“Accidents happen,” so the saying goes. But not all accidents are inevitable. When a person or company fails to take due care to prevent harm, accident injuries or illnesses that result can cause serious damage, and that is damage that did not have to occur.
Accidents caused by the carelessness of others aren’t fair. The pain, frustration, and worry that results aren’t fair either. At Edwards & Patterson Law, we fight on the side of every client who has been injured by someone else’s negligence. We work throughout Oklahoma and Arkansas, including Tulsa and McAlester, to help our clients secure the accident compensation they deserve when “accidents happen.”
Car Accidents
Dozens of car accidents occur on Oklahoma and Arkansas roads every day, from basic fender-benders to major crashes that claim one or more lives. In a crash, you may suffer from both physical injuries and mental shock. Dealing with insurance company paperwork, investigating the real cause of the crash, and fighting for a fair settlement can seem overwhelming – even impossible. Our Tulsa car accident lawyers can help by handling your accident claim investigation and fighting to protect your rights, so that you can focus on healing.
Truck Accidents
In a single recent year, over 4,000 people died in large vehicle crashes nationwide, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Although the number of annual car accidents has been dropping steadily for a decade, the number of 18-wheeler crashes continues to rise. A fully-loaded tractor-trailer may weigh up to 80,000 pounds and stand over 13 feet high. In a crash, a passenger car is at a serious disadvantage.
Finding out who is at fault in a large vehicle accident can be complicated. Truck drivers, trucking companies, mechanics, and shippers all have roles to play. An experienced truck accident law firm can help you unravel the events leading up to the moment of impact and ensure all negligent parties are held accountable for their actions.
Motorcycle Accidents
Motorcyclists have the same right to use the public streets as any other driver in Arkansas or Oklahoma. Unfortunately, not all car drivers respect this legal right – or pay sufficient attention to their surroundings to keep motorcyclists safe. Drivers distracted by cell phones or who refuse to give motorcyclists the space they need to maneuver safely put every biker at serious risk. If you’ve been injured in a crash, talk to one of our Tulsa or McAlester accident attorneys with experience building and winning injury cases related to motorcycle crashes. Our motorcycle accident lawyers know how to present the facts of your case in the strong, compelling fashion your story deserves.
Slip and Fall Accidents
Mention the words “slip and fall,” and many people think of stock comedy sketches involving banana peels. But what’s funny on stage can be life-altering or even deadly in real life. That’s why states like Oklahoma and Arkansas expect property owners to take precautions to prevent slips, trips and falls on their properties – especially if they operate businesses that are open to the public.
Any number of factors can contribute to a slip-and-fall accident. Spills, melted snow or slush, cracked pavement, broken floor tiles, and debris can all turn a pleasant outing into a painful tragedy in seconds. Our slip and fall injury attorneys can help determine what happened and whether the property owner failed in their legal duty to clean up or to warn you about the danger.
Toxic Torts
A toxic tort case deals with illnesses or injuries caused by exposure to a dangerous substance, like a pharmaceutical drug, chemicals, heavy metals, or pesticides. In some toxic torts, a product is released with dangerous amounts of a known toxin present, causing harm. In others, a compound thought to be safe is later discovered to cause serious harm to people. A toxic tort might arise if you are made ill by exposure to a chemical or other compound while on the job, for example. Or you might be injured by a medication that causes dangerous side effects. Exposure to dangerous toxins in household products or even in the house itself – as in toxic black mold injury claims – can also cause serious harm. Our lawyers can help you establish the link between the toxin exposure and the symptoms you are now experiencing in order to pursue accident compensation.
Oilfield Accidents
Oilfields dot the landscape for miles of Oklahoma and Arkansas. They employ thousands of workers, and the oil they produce contributes to a massive range of consumer products, from gasoline to plastics. Oilfield work is essential to our way of life – but it can also be dangerous.
When an oilfield accident occurs, any number of parties could be partly or entirely responsible. These include employers of any of the many workers on the site, contractors, and manufacturers of defective equipment or materials used in the work. Our oil field accident attorneys can help you determine who should be held accountable and pursue all available avenues of accident compensation to meet your needs after the accident.
Product Defects
Our lives are filled with consumer products we use every day, from toiletries and medicine to the vehicles we drive and the machinery, tools, or supplies we use at work. Manufacturers, designers, parts suppliers, and distributors all have a role to play in ensuring that these products are free of hidden defects and that they come with adequate warnings about potential risks associated with using the product. When a product defect is present or a critical warning is missing, the user might not know about the problem until it is too late: a serious injury or illness has already occurred. When you work with an experienced product defect lawyer in Oklahoma or Arkansas, you gain an ally who can help you determine exactly what caused an injury and hold negligent companies liable for the harm caused.
Birth Injuries
The Oklahoma Kids Count Partnership estimates that 140 babies are born in Oklahoma every day. About 103 babies per day are born in Arkansas, according to the Children’s Defense Fund. While modern medicine has reduced many of the risks associated with childbirth for both women and infants, negligence in the birthing room can still cause serious harm to the mother, the baby, or both. Conditions like cerebral palsy, shoulder dystocia, and traumatic brain injuries can be caused by improper techniques used during the birthing process or improper handling of the infant during birth. Babies harmed by birth injuries may require lifelong specialized care and assistance.
How Our Oklahoma Accident Attorneys Can Help
After an accident, many people find themselves searching for the best accident attorney. We know finding the right lawyer is not an easy process. At Edwards & Patterson Law, our attorneys are up to the task of investigating your accident claim and finding out exactly what and who caused it. We work tirelessly to gather evidence and examine the circumstances that led to your injury or illness. When needed, we work together with experts in medicine, accident reconstruction, and other fields to build the strongest possible case for each client.
To learn more, contact our accident law firm today. We offer free and confidential case evaluations for a wide range of accidents and injuries. Because we work on a contingency basis, you won’t pay attorney’s fees unless we recover for you. Call us today or contact us online.