Expert Tulsa Car Accident Lawyers: Fighting For Justice

The most common location for the occurrence of both fatal and non-fatal crashes is city streets, followed by rural state highways and county roads. The majority of accidents occur during daylight hours when weather conditions are clear.

Drivers between ages 15 and 34 are the most likely to get in crashes, with the 20-24 age group being at the greatest risk. Male drivers are not only more likely to get into accidents than female drivers, but those accidents are also more likely to involve fatalities.

Most traffic crashes are caused by something that a driver is doing that is either risky or inattentive. Many accidents result from aggressive driving behaviour that typically involves speed and the failure to obey other rules of the road.

According to the Insurance Information Institute, the most common driver behaviours that resulted in fatal crashes in 2019 are:

• Speeding
• Alcohol or drug impairment
• Failure to yield
• Improper lane change
• Careless driving
• Distraction
• Failure to obey traffic signs/signals
• Overcorrecting/oversteering
• Obscured vision
• Drowsy/sleepy

Distracted driving is responsible for about 12% of Oklahoma’s car accidents. Drivers ages 20-24 get in the most accidents due to distraction. Men in every age group are more likely than women to become inattentive. And distractions inside the vehicle are credited as the most common reason for inattention. Distracted driving accidents are attributed to the following sources of distraction:

• Inside the vehicle – 45%
• Outside the vehicle – 33%
• Cell phone – 17%
• Other electronic devices – 4%

Looking at Speed-Related Car Crashes in Tulsa, Oklahoma

Though Tulsa is the second-most populous city in Oklahoma, it ranks number one when it comes to speed-related car accidents. Almost 24% of the speed-related crashes occurring in 2020 happened in Tulsa – compared to about 19% in Oklahoma City.

Speed combined with other road or traffic conditions accounts for the majority of speed-related accidents. Unsafe speed on wet roads or driving too fast for traffic conditions was the cause of almost 48% of the speed-related accidents.

Alcohol-Related Motor Vehicle Accidents in Tulsa, Oklahoma

There were almost 3,000 motor vehicle accidents in 2020 that were reported as alcohol-related. Although alcohol-related accidents make up less than 5% of all crashes in Oklahoma, alcohol-related accidents account for almost 27% of the fatalities. Tulsa recorded 16 fatal car accidents that involved drunk driving.

Teen Drivers and Car Accidents in Oklahoma: What can you do?

Consistent with the overall decrease in traffic accidents in Oklahoma in 2020, crashes involving teen drivers also decreased significantly from those reported in 2019. Teen drivers (ages 16-19) accounted for close to 11% of motor vehicle crashes in 2020 and for almost 7% of the state’s fatal accidents.

Teen male drivers are more than twice as likely to get into fatal car accidents than females, but teen female drivers are more likely to get into injury accidents. The top 5 factors that contribute to teen auto accidents are:

• Failure to yield
• Unsafe speed
• Inattention/distraction
• Following too closely
• Improper act or movement (failure to signal, ignoring warning signal, improper lane use, backing up, drowsy)

Getting in a car accident is not something most people are familiar with, and it can be shocking and upsetting. Property has been damaged, and people may be injured. But this is not a time to freak out. This is a time to remain as calm as possible so as to assess the situation and take any necessary action to minimize the damage. Emergency circumstances need to be addressed first, and then steps can be taken to record and preserve evidence of the crash for later use.

The following steps should be taken at the accident scene and shortly thereafter.

• Call 911 – Oklahoma law requires persons involved in motor vehicle accidents to call the police when anyone is injured. A police report can be strong evidence to help determine fault when a claim for compensation is made.
• Exchange contact information – Get the names and contact information of other involved drivers and passengers. Take pictures of driver’s licenses and insurance cards if possible. Make sure to get the license plates of all involved vehicles and a general description of the damage.
• Be cooperative but don’t offer information – Resist the urge to apologize or try to explain any circumstances to other drivers. If not asked by a police officer, it is best not to offer information without knowing how it might affect legal rights at a later time.
• Document the accident – Try to take pictures of the accident scene and vehicle damage. Get the contact information for any witnesses and a brief bit about what they know. Write down everything you can remember about the accident.
• Get medical attention as soon as possible – People may not realize the existence or extent of injuries right after an accident so a medical examination and record can help identify injuries and document their relation to the accident.
• Report the accident to your insurance carrier – Most carriers want accidents reported as soon as possible. Also, if your policy includes Med Pay you can often get coverage for your medical expenses long before they are authorized by the at-fault driver’s insurance company.

How to Handle a Call from Another Driver’s Insurance Company

When someone gets into an accident with another motorist, it usually is not too long before they are contacted by an insurance claims adjuster representing the other driver. The adjuster may be very friendly, but you want to be careful if you decide to speak with them about the accident.

Insurance claims adjusters – even the ones working for your own insurance company – are on a mission to close claims quickly and with as little money paid out as possible. Here are some things to keep in mind when deciding whether or not to provide information to the adjuster.

• There is no legal obligation to talk to another driver’s insurance company, so don’t let anyone pressure you.
• You may be asked questions that require you to give answers that can be damaging to your rights without understanding their legal significance.
• You may not be in a position to know all of the information that you are being asked about, and you don’t want to make assumptions or guess.
• The adjuster may want to record your conversation, and you should refuse to allow a recording that might be later used against you.
• If you do speak with an adjuster ask for the opportunity to address all of their questions in writing so you are not put on the spot and can take the time to provide complete and consistent answers.

Persons who are injured in traffic accidents may recover both Economic Damages – such as Medical Expenses and Lost Earnings – and Non-Economic Damages – for Pain & Suffering, Mental Distress, and Diminished Quality of Life. There is no longer any limit on the number of damages that can be awarded.

When an at-fault party’s conduct has been exceptionally egregious, an award of punitive damages may be added to the compensatory damages award. The additional compensation is intended to punish a person or entity when the conduct was excessive or unusually severe. Punitive damages are generally not insurable in Oklahoma.

After being injured in a motor vehicle accident one of the first calls that should be made is to a personal injury attorney. But how does a person choose the right law firm to work with? Start searching with the type of accident and the general geographic area. Look at attorney credentials and experience. Read information about accidents and injuries on a website. See what past clients have to say. Then take a breath and make the call.

At Graves McLain Injury Lawyers, we want our clients to have full confidence in our abilities to get them the best possible results for their car accident claims. We encourage prospective clients to call our Tulsa office at 918-359-6600 for a free consultation or contact us here and give us the opportunity to earn your trust.

Getting in a car accident is not something most people are familiar with, and it can be shocking and upsetting. Property has been damaged, and people may be injured. But this is not a time to freak out. This is a time to remain as calm as possible so as to assess the situation and take any necessary action to minimize the damage. Emergency circumstances need to be addressed first, and then steps can be taken to record and preserve evidence of the crash for later use.

The following steps should be taken at the accident scene and shortly thereafter.

• Call 911 – Oklahoma law requires persons involved in motor vehicle accidents to call the police when anyone is injured. A police report can be strong evidence to help determine fault when a claim for compensation is made.
• Exchange contact information – Get the names and contact information of other involved drivers and passengers. Take pictures of driver’s licenses and insurance cards if possible. Make sure to get the license plates of all involved vehicles and a general description of the damage.
• Be cooperative but don’t offer information – Resist the urge to apologize or try to explain any circumstances to other drivers. If not asked by a police officer, it is best not to offer information without knowing how it might affect legal rights at a later time.
• Document the accident – Try to take pictures of the accident scene and vehicle damage. Get the contact information for any witnesses and a brief bit about what they know. Write down everything you can remember about the accident.
• Get medical attention as soon as possible – People may not realize the existence or extent of injuries right after an accident so a medical examination and record can help identify injuries and document their relation to the accident.
• Report the accident to your insurance carrier – Most carriers want accidents reported as soon as possible. Also, if your policy includes Med Pay you can often get coverage for your medical expenses long before they are authorized by the at-fault driver’s insurance company.

How to Handle a Call from Another Driver’s Insurance Company

When someone gets into an accident with another motorist, it usually is not too long before they are contacted by an insurance claims adjuster representing the other driver. The adjuster may be very friendly, but you want to be careful if you decide to speak with them about the accident.

Insurance claims adjusters – even the ones working for your own insurance company – are on a mission to close claims quickly and with as little money paid out as possible. Here are some things to keep in mind when deciding whether or not to provide information to the adjuster.

• There is no legal obligation to talk to another driver’s insurance company, so don’t let anyone pressure you.
• You may be asked questions that require you to give answers that can be damaging to your rights without understanding their legal significance.
• You may not be in a position to know all of the information that you are being asked about, and you don’t want to make assumptions or guess.
• The adjuster may want to record your conversation, and you should refuse to allow a recording that might be later used against you.
• If you do speak with an adjuster ask for the opportunity to address all of their questions in writing so you are not put on the spot and can take the time to provide complete and consistent answers.