Oklahoma Personal Injury Legal Blog
Oklahoma Jackknife Truck Accidents Can Cause Serious Injuries
Jackknife truck accidents can cause devastating damages and serious injuries. A tractor-trailer jackknife involves a bend at the hinge between the trailer and the tractor. This motion can cause the truck to veer out of control or even rollover. Tragically, these incidents often result in injuries to the truck driver and any other motorist that was close to the truck during the incident.
Drivers who witness a trailer begin to swerve back and forth while braking should keep their distance. It is possible that the trailer will begin to push the tractor from behind before swinging to the side. The swinging trailer can easily crush a smaller passenger vehicle. Once the truck comes to a stop it may be on its side or completely jackknifed. In either case, the truck driver will have difficulty getting his or her vehicle off the roadway. A completely stopped truck on the highway can be extremely dangerous for approaching motorists.
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Oklahoma Rollover Accident Claims the Lives of Two People
Two people were killed in an Oklahoma rollover accident in which several people were ejected. According to a news report in The Purcell Register, the fatal car crash occurred on state Highway 74 north of the Garvin-McClain County line. Officials say a 2000 Chevrolet pickup drifted off the roadway before the 20-year-old male driver over-corrected, causing the vehicle to roll over multiple times. The driver and a 19-year-old male passenger were fatally injured in the rollover. A 24-year-old female passenger survived the crash with serious injuries. According to the report, all three occupants were not wearing seatbelts at the time of the crash.
There are a number of questions that must be asked following a rollover accident involving passenger ejections. What caused the vehicle to roll over? Did the top-heavy design of the vehicle contribute to the crash? Did a hazardous roadway condition, such as a dangerous shoulder or large pothole, cause the vehicle to veer out of control? Was the driver speeding, distracted, or fatigued at the time of the crash? Were the occupants wearing seatbelts that failed to work properly during the rollover? Were other vehicles or drivers involved?
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Woman Killed in Tulsa Intersection Accident
A 27-year-old woman was killed in a Tulsa intersection accident involving a two-car collision at an intersection. According to a news report in Tulsa World, the fatal car crash occurred on Lynn Lane Road and 21st Street in Tulsa. Officials say the victim’s vehicle stopped before entering the intersection where a second car struck it. The driver suffered fatal injuries and her 17-year-old female passenger has been listed in critical condition. The 45-year-old woman driving the other vehicle sustained injuries that are not considered life threatening. It is unclear if she will be cited for the fatal crash.
According to the Oklahoma Highway Safety Office, there were 616 fatalities and 24,445 injuries suffered in Oklahoma car accidents in the year 2010. During that same year, there were eight fatalities reported as a result of 9,687 car accidents in Tulsa.
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Human Error to Blame for Oklahoma Train Accident
Three crewmembers from Union Pacific were killed in a fatal Oklahoma train accident involving a head-on collision between two trains. According to a news report in the Associated Press, the fatal train crash occurred just east of Goodwell, 300 miles northwest of Oklahoma City. Officials say the collision triggered a “diesel-fueled fireball” that badly burned the remains of the victims. In addition to the three fatalities, one worker jumped to safety while only suffering cuts and bruises.
Investigators, based on preliminary reports, state that the signals were working properly and that one of the trains should have pulled onto a side track. Therefore, experts believe that human error may have been a factor in the accident. They are trying to determine if the negligence of an operator or a supervisor at the communications center contributed to the crash.
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Woman Injured in Oklahoma City Hit-and-Run Accident
A woman was seriously injured in an Oklahoma City car accident that involved a driver who fled the scene of the crash. According to a NewsOK report, the hit-and-run accident occurred on the south side of NW 23 east of Meridian Avenue in Oklahoma City. Officials say a car overturned on the roadway before two of the three occupants fled the scene of the accident. A woman in the vehicle suffered critical injuries and was listed as unconscious at the time of this report. Officials are still trying to determine which one of the two men was responsible for the accident.
It is illegal to leave the scene of an accident when someone has suffered an injury. Under Oklahoma Section 10-102.1: “The driver of any vehicle involved in an accident resulting in the death of any person shall immediately stop such vehicle at the scene of such accident or as close thereto as possible but shall then forthwith return to and in every event shall remain at the scene of the accident.”
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One Injured in Oklahoma City Motorcycle Accident
One person was hospitalized in an Oklahoma City motorcycle accident involving a collision between a motorcycle and a truck. According to a KOCO news report, the motorcycle accident occurred near the intersection of Northeast 23rd Street and North Coltrane Road in Oklahoma City. Officials are looking into whether the motorcycle drove into the truck. One of the motorists was transported to a nearby hospital. It is not clear how the accident occurred or how it could have been prevented.
Any time an intersection accident occurs, investigators will have to determine if either motorist failed to obey the posted traffic control device. According to Oklahoma Statute 11-201: “The driver of any vehicle shall obey the instructions of any official traffic-control device applicable thereto placed in accordance with the provisions of this act, unless otherwise directed by a traffic or police officer.”
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Bartlesville Head-On Collision Causes Injuries
Two Bartlesville residents were injured in an Oklahoma car accident involving a head-on collision. According to a KJRH news report, the head-on collision occurred on Price Road in Bartlesville. Officials say a northbound Mercedes SUV went left of center and crashed head-on into a Mitsubishi Galant. The woman, who was in her 70s, was driving the Mitsubishi and suffered injuries to her leg and chest as well as lacerations to her arms as a result of airbag deployment. The male driver of the Mercedes, a man in his 30s, suffered a head laceration. It is unclear if the driver of the Mercedes will face citations for crossing into oncoming traffic.
Under Oklahoma Statute 11.311: “Whenever any highway has been divided into two or more roadways by leaving an intervening space or by a physical barrier or clearly indicated dividing section so constructed as to impede vehicular traffic, every vehicle shall be driven only upon the right-hand roadway.” Drivers who let their vehicles drift into oncoming traffic may be held liable for the damages they cause.
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Driver Killed in El Reno Train Accident
A man was killed in an Oklahoma car accident involving a collision between a vehicle and a train. According to a news report in The Associated Press, the fatal train accident occurred at the intersection of Elm Street and Radio Road in El Reno. Officials say the victim was the sole occupant of the car at the time of the collision. He was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash. The cause of the collision remains under investigation.
According to the Annual Railroad Safety Statistics report by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), there were 11,142 train accidents and incidents in the United States in the year 2009. In those accidents, 695 people were killed and 7,925 were injured. In Oklahoma, 11 fatalities and 64 injuries resulted from train accidents during that same year. Between the years 2005 and 2009, 68 people were killed and 467 were injured in Oklahoma train accidents.
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How Oklahomans Can Seek Compensation for Whiplash Injuries
If you are experiencing neck pain or stiffness following an Oklahoma car accident, you may be suffering from whiplash. Other potential symptoms include: headaches, shoulder pain, dizziness, fatigue, and back pain. If you are feeling any of these symptoms, it is important that you report the accident to the authorities and seek immediate medical attention. Unfortunately, the resulting medical bills, lost wages, and other related losses suffered in a whiplash accident could add up quickly. If, however, the whiplash injury resulted from someone else’s negligence or wrongdoing, financial compensation may be available for the victim’s injuries, damages, and losses.
If your medical records show that you have suffered a whiplash injury, the next step in pursuing financial compensation for your losses is to file a claim with the at-fault driver’s insurance provider. Ideally, they will offer you a settlement that covers all of your past and future medical bills related to the accident as well as compensation for any other losses you may have suffered. Sadly, it is common for insurance companies to deny valid claims or to offer settlements that do not even begin to fully cover the losses suffered in a car accident.
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Six People Injured in Possible DWI Collision in Shawnee
Six people were injured in a Lincoln County traffic accident, which police report involved a suspected drunk driver. According to a news report in The News-Star, the DUI car accident occurred on County Road 950 west of County Road 3340 in Shawnee. Officials say the 23-year-old driver of a 2006 Ford F-150 was under the influence when his vehicle left the roadway and struck an embankment and a culvert before overturning. The report states that the driver was not wearing a seatbelt when he was ejected. He suffered head, internal, and external injuries.
A 33-year-old female passenger suffered head and arm injuries, a 30-year-old woman sustained internal injuries, a 20-year-old woman suffered a head injury, a 22-year-old man sustained head and arm injuries, and an 18-year-old man was treated and released for arm and head injuries.
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