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Last Modified on May 15, 2026
Truck accidents can have devastating consequences due to the size and weight of the vehicles involved. If you’ve been injured in a crash with a large commercial vehicle, you need to take certain steps to protect your health and your legal claim. Find out what to do after a truck accident in Oklahoma City.
What You Should Do Immediately After the Crash?
You should never leave the scene of even a seemingly minor accident. Instead, stay at the scene until the police have given you permission to remove your vehicle and head home or to the hospital. While you’re there, you should:
- Check on everyone involved: First, check yourself to see if you have sustained severe injuries that might preclude you from moving safely around the scene. If you haven’t, check on the other accident victims to find out if anyone needs emergency medical services. You should also help everyone move to safety away from the flow of traffic.
- Call the police: You’ll need to report the accident. Oklahoma state law requires accident victims to report crashes to the police if there were injuries, deaths, or more than $300 worth of property damage. Even if you aren’t sure whether these stipulations apply, it’s better to report the accident than to leave without reporting it, as the other person could file a claim later, and you want to have what happened officially recorded.
- Gather information: You should take down all the relevant information from the trucker who hit you, including the company they work for, their CDL number, and contact information. You should also get contact information from any other witnesses to the crash and take photos of the accident scene. Just be sure to stay out of the way of the investigating officer.
- Make arrangements for your car: Whether you were driving a car, truck, SUV, or motorcycle, you’ll want to make arrangements to have it towed to your home or a local mechanic before leaving the scene. If the police have to take this step for you, they’ll have it towed to a local storage facility, where you’ll have to pay to get it out of storage.
Your Next Steps Are Equally Essential
Unfortunately, your job isn’t done when you leave the accident scene. Your top priority may feel like it should be heading home to relax and recover. In fact, you should head to a local hospital like Mercy Hospital, Oklahoma City, right away. Getting a full medical exam isn’t just about catching potentially serious issues like traumatic brain injuries and internal bleeding as early as possible, although that is important. It can also help protect your legal claim.
Insurance companies do everything they can to dispute your claim. If you wait too long to go to the hospital, they may argue that you were injured not in the accident but after the fact. Head to a doctor immediately to avoid this problem and keep records of all your medical bills and out-of-pocket expenses to claim as damages.
Once you’re medically stable, you should contact an Oklahoma City truck accident attorney. Your lawyer can assist you with your truck accident case, taking the weight of keeping up with paperwork and negotiating with insurance companies off your shoulders so you can focus on healing from your injuries. Ideally, you should speak with a lawyer before communicating with the liable party’s insurance company.
You have to report the accident to your own insurance company as soon as you reasonably can. When you call to report it, be careful about what you say. You shouldn’t apologize for the crash or admit fault. Stick to the facts and let your lawyer handle more involved communications.
Statistics About Truck Accidents in Oklahoma
In 2025, 2,904 accidents involving large trucks and buses occurred in the state of Oklahoma. Of those accidents, 120 were fatal. Another 1,272 injuries occurred as a result of truck crashes. Truck crashes happen frequently on local interstates like I-40 and I-35.
FAQs
Is Oklahoma a No-Fault State?
Oklahoma is not a no-fault state. Rather, it has a fault-based system for assigning liability following accidents. The person responsible for causing the accident is also liable for paying any damages that occurred as a result of it. You can, however, be assigned partial fault for an accident and still seek compensation from the more liable party as long as you were 50% or less at fault.
What Is the Three-Collision Rule?
The three-collision rule refers to how serious injuries occur in car and truck crashes. It stipulates that three collisions actually occur during every crash. The first is between the vehicle and the other vehicle or object. The second is between the passengers’ bodies and the inside of the vehicle or the pavement. The third, and most devastating, is the passengers’ organs colliding against each other and the outside of their bodies.
How Long Does It Take to Settle a Trucking Accident Case in Oklahoma City?
How long it takes to settle a trucking accident case in Oklahoma City depends on the specifics of the case. More complex cases with significant liability complications that must go to court to be resolved can take much longer to settle than simple cases where liability is obvious, and the responsible party’s insurance company is willing to negotiate a fair settlement outside of court.
How Much Do Most Truck Accident Settlements Pay in Oklahoma City?
How much most truck accident settlements pay in Oklahoma City varies on a case-by-case basis. Because truck accidents tend to lead to more severe injuries than regular passenger car crashes, accident settlements can be worth quite a bit. However, yours can be worth more if you suffered catastrophic injuries than if you only have a broken bone.
Hire a Truck Accident Lawyer
If you’ve been injured in a crash with a large commercial vehicle, it’s time to hire a truck accident lawyer to help with your case. The team here at Fulmer Sill is ready to help. We have been advocating for truck accident victims for years, empowering our clients to take back control of their lives through seeking the compensation they need and deserve. Contact us to schedule an initial consultation regarding your case today.
