If you were injured in an accident in Oklahoma City, OK, you may have legal options, including the ability to pursue compensation for your injuries. When should you hire a personal injury lawyer? In most cases, you should hire a personal injury lawyer as close to the date of your accident as possible to maximize your financial recovery.
Experienced Oklahoma personal injury lawyers can help you navigate the process of filing an insurance claim and filing a personal injury lawsuit when necessary. If you’ve been injured, a personal injury lawyer can answer your questions and guide you through what comes next.
Is it worth hiring a personal injury attorney? You should hire a personal accident attorney in any of the following situations and more:
You Suffered Serious Injuries
In Oklahoma, accident victims can file claims against negligent parties if they sustained serious injuries due to the accident.
Serious injuries often include:
- Significant or permanent damage to important body functions;
- Permanent disabilities
- Significant disfigurement, scarring, or loss of limbs
- Wrongful death
You could seek damages in a personal injury claim for pain and suffering, reduced earning capacity, and future medical treatment if you suffered serious injuries in an accident. To pursue damages in your claim, you will benefit from the assistance of a trusted Oklahoma City injury lawyer.
You Are Accused of Causing the Accident
To succeed in a personal injury claim, you cannot be shown to be more than 50% responsible for the accident. Oklahoma uses a modified comparative negligence standard in personal injury cases. This refers to your share of responsibility compared to the other party’s involvement. As long as your fault for the accident was under 51%, you can still pursue a claim – even if you were partly responsible.
Drivers and their insurance providers will try to blame you to avoid financial responsibility. When this happens, you’ll want a skilled accident injury attorney to fight back and prove liability on the other side.
An Insurance Company Denied or Minimized Your Claim
Many personal injury claims are settled through the insurance claims process. However, insurance companies make profits by paying less than what many claimants are entitled to within the policy limits. In short, it doesn’t make financial sense for insurance companies to pay the maximum amount as soon as a claim is filed. Instead, they will often delay, deny, or downplay your personal injury claim.
This plan often works when claimants don’t seek legal advice during the claims process. Once an accident victim agrees to a settlement from the insurer, they don’t get another chance to seek full recovery for their damages. A personal injury lawyer will know the games insurance companies play and how to negotiate for a settlement that truly addresses the full scope of your losses. “Do I need a personal injury lawyer just to handle an insurance claim?” you might ask. The answer almost every time is yes.
You Were Involved In a Complex Accident
Some minor accidents might be resolved quickly and without significant legal involvement. In other cases, however, the severity of the accident and the complex evidence involved will demand skilled legal representation.
Complex accidents can include:
- Multi-vehicle auto crashes
- Accidents involving negligence by a business or government agency
- High-speed car accidents
- Auto accidents involving intoxicated drivers
- Medical malpractice claims
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Product liability claims
- Construction accidents
- Workplace accidents
- Commercial truck accidents
- Catastrophic injury cases
- Wrongful death claims.
In serious personal injury cases, collecting evidence and proving the claim can take time and effort. It is important to trust these tasks to a knowledgeable personal injury lawyer who has handled these cases before. Our dedicated legal team has decades of experience handling complex personal injury claims of all types throughout Oklahoma. We will use all available evidence to build your case and prove your claim.
You Need to File Within Oklahoma’s Statute of Limitations
In most cases, Oklahoma sets a two-year deadline to file a personal injury lawsuit after the date of the accident. If you miss the deadline set by Oklahoma’s statute of limitations, you could permanently lose your right to file a lawsuit for the damages you deserve.
A personal injury attorney will know when the deadline applies in your case, when to file a lawsuit, and meet all important deadlines. There are advantages to filing closer to the time of the accident in some cases. Your Oklahoma injury lawyer will know exactly when to file your personal injury lawsuit.
Your Injuries Are Long-Term or Permanent
When an accident leads to severe, long-term, or permanent injuries, you will need a personal injury lawyer to fight aggressively for the damages you deserve from the negligent party.
In the event of permanent injuries or long-term disability, your accident lawyer will pursue compensation for:
- Future medical treatment and costs
- Reduced earning capacity and future lost income
- Reduced enjoyment of life
- Loss of consortium
- Emotional distress
- Pain and suffering
- Disfigurement
- Disability.
Pursuing personal injury claims for the long-term effects of an accident is a serious task best handled by attorneys with vast experience in this area. Proving long-term damages can involve medical experts, occupational experts, accident reconstruction experts, and other witnesses to accurately estimate your damages. If your accident is serious, do not sell yourself short by settling quickly without legal representation. An Oklahoma personal injury lawyer will build a strong case to support your injury claim.
You Lost a Loved One In a Car Accident
Tragically, some accidents lead to the wrongful death of a loved one. After such a devastating event, a victim’s spouse, child, or estate can seek financial compensation from the negligent party. A dedicated and compassionate injury attorney will help you and your family move forward to seek financial recovery during a time of unspeakable grief.
An Oklahoma City Personal Injury Lawyer Can Help You Today
Accidents happen every day and can happen to anyone. Do you need to hire a personal injury lawyer after your accident? In most cases, the answer is yes.
Our Oklahoma City personal injury lawyers will work for you on a contingency fee basis and can explore your full range of legal options. The Laird Hammons Laird Personal Injury Attorneys have sought justice for accident victims in OKC and throughout Oklahoma. Contact our law offices at (405) 703-4567 to schedule a free consultation today.