Negligence laws in Oklahoma

Accidents are just a part of life. Unfortunately, some accidents can leave you bruised or broken, needing medical care. If you sustain injuries from an accident that results from someone else’s negligence, you may want to file a personal injury claim to recover damages. 

We understand how negligence laws work in Oklahoma and have helped many of our clients with their personal injury claims. 

What defines negligence? 

As found on FindLaw, there are five different elements involved in negligence cases. To prove that your injuries are the result of someone else’s negligence, you must prove the following things. 

• You are suffering economically from the injury. This could be due to medical bills or lost wages.  

• The other party did not act in a way that was reasonable to prevent the injury, given the information they had 

• The other party owes you a duty of care 

• The other party breached their duty of care  

• Your injury is a direct result from that breach of duty 

What if both parties are responsible? 

In Oklahoma, more than one party may be responsible for your injuries, including yourself. If your own negligence contributes to your injury, then you are partially at fault. This is also known as comparative negligence. In these instances, the court will assign you a portion or percentage of fault for the accident. Any damages you are eligible to receive will see a reduction that is proportionate to that percentage. For example, if you receive $100,000 in damages, but carry 25% of the liability, then your damages received will actually be $75,000. More information about this topic is available on our webpage.