Have you recently suffered the death of a spouse, parent, or child in an accident in Edmond, Oklahoma? Call the trusted legal team at McIntyre Law today to schedule a free consultation. You may be entitled to compensation, and our experienced Edmond wrongful death lawyers can help you maximize your recovery.
We’re award-winning Oklahoma trial attorneys who’ve won over half a billion dollars in settlement and jury awards for accident victims and families across the state. Benefit from a team with 165+ years of experience as you fight for financial justice for your loved one’s tragic death. Call our Edmond law office today. Your first consultation is free.
Why Choose McIntyre Law for Help After a Fatal Accident in Edmond, Ok
Someone else was careless, and now your whole life has been turned upside-down. You didn’t get to say goodbye, and all you’ve been left with is unimaginable pain and grief. The at-fault party has to be held accountable. Hiring an experienced Edmond personal injury lawyer can give you time to grieve while putting your case in capable hands. Families turn to McIntyre Law for help in the wake of devastating accidents.
Members of our top-rated team are recognized as:
- ASLA Top 100 Lawyers
- The National Trial Lawyers Top 100
- Super Lawyers
We’re not afraid to take our clients’ cases to court, and that’s something the insurance company will take into consideration when they see us on the other side of a negotiating table. Our willingness to go to trial, paired with our proven track record of success litigating tough cases before Oklahoma juries, helps us leverage meaningful settlements for our clients when they need it most.
Call our office as soon as you can to schedule a free consultation with an Edmond personal injury attorney. Members of our team are always here to offer support – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Understanding Oklahoma Wrongful Death Law
If you got hurt in a car accident in Edmond because someone else was negligent, you’d have the right to pursue a claim for damages. The right to file an insurance claim or sue doesn’t disappear when an injury is fatal. Instead, Oklahoma recognizes the right of a surviving party to pursue what’s known as a wrongful death claim.
When a person’s death is caused by “the wrongful act or omission of another,” the personal representative of the decedent’s estate reserves the right to file a lawsuit. Wrongful acts can include intentional acts of harm, recklessness, and negligent behavior. Wrongful death claims can also be pursued on the grounds of strict liability, which is most often seen in cases related to defective products and dog bites.
The wrongful death lawsuit helps to ensure that the at-fault party is held accountable and that any damages arising from the fatal accident are covered. In Oklahoma, those damages are distributed to surviving family members, including the decedent’s spouse, child(ren), and/or parent(s).
A related claim known as a survival action can also potentially be pursued in the wake of a person’s wrongful death. Rather than pursuing compensation for the decedent’s family, this claim pursues compensation for the damages the decedent personally experienced before they died. The catch: the decedent must have survived their injuries for some time before passing away.
Representing Families in All Types of Wrongful Death Cases
McIntyre Law is here to help you fight for compensation if you’ve experienced the wrongful death of a loved one in an avoidable accident or act of violence in Edmond, OK.
We handle cases involving:
- Car accidents
- Truck accidents
- Motorcycle accidents
- E-scooter accidents
- Bicycle accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
- Boating accidents
- Maritime accidents
- Oil field accidents
- Workplace accidents
- Construction accidents
- Asbestos and mesothelioma injuries
- Nursing home abuse
- Medical malpractice
- Product liability
- Plane accidents
- Swimming pool accidents
- Slip and fall accidents
We know you’re dealing with an incredibly difficult loss, and we want to lend the experience, resources, and winning legal strategies you’ll need to make your wrongful death claim easier and more successful. Don’t hesitate to reach out to our compassionate legal team to discuss the specific details of your wrongful death case today.
What’s My Wrongful Death Claim Worth?
No one can tell you what your wrongful death case is worth without knowing your specific circumstances. There’s no standard value for claims, and everyone’s situation is a little bit different.
There are, however, a number of factors that are typically important when evaluating a claim’s potential value:
- What your loved one did for a living, how much money they earned on average, and whether they were currently preparing for any career advances
- How much you (and others) relied on your family member for financial support
- Your loved one’s role in the household
- The nature of the relationship between you and your loved one
- Your loved one’s age and life expectancy before they were killed
- Allegations of contributory fault that could jeopardize a successful recovery if left unchallenged
Our wrongful death attorneys in Edmond will carefully examine your loved one’s income and earning potential, bring in experts to help us fill in the gaps and project future losses, and work closely with psychologists and other professionals to help us identify the value of more subjective losses, like pain and suffering.
What Types of Damages Can Be Awarded to Families in Edmond Wrongful Death Cases
Oklahoma’s Wrongful Death Act permits families to recover economic damages and non-economic damages. These compensate for verified financial losses, as well as harder-to-value suffering the family experiences in the wake of a gut-wrenching loss.
Pursuant to 12 OK Statute Section 1053, wrongful death damages can include money for:
- Medical and burial expenses
- A spouse’s loss of consortium and grief
- Lost wages, income, job benefits, and financial support
- A child’s grief and loss of companionship of a parent
- The decedent’s pain and suffering
Punitive damages can also be awarded in some Oklahoma wrongful death cases. These are reserved for cases that go to trial and in which a jury determines the defendant acted with gross negligence or malice.
Can Shared Fault Affect an Oklahoma Wrongful Death Settlement?
Yes. Oklahoma follows a system of modified comparative negligence with a 51 percent bar to recovery. This comparative fault rule applies to most personal injury cases, including matters of wrongful death.
In wrongful death cases, the decedent’s shared fault is at issue. Damages can be awarded so long as the decedent’s shared fault doesn’t exceed 50 percent. In these situations, a settlement or jury award is to be reduced by the decedent’s shared fault. If your spouse was killed in an Edmond car accident and assigned 20 percent of the blame, your wrongful death recovery would be reduced in value by 20 percent.
Damages are prohibited when a decedent’s shared fault is greater than half.
What Does It Cost To Hire a Wrongful Death Attorney?
Don’t worry about the cost of asking for help. McIntyre Law fights for families on a contingency fee basis, which offers a no-risk, high-reward opportunity to get an experienced legal advocate in your corner. Our fees are entirely dependent on your wrongful death case results. If we don’t win, you pay nothing.
When we secure a settlement or recover a verdict at trial, our fees are paid out of that monetary award. You’ll always know what to expect before you sign a contract to hire our firm.
What’s the Statute of Limitations on Wrongful Death Lawsuits in Oklahoma?
The personal representative of a decedent’s estate has up to two years from the date of death to file a wrongful death lawsuit in Oklahoma. The two-year time limit has few exceptions, and there are practical reasons not to drag your feet on pursuing a claim.
The best thing you can do to protect your rights and encourage a meaningful financial recovery is to call an experienced wrongful death attorney near you in Edmond, OK, as soon as you can after a loved one passes away unexpectedly.
Call an Experienced Edmond Wrongful Death Lawyer for a Free Consultation
McIntyre Law brings compassionate, winning legal representation to the doorsteps of accident victims and devastated families in Edmond, Oklahoma. Following a loved one’s unexpected death, our Edmond wrongful death attorneys are the ones you’ll want fighting for you.
We have 165+ years of combined experience going up against Oklahoma’s most powerful corporations. As fierce advocates for justice, we’ve helped clients win over $900 million in monetary awards. Let us fight for you, too.
We offer a free case review, so call our law office to begin.