In July 2020, the US Supreme Court added another layer of concern for Oklahoma oil producers that are trying to stay afloat due to the COVID-19 crisis. In a landmark ruling, the Supreme Court decided that almost half of eastern Oklahoma is Native American land. The decision affects the oil and gas drillers in Oklahoma, many of whom now must work with the five tribal reservations in that region of the state.
Recent Supreme Court Decision Gives Indian Tribes Enhanced Say Over Oil Refineries, Pipelines, and Gas Wells | Cunningham & Mears
A recent pipe equipment incident is a warning that manufacturing and fabrication defects can cause burn injuries and death. Burn injuries can cause respiratory difficulties. Severe burns usually leave permanent scars which may require skin grafts and plastic surgery. Victims often suffer emotional damage in addition to the physical damage.
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Equipment Failure Causes Fire In Dewey, Oklahoma | Cunningham & Mears
More and businesses are trying to shield themselves from liability or trying to control the liability process. Many businesses are now requiring that consumers sign contracts that require disputes to be heard by a board of arbitrators instead of a jury of your peers. Businesses are also trying to protect themselves by having consumers agree to waive any liability claims if they are injured.
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Liability Shields and Personal Injury Litigation | Cunningham & Mears
In Oklahoma City, jury trials are officially taking place. Typically, jurors who are chosen through a selection process, sit close to each for hours or even days at a time. With the COVID-19 crisis, that typical behavior is dangerous to the jurors and to anyone who approaches the jurors such as when a court officer presents them with documents to review.
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Keeping Jurors and Court Staff in Oklahoma City Safe during the Pandemic | Cunningham & Mears
In some car accidents, both drivers are partially at fault. Both drivers may be speeding. One driver may drive through a red light while the other driver is distracted because he’s talking on a smartphone. Just because you were partially at fault doesn’t mean you can’t file a claim, but it could affect how much you recover in damage.
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What Happens If I'm Hurt In a Crash That's Partially My Fault? | Cunningham & Mears
In his kind of weather, children and adults alike are ready to take a dip in the pool. The water offers a refreshing response to the summer heat. For most Oklahomans, swimming is a fun way to cool off and get some exercise.
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Liability for Drowning and Swimming Pool Accidents in Oklahoma | Cunningham & Mears
On August 31, 2020, the U. S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit overturned an Oklahoma City ordinance that disallowed pedestrians from sitting, standing, or remaining on highway medians. The ordinance, enacted in 2015, was allegedly put in place to help keep pedestrians safe.
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Are Medians Really Unsafe for Pedestrians? The Numbers Tell a Different Story | Cunningham & Mears
If you operate a gasoline powered motorboat, you and those on board are at some risk of injury and even death. There is a particular type of hidden danger of which you may be unaware.
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Tragic Death of 9-Year Old Boy Reinforces the Dangers of CO Poisoning | Cunningham & Mears
Protective helmets and pads are essential in contact sports such as football to protect the health of players. However, helmets can only do so much when athletes hit each other, and do so repeatedly at high contact speeds. Sometimes a player may not only experience on concussion, but repeated concussions. The effect of such repeated injury to the head can be devastating, resulting in condition referred to as CTE – chronic traumatic encephalopathy.
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The Dangers of CTE Among Football Players | Cunningham & Mears
The battle to fix a giant crater at NE 48th Street has been raging for years, and with good reason: the crater is so large that vehicles actually get stuck driving into and out of the roadway.
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City Street or Private Road: Who’s Responsible for Car Accidents Caused by Defective Roadways? | Cunningham & Mears
The prime cause of oil and gas worker fatalities, just as with others workers in general industries, is transportation accidents. The majority of oil industry employees injured on-the-job are eligible to file for and obtain workers’ compensation benefits. These benefits pay for a percentage of loss of income, physical rehab, and medical treatments.
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Transportation Injuries Sustained by Oil and Gas Workers | Cunningham & Mears
The consequences of a motorcycle crash can be devastating for the rider(s) and others on the road as well. The injuries resulting from the crashes can come in various forms – everything from small scratches and bruises to life-changing, catastrophic injuries.
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Most Common Injuries Sustained in Motorcycle Accidents | Cunningham & Mears
Attorneys help people when they are in trouble. However, an attorney can only help as much as the client cooperates with him or her. Without this cooperation, the client’s case can suffer in terms of its effectiveness and chance to obtain a favorable outcome before a jury or judge. This applies to car accident claims as well. Your attorney needs a bevy of information from you to ensure a successful outcome.
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Information Your Car Accident Attorney Needs to Maximize Your Settlement | Cunningham & Mears
Although accidents involving large commercial trucks account for a small portion of vehicle crashes across the nation relatively speaking, they are also responsible for a significant number of serious injuries and deaths. Some of these injuries include traumatic brain injuries (TBIs). This types of severe injure to the head and brain is responsible for many disabilities and fatalities in car crash victims.
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TBIs From Tractor Trailer and 18-Wheeler Accidents | Cunningham & Mears
Oil field workers in the state of Oklahoma understand the level of danger involved in the various tasks they perform on a daily basis. This includes operating heavy and dangerous machinery that requires proper training and skill to use safely. Also, the terrain and weather conditions under which these workers operate can be disadvantageous to say the least.
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Determining Liability of Employers for Employee Oil Field Injuries | Cunningham & Mears
The law provides a legal remedy if you have been the victim in a crash caused by another driver. Those same protections exist for passengers, too, including when the driver of the passenger’s vehicle is the one who caused the crash.
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Filing a Car Accident Injury Claim as an Injured Passenger | Cunningham & Mears
The causes of many truck accidents can be tracked back to negligent maintenance and upkeep of the vehicles. This is why safety experts who monitor the trucking industry emphasize the need for trucking carriers and their drivers to perform proper inspections of these rigs prior to and after trips, and to have proper repairs done when required.
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Responsibilities of Trucking Companies and Their Drivers to Prevent Accidents | Cunningham & Mears
When a motorcyclist loses control of his or her motorcycle and is thrown across the pavement, sometimes for tens or hundreds of feet, the rider often suffers an injury that is referred to as road rash. This injury can vary in severity and in the worst cases can even be life threatening.
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Motorcycle Accidents and Road Rash Injuries | Cunningham & Mears
Many car crashes are preventable, but some are out of the control of the drivers involved. This is the case when a defective vehicle or part design or manufacturing process is at fault. The accidents caused for these reasons are no less serious than others and can lead to severe injuries and even death.
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Proving Your Car Accident Was Caused by Defective Car Part Design or Manufacturing | Cunningham & Mears
Texting and driving is out of the question if you want to be a safe driver and avoid unnecessary accidents. Although you may know that this activity while driving is dangerous, you may not be aware of the way texting can distract a driver.
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The Ways Texting Distracts a Driver | Cunningham & Mears
The oil and gas extraction sector includes many jobs that are the lifeblood of Oklahoma’s economy. Work in this sector includes:
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Oil Field Operation Statistics | Cunningham & Mears
During the COVID-19 pandemic, a high priority for the nation is ensuring that the nation’s supply chain functions properly. Many products are in short supply. There are many other shortages too such as not enough truck drivers and not enough people who can help with loading and unloading the products.
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FMCSA Extends Trucking Waivers Again | Cunningham & Mears
Nail guns are tools used to drive nails into wood or some other materials. They typically involve using compressed air, electromagnetism, small explosive charges, or butane or propane. For builders, carpenters, and other construction workers, nail guns are often used more than hammers. Unfortunately, nail guns are also a major cause of serious injuries.
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Nail Guns and Construction Injuries | Cunningham & Mears
Quality tires are essential for every type of vehicle. It’s important to pay attention to your tires on a regular basis – especially when the weather conditions are poor. Tires which aren’t properly inflated, have poor tread, or are worn with wear can cause fatal accidents and serious injuries such as traumatic brain injury, spinal cord damage, and broken bones.
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Tire Care and Car Accidents | Cunningham & Mears
Heavy storms can wreak havoc in communities. The storms make it difficult to drive as the rain pelts down and the wind rips through the air. Drivers should stop or get off the road as quickly as possible during a storm. After the storm, the efforts to clean up the debris can alter driving routes and cause car accidents as drivers and crews try to manage the debris.
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Why Drivers Need to Be Extremely Careful Around Storm Debris | Cunningham & Mears
There are many basic rules of driving that we all knew when we took our driving test. With time, some of these rules we’ve forgotten. Some rules have been updated since we took our tests. It’s good to be reminded of the safe-driving rules we should follow. If you’re teaching your teenager how to drive, it’s also critical your children understand the current best practices.
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A Few Updates on Proper Driving Techniques | Cunningham & Mears
Losing a leg is life-altering. Amputation victims have the right to hold the people and businesses that caused their leg-loss responsible. Common causes of leg amputations include car accidents, slips and falls, construction accidents, oil field accidents, and defective products. Victims of negligent acts have the right to compensation for their medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering, loss of function of body parts, disfigurement, and property damage.
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What Injury Victims Should Know Before Getting a Prosthetic Leg | Cunningham & Mears
Oil and gas are transported from Oklahoma to all parts of the nation, in ever-increasing volumes. These products fuel cars, heat homes and businesses, cook foods, and help our country in many different ways. There are many logistical factors that govern how these energy products are shipped. There are also many safety concerns that need to be considered.
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Oil Transportation Safety Issues | Cunningham & Mears
Oklahoma has suffered through some wretched weather this past year, including a couple of brutal ice storms. With snow and ice comes slippery surfaces for vehicles and people. If you slip and fall on that ice, you could face some hefty medical bills.
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What Does “Unnatural Accumulation” Mean When It Comes to Slip and Fall Injuries? | Cunningham & Mears
Tornadoes are these unpredictable, devastating marvels of nature. Each Spring Oklahoma braces for a new round of funnel clouds and this coming season is slated to mimic the 2011 season, the worst on record for property damage.
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Does My Insurance Policy Cover Tornado Damage? | Cunningham & Mears