News Channel 4 reported recently on an Oklahoma truck accident that occurred in the southbound lanes of Interstate 35 and Highway 9. The incident was a multi-vehicle crash involving at least two trucks, including a U-haul truck and a semi-truck. Multiple vehicles in this Oklahoma highway accident caught fire as a result of the impact of the crash. Emergency crews reported to the scene, and the highway was closed for several hours.
Fortunately, in this particular truck accident, no one suffered serious injuries. In many highway truck accidents, those who are involved are not so lucky.
Collisions can cause serious injuries or fatalities, often to people who weren't in the truck but who were in another vehicle or who were walking. When an accident occurs on a highway, especially if it involves a truck, victims need to understand their legal rights. Truck crash cases can be complicated, especially when they occur on highways, so getting legal help is essential.
Victims should have the right to pursue truck accident claims if injured in a highway accident and the crash was caused by the trucker. However, when an accident involved a truck-- especially on a highway-- there may be lots of complexity associated with pursuing a damage claim.
One issue is a lot of trucks on highways in Oklahoma are not actually locally owned and are not actually operated by local trucking companies. Trucks can move through Oklahoma from anywhere in the country and to anywhere in the country. Other motorists on Oklahoma highways may also just be passing through. For example, the recent truck accident involved someone driving a U-haul. Lots of people rent U-hauls to move their possessions, sometimes to out of state locations, and they drive on Oklahoma highways to get to their final out-of-state destinations.
If a truck driver, trucking company and/or accident victim all live or operate in different locations, this can make it more complicated to determine what court is appropriate for pursuing compensation for an accident claim and to determine what laws will apply to ensure the truck driver and trucking company are actually made to pay damages.
While usually victims bring accident claims in the jurisdiction where the accident happened, you may face difficulty as a victim if you live elsewhere and have to continue returning to Oklahoma to pursue your case. You may also face challenges if you must go to court to collect a judgment against an out of state truck driver or trucking company.
An Oklahoma injury attorney can provide you with assistance in addressing geographical difficulties associated with recovering damages when truck accident claims arise. Your injury lawyer can also help you address other issues that can arise in highway truck accident cases, such as questions regarding which defendants you should pursue claims against and whether you should accept a settlement offer.