Request a police officer at the accident scene—the officer will document the accident and write a report. You can request a copy of this report.
• Gather information about the accident, such as photos and videos.
• Collect information about the other party, such as their name, insurer in the case of a car accident, insurance provider driver's license, etc.
• Visit a doctor immediately or as soon as possible, even if you do not feel pain or discomfort. The doctor will conduct several tests to establish whether you suffered severe injuries internally or externally.
• Notify the other party's insurance provider (in the case of a car accident) but do not discuss the accident with them.
• Contact an experienced personal injury lawyer for a case evaluation.

The exact value of your case will depend on many different factors. For this reason, personal injury cases do not have a standard value. Common factors that influence the value of a personal injury claim include:

The Nature of Your Injuries

The more severe your injuries, the higher compensation you may be entitled to. However, this also depends on many other factors, as you will discover below.

Post-Injury or Post-Accident Procedure

The steps you take after the incident could influence your claim. For example, if you miss a crucial step, such as seeking medical attention, the defendant could claim that you were not injured in the first place. Thus, you will be responsible for proving that you were injured and justifying why you did not seek medical attention.

Your Contribution to the Accident or Injuries

Oklahoma is a comparative negligence state, meaning a plaintiff's compensation is limited to their contribution to the accident. So, for example, if you were 20% at fault for the accident, your final settlement amount will be reduced to 80%. In addition, you cannot recover any settlement if you are more at fault for the accident than the defendant.

Say, for example, you are 51% at fault for the accident. In that case, you cannot recover damages.

The Insurance Coverage

Personal injury claims are usually filed against the defendant's insurer. However, the amount of compensation you may recover will depend on the coverage limits.

For instance, in Oklahoma, all drivers must carry bodily injury protection worth $25,000 for one person and up to $50,000 per accident. They will also need an additional $25,000 for property damage.

However, a skilled attorney can explore other avenues to maximize your claim.

Oklahoma is one of the many states that use the at-fault system. In this state, the party responsible for the injury (at-fault party) is also responsible for compensating the victims.

You may be eligible for coverage through different forms of insurance, such as your personal injury protection insurance, health insurance, etc.

Keep in mind that your insurer might file a claim against your settlement to recover the medical fees if you win the case. This process is known as subrogation.

Consult a seasoned personal injury attorney to learn more about your options. The attorney will evaluate your case and determine where to file a claim.

If you do not have any form of insurance, your attorney might still be able to help you get the treatment you need and deserve while your case is still pending. Experienced attorneys usually have a network of doctors in their circles willing to treat injured patients and recover the medical costs later when the case is settled.

You need to consider many different qualities when looking for a good personal injury attorney in Oklahoma City. The most important ones include:

Experience: You need an attorney with experience handling your specific case. During the initial consultation, find out how long the attorney or law firm has been practicing personal injury law in your area.

Reputation: You want to hire an attorney or law firm with a good reputation. Check out what other clients are saying about the lawyer or firm by reading their reviews online.

Results: Because personal injury lawsuits usually seek monetary compensation for the injuries sustained, you need an attorney with a proven history of winning such cases.

Resources: This is probably one of the most important yet underrated qualities of a good personal injury attorney. You need an attorney with access to powerful legal resources. Without powerful resources, such attorneys will likely conduct shoddy investigations just to win the case.

Court-readiness: Although most personal injury cases settle out of court, you need a lawyer who is always prepared to go to court if the other party refuses to settle or corporate.

Morgan and Morgan is the law firm to contact when looking for the right attorney to represent you. Here is why:

• We have more than 30 years of experience serving clients in Oklahoma City and throughout the country
• We have more than 28,000 5-star reviews on Google
• Our attorneys have helped our clients recover over $30 billion as compensation for various injuries so far
• We are the largest and most powerful personal injury law firm in the country
• Our attorneys are always ready to fight in court if the other party refuses to settle

Ready to get started with your personal injury claim? Not sure if you have a valid case? We will review your case for free and discuss your options.

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