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Last Modified on May 15, 2026
Truck accidents are more likely than crashes involving only passenger cars to cause catastrophic injuries due to the discrepancies in size between the vehicles involved. If you’ve been in one, you need to know what to do after a truck accident in Tulsa if you want to prioritize getting access to the compensation you need to pay for medical care and make up for lost wages you incur while healing.
What to Do at the Scene
If you’ve sustained life-threatening injuries, your only priority should be to get the medical care you need when EMS arrives on the scene. Otherwise, you should follow these steps as closely as you are safely able:
- Check on everyone involved: Check yourself for serious injuries first. If you can move around safely, check on everyone else involved and help anyone who needs assistance to get to a safe place away from traffic.
- Call 911: Call 911 to report the accident to the police and, if necessary, request emergency medical services. If anyone has sustained serious injuries, an ambulance may be necessary, and you should let the 911 dispatcher know.
- Get contact info: While you’re waiting for the police to arrive, talk to the truck driver and any other drivers involved in the crash. Get everyone’s information, including insurance and driver’s license numbers. You’ll need it to file the claim.
- Talk to witnesses: If there were any witnesses to the crash, talk to them now and get their contact information. Your lawyer may want to speak with them later.
- Give a statement: When the police arrive at the scene, be polite and compliant and do not admit fault for the accident. When giving your statement, stick to the facts.
- Take care of your car: If your car can’t be driven safely anymore, make arrangements to have it towed to a mechanic or back to your house. If you neglect to take this step, the police can have it towed, and you’ll have to pay to get it out of storage.
The Next Steps
Once you leave the accident scene, you should head immediately for Saint Francis Hospital or another local clinic to get a full medical examination. Take this step even if you aren’t sure whether you’ve been severely injured. Some injuries don’t show immediate symptoms. You’ll still need proof that you were injured in the crash, not in the intervening time between the crash and a later doctor’s appointment, to show damages in your truck accident claim.
After making sure you’re medically stable, you can call to report the accident to your insurance company and hire a Tulsa truck accident attorney. You should speak with an attorney before you accept any settlement offered by the liable party’s insurance company. Insurance companies often make quick settlement offers that are unreasonably low to people they don’t believe have legal representation.
Your lawyer can also help you determine who to hold liable for the crash. This can be more complicated in truck accidents than for regular passenger vehicle crashes, as truckers, the companies they work for, the companies that maintain the trucks, or even the ones that load the cargo could all hold partial liability for the crash, depending on its underlying cause.
Hiring a lawyer immediately is the most effective way to improve your chances of getting full compensation from your truck accident claim.
Truck Accidents in Tulsa by the Numbers
In 2025, there were 3,182 vehicles involved in crashes with large trucks or buses in Oklahoma. Of the 2,904 crashes that occurred, 120 were fatal. Another 1,272 injuries occurred as a result of large vehicle accidents that year, many of which were serious. Crashes in Tulsa often happen on Interstates 44, 244, and 444, and on large surface streets such as Memorial Drive and Yale Avenue.
FAQs
Is Oklahoma a No-Fault State for Accidents?
Oklahoma is not a no-fault state for accidents. It is a fault-based state, which means that the person who caused the accident is liable for any damages incurred. Oklahoma is also a modified comparative negligence state, though, which means that you can still file a claim for an accident if you were partially at fault for it. You just need to have been assigned less than 51% of the blame.
How Much Are Most Truck Accident Settlements?
How much most truck accident settlements are depends on factors such as the severity of the accident victim’s injuries, who was liable for the crash, and how skilled the victim’s lawyer is at negotiating with insurance companies. People who suffered catastrophic injuries at no fault of their own can usually get more money than those who had only minor injuries or shared some responsibility for their crashes.
What Happens When a Truck Driver Gets in an Accident?
What happens when a truck driver gets in an accident depends on the circumstances of the accident. If the truck driver was breaking the law and that led to the accident, as would be the case with a drunk driver, they may face both license suspension and criminal charges. If the accident occurred due to no fault of the driver’s, they may not face any kind of repercussions. The liable party is responsible for paying all damages.
How Long Does It Take to Settle a Trucking Accident Case in Tulsa?
How long it takes to settle a trucking accident case in Tulsa depends on factors such as the complexity of the case, how many defendants there are, and whether the case must go to trial for a resolution. Most truck accident cases are resolved outside of court through negotiations. However, some must go to trial, which can take substantially longer than negotiating a settlement.
Hire a Truck Accident Lawyer Today
If you’ve been involved in a crash with a large commercial vehicle, it’s time to hire a truck accident lawyer. The team here at Fulmer Sill can help with your truck accident case. We’ve been practicing personal injury law for years. In that time, we’ve developed a reputation for advocating tirelessly for accident victims’ rights and interests. Let us help you. Contact us to schedule an initial consultation with a Tulsa truck accident attorney today.
