What to Look for in Hiring an Oklahoma City Truck Accident Lawyer?

A collision with a heavy-duty truck or a semi truck is a devastating life event. Vehicle accidents, especially when commercial trucks, 18 wheelers, tractor trailers are involved are the most dangerous and cause serious injuries and trauma to the victims. Truck accidents appear to be increasing. If the victim of a trucking accident is lucky to have made it alive most likely they suffer life-altering injuries that will affect their ability to work and the quality of life. For some people, it is life before and after the accident.

Hasbrook & Hasbrook has recovered millions of dollars for victims of truck accidents with large commercial vehicles. Cases of semi truck accidents are mostly complicated because of the number of different parties involved and potentially responsible for loss and damages. The tractor is often owned separately and apart from the trailer. If that is the case, two separate trucking companies may be responsible for your injuries. Be prepared that the trucking company and an insurance company will have an army of their defense lawyers providing legal advice to them.

In return at Hasbrook & Hasbrook, we are armed with many tools and years of experience in different practice areas to understand that there are many ways to help you get the compensation you deserve. For example, if we can prove the truck was improperly loaded with goods, the entity responsible for loading the truck may be liable along with the company that employs the truck driver. It is a common practice for there to be multiple defendants in a tractor-trailer accident.

If you need help in understanding what compensation you might be eligible for call our phone number at (405) 605-2426 and schedule a free consultation with an experienced truck accident attorney!

If you or your loved one experienced injury or loss due to the negligent operation of a truck, semi-tractor, trailer, or another commercial vehicle, it is important that you seek legal advice with an experienced truck accident attorney as you may be eligible for an extensive compensation. The truck accident victims may be under a lot of pressure because of the lost wages and piling up medical bills after the car accident that is why they need to make sure that take the truck accident case to an injury lawyer with years of experience. In many cases, insurance companies involved in an accident and trucking companies will not be on your side and will go to great lengths to avoid paying the compensation. That is why you need an experienced professional to represent your case. At the Law Firm Hasbrook & Hasbrook, Oklahoma truck accident attorneys can help you understand your options and protect your rights after the accident.

We offer support and guidance to truck accident victims. With years of experience in trucking accident cases, our law firm will work tirelessly on your behalf to build a trusting attorney-client relationship, represent your case of commercial truck accident injury with an insurance company, and get you the compensation you deserve.

Hasbrook & Hasbrook law firm is a personal injury attorney with extensive experience dealing with truck accident cases in Oklahoma City.

Our team of professional truck accident lawyers is here to get you the justice that you deserve. Make sure to schedule an appointment with a truck accident lawyer in Oklahoma City. Contact our phone number at (405) 451 – 4989.

A large truck accident is among the most serious that can occur on the road. The rolling mass of large vehicles creates greater potential for accident, destruction, injury, and death. If you need legal assistance or want to find out more about filing a truck accident lawsuit, call us and get in touch with the team of Oklahoma City truck accident lawyers right away. Our consultation is free and confidential.

The Common Causes Of Truck Accidents In Oklahoma City

Truck accidents can be purely accidental with no culpable parties, but this is rarely the case. After conducting an extensive analysis of city-wide data, Hasbrook & Hasbrook have discovered that most accidents involve instances in which the driver, a trucking company, or a third party such as to blame.

Changing Lane Unsafely

Our research indicates that a significant number of truck crashes involve unsafe lane changes. Data from the Oklahoma Highway Safety Office (OHSO) report that around 8.7 percent of all trucking accidents occurred because the driver changed lane unsafely.

Failing To Yield – Major Cause of Truck Accidents.

Furthermore, research reveals that failing to yield is another major cause of truck accidents, responsible for 7.3 percent of all cases in Oklahoma, according to crash report forms.

Improper Act Or Movement

The most common cause of truck accidents is improper acts or movements by the driver. Figures from research suggest that this factor contributes to 12.7 percent of truck accidents statewide.

Speeding: Exceeding Limits

Speeding reduces the time that semi-truck drivers have to react to hazards and increases the severity of collisions. Trucks crash report forms for Oklahoma indicate that speeding contributed to 7.5 percent of all accidents.

Inattention Driving

Truck drivers can cause injury through inattention – failing to concentrate on the road. OHSO data suggest that this factor contributes to a further 7.2 percent of trucks crashes.

Other contributing factors could make the driver of the vehicle, the manufacturer, or the trucking company they represent liable to pay compensation. These include the following vehicles too closely, failing to yield at an intersection, failing to stop, operating an unsafe vehicle, blocking the roadway, and improperly overtaking.

Liable Truck Accident Parties Under Oklahoma Law

Those injured from truck accidents may be able to collect compensation from multiple parties under Oklahoma law. Depending on the situation, you may be able to claim against:

The truck driver
The owner of the truck
The manufacturer of the truck
The company that owns the cargo transported by the truck

For instance, suppose a manufacturing error was the cause of the injuries you sustained, but the truck driver was not at fault. In this situation, you could claim compensation for the company that built the truck.

Similarly, the company that owns the 18 wheeler might have loaded it with hazardous cargo. Here again, a third-party company such as the hauler might be to blame – not the driver.

If you want to make a personal injury claim resulting from a truck accident in Oklahoma, you must file a civil suit within two years. Please note that Oklahoma state law places a $350,000 upper limit on non-economic damages you can claim.

Call us now at (405) 451 -4989 and schedule a free appointment with an experienced Oklahoma City personal injury lawyer!

Oklahoma Truck Accident Statistics

Hasbrook & Hasbrook truck accident attorney has conducted in-depth research into truck accident statistics in Oklahoma City and how they compare to the statewide data.

OHSO breaks down large truck accidents by county and administrative regions. The greater Oklahoma metro area spreads over ten counties, including Canadian County, Cleveland County, Grady County, Kingfisher County, Lincoln County, Logan County, McClain County, Oklahoma County, Payne County, and Pottawatomie County.

Here we present data for both Oklahoma County containing Oklahoma City and the rest of the metro area. Data suggest that in 2018 (the latest data available), nine people involved in truck crashes died in Oklahoma City, and 25 received incapacitating injuries. According to police and Oklahoma Highway Patrol reports, 96 received non-incapacitating injuries, and a further 261 had possible injuries.

The wider Oklahoma metro area saw a total of 38 deaths across all ten metro counties. There were a further 70 incapacitating injuries and 263 non-capacitating injuries.

There were more than 13466 persons involved in large truck crashes in Oklahoma

With around 2,195 receiving some kind of injury. Statewide, truck accidents tend to occur most commonly on the interstate highway, responsible for 29 percent of all crashes. The second most common location of accidents is city streets, followed by 12.5 on urban United States highways and 8.4 percent on rural US highways.

Data reveal that large truck crashes are most likely to occur in the state on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, each accounting for 1007, 1030, and 1054 accidents in 2018, respectively. There were 560 crashes on Saturdays and 335 on Sundays.

A truck accident is much more likely to occur between the hours of 7 am and 6 pm than during the night.

Rural accidents were responsible for 77 percent of fatalities statewide. The police Official Oklahoma Traffic Collision Report also collects data on the truck driver’s condition following a collision. Of 6,260 total drivers involved in accidents in 2018, police found 20 to be above the limit for blood alcohol according to section ‘02’ Driving-Ability Impaired and ‘03’ Odor of Alcoholic Beverage. A further eight had illegal drugs in their system, eight were tired, and officers classified 65 as “very sleepy.”

In total, 23 truck drivers died, and 49 were seriously injured in Oklahoma in 2018. Accidents involving trucks killed 107 people and led to 228 incapacitating injuries.

Get Help From Oklahoma City Truck Accident Attorneys

Truck accidents can be more severe than regular accidents involving cars and light vehicles. Therefore, it is vital to work with qualified, reputable truck accident attorneys who can help you fight for the justice you deserve. If you’ve been injured in a truck accident, you may be owed compensation. Contact Hasbrook & Hasbrook today to schedule a consultation and see whether you can make a claim. Get the compensation you deserve now!

References

OHSO Interactive Crash Map 2018 Fatal Injury Crash Dashboard

OHSO Annual Survey 2018 – Misc. Transport

Oklahoma City Truck Accident Lawyer

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