Hiring a Personal Injury or Car Accident Lawyer in Oklahoma
What an injury lawyer costs in Oklahoma and how they usually charge, the deadlines and fault rules to know before you call, how to check a lawyer's license, and free help. We do not recommend or rank lawyers.
What a lawyer costs in Oklahoma: fee rules
| If a lawyer takes your money | The Oklahoma Bar Association's Clients' Security Fund may reimburse money or property taken through theft, embezzlement or wrongful conversion by an Oklahoma attorney acting as a lawyer or fiduciary, including fees paid for services never or only minimally performed. It does not cover malpractice or negligence, losses of the attorney's relatives, partners or employees, losses covered by bond or insurance, or interest and consequential expenses. The attorney must have died, been adjudged mentally ill, been disciplined, or resigned or let the license lapse after discipline, and you should first try other sources of recovery. Payment is a matter of grace, not right; the Board appropriates $100,000 per year in total, and payments are reduced proportionally if approved claims exceed that. File within five years of the loss using the Clients' Security Fund Claim Form; help: 405-416-7000 or 800-522-8065. |
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Oklahoma rules to know first
| Deadline to sue for an injury | Two years for an action for injury to the rights of another not arising from a contract, which covers most negligence-based injury claims. Assault, battery, libel, slander, malicious prosecution and false imprisonment have a one-year deadline. |
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| Fault rule | Modified comparative negligence (51% bar). An injured person's own negligence does not bar recovery unless it is of greater degree than the negligence of the person causing the harm, or greater than the combined negligence of all persons causing it. The statute covers personal injury, wrongful death and property damage claims. Source: 23 Okla. Stat. § 13 |
| Damage caps | For bodily injuries occurring on or after September 1, 2025, noneconomic damages (such as pain and suffering) are capped at $500,000, no matter how many defendants or lawsuits. There is no cap for permanent and severe physical injury (such as substantial disfigurement, loss of use of a limb, or loss or substantial impairment of a major body organ or system) or an injury that leaves the person unable to care for themselves. A permanent mental injury that severely impairs the ability to work or enjoy a reasonable standard of living is capped at $1,000,000. No cap applies if the judge and jury find by clear and convincing evidence that the defendant acted with reckless disregard, gross negligence, fraud, or intent or malice. Economic damages are not capped. The cap does not apply to claims under the Governmental Tort Claims Act. This section replaced the former § 61.2, which was repealed effective September 1, 2025. |
Find and check a lawyer
| Lawyer referral service | The Oklahoma Bar Association's "Find a Lawyer" directory is a voluntary, opt-in listing of Oklahoma attorneys that the public can search by practice area, location, language and name. Not every licensed attorney is listed, and the OBA does not endorse or certify listed attorneys. OBA phone: (405) 416-7000 or toll-free (800) 522-8065. |
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| Check that the lawyer is licensed | The Oklahoma Bar Association's Member Verification search lets anyone look up attorneys by name, Bar ID or city. Each listing shows the lawyer's name, city and state, Bar ID, membership type (such as Active, Retired or Senior), status (such as Good Standing) and admission date. If you can't find an attorney, call 405-416-7000. |
| Check discipline history or file a complaint | Complaints about Oklahoma lawyers go to the Oklahoma Bar Association's Office of the General Counsel, P.O. Box 53036, Oklahoma City, OK 73152-3036, (405) 416-7007. By law a complaint must be in writing and signed; a form is not required but can be downloaded or requested. Give specific details (dates, what you hired the lawyer to do, and what the lawyer did or failed to do) and send copies, not originals, of supporting papers. The office reviews the complaint, dismisses it if no violation is alleged, or investigates (which may include the lawyer's response); if evidence supports violations, the matter may go to the Professional Responsibility Tribunal, which makes recommendations to the Oklahoma Supreme Court. Complaints are confidential unless public discipline is imposed. The OBA cannot give legal advice or intervene in your case. |
Free legal help
| Free legal aid | Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma (LASO) helps low-income Oklahomans with civil, non-criminal legal issues. Apply online or call 1-888-534-5243; LASO asks about income, household size and the legal issue before deciding whether to take the case. LSC lists Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma and Oklahoma Indian Legal Services as its Oklahoma grantees. LSC grantee list: https://www.lsc.gov/about-lsc/our-grantees |
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General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.