Every person deserves the right to be free from harm caused by the misconduct of other people and other drivers on the road. No matter how you suffered a personal injury, Oklahoma law gives you the right to seek fair compensation for your injuries from those responsible for the accident. Depending on the severity of your injuries and related losses, it may be a significant amount. Contact our Muskogee personal injury lawyer or our Muskogee car accident lawyer today.

The Muskogee personal injury and car wreck attorneys of Edwards & Patterson Law understand how difficult it can be for an injured person to focus on the details of protecting your legal rights after an accident. That’s why they are here to shoulder that burden for you.

Several different factors go into your ability to build a strong case or demand a higher settlement amount from insurers. Here, we will highlight some of the most relevant and helpful issues that you should consider after a personal injury or car accident in Muskogee.

For immediate legal help with your situation, contact Edwards & Patterson Law now for a free consultation. We want to hear about what happened to you and help you understand your best legal options for recovery. Contact us now online or by phone.

What Qualifies as a Muskogee Personal Injury Claim?

Muskogee man with an injured neck looking at x-rays with a medical personPersonal injury claims cover a broad category of physical, mental, and emotional changes suffered after an accident. These claims are civil in nature and allow you to recover money damages from the party responsible for causing your injuries.

Personal injury claims may be cover lost wages, medical expenses, stress, pain, suffering, and more. These damages may be present regardless of whether you were injured as a result of a car crash, or a slippery floor, or any other type of accident.

If there was a death as a result of an accident, it might be possible to assert an Oklahoma wrongful death action to recover damages caused by that death.

Common Muskogee Personal Injury Claims

  • Car Accidents. Motor vehicle accidents can be particularly dangerous for both pedestrians and other drivers alike. The human body is not built to withstand the force of a speeding or out-of-control vehicle. This leads to particularly severe injuries in car accidents, such as broken bones, sprains, traumatic brain injuries (TBI), emotional distress, or even death. Many of the factors which lead to car accidents are entirely out of your control. The risky behavior of other drivers can pose a severe risk to your safety. Some of these risky behaviors include drunk driving, drug-impaired driving, distracted driving, drowsy driving, and speeding.
  • Truck Accidents. Risky behavior on the road may also lead to truck accidents. However, truck accidents have the potential to be even more serious. Given the size and weight of large trucks, injuries may be more life-threatening. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s most recent data there were over 4,500 fatalities from accidents involving large trucks and buses in a single recent year.
  • Slip and Falls. These types of injuries typically occur when a property owner is negligent in keeping their premises safe. Slip and fall claims allow an injured party to assert a civil suit against the property owner or other responsible party. Commonly, this involves a situation where a shopper is injured as a result of a wet floor. However, it is possible for a slip and fall accidents to occur in an outdoor setting as well. For example, poor lighting or damaged pavement may spur a slip and fall accident.

What Should I Do If I Am Injured in an Accident in Muskogee?

The initial moments after suffering a personal injury can be shocking and confusing. There is no denying that recovering from a car wreck or other accident causing personal injury can be a painful and challenging process.

However, there are ways to make the road to recovery from your injury less stressful. Indeed, one of the best ways to make the recovery process more manageable is to be prepared and understand the post-injury insurance and legal process. Our attorneys can guide you throughout this process and help you avoid common mistakes made by plaintiffs after they have been injured in an accident.

  • Reach safety. In the immediate moments after an accident, getting yourself to safety is the top priority. If you are not able to safely move, you may want to wait for an ambulance or other emergency personnel.
  • Seek prompt medical treatment. Once you have reached safety, you should seek medical treatment from a professional. Proper treatment is critical for your health. Also, your personal injury claim will benefit from medical documentation. Part of this documentation includes evidence of the impact of your injuries such as medical diagnosis and treatment paperwork, records of all medical expenses arising from the personal injury, and projections as to the potential need for future medical treatment.
  • Exchange insurance and contact information. As soon as you are safely able to, you should obtain specific information from the other parties involved in causing the accident. This includes getting necessary contact information and the insurance information for all relevant parties.
  • Document and photograph the scene of the accident. While it’s still fresh in your memory, you should take a quick moment to document your recollection of events leading up to the accident. Additionally, you should try to take pictures of the scene and any injuries if it is safe to do so.
  • Learn about the insurance carrier’s claim requirements. The insurance company or your employer may create specific timelines for filing a claim or require you to obtain treatment from a list of pre-approved medical professionals. For this reason, it is essential to determine what information your insurance career will require. With the assistance of an experienced personal injury attorney, you should file an insurance claim as soon as possible.
  • Document your daily experiences after the accident. To calculate what you may be owed, it is essential to determine how much your life has changed after being injured. One of the best ways to accurately capture this information is by taking daily notes. This will ensure that you are documenting any profound changes resulting from your injury while your memory is fresh.

Do I Need An Muskogee Personal Injury Attorney for My Case?

A car accident victim in Muskogee calls the policeThe insurance company and other responsible parties really have their own interests in mind and are not fully invested in your well-being. That is why it is so important to hire a personal injury attorney to fight for you.

Your attorney will focus solely on your best interests and will advocate for your right to receive the best award possible. With a skilled legal team on your side, you will be able to make your case while explaining how the law provides compensation for injuries like yours.

You will also have more confidence throughout the claims process because your attorney will help you understand all available legal options. This will allow you to focus more of your energy on getting better instead of battling insurance adjusters and getting lost in paperwork.

What If I Was Partly at Fault for the Muskogee Accident?

You have the right to tell your side of the story after an accident. To do that, however, you need to make sure that you have all the facts about the accident. This will require research into the conditions that caused the accident. While at the scene, you should, of course, remain truthful and cooperative with law enforcement while being careful to not admit fault.

Often, the evidence that an attorney discovers after a personal injury or accident will show that more than one factor contributed to the accident. Even if you think you were primarily at fault, that may not be the case. That is the reason why it is so important to investigate all of the factors that may have been involved in the accident.

For example, you should determine whether there was equipment or mechanical failures, poor weather conditions, negligence by third-parties, or other factors that contributed to the accident. Demonstrating the liability of other parties may help reduce the responsibility attributed to your actions.

It may feel overwhelming to think about collecting all of this information while recovering from your injuries. However, an experienced personal injury attorney will know how to obtain these pieces of information and how to use them. Ultimately, when you have all the facts, your lawyer will be better able to protect your legal rights.

How Long Will It Take to Recover a Settlement or Court Award in Muskogee?

Every personal injury claim is unique and has its own timeline. This is because the timing of any potential recovery depends on many different factors. A few of the factors that could affect the personal injury recovery timeline include:

  • The severity of your injuries
  • The amount of time your injuries require for stabilization
  • The number of parties that contributed to the accident
  • Whether the parties involved in the accident have insurance
  • Whether liability is clear or disputed
  • Whether you hire an attorney

A Muskogee car accident lawyer holds a gavelDepending on the severity of your injuries, the treatment and physical therapy process may take a long time. However, that does not mean that you have to wait a long time before pursuing your claim. Instead, your lawyers will be able to begin gathering and organizing all of the medical and legal documents that you need to engage in early negotiations with insurance agents and companies.

Having a skilled personal injury lawyer allows you to explore all your options and fight for fair compensation instead of accepting settlement amounts that are decided by insurance companies.

Contact Our Muskogee Injury and Car Accident Attorneys

At Edwards & Patterson Law, our experienced personal injury attorneys are committed the serving injured people in Muskogee and surrounding areas of Oklahoma. We have experience helping injured Oklahomans throughout the state. We are ready to fight for your legal rights. We care about clients and work hard to protect them from unfair insurance tactics.

If you have suffered a personal injury or been in a car accident, contact our Muskogee personal injury lawyers today. You can reach us online or by phone to schedule a free consultation.