Shawnee Car Accident Attorney

Shawnee is known as a quiet, comfortable town just east of Oklahoma City. Home to dozens of painted horses celebrating the area’s history and beautiful natural scenery, Shawnee is a welcoming community and a great place to live in Pottawatomie County. However, it’s possible for car accidents to happen in various ways. If you are hurt in an accident, you’ll need to speak with a Shawnee car accident lawyer at your first opportunity.

Experienced Legal Counsel for Car Accident Victims in Shawnee, OK

The attorneys at Fulmer Sill have the resources, skill, and experience needed to represent clients in the most challenging car accident cases in Shawnee and surrounding areas of Oklahoma. We take time to learn as much as possible about each client we represent, identifying all the ways their car accident has impacted their life. You’re likely to have lots of questions in the aftermath of your accident, and we will do everything we can to help you understand your options.

You may believe that fault for your recent car accident is clear and that you understand the process of recovering compensation for your damages. However, the reality is that any car accident case can evolve into a very complex legal battle that the average person will not be able to navigate successfully on their own.

Your Shawnee car accident lawyer at Fulmer Sill can obtain the evidence you will need to prove fault, determine the most viable recovery options available to you, and accurately calculate all of the damages you are eligible to claim. You may have multiple recovery options available to you, and the right attorney can help you take full advantage of them and maximize your compensation.

Understanding the Dangers of Car Accidents

It’s possible for some car accidents to result in little more than cosmetic damage to the vehicles involved, but some accidents are far more devastating. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported in 2022 that nearly 44,000 people died in motor vehicle collisions throughout the United States, and more than 2.6 million people received emergency room treatment for injuries they sustained in car accidents.

State-level data in Oklahoma from the Office of Highway Safety reported that in 2021, the most recent year for crash data, there were 9,360 motor vehicle crashes throughout Oklahoma. These accidents caused 11,619 injuries and 762 deaths. The majority of these accidents happened because of negligence, but many occurred because of illegal misconduct:

• In 2021, a total of 1,243 motor vehicle crashes in Oklahoma were attributed to distracted driving. These accidents caused 1,591 injuries and 45 deaths.
• Also in 2021, there were 1,625 accidents caused by speeding, resulting in 1,940 injuries and 206 deaths.
• There were 816 accidents in 2021 caused by drunk driving, resulting in 939 injuries and 195 deaths.

These are just a few examples of how car accidents can happen in Shawnee and the surrounding communities of Oklahoma. State law requires establishing fault for an accident in order to claim compensation for your damages. This means that if you believe another driver is to blame for causing your recent accident, you will need to prove fault before you can recover compensation with an auto insurance claim or personal injury case.

Proving Liability for Your Car Accident in Shawnee

You may have little to no recollection of your accident due to your injuries, or you may believe you remember exactly how the accident happened. Whatever your case entails, you will need to secure evidence that proves the exact cause of the accident and identifies the party responsible for causing it. It’s possible for one party to bear sole liability or for multiple parties to share fault, and a Shawnee car accident lawyer can be a valuable asset for discerning any such issues.

Various forms of evidence could be crucial to your case. A copy of the police report, pictures of the crash scene, cell phone records, and testimony from eyewitnesses are just a few examples of evidence that may be essential for proving fault for your accident. Once you establish fault, your attorney can help you proceed with claiming compensation for your damages.

Filing an Auto Insurance Claim After a Car Accident

Oklahoma enforces a fault-based system for resolving vehicle accident cases involving more than one driver, so the state requires all drivers to have car insurance meeting minimum liability coverage requirements. An individual auto insurance policy must include bodily injury liability coverage and property damage liability coverage. When a driver causes an accident, their insurance policy can cover the damages they inflicted on another driver.

Unfortunately, dealing with insurance company representatives after a car accident is notoriously difficult. Most insurance companies will do everything they can to avoid paying out fair settlements to injured claimants, looking for any justification they can find to deny or devalue a claim. Some will even engage in bad faith, hoping to intimidate claimants into accepting lowball settlements or denying their claims, hoping they will not know how to fight back.

Hiring an experienced Shawnee car accident lawyer to represent you levels the playing field between you and the insurance carrier. Once an insurance company representative sees that you have legal representation, they will be more likely to process your claim efficiently and in good faith. The attorneys at Fulmer Sill know how insurance carriers in Oklahoma handle accident claims and will ensure you are treated fairly.

Recovering With a Personal Injury Case in Shawnee

You may need to file a personal injury case against the driver responsible for your accident. Success with this civil claim will require proving that the defendant directly caused your claimed damages, and the standard of proof you must meet in this case will be a preponderance of the evidence. This means your evidence must show that the defendant is more likely than not responsible for causing your accident.

Your Shawnee car accident lawyer at Fulmer Sill can build a strong personal injury case for you. You must prove that the defendant was negligent or engaged in some illegal misconduct that directly caused the accident. Next, you will need to prove the full scope of the damages you suffered because of their actions. You can claim compensation for the damages directly resulting from the defendant’s actions.

If you are successful in establishing a defendant’s liability in a personal injury case, it’s possible to recover compensation for any economic and non-economic damages they inflicted. Economic damages can include any financial losses directly resulting from the accident, such as vehicle repair or replacement costs, immediate and future medical expenses, lost income, and lost future earning capacity if your injuries prevent you from returning to work in the future.

In addition to these economic damages, you can also seek compensation for the pain and suffering the defendant caused. The amount of pain and suffering compensation you receive will depend on the overall severity of the harm you experienced. Generally, more serious injuries result in greater pain and suffering compensation. Your Shawnee car accident lawyer can help you maximize this aspect of your case award.

When it comes to resolving your personal injury case, it is unlikely that you will face proceedings in the Shawnee City Court. The vast majority of personal injury cases filed in the United States each year are resolved through private settlement negotiations.

During settlement, the parties involved meet privately and attempt to negotiate mutually acceptable terms for resolving the personal injury case. As long as they are both willing to compromise, it is faster than litigation.

Some cases may need to be resolved in the courtroom, however. In either situation, you need to have an experienced Shawnee car accident lawyer representing you to ensure the greatest chance of reaching a positive outcome in your case. Fulmer Sill can represent you in settlement negotiations, and we can prepare your case for trial if litigation is unavoidable for any reason.

What to Expect From Your Shawnee Car Accident Lawyer at Fulmer Sill

Facing the aftermath of an unexpected car accident in Shawnee can be confusing and stressful. You may not only have suffered serious injuries, but you will also face vehicle repair costs and other expenses that can quickly create a difficult financial situation for you and your family. You have limited time to pursue your recovery, so it’s important to reach out to an experienced Shawnee car accident lawyer right away to discuss your options.

When you hire Fulmer Sill, you invest in representation from a team of legal advocates who will pay personal attention to every phase of your case. While all car accident cases in Oklahoma follow similar procedural rules, every case is unique when it comes to the damages a victim has suffered and the challenges they might face in their efforts to ensure accountability and recover compensation.

You have limited time to file an auto insurance claim and/or personal injury suit in Oklahoma after an accident. Additionally, the evidence you might need to prove fault may only be available to collect for a short time. The first steps you take immediately following your accident are crucial to your success with your case. After you receive medical treatment for your injuries, it’s vital to reach out to Fulmer Sill to speak with an experienced attorney right away.

FAQs

How Can I Prove Fault for a Car Accident in Shawnee?

It’s possible to prove fault for a car accident in Shawnee using various forms of evidence. An experienced Shawnee car accident lawyer can help their client obtain drivers’ cell phone records, vehicle computer data, the police report from the crash, and testimony from eyewitnesses to help them prove liability for their accident. Proving fault is an essential first step in recovering compensation for damages another driver caused in Shawnee.

What Happens if I’m Partly Responsible for My Car Crash in Shawnee?

If you share fault for your car accident in Shawnee, Oklahoma’s modified comparative fault rule will apply to your case. You will be assigned a percentage of fault for the accident, and as long as this percentage is lower than the defendant’s, you can still receive compensation. However, your case award will be reduced by your fault percentage. If the plaintiff’s fault exceeds the defendant’s, the plaintiff cannot claim compensation.

How Much Compensation Can I Claim for a Car Accident?

The amount of compensation you can claim for a car accident will depend mostly on the severity of your damages. You have the right to seek full repayment of your medical expenses, future medical treatment costs, lost wages, and lost earning power if you are unable to work in the future due to your injuries. You also have the right to claim pain and suffering compensation. More serious injuries tend to result in greater compensation in these cases.

Why Do I Need to Hire a Shawnee Car Accident Lawyer?

You need to hire a Shawnee car accident lawyer because even a seemingly straightforward case could escalate into a complex legal ordeal that you will not know how to resolve on your own. The right attorney will be an invaluable asset for building your case

What Does It Cost to Hire a Shawnee Car Accident Lawyer?

The cost to hire a Shawnee car accident lawyer will only be a percentage of your total compensation when you hire Fulmer Sill to represent you. Our firm accepts personal injury cases on a contingency fee basis, meaning we do not charge upfront fees. Instead, we charge our client a percentage of the total compensation we recover for them when we win their case. If we are unable to obtain compensation for any reason, there is no fee.

The team at Fulmer Sill aims to empower accident victims in Shawnee, building strong cases intended to secure maximum compensation for their damages. If you believe another driver is responsible for causing your recent accident, we can help you hold them accountable. You have limited time to build your case, so contact our firm today and schedule your free consultation with an experienced Shawnee car accident lawyer.