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Hurt in a crash in Oklahoma? What claims cost, and the rules that decide it.

Bills, missed work, an insurer already calling? Here are Oklahoma's claim numbers, your deadline and the fault rule. Asking for a call is free, and you can say no.

General information, not legal advice. Updated November 10, 2026. Attorney review pending

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On this page
  1. What injury claims cost insurers in Oklahoma
  2. Real results from the Tulsa area
  3. Unpaid medical bills and uninsured drivers in Oklahoma
  4. Two years; government claims are shorter.
  5. The fault rule is comparative.
  6. Minimum car insurance and uninsured drivers.
  7. Who you have to tell, and where reports come from.
  8. Tulsa crash reports and data.
  9. Questions
  10. Sources

What claims cost

What injury claims cost insurers in Oklahoma

No source we found reports what claims cost insurers inside any one city, so these numbers are for all of Oklahoma. Each figure says what it is and where it comes from.

$381.4 millionin bodily injury liability losses insurers recorded for Oklahoma crashes (Table 8B: $381,364,584 across 20,452 claims), accidents in 2022Incurred losses: money paid plus the insurers' own estimates for claims still open, plus adjustment expenses. Private passenger auto, separate-limit bodily injury coverage only, so the true total is higher. This is what these claims cost insurers, not what injured people received.Source: NAIC (Table 8B, Bodily Injury Liability 2020-2022, Total Business, printed p. 42).
$18,647average insurer loss per bodily injury liability claim in Oklahoma ($18,646.81 exactly), accidents in 2022Incurred losses divided by incurred claims, so it is what a claim cost insurers on average, not what an injured person received. The countrywide figure in the same table is $28,918.86.Source: NAIC (Table 8D, Bodily Injury Liability 2020-2022, Total Business, printed p. 44).
$28,278Many claims are smallerwhat the average bodily injury liability claim cost insurers, 2024Private passenger auto, excluding Massachusetts and most no-fault states; some claims are far larger and many are smaller. It includes insurers' claim-handling costs, so injured people received less than this on average.Source: Triple-I / ISO.
$3.42 billionestimated total economic cost of motor vehicle crashes in Oklahoma (about $864 per person), 2019A cost estimate for the whole state, whoever paid. Not money paid to injured people. The national average was $1,035 per person.Source: NHTSA (Table 6-1, p. 100).
About these numbers
  • $381.4 million Incurred losses: money paid plus the insurers' own estimates for claims still open, plus adjustment expenses. Private passenger auto, separate-limit bodily injury coverage only, so the true total is higher. This is what these claims cost insurers, not what injured people received.
  • $18,647 Incurred losses divided by incurred claims, so it is what a claim cost insurers on average, not what an injured person received. The countrywide figure in the same table is $28,918.86.
  • $28,278 Private passenger auto, excluding Massachusetts and most no-fault states; some claims are far larger and many are smaller. It includes insurers' claim-handling costs, so injured people received less than this on average.
  • $3.42 billion A cost estimate for the whole state, whoever paid. Not money paid to injured people. The national average was $1,035 per person.

These are averages and totals across many claims. They describe what insurers and courts have done, not what any one claim is worth. Every case is different, and most claims end in a settlement, which is often far less than a headline verdict. CrashFirst is not a law firm and cannot tell you what your claim is worth.

Real examples

Real results from the Tulsa area

Past results do not predict yours.These are real, public results, picked to show a range rather than the biggest numbers. Each turned on its own facts. CrashFirst has no results of its own and does not say you would get anything like them.

  • When fault decides it · 2016 verdict

    A Tulsa County jury found the rider 69 percent at fault, and he recovered nothing (2009 crash, 2016 verdict).

    In Black v. Ferrellgas, a motorcyclist hurt in a March 2009 crash after swerving away from a truck (no contact) sued. “Nine jurors found Plaintiff was 69 percent contributorily negligent,” and “The trial court therefore entered judgment in favor of all Defendants.” The Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals affirmed on December 19, 2017. Oklahoma bars recovery when the injured person’s share is greater than the other side’s.

    Source: Black v. Ferrellgas, 2018 OK CIV APP 38, 417 P.3d 1267 (Okla. Civ. App. Dec. 19, 2017), opinion text via HallApproved

  • Middle (older, neighboring county) · 2012

    A Rogers County jury awarded $85,000, less 30% comparative fault.

    In Dorsey v. Stone, a woman turning left in Locust Grove in October 2007 was broadsided by a driver passing across a double-yellow line. She complained of a cervical disc injury and a mild closed head injury. In March 2012 a jury awarded $85,000 less 30% comparative fault, which the reporter says exceeded the defendant's $50,000 policy limits. Rogers County is next to Tulsa County.

    Source: Oklahoma Jury Verdict Reporter, June 2012 (2 OKJVR 6): Dorsey v. Stone, No. 09-749, Rogers County District Court (p. 3: Verdict $85,000 for plaintiff less 30% comparative fault; Court: Rogers; Date: 3-7-12)

The problems here

Unpaid medical bills and uninsured drivers in Oklahoma

When the other side has no insurance, or the bills keep coming before anything is settled, the money problem is real. These are the state numbers we could source.

8.2%of Oklahoma people with a credit record had medical debt in collections (median $1,558), Aug. 2026Only counts medical debt that reached collections and sits on a credit file. The national share was 3.0%.Source: Urban Institute (Oklahoma row, medcoll = .0816284; medcollpos_p50 = 1557.5).
12.0%of Oklahoma drivers estimated to be uninsured, 2023The Insurance Research Council estimates this from insurance claims, not from a count of cars. The national estimate was 15.4%.Source: Triple-I / IRC (Estimated Percentage of Uninsured Motorists by State, 2023).
About these numbers
  • 8.2% Only counts medical debt that reached collections and sits on a credit file. The national share was 3.0%.
  • 12.0% The Insurance Research Council estimates this from insurance claims, not from a count of cars. The national estimate was 15.4%.
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Deadline

Two years; government claims are shorter.

In most Oklahoma injury cases a lawsuit has to be filed within two years after the cause of action accrued (12 O.S. § 95(A)(3)). Wrongful death is also two years, and a claim against a city, county or the state needs a written claim within one year of the loss [5]. The full rule, the statute text and the exceptions are on the Oklahoma statute of limitations page.

Fault

The fault rule is comparative.

On the words of the statute, an injured person's negligence bars recovery only when it is of greater degree than the other side's, and otherwise the recovery is reduced in proportion. How the statute reads, with percentage examples.

Insurance

Minimum car insurance and uninsured drivers.

What the minimum limits are, the penalty for no insurance and how uninsured motorist coverage works: Oklahoma minimum car insurance.

Reporting

Who you have to tell, and where reports come from.

Stop and stay, give your information, notify the police if anyone is hurt, and in some cases file a written report. Crash reports are bought through Service Oklahoma: Oklahoma accident reporting requirements.

Crash reports

Tulsa crash reports and data.

For the Tulsa Police and Service Oklahoma routes see how to get a Tulsa police crash report. Where fatal crashes happen in Tulsa County: the Tulsa Crash Report 2026.

More in Oklahoma

Keep reading

Sources

Unofficial copies come from a legal publisher, not the state. They can lag the current code, so check the official code before relying on a date or amount.

Page last updated November 10, 2026. Attorney review pending. General information, not legal advice. Fees, hours and rules change; confirm on the official page. How we source.

Questions

How long do I have to sue after a car accident in Oklahoma?

Generally two years. Section 95(A)(3) covers "an action for injury to the rights of another, not arising on contract, and not hereinafter enumerated" [1] within two years after the cause of action accrued. A claim against a city, county or the state needs a written claim within one year of the loss. Exceptions exist, so ask an attorney about your situation.

Is Oklahoma a comparative negligence state?

Yes. The statute says contributory negligence "shall not bar a recovery" [2] unless the injured person's negligence is "of greater degree" [2] than the other side's, and recovery is diminished in proportion to the injured person's share (23 O.S. §§ 13 and 14). An attorney can tell you how it applies to a crash.

What is the minimum car insurance in Oklahoma?

$25,000 for injury or death to one person, $50,000 for two or more people and $25,000 for property damage to others, in any one accident (47 O.S. § 7-324(b)(2)) [3].

Do I have to call the police after a crash in Oklahoma?

If someone is injured or killed, the driver "shall immediately, by the quickest means of communication, give notice of such accident to the local police department, if such accident occurs within a municipality, or to the office of the county sheriff or the nearest office of the State Highway Patrol" [4] (47 O.S. § 10-107). A written report to the Department of Public Safety is also required in some cases: injury, death, or apparent damage over $3,000 (the figure since November 1, 2026), if the claim is not settled within six months. Since that date no report is required when all parties agree to exchange information and there is no injury, no death and no damage to property other than vehicles [6]. See the reporting rules.

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