Oklahoma Car Accident News Blog

Rollover Crash in Wagoner County Proves Fatal

By Car Accident Help on October 7, 2013 | Posted in: Auto Accident

Officials say a man was killed and a 12-year-old child was seriously injured in a rollover crash in Wagoner County. News on 6 reports that the fatal accident occurred on 71st Street, east of Broken Arrow. Oklahoma Highway Patrol officials say the Chevy Astro van driven by a man was traveling westbound on 71st Street when the vehicle left the roadway and overturned. The 43-year-old man was partially ejected and died from his injuries. The 12-year-old boy, believed to be the driver’s son, was hospitalized with a head injury in critical condition. Officials are still looking into whether the occupants were belted and if speed was a factor. The investigation is ongoing.

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), vehicles roll over in less than 3 percent of all crashes, but these crashes account for more than a third of vehicle occupant fatalities. According to the institute, electronic stability control makes a vehicle less likely to roll over by preventing sideways skidding and loss of control that can lead to rollovers. Read the rest »

Oklahoma City Police Officer Suffers Brain Injury in Crash

By Car Accident Help on September 23, 2013 | Posted in: Auto Accident

An Oklahoma City police officer, who is also a successful UFC featherweight fighter, suffered severe brain injuries in a Pottawatomie County car crash. According to a News9 report, the car crash occurred near Shawnee. Officials say he was off duty and waiting at a red light when another vehicle crashed into the back of his vehicle. He was rushed to the hospital in critical condition and underwent brain surgery the next night. A September 18 report in MMAFighting.com states that he is now off sedation medication and responding to verbal cues.

Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are tragically common in the United States. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), at least 1.7 million TBIs occur each year nationwide. TBIs are a contributing factor in nearly a third of all injury- related deaths. In the year 2006, there were 3,416 traumatic brain injury hospitalizations and 883 TBI-related fatalities in Oklahoma. Read the rest »

Woman Injured After Falling Asleep at the Wheel

By Car Accident Help on September 3, 2013 | Posted in: Auto Accident

A woman was injured in a Pawnee County car crash after allegedly falling asleep at the wheel. According to a News9 report, the accident occurred on US 64 south of Cleveland, Oklahoma. Officials say the 28-year-old driver fell asleep while driving her 1993 Honda. Her car ran off the roadway, struck the guardrail, rolled and flipped. She suffered multiple internal and external injuries including trauma to her head, trunk, arm and leg. The authorities stated that she was sleepy in their official report.

This Oklahoma auto accident is an important reminder about the dangers of fatigued driving. These types of accidents are tragically common, and they often result in serious or fatal injuries. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there are about 100,000 police-reported accidents each year in the United States that are directly attributed to driver fatigue. These crashes result in about 1,550 deaths and 71,000 injuries annually. Read the rest »

Oklahoma City Police Chase Causes Injuries

By Car Accident Help on August 26, 2013 | Posted in: Car Accident Injury

Four people were injured in an Oklahoma crash involving a drunk driver evading police in a stolen car. According to a News OK news report, the police chase and car accident occurred in southwest Oklahoma City. Officials say the driver of a stolen car crashed into a vehicle injuring three people. The driver continued on and crashed into another vehicle near SW 104 and Western Avenue. None of the injuries were life threatening. The driver has been charged with driving under the influence (DUI) and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle.

The consequences of drunk driving can be catastrophic or even fatal. According to Oklahoma Statute 47-67-761: “Any person who operates a motor vehicle while his ability to operate such motor vehicle is impaired by the consumption of alcohol, or any other substance, other than alcohol, which is capable of being ingested, inhaled, injected or absorbed into the human body and is capable of adversely affecting the central nervous system, vision, hearing or other sensory or motor functions,” is driving under the influence. Read the rest »

Bicyclist Killed in Oklahoma City DUI Crash

By Car Accident Help on August 19, 2013 | Posted in: Wrongful Death

A father of three children was killed in an Oklahoma City car accident when a suspected drunk driver struck his bicycle. According to a News 9 report, the fatal crash occurred on N.W. 10th Street in Oklahoma City. Officials say the bicyclist was riding in a lane of traffic with lights on his bicycle when the car struck him. The 37-year-old driver allegedly smelled of alcohol, failed a sobriety test, and was booked on charges of first-degree manslaughter and driving under the influence of alcohol.

Drivers who negligently cause a fatal collision in Oklahoma can face vehicular manslaughter charges. According to Oklahoma Statute 11-903: “When the death of any person ensues within one (1) year as a proximate result of injury received by the driving of any vehicle by any person in reckless disregard of the safety of others, the person so operating such vehicle shall be guilty of negligent homicide.” Individuals convicted of negligent homicide in Oklahoma can face up to a year of incarceration and a fine of $1,000. Read the rest »

Driver Injured in Oklahoma City Hit-and-Run Accident

By Car Accident Help on August 12, 2013 | Posted in: Auto Accident

A driver was injured in an Oklahoma car accident involving a vehicle that failed to remain at the scene of the crash. According to a News9 report, the hit-and-run accident occurred near Britton Road and Shartel Avenue in northwest Oklahoma City. Officials say the hit-and-run driver crashed head-on into the victim’s vehicle. The victim was transported to a nearby hospital with unknown injuries after being freed by the Jaws of Life. Officials believe that alcohol was a contributing factor in the crash. The driver has not been found.

Drivers, who are involved in an accident that resulted in a physical injury or property damage, are required to remain at the crash site, offer assistance, and notify the authorities. Oklahoma Statute 47-10-102 specifically deals with accidents that resulted in a nonfatal injury. The law states: “The driver of any vehicle involved in an accident resulting in a nonfatal injury to 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.” Read the rest »

Ray Maples Receives Superior Martindale-Hubbell Rating

By Car Accident Help on August 5, 2013 | Posted in: Firm News

Oklahoma personal injury lawyer L. Ray Maples, II has received superior ratings both from his clients and peers on the most prestigious attorney rating service, Martindale- Hubbell. Maples was given a 4.9 out of 5 rating by his peers and a 5.0 out of 5.0 perfect rating by his clients in the areas of personal injury, products liability, and nursing home abuse and neglect.

Martindale-Hubbell’s Peer Review Ratings, according to its web site, are “an objective indicator of a lawyer’s high ethical standards and professional ability, generated from evaluations of lawyers by other members of the bar and judiciary in the United States and Canada.” Peer reviewers are asked to evaluate a lawyer’s general ethical standards and legal ability in a specific area of practice. Peers award a rating based on a lawyer’s legal knowledge, analytical capabilities, judgment, communication ability, and legal experience. Read the rest »

Class Action Lawsuit against Toyota Results in $1.6 Billion Settlement

By Car Accident Help on July 24, 2013 | Posted in: Toyota Recall

A judge in Orange County, Calif., approved a $1.6 billion settlement in a class action lawsuit filed by thousands of consumers against Toyota because the value of their vehicles plummeted after the automaker’s large-scale recalls for sudden acceleration issues, UPI reports. This decision does not affect those who have filed a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit against Toyota. The settlement will, however, result in payments to those who are included in the class-action lawsuit for the depreciation of the value of their vehicles.

Toyota owners who suffered financial losses when selling or trading in their vehicles because of the auto defects will now receive compensation from the Japanese auto manufacturer. According to The New York Times, individual payments will be between $125 and $10,000 depending on how much the vehicle depreciated in value. Read the rest »

Tulsa Rollover Accident Causes Critical Injuries

By Car Accident Help on July 17, 2013 | Posted in: Auto Accident

Two men sustained life-threatening injuries in a Tulsa car accident involving a vehicle rollover. According to a News9 report, the rollover crash occurred on Second Street near Lansing Avenue in Tulsa. Officials say the driver of a Honda was traveling at a high rate of speed when he failed to negotiate a curve. The vehicle veered off the roadway, struck railroad tracks, and rolled over. One of the vehicle’s occupants was ejected while the other was trapped inside. The man who was ejected did not have a pulse, but was revived by CPR. The man inside the vehicle appears to have suffered severe internal injuries. Officials believe that neither occupant was wearing a seatbelt. Investigators are still determining the cause of the rollover, but state that alcohol may have been a contributing factor.

There are two types of rollover crashes: tripped and untripped. A tripped rollover accident is when a vehicle rolls after striking an external object such as a curb, railroad track, or other vehicle. An untripped rollover is when a vehicle overturns because of the steering of the driver, the speed of the vehicle, or from friction with the ground. Read the rest »

Bristow Man Killed in Collision with Semi Truck

By Car Accident Help on July 8, 2013 | Posted in: Truck Collision

A 51-year-old Bristow man was killed in an Oklahoma car accident after a semi truck struck his 2000 Chevy truck. According to a News On 6 report, the fatal truck accident occurred on Highway 66 where it intersects with South 501st West Avenue in Creek County. Officials are still trying to determine the cause of the crash, but it appears that the fatally injured victim was traveling west and the semi truck driver was heading east. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol reports that neither man was wearing a seatbelt.

The Bristow man was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash after rescue crews struggled for nearly two hours to free him from his crushed vehicle. The 40-year-old truck driver from Bartlesville was thrown from his cab during the collision. He was transported to a Tulsa hospital in stable condition. Read the rest »

« Previous Entries

Next Entries »