Oklahoma City Personal Injury Lawyers
Your health and wellbeing are amongst your most valuable, personal assets. Without health and well-being, you can’t experience and enjoy your family, loved ones, hobbies, career, and other activities you’re passionate about. If someone else’s negligence has robbed you of your ability to indulge in life’s most basic pleasures, you have the right to take legal action. Personal injury claims can be contentious and complicated affairs. So, it’s a good idea to have a seasoned advocate at your side throughout the litigation.
Attorney Ray Maples - Oklahoma Personal Injury Lawyer
Attorney Ray Maples has been representing Oklahoma City personal injury victims since 2002. He's accumulated an impressive record of victories. He has helped injury victims receive compensation for such damages as:
- Medical bills
- Pain and suffering
- Lost wages due to time off from work
- Physical therapy
- Permanent injury
- Mental anguish
- And more
If you feel you may have a personal injury claim, contact Attorney Ray Maples at (405) 883-4487 for a free consultation.
Responsible Parties
Every citizen has the duty to conduct themselves in a responsible manner, in both their personal and professional lives. When a person’s negligent or reckless actions or inactions cause injury to another person, they can be held liable. Examples of liable parties can include:
- A drunk or otherwise impaired driver
- A reckless or distracted driver
- A landlord or homeowner who doesn’t maintain their property
- An employer who allows unsafe working conditions
- The manufacturer of a faulty product
- A physician who misdiagnoses or mistreats an illness or injury
- Any healthcare professional who performs a medical procedure poorly
Comparative Negligence
Oklahoma is a comparative negligence or shared fault state. In other words, if your actions in any way contributed to your injuries, you can only collect damages proportionate to the other party’s amount of fault.
As an example, say you were injured when a driver ran a red light and crashed into you. However, it was found that you were speeding or going too fast for conditions at the time. A jury could find that you were 20 percent responsible for the accident and the other driver was 80 percent responsible for the accident. In such a determination, you could only collect damages on 80 percent of your medical bills, lost wages, etc. You can only collect damages if you are found to be less than 50 percent negligent and at fault.
Statute of Limitations
If you're injured, it’s important to act quickly as Oklahoma has strict statutes of limitation in personal injury cases. These include:
- Defamation: one year
- Assault and battery: one year
- Negligence (car accident, slip and fall, etc.): two years
- Product liability: two years
- Wrongful death: two years
In many cases, an illness or injury will not be discovered until a later date. In such cases, the statute of limitations begins when the illness or injury is discovered.
As you can see, a personal injury lawsuit is complicated, with many different factors leading to the final outcome. For this reason, it's vital to have an experience personal injury attorney at your side throughout the process.
Frequently Asked Questions About Oklahoma Personal Injury
When Should I File My Personal Injury Lawsuit in Oklahoma?
Under Oklahoma law, the statute of limitations, or time limit, to file a personal injury lawsuit is generally two years from the date of the injury incident. If you do not file your claim before this deadline, the court may deny your rights to compensation completely. It's important to remember that the two-year time period does not apply to every single personal injury case. Your case may have a different deadline depending on the circumstances. It's best to speak with an attorney soon after the injury has occurred in order to ensure you file your claim in time.
For the full text on Oklahoma's statute of limitations, look up Title 12, Ch. 3, Sec. 95 in the Oklahoma Code.
What is Shared Fault in Oklahoma Law?
Oklahoma is a "shared fault" state, meaning that accident victims can be found partially responsible for their injury incidents and be given reduced compensation amounts accordingly. The state applies a "modified comparative fault" model when determining liability. Under this model, an accident victim may have their award reduced based on the percentage of fault he or she has in causing the incident. For example, if a claimant is awarded $10,000 in damages, but is 20 percent at fault for the related accident, their award is reduced by $2,000 (20 percent of $10,000), leaving them with $8,000.
You will only receive an award if your fault is lower than 50 percent. Furthermore, you may actually owe damages if your fault exceeds 50 percent.
What is the Personal Injury Damages Cap in Oklahoma?
Oklahoma is one of many states that enforce a non-economic damages cap, or limit, in personal injury cases. Since 2011, the state's cap for non-economic damages in civil injury cases has been $350,000. Economic damages, such as medical costs and lost wages, are not affected.
An Experienced Attorney on Your Side
Attorney Ray Maples spent years working for some of the world’s largest insurance companies. He is very familiar with the tactics they use to reduce the amount of damages they’re responsible for. In other words, he’s read their playbook.
Don’t hesitate to call his offices today at (405) 883-4487 for a free consultation.