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Last Modified on May 15, 2026
You’ve been in an accident and sustained serious injuries. You’re facing significant hospital bills at the same time as you’re losing wages due to missing work while you heal. You decide it’s time to file a personal injury claim. The question you may be asking yourself is, “What is the average personal injury settlement in Oklahoma?”
The answer is more complicated than you might think.
There Is No Such Thing as an Average Settlement
The first thing you need to realize about personal injury settlements is that they are all different. Because there’s no such thing as an average settlement, it’s impossible to predict the amount of money you’ll get from your claim without first analyzing all the particulars of your case.
What you should be concerned about is whether or not you are getting a fair settlement offer. A fair settlement offer covers 100% of the damages in your case, making it possible to both pay hospital bills and make up for lost wages while also covering any future medical care you may need and non-economic damages such as emotional distress.
Factors That Influence Personal Injury Settlement Amounts
There are many factors that influence personal injury settlement amounts. Some of the top ones include:
The nature of your accident: There were 66,074 total car crashes in Oklahoma in 2021, 20,678 of which caused personal injuries. Car accidents are just one of the most common sources of personal injury claims. Every week in the Sooner State, 986 older adults are also discharged from ERs, and 161 are hospitalized for fall injuries. The nature of the injuries sustained during falls is often different than those from car accidents.
The severity of your injuries: If you suffer catastrophic injuries as a result of your accident, you’ll likely receive a larger settlement than someone who experienced only a broken bone or a mild concussion.
The liable party’s insurance policy per-occurrence limit: The upper limit of your final settlement amount can be below the liable party’s insurance policy per-occurrence limit, sometimes referred to colloquially as the insurance cap.
Whether you were at fault: If you were partially at fault for the accident, your final settlement amount can be lowered by the percentage of blame you were assigned. To give an example, if your final settlement amount was supposed to be $100,000, but you were found to be 40% at-fault, your settlement would be reduced to $60,000.
Your lawyer’s skill in negotiations: More experienced lawyers may be more skilled at negotiating with insurance companies, making it possible for you to negotiate a better settlement. The same is true of lawyers with more trial experience if your case must go to court.
The easiest way to find out what you can expect to make from a personal injury claim is to contact an Oklahoma personal injury attorney to discuss the specifics of your case.
Making Sure Your Claim Covers Your Damages
A fair claim covers 100% of the damages you incurred. Those damages can include economic, non-economic, and, occasionally, punitive damages. Economic damages can include:
- Hospital bills
- Physical therapy
- The cost of ongoing medical care
- Lost wages from missing work
- Potential lost future income
You may also have non-economic damages you can recover. They might include:
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Loss of consortium
In rare cases, courts also award punitive damages. Unlike compensatory damages, the primary purpose of which is to compensate accident victims for their losses, punitive damages serve a different purpose. They are required when courts want to punish defendants for exceptionally dangerous behavior. The court is more likely to assign punitive damages for intentional acts like aggravated assault than for accidents caused by pure negligence.
FAQs
What Is a Typical Amount of Compensation for Pain and Suffering?
There is no typical amount of compensation for pain and suffering because every case is different. The amount of compensation you receive can depend on factors such as the severity of your injuries, how long they are expected to last, and what kind of impact they have on your daily life. Ask your Oklahoma personal injury attorney for further details regarding non-economic damages.
Does Having an MRI Increase Your Settlement in Oklahoma?
Having an MRI can increase your settlement in Oklahoma if it proves that you have one or more injuries detectable via this form of medical imaging. However, not all injuries are visible on MRIs, and these medical images can’t always prove the severity of the symptoms you are experiencing. A TBI may be visible on an MRI, for example, but only you can tell the court how its symptoms are impacting your daily life.
Why Should You Never Admit Fault for an Accident?
You should never admit fault for an accident because it can decrease the amount of money you’re eligible to receive in a settlement. If you’re assigned partial fault for the accident, Oklahoma’s modified comparative negligence laws may still allow you to file a claim if you were less than 51% at fault. However, your final settlement amount can be decreased by the percentage of fault you are assigned.
Is It Worth Filing a Claim for Pain and Suffering in Oklahoma?
It is worth filing a claim for pain and suffering in Oklahoma as part of a larger personal injury case. You’ll have a difficult time proving pain and suffering without also having physical injuries to point at as their cause. However, pain and suffering as non-economic damages can add a substantial amount of money to the overall compensation you’re eligible to receive for other injuries.
Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer Today
Only an Oklahoma personal injury attorney can give you a clear idea of what to expect from your personal injury settlement in the Sooner State. If you’re ready to hire a personal injury lawyer, you can turn to the team here at Fulmer Sill. We have extensive experience in handling personal injury cases and a reputation for advocating aggressively for the rights of accident victims. Contact us to schedule an initial consultation regarding your personal injury case today.
