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Tulsa, Oklahoma Car Accident Law Firm

If you live in the Tulsa area, you likely travel by car or another type of motor vehicle on a regular basis. While you might not always realize it, the risk of a car accident exists any time you are on the road, and crashes happen on a regular basis in the greater Tulsa area and across the State of Oklahoma.

Staying aware of the incidence of car accidents can help increase driver safety and, hopefully, prevent future crashes. However, no matter how safely you might drive, you cannot control the decisions of other negligent drivers, and you still might suffer injuries in a crash. When this happens, you want the right Tulsa car accident lawyers from Wandres Law, PC, to handle your claim.



Oklahoma Car Accident Statistics and Crash Trends

The following is some detailed information about traffic crashes, causes, and more in Oklahoma for a recent year. While this information is beneficial for many reasons, it is important to remember that accident victims are more than statistics, as they and their families can experience the effects of a crash for years to come.

General Vehicle and Driver Information

With an estimated population of 3,956,971, Oklahoma has 2,686,338 licensed drivers. The state also reports 4,337,405 registered vehicles, which include both automobiles and motorcycles. Overall, it is estimated that Oklahoma drivers traveled 45,725,660,710 miles in a single year. With this much vehicle travel occurring, it is inevitable that accidents and injuries are bound to happen.

Statewide Crash Information

In total, there were 73,267 traffic crashes reported in the State of Oklahoma in one year. Different crashes involved different numbers of vehicles, as follows:

Statewide Crash Information

While chain-reaction crashes involving more cars might commonly be associated with greater injuries, this is not always the case. Any type of crash has the potential to cause injuries, and Oklahoma accidents involved:

Statewide Crash Information

It is also notable where crashes were most likely to occur. As you travel through Oklahoma, you can experience many types of roads and environments, and the risks can change accordingly.

For example, 6,467 crashes happened on the rural state or U.S. highways, while 13,348 crashes happened on the urban state or U.S. highways. 11,272 accidents were reported on interstate highways or turnpikes. Finally, city streets, like those throughout Tulsa, saw 37,031 crashes, which is the most of any type of roadway.

Crashes in Tulsa and Tulsa County

Tulsa had the second-most car accidents of any city in the state, second only to Oklahoma City. The following were reported by the Tulsa Police Department and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol within Tulsa city limits:

Tulsa had the second-most car accidents of any city in the state, second only to Oklahoma City. The following were reported by the Tulsa Police Department and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol within Tulsa city limits:

Crashes in Tulsa

The following were reported for Tulsa County:

Crashes in Tulsa County

Drivers Involved in Crashes

In addition to looking at where car accidents commonly occur, it can help to examine what types of drivers were involved in crashes in Oklahoma. There were 134,696 drivers involved in reported accidents across Oklahoma, and 26,204 of those drivers were traveling in Tulsa at the time.

Drivers reported feeling different ways before or during an accident, including:

Statewide Crash Information

The age of a driver is an important factor, as both younger and older drivers can be at a higher risk of causing crashes. This might be due to inexperience or loss of faculties, respectively. The breakdown of driver age in car accidents that caused injuries or fatalities in Oklahoma is as follows:

Driving Age in Car Accidents


Crash Trends – Common Causes

It is perhaps most important to recognize the trends of why these car accidents occur in the first place. This can often give drivers a better idea of what to watch for on the road.

Impaired Driving

Impaired driving was a common cause of accidents in Oklahoma. 3,171 crashes reportedly involved alcohol, and 571 of those crashes took place in Tulsa County. 1,306 alcohol-related accidents involved possible or minor injuries, 198 led to serious injuries, and 146 caused tragic fatalities. Most drunk driving accidents happened on city streets, county roads, and interstates. By far, more alcohol-related crashes happened on Saturdays and Sundays, and most took place at night or in the early hours of the morning.

When it comes to impairment by drugs, there were 896 crashes in which this was a contributing factor, 111 of which were in the Tulsa area. 252 of these resulted in possible or minor injuries, 40 in serious injuries, and 216 in fatalities. Unlike alcohol-related crashes, drug-related crashes happened throughout the week and were not concentrated only on the weekends. In addition, they happened more in the afternoon and evening hours than late at night.

Distracted Driving

Another common cause of car accidents in Oklahoma is distracted driving. In addition to the below numbers, it is important to realize that distracted driving goes highly underreported. You cannot obtain objective evidence of distracted driving like you can with someone’s blood alcohol level, and authorities rely on the testimony of drivers and witnesses to record distracted driving as a factor in crashes. Many drivers fail to disclose that they were distracted, so the true number of distracted driving accidents might be much higher.

Distracted Driving Accidents

Distracted Driving Accidents

Not surprisingly, the large majority of distracted driving happened in urban environments, and there was a trending spike in distracted driving crashes in the early evening hours, which might coincide with many drivers’ commutes home.

Speeding

Excessive speed is also a commonly reported factor in car accidents in Oklahoma. This can refer to either exceeding the posted speed limit on a given road or highway, or to driving too fast for weather, road, or traffic conditions, even if the driver was within the posted speed limit.

Speed was a factor in 8,901 car accidents in Oklahoma. Possible or minor injuries resulted from 3,029 speed-related crashes, and serious injuries resulted from 379 crashes. 105 speed-related accidents caused people to lose their lives.

Accidents due to speeding were highest during the morning and early evening hours, likely due to commutes to and from work. Tulsa had the highest number of speed-related crashes of any city in Oklahoma, with 2,045 crashes happening in the area.

Why is This Information Important?

There are different reasons why it is important to track and know the crash statistics and trends in Oklahoma and Tulsa. First, it allows drivers to be more aware of the risky behaviors of others that most often cause accidents. For example, if you see a driver who cannot stay in their lane, they might be impaired or distracted and looking away from the road. If this happens, you can steer as clear as possible from the dangerous driver to try to keep yourself safe from an accident.

In addition, knowing the common causes and trends regarding crashes can help to identify what caused an accident in which you were involved and injured. The law allows injured accident victims to hold negligent drivers liable for their losses, but first, you must identify what caused the crash. As experienced car accident attorneys, we look at trends to stay apprised of the most common causes of crashes, and these causes might be at issue in our clients’ claims.

Teen Driving Accidents

A Tulsa, OK car accident lawyer knows that, tragically, car crashes are the number one cause of death among teenagers. National statistics show that in 2020, more than 2,700 teens were killed in car accidents each year. Of these teens that have been involved in serious accidents, certain factors played heavily into these figures: first, most of the teens killed in the accidents were male (more than twice the number of females killed); the likelihood of an accident involving a teen driver increased with the number of teenage passengers in the car, and the risk was more pronounced within the first month of the teen drivers getting behind the wheel.

Why are teenagers more at risk for accidents?

There are certain reasons why teenage drivers are the most at risk. First and foremost, teenagers are not fully developed mentally. Their ability to judge and assess risk or hazardous situations is more limited than in adults. As a part of their immaturity, teenagers are also more likely to get into accidents involving speeding or following too closely behind other cars. In addition, teenagers are less likely to wear seatbelts. Finally, teenagers are more likely to be drinking and driving than adults.

As a Tulsa car accident lawyer can explain, Oklahoma, along with other states, has created laws and other public policy objectives to curb car accidents involving teenagers.

When can a teen legally begin driving?

In Oklahoma, when a teenager turns 15, they are allowed to drive in the state without a license only while they are receiving driver’s education from a certified instructor. Teens who do not have a license are not allowed to drive.

When can they apply for a learner’s permit?

Once a teen turns 15 ½, and enrolled in an approved driver’s education class, they can apply for their learner’s permit. Teens who are 16 years old can apply for their permit without enrolling in a course. All applicants must pass both a written and vision test.

Teens with a permit must follow stringent rules put in place by the state. They are only allowed to drive between 5 a.m. and 10 p.m. as long as they are accompanied by a licensed driver who is at least 21 years old. They are not allowed to drive alone.

When can they apply for a driver’s license?

Once the teen has held their permit for at least six months, they can apply for an intermediate license. The teen must have at least 50 hours of driving practice, with at least 10 hours of driving at night. They must not have received any traffic violations during the time they held their learner’s permit, and they must pass a driver’s skill test.

Teens who obtain their intermediate permit are allowed to drive between 5 a.m. and 10 p.m. They are allowed to drive at any time if the reason why they are driving involves school, church, or work. If the teen is driving outside these hours or for another reason, they must have a fully licensed driver 21 or older must be with them.

Intermediate license holders are also allowed to have passengers in the vehicle with them. If the passenger is not from the driver’s household, then only one passenger may be in the vehicle. In order to have more than one passenger in their vehicle, the passengers must all be from the driver’s household or be accompanied by a fully licensed driver 21 or older.

When will they receive an unrestricted license?

Once the intermediate driver has held that license for six months and has not received any traffic violations, they will be awarded an unrestricted license. While there are no restrictions, a Tulsa car accident lawyer from Wandres Law knows that there are still multiple factors that can result in teen driving accidents.

Let Our Tulsa Car Accident Lawyers Protect Your Rights

If you are injured in a car accident in Tulsa or anywhere in Oklahoma, you can face a long road to recovery. These accidents can cause physical injuries and impairments, mental trauma, financial losses, and more. If someone else was at fault, you want to ensure that you have the best possible chance of recovering for all of your relevant losses.

Tulsa Oklahoma Car Accident Attorney

Following a crash, you want the best car accident lawyer near you on your side. We handle all types of accident and injury claims, including car crash cases involving impairment, distracted driving, or speeding. Call (918) 641-4044 or contact us online to discuss your situation and allow us to evaluate your rights for free.

 

 

5 Important Pedestrian Accident Considerations

A Tulsa, OK pedestrian accident lawyer knows that when a person is hit by a vehicle, they often suffer serious or even fatal injuries since there is nothing to protect them from the impact of a vehicle slamming into them. The following is a brief overview of pedestrian accidents. For more details, if your or a loved one has been a pedestrian accident victim, contact Wandres Law, P.C.

• United States pedestrian accident fatalities are becoming more common.

Pedestrian accidents are at epidemic proportions. There are almost 8,000 people killed each year in the United States after being hit by motor vehicles. Here in Oklahoma, approximately 100 people are killed in pedestrian accidents each year. In fact, the increase in pedestrian accident deaths from 2020 to 2021 was an alarming 20 percent. These numbers continue to increase each year.

• Pedestrian accident injuries are commonly serious and life-threatening.

A Tulsa pedestrian accident lawyer knows that even if a person survives being hit by a vehicle, the injuries they suffer can leave them with long-term and/or chronic health issues. Some of the most common injuries pedestrian accident victims suffer include, amputation, traumatic brain injuries, broken bones, head injuries, paralysis, soft tissue injuries, and spinal injuries

• Pedestrian accident injuries can severely impact the lives of both the victim and their families.

The victim may be unable to return to work and require extensive – sometimes lifetime – medical treatment and personal care. These types of expenses can leave a family financially devastated, unable to afford the financial burdens the accident has caused.

• Legal assistance is available for Oklahomans injured as pedestrians.

Oklahoma law does allow accident victims to pursue damages against the party or parties who caused the accident that resulted in the injuries and their losses. A Tulsa pedestrian accident lawyer can help a victim and their family pursues a personal injury claim against the driver who hit them.

Some of the most common damages that a victim may be entitled to include, emergency medical treatment following the accident, including ambulance transport and emergency room costs.

And other damages such as, hospital stays, surgeries, doctor’s visits, rehabilitation, including physical therapy and occupational therapy, medical devices and equipment, medication, future medical care if there are permanent injuries, lost wages and benefits, future lost wages if the victim is unable to return to work because of disabilities, pain and suffering, emotional trauma disfigurement, scarring and loss of life enjoyment.

• There is a deadline for pursuing a pedestrian accident claim.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a pedestrian accident and you are planning on filing a pedestrian accident claim, it is critical to realize that the state of Oklahoma has a statute of limitation for these filings. This time limit is two years from the date of the accident. Once that window has closed, so too does the opportunity for the victim to obtain any kind of financial compensation for their losses.

Contact a Personal Injury Law Firm

If you have been injured in a pedestrian accident, contact Wandres Law, P.C. to schedule a free case evaluation with a skilled Tulsa pedestrian accident lawyer. We will fight to get you the compensation you deserve.  

Wandres Law Tulsa Car Accident Lawyer

1202 E 33rd St
Tulsa, OK 74105

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