Car & Vehicle Collisions
The adjuster is friendly. That is the job.
Insurance adjusters are trained, measured and compensated on what they settle claims for. Being pleasant on the phone is part of the method, not an exception to it.
An insurance adjuster has a file, a caseload, and an evaluation range. The job is to close claims at the low end of that range, and the most effective way to do it is to be helpful and quick — to reach you while you are still shaken, before you know whether that neck pain is a strain or a disc.
None of which makes adjusters villains. It makes them professionals doing the job they were hired to do, opposite someone who has never done this before.
The three moves you will see
Get the claim properly on file
with the notice, the forms and the medical documentation the Commission actually needs.
Fight denials
the most common reason people call this office.
Challenge low impairment ratings
including arranging an independent medical examination where the rating is disputed.
Push for authorized treatment
when care is being delayed or refused.
Negotiate and close the case
and explain, in writing, exactly what you will receive.
You are generally under no obligation to give the at-fault driver’s insurer a recorded statement, and you should not sign a blanket authorisation without advice.
The Oklahoma problem
The driver who hit you may not have enough insurance. Or any.
This is the most common unpleasant surprise in Oklahoma vehicle claims, and the one most people are least prepared for.
Oklahoma requires minimum liability coverage, but a minimum policy does not go far against a hospital stay and surgery. And a meaningful share of drivers on the road carry nothing at all.
Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage
UM/UIM is coverage on your own policy that steps in when the at-fault driver has none or not enough. Oklahoma insurers must offer it, and a great many people carry it without realising — it is worth getting your declarations page out and checking, because it is frequently the only real source of recovery in a serious wreck.
One thing to understand about a UM/UIM claim: it is still an insurance claim, and it is still evaluated by an adjuster whose employer pays if it succeeds. Being your own insurer does not make the company an ally in this particular transaction. UM claims are underpaid and denied like any other.
When an insurer handles a claim unreasonably
Oklahoma recognises that an insurance company owes its own policyholder a duty of good faith and fair dealing. Where a carrier unreasonably delays, undervalues, or refuses to pay a claim it knows is valid, that conduct can itself become a claim. Ask us to look at how yours has been handled.
At the scene and after
What helps, in the order it helps
At the scene
Report and photograph
Call the police and get a report number. Photograph both vehicles, the whole scene, the road, and anything that explains what happened. Get names and numbers of witnesses — they disappear fast.
Same day
Get checked out
Adrenaline hides injuries, and a gap between the collision and the first medical visit is the first thing an insurer will point to. Describe every symptom, not just the loudest one.
First week
Notify your own insurer
Your policy generally requires it, and it matters for a UM/UIM claim. Reporting the crash is not the same as giving the other side a statement.
Before you settle
Know what treatment remains
A settlement is final. Signing before you know whether you need surgery means paying for it yourself. Ask what the doctor expects, not what you are hoping for.
Common questions
Car accident claims, answered.
Clear answers are part of the work. If your question is not here, ask it directly—the consultation is free.
The other driver had no insurance. Is that the end of it?
Usually not. Uninsured motorist coverage on your own policy exists for exactly this. Send us your declarations page and we will tell you what you actually have — people are frequently better covered than they think.
I was partly at fault. Do I still have a claim?
Possibly. Oklahoma allows recovery where your share of the fault does not exceed the other party’s, with your recovery reduced by your percentage. Insurers routinely assert more fault against you than the facts support, so do not accept their apportionment as given.
The insurer already offered me money. Should I take it?
Not until you know what your treatment is going to involve. Settlement is final. If the offer came with urgency attached, that is a reason to slow down. We will review an offer for free and tell you if it is reasonable — sometimes it is.
How long do I have to file?
Oklahoma sets a limitation period for injury lawsuits, and shorter notice rules can apply where a city, county or state entity is involved — a municipal vehicle, for instance. Confirm which applies to you rather than assuming you have years.
I was working when it happened.
Then there may be two claims — a workers’ compensation claim and a separate claim against the driver at fault. They interact, and handling them together matters. This is a large part of what this firm does. See workers’ compensation.
