If you were recently injured in a car accident in Oklahoma, you are most likely curious about how you can recover financial compensation to pay for medical treatment, vehicle repairs, lost wages due to missing time from work to recover, and even pain and suffering.
It is important to understand that Oklahoma is a “fault” state, meaning you can file a car accident claim to the person who was at fault for causing the collision. According to the state’s statute of limitations, you have two years from the date of the crash to file a claim.
The following are several ways to recover monetary damages from an Oklahoma car accident:
- File a claim with your own insurer, if the damages are covered under your policy. In this case, your insurance company will pursue a subrogation claim against the responsible party.
- File a claim directly with the liable party’s insurer.
- File a personal injury lawsuit against the responsible party.
However, there are many car accidents in which multiple parties are at fault. When this is the case, Oklahoma follows a “modified comparative negligence” rule, which means your compensation will be reduced based on your share of blame—if your share isn’t more than that of the other party.
For example, while the jury decides your damages are worth $100,000, the jurors also believe you were 15 percent at fault. In this scenario, the total amount of damages will be reduced by 15 percent or $15,000, which means you will keep $85,000 of your total award.
It is not uncommon for at-fault drivers to shift all or some of the blame to the injured party to avoid paying for damages. That is why you must hire an experienced car accident attorney to protect your rights and best interests to maximize your entitled compensation.
If you have been injured in a car accident in Norman, contact the Law Offices of Keith J. Nedwick, P.C. today at (866) 590-8173 and schedule a free case evaluation.