Car crashes and other accidents can result in debilitating and life-threatening injuries. We may commonly refer to these incidents as “accidents.” However, they often occur because of another party’s negligence or wrongdoing.
Whether you are driving on a local road or highway in Ada, OK, or you are patronizing a nearby restaurant or retail establishment, it is important to know that motorists, property owners, dog owners, health care providers, and others may owe you a duty of care. In other words, those parties may have a duty to avoid behaving in a negligent manner that leads to an accident and injuries.
If you get hurt by someone else’s negligence, you may ask: Should I hire a personal injury attorney? Our answer: Yes, you should seek help from an experienced Ada, OK personal injury and car accident lawyer as soon as possible.
The lawyers and staff at Edwards & Patterson Law are always here for you. We care about you. We will fight for you. And we will do everything we can to pursue the compensation that you deserve. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you in a free consultation.
How Can an Ada, OK Personal Injury Attorney Help with My Case?
An Ada, Oklahoma personal injury attorney at Edwards & Patterson Law can help with many different aspects of your case, including:
- Filing an insurance claim – For most accidents and injuries, the first step in pursuing compensation is to file an insurance claim. For instance, if a negligent driver causes you to suffer injuries in a car crash, you would file a claim with the driver’s auto insurance company. If you were hurt in a slip and fall on someone else’s property, you would likely file an insurance claim with that party’s homeowner’s insurance company or commercial liability insurance provider.
- Filing a lawsuit – If an insurance company denies your claim or offers to pay much less than what you are rightfully due as a result of your injuries and other damages, a personal injury attorney at Edwards & Patterson Law can help you to file a civil lawsuit against the negligent party or parties. In some cases, more than one party may be responsible.
- Negotiating with the insurance company – No insurance company is on your side – even your own insurer. That is why you should have an experienced lawyer on your side who will work hard to protect your rights. At every stage of your insurance claim or personal injury lawsuit, we will negotiate with the other side to seek a full and fair settlement.
- Taking your case to trial – We will advise you of any settlement offers that you receive and help you to assess whether it meets your needs and goals. If settlement negotiations fail to result in a settlement offer that you can accept, our highly skilled trial lawyers will be ready to put a strong case before a jury and fight for you at trial.
What Types of Cases Do Our Ada, OK Personal Injury Attorneys Handle?
At Edwards & Patterson Law, we assist clients in Ada and throughout Oklahoma with many different types of personal injury claims. The following are examples of some of the types of cases we frequently handle:
What Are the Most Common Causes of Personal Injuries?
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cites the following as the leading causes of injury and death in our country:
- Auto accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
- Bicycle accidents
- Public transportation accidents
- Accidental poisoning
- Slips and falls, and falls from heights
- Medical errors
- Fires and explosions
- Drowning
- Intentional acts of violence
- Suffocation.
In most of the cases that we see in Ada and elsewhere, the underlying cause is negligence. For instance, a driver may cause a crash in Oklahoma because the driver was tailgating, speeding, texting while driving, or driving while impaired by alcohol or drugs. In those types of cases, victims have every right to seek just compensation for their injuries and other damages.
How Do You Prove Negligence in a Personal Injury Case?
According to Oklahoma jury instructions, the following are the general elements that a plaintiff must prove in order to show that the defendant was negligent in a personal injury case:
- The defendant owed the plaintiff a duty of care – For example, if you were hurt in a slip and fall, you would need to show that the defendant owned the property or was responsible for maintaining the property where your accident happened. The level of duty which the defendant owed will depend on your status as a visitor. Property owners in Ada generally owe a higher duty to invited guests such as customers than they do others such as trespassers.
- The defendant breached the duty of care – Drivers in Ada generally owe a duty to others on the road to drive in a safe and reasonable manner. If someone drives at an excessively fast speed, fails to respect another driver’s right of way, or fails to pay attention to where they are going because they are too busy texting or talking on a cell phone, it would be a breach of that duty.
- Defendant’s negligence caused the plaintiff’s injuries – Causation often is one of the most challenging elements to establish in a personal injury case. For instance, in a medical malpractice claim, a doctor may claim that a patient would have suffered an injury or illness regardless of whether a medical error occurred during the patient’s care and treatment.
- Plaintiff suffered actual damages – It is crucial to provide proof of damages. Medical records, for example, can establish the physical injuries which a plaintiff suffered and underscore the plaintiff’s pain and suffering.
What Types of Damages Can I Receive in My Personal Injury Case?
At Edwards & Patterson Law, we will work tirelessly to pursue the maximum amount of compensation for you in your Ada personal injury claim. Those damages may include:
- Past medical expenses
- Future health care costs associated with your injury
- Lost wages
- Diminishment of your future earning ability
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Punitive damages (if the defendant engaged in especially reckless conduct).
Our Ada, OK Personal Injury Lawyers Want to Help You Today
“We care. We fight. We win!” That’s more than just a slogan at Edwards & Patterson Law. Those words sum up our law firm’s mission and everything we do for our car accident and personal injury clients in Ada and throughout Oklahoma. If you believe that someone else’s negligence caused harm to you or your loved one, contact us today to learn about your rights and options in a free consultation.