Wrongful Death Attorney in Oklahoma CIty, Oklahoma
Can you tell us about a memorable wrongful death case you handled?
Can you tell us about a memorable wrongful death case you handled?
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It’s really hard to just talk about wine. This is anecdotal, but I think our firm handles more wrongful death cases on the plaintiff side than any firm in the state. I’ve had a lot of insurance companies tell me that we represented the family of an 18-year-old who was just going home. He knew the route very well, it was like midnight, and he was a volunteer firefighter. He knew how to drive that road, but inexplicably, he lost control and hit a tree, dying instantly. Nobody could figure out what happened. His mother hired us to investigate.
After a lot of digging, we found that a powerline pole had been downed in a storm. Someone had cut the pole off, but left six feet of it in the roadway. That night, it had been raining, and the pavement was dark, so it was impossible to see. After further investigation, we learned that the co-op had a young man out there, and he was the one who had cut the pole off. The company did everything they could to hide the fact that this had happened. We eventually found the guy, took his deposition, and he admitted it.
The young man’s pickup truck hit that pole, and the right front wheel twisted the vehicle around. The truck rotated and crashed into the tree. It never would have happened if the company had done things right. What’s worse, the young man never even knew about the accident. Nobody from the company ever told him. Once we uncovered all this, we secured a settlement—though I can’t disclose the amount as it’s confidential—but it was a significant amount, much more than the family ever thought they’d receive. It all came from dogged determination and detective work, and I’m really proud of that. I’m still in touch with the mother on Facebook.
Both my law partner Mike and I are deeply in tune with death. I’ve lost two sons to different brain diseases, and Mike lost his niece to addiction. That personal experience gives us a leg up because our job is to explain to the jury how it feels when you’ve lost a loved one. We know that pain intimately, and that passion helps us connect in ways other lawyers might not.
Oklahoma City, OK personal injury attorney Reggie Whitten tells the story of a memorable wrongful death case he handled. Discussing wine alone can be challenging, he noted. Anecdotally, he believed that his firm handles more wrongful death cases on the plaintiff’s side than any other firm in the state. He mentioned that numerous insurance companies have acknowledged this fact. One case involved an 18-year-old who tragically lost his life while driving home at midnight. This young man was a volunteer firefighter and familiar with the route. However, he inexplicably lost control, crashed into a tree, and passed away. The circumstances remained mysterious until his mother enlisted their services to investigate.
Upon delving into the case, they uncovered a powerline pole that had been downed in a storm, and someone had cut off a portion of it, leaving six feet of it in the roadway. The night of the accident, it had been raining, and the dark pavement obscured the danger. The investigation eventually revealed that a young man from the electric cooperative had cut the pole and left it in the road, unbeknownst to the accident victim. The right front wheel of the victim’s pickup truck struck the pole, causing the vehicle to rotate and collide with the tree.
The electric cooperative had gone to great lengths to conceal this information. Through meticulous detective work and numerous depositions, they eventually located and deposed the individual responsible. He admitted his actions under oath, despite being unaware of the accident until that point. The case ultimately resulted in a substantial confidential settlement, providing the grieving family with more compensation than they had initially anticipated. Their success, he believed, was the result of unwavering determination and investigative efforts.
He expressed pride in their work, particularly their ability to empathize with clients who have lost loved ones. Both he and his law partner, Mike, had experienced personal losses — he had lost two sons to different brain diseases, while Mike’s niece had succumbed to addiction. These personal experiences provided them with a unique perspective and a deep understanding of the pain associated with losing a loved one. He believed this empathy gave them an advantage when conveying the emotional toll of such losses to a jury, setting them apart from other attorneys.
