Truck accident
Truck Accident Attorneys in Tulsa, Oklahoma
The firms in this guide
1. Norwood Law
Practice Focus: Truck accidents, motor vehicle and car accidents, motorcycle accidents, wrongful death, bad faith insurance claims; the firm also handles criminal defense and family law
Case Types Handled: Truck accidents, motor vehicle accidents, car accidents, motorcycle accidents, bicycle accidents, wrongful death, product liability, bad faith insurance claims
Legal Services: Personal injury claims, bad faith insurance claims, litigation
Background: Norwood Law is a Tulsa firm established in 2004 that serves clients throughout Tulsa and northeast Oklahoma. Its practice combines personal injury, criminal defense and family law.
Location: 1601 South Main Street, Suite 300, Tulsa, OK 74119
Contact: (918) 582-6464 | https://norwoodlegal.com/
Consultation: Free consultation, no cost and no obligation
2. Kania Law Office
Practice Focus: Truck accidents, semi-truck collisions, commercial vehicle crashes, 18-wheeler accidents, tractor-trailer incidents, catastrophic injuries, wrongful death claims
Case Types Handled: Commercial truck accidents, semi-truck crashes, delivery truck incidents, driver negligence cases, trucking company liability matters, highway trucking accidents, intersection truck collisions
Legal Services: Case evaluation, accident investigation, evidence gathering, federal regulation compliance review, driver history analysis, insurance negotiations, litigation, trial representation, settlement negotiations, medical expense recovery
Background: Kania Law Office focuses on semi-truck accident cases and personal injury matters in the Tulsa area. The firm has developed specific experience in trucking litigation and understanding of federal motor carrier safety regulations.
Location: Tulsa, OK
Contact: (918) 743-2233 | https://www.kanialaw.com
Consultation: Free initial consultations
3. Graves McLain, PLLC
Practice Focus: Truck accidents, 18-wheeler crashes, commercial vehicle collisions, semi-truck accidents, catastrophic injury litigation, wrongful death from trucking incidents
Case Types Handled: Large truck collisions, tractor-trailer accidents, delivery vehicle crashes, commercial fleet incidents, driver fatigue cases, trucking regulation violation cases, multi-vehicle trucking accidents
Legal Services: Comprehensive accident investigation, evidence preservation, federal trucking regulation analysis, driver qualification review, insurance claim negotiations, litigation, trial representation, settlement negotiations, wrongful death claims
Background: Graves McLain, PLLC is a trial law firm serving Tulsa and Oklahoma. The firm’s attorneys have experience handling trucking accident litigation and taking cases to trial when necessary to obtain fair compensation.
Location: Tulsa, OK
Contact: (918) 601-5961 | https://www.gravesmclain.com
Consultation: Free consultations available
4. Wandres Law, PLLC
Practice Focus: Truck accidents, commercial vehicle collisions, 18-wheeler crashes, semi-truck accidents, catastrophic injuries, wrongful death from trucking incidents
Case Types Handled: Tractor-trailer accidents, delivery truck collisions, commercial fleet crashes, driver negligence incidents, trucking company liability cases, intersection truck accidents, highway trucking collisions
Legal Services: Case investigation, evidence gathering and preservation, federal regulation compliance analysis, insurance negotiations, litigation, trial representation, settlement negotiations, medical treatment coordination, lost wage recovery
Background: Wandres Law, PLLC is operated by brothers Patrick and Victor Wandres, who are native Tulsans. The firm focuses on personal injury matters including trucking accidents and serves clients throughout the Tulsa metropolitan area.
Location: Tulsa, OK
Contact: Contact through website | https://www.wandreslaw.com
Consultation: Free case evaluations
5. Abel Law Firm
Practice Focus: Truck accidents, car accidents, motorcycle accidents, drunk driving (DUI) accidents, wrongful death, insurance disputes
Case Types Handled: Truck accidents, car accidents, motorcycle accidents, drunk driving accidents, brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, burn injuries, wrongful death
Legal Services: Claims for medical expenses, lost income and emotional distress, settlement negotiations, litigation when a case does not settle, insurance disputes
Background: Abel Law Firm is an Oklahoma personal injury firm with offices in Tulsa and Oklahoma City that marks 50 years of service. Its Tulsa office serves accident victims in Spanish as well as English.
Location: 5525 E 51st St, Suite 540, Tulsa, OK 74135
Contact: (918) 777-7046 | https://www.abellawfirm.com/tulsa/
Consultation: Free consultation, contingency fee (no legal fee if there is no recovery)
Federal Truck Coverage, Driving Limits and Wrongful Death Damages in Tulsa Truck Crash Claims
A Tulsa truck crash claim looks to federal rules for three facts: whether the truck was a commercial motor vehicle, what coverage its carrier needed and how long its driver could drive. Oklahoma law then sets the comparative negligence bar and the damages a family can recover after a fatal crash.
Which Trucks the Federal Rules Reach and Their Coverage
Under 49 CFR 390.5, a commercial motor vehicle includes a vehicle used on a highway in interstate commerce with a gross vehicle weight rating or gross combination weight rating, or actual gross weight, of 10,001 pounds or more, whichever is greater. Under 49 CFR 387.9, a for-hire carrier hauling nonhazardous property in interstate or foreign commerce in a vehicle rated 10,001 pounds or more must carry at least $750,000, and under 387.7 it may not operate until that coverage is in effect.
The Daily Driving Window and Post-Crash Testing
Except as otherwise provided in 49 CFR 395.1, 49 CFR 395.3(a) requires a property-carrying driver to have 10 consecutive hours off duty before driving, limits driving to 11 hours, bars driving after the 14th consecutive hour after coming on duty, and bars driving once more than 8 hours of driving time have passed without a consecutive 30-minute interruption. Under 382.303, a fatal crash requires alcohol and drug testing of the surviving driver, and an injury or tow-away crash requires it when the commercial driver is cited for a moving violation arising from the crash within 8 hours (alcohol) or 32 hours (drugs).
The Comparative Negligence Bar
Under 23 O.S. 13 and 14, contributory negligence does not bar recovery unless the injured person’s negligence is of greater degree than the negligence of the person causing the damage, or greater than the combined negligence of all persons causing it, and the recovery is diminished in proportion.
Damages After a Fatal Crash
Under 12 O.S. 1053(B), wrongful death damages include medical and burial expenses, the surviving spouse’s loss of consortium and grief, the decedent’s mental pain and anguish, and the pecuniary loss to the survivors based on evidence such as the decedent’s age, occupation, earning capacity, health habits and probable duration of life.
Tulsa Truck Accident Questions
How long does a family have to bring a wrongful death claim?
Two years under 12 O.S. 1053(A), and the personal representative brings the action if the deceased could have sued for the same act or omission. An injury claim also has two years under 12 O.S. 95(A)(3). A claim over a government truck must be presented within one year of the loss under 51 O.S. 156(B).
Can I recover if I was partly at fault?
Yes, if your negligence is not greater than the truck driver’s under 23 O.S. 13. For example, imagine $280,000 in damages and 15 percent of the negligence on the injured driver: under 23 O.S. 14 the recovery would be $238,000.
Does my uninsured motorist coverage help if the trucking company’s limits fall short?
Yes, if your policy carries it. Under 36 O.S. 3636(C), an uninsured motor vehicle includes an insured vehicle whose liability limits are less than the amount of the claim, which brings the shortfall within the coverage 3636(A) and (B) require unless it was rejected in writing under (G). Under (F), notice to the uninsured motorist insurer by certified mail is required before settling for the liability limits.