Car Wrecks
The pain of a car accident is real. Car accidents hurt in more ways than one, especially when no one wants to admit that you are the victim or pay the compensation that you’re entitled to. When that’s the case, you need an accident lawyer on your side.
You may be in physical pain due to whiplash or injury sustained during the accident.
You may be in emotional pain due to the trauma and terror of the accident.
You may be experiencing grief due to the loss of someone you loved.
You may be experiencing financial pain due to the expenses you have incurred.
You may be suffering because you’re being labeled “at fault” when you know you’re actually the victim.
Perhaps you are frustrated because the insurance companies are disregarding the damages you have suffered.
Maybe you have experienced a chain reaction of consequences, like the loss of a job, that would not have happened if not for the accident.
Don’t fight alone.
Enlist the accident lawyers at Edwards Furlong to help you with your case.
When we take on a case, we fight aggressively for our clients. We’re not afraid to take on the big guys, and they know it.
WE ARE OKLAHOMA’S CAR WRECK ATTORNEYS
If you have been injured in an Oklahoma car accident that was caused by another driver, having an experienced attorney on your side is an important part of the recovery process.
The team of Tulsa auto accident lawyers at The Edwards Furlong Law Firm have decades of legal experience and charge no upfront fees to handle your auto accident claim. Our team has successfully recovered more than $100,000,000 in compensation for our clients.
What You Should Do After an Auto Accident
If you have been in an auto accident, there are steps you should take immediately, including turning on your hazard lights, removing yourself from danger (if possible) and calling 911.
After you have been medically cleared, there are some steps you can take that may be of assistance to your lawyer if you decide to file a lawsuit:
- Exchange information with the other driver, and gather the names and contact information of any witnesses who may have stopped
- Use your cell phone to take your own photos of the accident scene
- Gather the contact information of law enforcement on the scene and get a copy of the accident report if it is immediately available*
- DO NOT provide any information about the type of insurance coverage that you have
- DO NOT sign any documents provided by an insurance adjuster
- DO NOT admit fault in the accident
- Limit your discussion about the accident to the Police only
- Contact a lawyer to help determine your next steps
*Accident records are now available to applicants in the state of Oklahoma. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol website provides helpful information on this topic.
FILING TIME LIMITS – THE STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS IN OKLAHOMA
In the state of Oklahoma, there is a two year statute of limitations. This is based on Section 12-95 of the Oklahoma Statutes and means that as an accident victim, you have two years from the date of your accident to file a lawsuit for compensation. It’s also important to note that many auto insurers also have filing limits on insurance claims. With this in mind, an attorney from The Edwards Furlong Law Firm can help to review the details of your collision and to explain your legal options. In most instances—and after speaking with an attorney about your specific case—filing both the insurance claim and the damages lawsuit well in advance of the filing deadline is often a wise decision.
DO YOU NEED A CAR ACCIDENT LAWYER IN OKLAHOMA?
Our office is conveniently located near the Tulsa Municipal Court and the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office.
DO I HAVE A CLAIM? PROVING FAULT IN AN AUTO ACCIDENT
When a victim files a lawsuit to be compensated for any injuries and/or property damage that they have sustained in a collision, it is the responsibility of the plaintiff (someone that brings a legal action) to prove:
The accident was caused either wholly or in part by the negligence of the other party.
The accident was the cause of the injuries and/or damages that were sustained by the victim.
The car accident lawyers at our firm work diligently to establish fault and to uphold the merits of your case. As part of this process, it is important to provide your lawyer with as much information about the accident as possible– any photos, contact information of witnesses, supporting documents such as police reports, and similar information can often be utilized to support your claim.
INSURANCE CLAIMS FOR CAR ACCIDENT INJURIES
Pursuing compensation for car accident injuries can be very stressful. Accident investigators sent by insurance carriers are there to collect information, which may not be used to your favor.
It is in your best interest to hire a Tulsa personal injury lawyer who will assist you in all dealings with the at-fault drivers insurance investigators. Our lawyers will work to alleviate the stress involved with questioning from the insurance company so that you can focus on what is most important: your injury recovery.
COMMON CAR ACCIDENT INJURIES
The force and speed at which many car accidents occur can cause severe and devastating injuries, or even death. Sharp metal and broken glass can do serious damage to drivers and passengers riding in all vehicles involved in a crash. In cases of minor accidents, victims may be lucky enough to walk away with minor cuts and bruises, but in many cases, injuries can be much more severe.
The most common types of car accident injuries include:
Lacerations
Chest Injuries
Whiplash Injuries
Traumatic Brain Injuries
Dislocated Joints
Spinal Cord/Neck Injuries
Internal Bleeding
Severed Limbs
Seat Belt Trauma
Head Injuries
Broken Bones
Knee Injuries
REACH OUT FOR A FREE CONSULTATION.
We’re here to help.
UNINSURED AND UNDERINSURED MOTORISTS
If you are involved in a car accident where the other driver is at fault, their insurance is supposed to pay for your property damage and medical bills. But what if they’re uninsured?
Uninsured Motorists
By law, Oklahoma drivers are required to carry insurance to protect the drivers around them. However, this is no guarantee that everyone around you is actually keeping that law. Here are some of the most common reasons why people drive without insurance:
They cannot afford vehicle insurance.
The owner of the car has had a DUI and their driver’s license has been suspended or revoked.
The owner of the car is an illegal immigrant and doesn’t have a valid driver’s license.
They are simply choosing not to carry insurance.
Underinsured Motorists
The minimum amount of insurance that Oklahoma law requires drivers to carry is enough to cover a basic accident, but what if you’re in a severe accident? Oklahoma statute 47 O.S. § 7-324 gives the following minimums for coverage that drivers are required to carry.
$25,000 because of bodily injury to or death of one person in any one accident
$50,000 because of bodily injury to or death of two or more persons in any one accident
$25,000 because of injury to or destruction of property of others in any one accident
If you drive a car that’s worth more than $25,000, or if you are in an accident that leaves you in intensive care for several days, you can be very sure that your expenses will far exceed the amount that the other motorist’s insurance will cover on your behalf.
PROTECT YOURSELF
If you’re just thinking of taking your chances and hoping for the best, think again. According to a 2015 Pew Charitable Trusts survey, Oklahoma has the highest percentage of uninsured drivers in the nation, at 25.9 percent. That means that one out of every four vehicles on the road is probably driven by an uninsured driver. So how do you protect yourself?
Before you’re ever in an accident, make sure you have Uninsured Motorist Coverage on your auto insurance policy. Insurance companies are required to offer this to you, but you are not required to take it.
However, if you decline it, you won’t be covered if you are in an accident with an uninsured person. Uninsured Motorist (UM) coverage may only add a few dollars to your monthly premium, but if you’re ever hit by an uninsured driver, the reward will definitely be worth it.
If you are in an accident with an uninsured driver, contact a lawyer.
You’re probably not going to take that other driver to court; what you need legal help with is fighting against the insurance company to claim the compensation that you’re entitled to.
Contact the accident lawyers at Edwards Furlong to tell us about your case. If you have been injured or suffered property damage due to another driver’s negligence, we offer a free consultation.
WHAT TO DO NEXT
We’ve covered a lot of ground so far, and you may be wondering just what you need to do next, especially if this is the first time you’ve approached a lawyer for any issue. You don’t have to think of yourself as a “litigious person” to need a lawyer to represent you after your accident.
Accidents are stressful, scary times, and if you are injured or dealing with mental suffering, it will be harder than ever for you to deal with representing yourself on your own.
Insurance companies know that people hate hassle more than they hate almost anything else. If they can get you to perceive that it’ll be a huge, time-consuming mess to resist their assessment of your accident, they can persuade you to be silent and just take whatever they hand you.
There are times in life when it’s not right to be silent. Hiring a lawyer can be the way to give yourself a voice. It lets the legal firm be the one to hold the insurance company to give you a fair amount for your suffering.
YOUR NEXT STEPS
Decide that it’s right for you to pursue getting legal counsel for your accident.
Make sure that you’re within the time limit to file your case. See the section on the Statute of Limitations above.
Find out if you have a claim. We make it easy for you to do that with our free case review.
WHERE DO YOU GO FROM THERE?
Once you’ve taken these steps, you will know if our attorneys have decided to take your case. We will guide you through every step of the way. It’s our goal to take the hard work off of your shoulders and put it onto our shoulders. However, along the way, there will be things we ask you to do. For instance, we’ll need you to compile any evidence you have, such as names of witnesses or photographs of the accident.
Every case is different, so the exact process of fighting for justice for you might look slightly different than it did for everyone else. However, we’ll give you step-by-step guidance through the journey so that you will feel at ease and know what’s coming next.
CAN YOU BE SURE THAT YOU WILL WIN?
There’s no guarantee of success. No one can predict the outcome of your case, and no matter how many other people have had cases similar to yours, no lawyer can guarantee your results. (Besides, it’s illegal for lawyers to issue—or even imply—a guarantee.) Our former results don’t predict future outcomes.
Here’s what we can do, though:
We work on a contingency fee basis, so we only get paid if we win the case. This incentivizes us to work harder to win. Plus, it frees you from feeling like you’re going to be stuck paying attorney’s fees for a case that you might lose.
We only take cases that we think we can win. If we review your case and don’t think that you have a good enough claim to stand up in court, we’ll let you know right at the beginning. We don’t want to waste our time or yours!
If you have been hurt in a car accident, you need an Oklahoma auto accident lawyer who can fight for you. The experienced team of legal professionals at Edwards Furlong Law Firm are dedicated to holding at-fault parties accountable for the injuries they have caused.
Mark Edwards– a partner at the firm– is an award-winning attorney who is the only attorney in Tulsa to hold the honor of being made a charter member of the American College of Board Certified Attorneys.
There is no fee for your initial consultation and we offer our services on a contingency basis, which means we don’t get paid unless we secure a favorable auto accident settlement in your case.
REACH OUT FOR A FREE CONSULTATION.
We’re here to help.