Why You Should Hire an Oklahoma Car Accident Lawyer to Make a Valid Claim for Compensation
According to the Oklahoma government, approximately 53,000 car accidents were recorded in cities in 2015. These accidents vary from drunk-driving to mechanical failures to distracted driving. Regardless of the cause, what’s relevant is that there are lots of people who are going to need to file for proper compensation.
One hopes never to be a part of this statistic, but as accidents occur when you least expect it, it’s best to be informed on what to do just in case it does.
Prescription Period
It’s very important to file for compensation as soon as possible because time is literally ticking. In Oklahoma, the prescription period for car accidents or personal injury claim is two years. Any time beyond this, and you can expect your case to be disallowed.
Also keep in mind that this deadline only applies to legal actions. It has no bearing whatsoever on your insurance claim because that is technically a different matter altogether. This makes it a wise move to obtain the services of an Oklahoma car accident lawyer as soon as possible.
Filing Documents
There will be a lot of documents that need to be prepared, filed, and presented, including the official police report on the accident as well as your medical records. These are going to be crucial to your claim as these will establish the correlation between the accident and the injuries you are suffering from.
The case can become rather technical so it’s best that you have all bases covered and not give the other party an opening to contest your claim on the basis of inaccurate or incomplete information. Your lawyer should be able to guide you not only in filling up the necessary documents but also in compiling all the papers you will need to present before the courts.
Proving Fault
In the courtroom, you will need to prove that the accident occurred and consequently caused you to be injured through no fault of your own. Keep in mind that Comparative Fault rules apply in Oklahoma, which basically means that while it’s possible that you did not cause the accident per se, you may have contributed to it as well. In which case, whatever monetary compensation you were supposed to have as the victim will now have to be recomputed to account for your share of liability.
The legal complexities involved in filing a claim for compensation for injuries sustained in car accidents means you have almost no chance of winning a case without the aid of legal counsel. The sooner you seek the aid of a car accident lawyer, the sooner you can be properly compensated.
For more information contact one of our highly qualified Attorneys in the Oklahoma City area call (405) 253-4478 or our main office in Ardmore (580) 798-0447.
Sources:
When to Hire a Personal Injury Attorney. DMV.
How an Attorney Can Help With Your Car Accident Claim. NOLO.