Car Accident Attorney in Oklahoma CIty, Oklahoma
What is your approach to handling motor vehicle injury cases?
What is your approach to handling motor vehicle injury cases?
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Well, it’s like anything — you learn a language. If you’re going to go to France, you better know how to speak French. Similarly, if you’re going to handle motor carrier work, especially involving trucks and interstate trucking, you have to be familiar with the language of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations. You need to know these regulations inside and out.
Additionally, you must understand the requirements that trucking companies have to meet, such as keeping logs. It’s surprising how often we find fake logs; sometimes, there are even two sets of logs. These drivers are often stuck between a rock and a hard place, facing pressure from their bosses to transport products quickly from point A to point B. While companies may officially advise against speeding, they are well aware of it. By examining logs, it’s easy to determine if drivers are speeding; calculating the time it takes to get from Los Angeles to New York City with a load of produce is straightforward if you review the logs properly. This kind of falsification happens frequently.
You also need to be proficient in calculating time and distance. For example, it takes about a second for your brain to signal your foot to hit the brake. If you’re traveling at 60 miles per hour, that’s 90 feet per second. By calculating this, you can reconstruct accidents effectively. We’ve handled hundreds of such cases. We speak the language, have interviewed countless Highway Patrol Troopers, and know how to present these cases to juries. Between the two of us, Mike and I have nearly a hundred years of experience in this field, proving that practice makes perfect.
Oklahoma City, OK personal injury attorney Reggie Whitten discusses his approach to handling motor vehicle injury cases. He explains that mastering motor carrier litigation is akin to learning a language. Just as one must speak French to navigate France, handling cases involving trucks and interstate transportation requires fluency in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations. He emphasizes the necessity of knowing these regulations thoroughly.
Understanding the operational requirements of trucking companies is equally important, particularly recordkeeping. He notes that falsified logs are surprisingly common, with some drivers maintaining multiple sets. Drivers often face intense pressure from employers to deliver goods quickly, and while companies may officially discourage speeding, they are frequently aware of the violations. By examining logs, an experienced attorney can determine if drivers were speeding, using time-distance calculations that reveal whether deliveries were feasible under legal limits.
Proficiency in reconstructing accidents is also critical. He illustrates this with a simple example: at 60 miles per hour, a one-second reaction time equals 90 feet traveled. This type of calculation, combined with extensive interviews of Highway Patrol officers, allows him to present complex cases convincingly to juries. With decades of combined experience, he and his colleague Mike have handled hundreds of such cases, demonstrating that expertise in this field comes from sustained practice and meticulous attention to detail.
