Wrongful Death

Two People Killed In Three Vehicle Choctaw County Collision

By Car Accident Help on February 15, 2016 | Posted in: Wrongful Death

The Oklahoma Highway Patrol (OHP) announced that two people were killed on U.S. 271 recently, just five miles from the town of Hugo in southern Oklahoma. The OHP stated that the three vehicle accident resulted in the death of two adults, 32 and 45 years old. Two other individuals, one a 14 year old girl, were injured in the crash.

The accident reportedly happened when a pickup truck slowed to make a left hand turn onto a county road. A vehicle following the truck rear-ended it when trying to pass, then collided head-on with a third vehicle going the opposite direction. Read the rest »

New Jersey Jury Indicts Truck Driver In Tracy Morgan Crash

By Car Accident Help on February 2, 2016 | Posted in: Wrongful Death

Just before Christmas last year, a New Jersey grand jury indicted the driver of the Wal-Mart truck that slammed into the limo carrying comedians Tracy Morgan and James McNair. McNair was killed and Morgan was severely injured in the accident. The driver is being charged with first-degree aggravated manslaughter, second-degree vehicular homicide, and third-degree aggravated assault.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) ruled that driver fatigue was the cause of the 2014 accident. The Wal-Mart corporation recently settled related lawsuits from McNair’s family, Morgan, and others injured in the accident. Read the rest »

One Woman Killed in Edmond Intersection Accident

By Car Accident Help on October 13, 2014 | Posted in: Wrongful Death

According to a report in News9.com, on the afternoon of October 6, there was a fatal two-vehicle collision involving a red Corvette and a dark SUV on Danforth Road and Kelly Avenue in Edmond.

The passengers of the red Corvette, a husband and wife in their mid-50’s, were transported to OU Presbyterian Hospital. The wife later died as a result of her injuries. At the time of the report, the husband was in serious condition with a head injury.

The driver of the dark SUV was treated at a separate Edmond hospital. None of his injuries were life-threatening. 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 »

Edmond Man Killed in Fiery Oklahoma Train Accident

By Car Accident Help on May 15, 2013 | Posted in: Wrongful Death

A 60-year-old driver was killed when his Mack truck collided with a train and caught fire. According to The Associated Press, the fatal train accident occurred at U.S. Highway 64 and Oklahoma Highway 108 in Perry. Officials say the driver was turning when his truck was hit on the driver’s side by a Burlington Northern Santa Fe train. He was trapped inside the burning wreckage and fatally injured. No injuries were reported on the train. It is unclear why the accident occurred or if the location had functioning railroad crossing warning signs.

The Federal Railroad Administration’s Office of Safety Analysis compiles data regarding railroad accidents throughout the country. According to a May 10 search of their records, there were 160 railroad accidents and incidents in Oklahoma in the year 2012. During that same year there were 45 train accidents, three train accident deaths, and one train accident injury in Oklahoma. Human factors were the cause of 13 accidents and 18 accidents were caused by track conditions. Read the rest »

Understanding Your Right to File Bicyclist Wrongful Death Claims in Oklahoma

By Car Accident Help on December 12, 2012 | Posted in: Wrongful Death

When a collision occurs between a bicycle and another larger vehicle, the consequences are often catastrophic or fatal for the person who is on the bicycle. According to the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 716 bicyclists were killed in the year 2008. Of those fatally injured victims, four were killed in Oklahoma. When a bicycle accident fatality occurs as the result of someone else’s negligence or wrongdoing, financial compensation may be available for the victim’s family.

A wrongful death claim in Oklahoma is a civil lawsuit that the family of a deceased bicycle accident victim can file against the at-fault party. However, proving that a driver’s negligence caused or contributed to a fatal car accident can be a challenging process. It is important to remember that a driver does not have to face citations or criminal charges in order to be held financially accountable for a fatal bicycle accident. Read the rest »

Storm Chaser Killed in Oklahoma Car Accident

By Car Accident Help on February 13, 2012 | Posted in: Wrongful Death

A 24-year-old man, a storm chaser who has been featured on the Weather Channel, died in an Oklahoma auto accident after he was hit by a wrong-way driver. According to an Associated Press news report, the man’s vehicle was struck by a driver who was going the wrong direction on the Turner Turnpike in Sapulpa. Oklahoma Highway Patrol officials say alcohol was a factor in this head-on collision. Two other cars were also involved. Those drivers did not suffer life-threatening injuries.

Driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs is illegal under Oklahoma law. According to the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there were a total of 738 fatal crashes in Oklahoma in 2009, of which 265 (or 36 percent) involved alcohol. Also, 32 percent of the drunk drivers involved in these fatal car accidents had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 percent or higher. Under Oklahoma law, it is illegal to operate a motor vehicle with a BAC of 0.08 percent or higher. Read the rest »

Oklahoma Department of Transportation Worker Killed in Accident

By Car Accident Help on December 14, 2011 | Posted in: Wrongful Death

A 42-year-old male U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) worker was killed in an Oklahoma car accident after a vehicle veered into a construction zone and struck him. According to an Associated Press news report, the fatal accident occurred along U.S. Highway 75 in Ramona. Officials say the worker was standing on the centerline in a construction zone when a vehicle driven by a Skiatook resident veered left and struck him. The DOT employee sustained massive injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash. The driver of the vehicle was treated for head injuries. It is not clear if the motorist will be cited for the fatal crash.

Depending upon the circumstances of the accident, financial compensation may be available for the deceased victim’s family through workers’ compensation benefits. In cases where a party other than the employer is at fault, the family can file a wrongful death claim against the at-fault party seeking compensation as well. Read the rest »

Oklahoma City Man Killed in Weekend Car Accident

By Car Accident Help on May 2, 2011 | Posted in: Wrongful Death

A 30-year-old man was killed in a two-car accident on Harrah Road near SE 59th street in Oklahoma City on Saturday night, according to NewsOK. The man was driving north on Harrah Road when he and another car, which was southbound, collided head-on. The man was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash. Two adults and two children in the other car were injured; the adults are in critical condition. Oklahoma City police are still investigating the cause of the accident.

According to the Oklahoma Highway Safety Office (OHSO), there have been between 267 and 1,070 traffic accident fatalities in the state yearly, from 1937-2009. The lowest number of 267 occurred in 1943, the highest of 1,070 occurred in 1982. In 2009, 737 people were killed in Oklahoma traffic accidents. Although 737 is a decrease from the1982 statistic, it is still a great number of lives lost and families torn apart. These accidents took children away from their parents, husbands from their wives, and sisters from their brothers, while causing many financial and emotional hardships. Read the rest »

Arkansas Teen Killed in Tulsa Car Crash

By Car Accident Help on September 8, 2010 | Posted in: Auto Accident, Wrongful Death

A fatal accident took the life of a 17-year old Arkansas teen last week, reported KJRH.com. The girl was traveling with two friends in a Toyota Yaris when a white truck making a left hand turn collided with the vehicle. It is unclear whether the girl was driving or if it was another occupant of the Yaris. The fatal accident happened at the intersection of North Utica and Pine Ave. in Tulsa. The 17-year old was pronounced dead at the scene, police officials said. The other two teens as well as the driver of the truck were taken to a local area hospital with one admitted to the Intensive Care Unit. The extent of their injuries was not immediately available.

An investigation into the circumstances of this fatal Oklahoma car accident will reveal the cause. Other news sources reporting on this story say that the driver of the truck may have been drinking. If the driver is found to have been under the influence of alcohol, he could be found liable for the wrongful death of the teen as well as damages and injuries sustained by the other two Arkansas teens. Read the rest »