When I was learning to drive, my Driver’s Education teacher made us watch a film on the devastating effects of driving. It wasn’t one of those blood-splattered-on-the-highway films, this one talked about various risks associated with driving, things that could cause problems.
Back then we didn’t have cell phones, at least the prevalent number we do [...]
A blog about legal issues facing Oklahomans
Category Archives: Personal Injuries
Beware of the Truckers
Don’t Fall for “The Buyoff”
Nothing can be worse following an auto accident than to not collect someone’s insurance information. There’s a common accident/insurance scam where a scammer will offer you a certain low-ball monetary sum to avoid having to give you insurance information.
Usually the scam goes something like this:
You’re waiting in a parking lot or at a stop [...]
What the Heck is Mediation?
Well, your attorney finally told you that your lawsuit is moving forward, and the other side wants to mediate. "Great," you think, "what the heck is that? What happened to the trial?"
Quite simply, the lawsuit still exists, mediation is merely an easy way to resolve your case without the additional expense of trial. A mediation [...]
Safety Above All Else
One of the things that never ceases to amaze me is the increased number of accidents. Whether the accident occurs because of the weather, or in an automobile, more people seem to get involved in accidents as folks are hurriedly rushing to complete last-minute tasks before settling down for holiday activities.
KOCO, Oklahoma’s ABC affiliate had [...]
Insurance Companies – The essence of bad faith?
I can’t decide what I dislike more, the Dallas Cowboys (I grew up a 49ers fan), or insurance companies. I guess, based on articles like this one, I’d have to say insurance companies.
In this Connecticut case, a jury smacked The Hartford Insurance Company with a $15 million jury verdict for unfair trade practices. Apparently, The [...]
Borrowing Against Your Claim
When you’re injured, you’re likely to lose time from work and a steady income. You’ll find, especially as your case progresses, that there are plenty of lenders willing to "finance" your lifestyle, for a "share" of your settlement award.
These lenders offer to pay you a lump sum award now, for payment, plus interest, when [...]
The Lawsuit from Start to Finish
There’s a very high likelihood that after you hire your attorney, you’ll have infrequent, short conversations with him/her. It’s also very likely that you’ll wonder what is happening and how your case is progressing, or more realistically, why it’s taking so long to resolve. Sometimes this infrequent contact will frustrate you. "After all," you say, [...]
The Attorney-Client Contract
When you decide to hire an attorney, one of the documents you’ll be asked to sign is the attorney-client contract. Most contracts contain the same language and protections. It’s in your best interest to sign a contract and fee agreement with your attorney.
All contracts should outline some of the basic tenants of the attorney-client relationship, [...]
Thank Your Local Legislature
Tomorrow (November 1, 2009), a lot of the protections offered to Oklahoma’s injured parties and consumers will disappear. During this past legislative session, several of the laws related to personal injuries and consumer rights changed. I believe many of them are bad changes, and will lessen the access many people have to redressing their injuries.
Here’s [...]
Handling Your “M.I.M.I.” Claim
On most occasions, the only auto injury accident you’ll be involved in is one with minimal impact and miminal injury. Most personal injury or auto accident attorneys won’t represent "MIMI" clients because the payoff is small. MIMI claims generally tend to be lower paying, and more difficult to litigate because insurance carriers often fight their [...]
