Even when two cars collide at relatively low speeds, the drivers and passengers inside those vehicles are still at risk of suffering whiplash, lacerations, soft tissue injuries, and potentially bone fractures. At higher speeds, auto collisions have the potential to cause life-altering injures that leave the injured party unable to handle matters of everyday life or to earn a living. Unfortunately, car wrecks can result in permanent or fatal consequences. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that 36,096 people died as a result of a car wreck in 2019.
No matter how severe your injuries are, an Altus car accident lawyer could help you seek fair financial recovery for any incident that required you to seek professional medical care. In addition to being your guide through the civil litigation process, a qualified personal injury attorney could also negotiate with insurance companies on your behalf to ensure you are not taken advantage of.
Filing Suit Against a Negligent Driver
From the moment a driver in Oklahoma starts their engine to the moment they turn it off again, they assume an implicit legal responsibility to look out for the safety of fellow drivers and motorcyclists, as well as nearby bicyclists and pedestrians. Any time that a driver violates this “duty of care,” they can be held financially accountable for the full value of damages stemming from any wreck that they cause.
In many cases, negligence that leads to car wrecks takes the form of an expressly illegal action. That could mean running a stop sign, exceeding the speed limit, or driving drunk. In other situations, proving fault for a car wreck can be more complicated than just submitting a police report showing that the defendant received a traffic citation.
Among other services, a Southwest Oklahoma car accident attorney could provide essential assistance in tracking down, preserving, and effectively presenting evidence of legal negligence or fault to the defendant’s insurance company or to the court by filing a lawsuit. Depending on the circumstances, this could involve having to subpoena cell phone records to show someone was talking, texting, or using cell phone data while driving. It might mean talking to eyewitnesses who noticed the defendant was distracted or even working with accident reconstruction experts to clearly establish what happened before and during a wreck.
Insurance Settlements for Car Accidents
Individuals involved in auto accidents in Oklahoma have the right to file suit against a negligent driver immediately, rather than first having to exhaust their own insurance coverage. Nevertheless, many car wreck cases start by turning the claim into the insurance company. It is rare for a single negligent driver to have enough money to cover all of a plaintiff’s injuries and losses.
Unfortunately, car insurance companies are all too experienced at finding any possible reason to deny injured people the compensation they deserve. That often entails lowballing them during settlement talks or rejecting their claim outright. Retaining an Altus auto collision lawyer is a clear sign to insurance companies that a person injured in a car wreck will not accept an unfair offer and is capable of fighting for what they really deserve.
Seek Help from an Altus Car Accident Attorney
Recovering fair compensation after a serious auto wreck can be difficult no matter how strong a case you might feel you have. If you try to go up against tenacious defense lawyers and insurance companies without seasoned legal representation of your own, you are likely to have slim odds of getting any compensation at all.
To give yourself the best possible chance of a successful case outcome, consider working with an Altus car accident lawyer who has helped people just like you through similar circumstances before. Call today to schedule a free consultation. Remember, if we take your case it will be on a contingency fee basis, meaning that you only owe us money if and when we recover for you. We do not get paid until you get paid.