The Hicks Legal Journal

The Journal.

Case notes from an Oklahoma trial lawyer.

The Journal explains what matters early in major injury, wrongful-death, trucking, insurance, and civil-rights cases: the records to preserve, the questions to ask, and the proof a jury may need to see.

The Answer That Never Came

Featured reading · legal process

The Answer That Never Came

Thomas & Goza v. Liberty Mutual explains when unanswered requests for admission may be withdrawn, why the litigation record matters, and why reversal did not decide insurance coverage.

Jason Hicks · September 17, 2026 · 10 min read

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29 articles

legal process

The Answer That Never Came

Thomas & Goza v. Liberty Mutual explains when unanswered requests for admission may be withdrawn, why the litigation record matters, and why reversal did not decide insurance coverage.

Jason Hicks · September 17, 2026 · 10 min read

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legal process

The Reports the Public Could Not Read

NonDoc Media v. University of Oklahoma explains why two reports from completed law-firm investigations remained protected by attorney-client privilege, and why the divided decision still demands careful attention to timing, waiver, segregability, and the limits of public-record access.

Jason Hicks · September 14, 2026 · 13 min read

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insurance

One Claim Is Not a Statewide Case

State Farm v. Palumbo explains why an Oklahoma homeowners’ insurance dispute could not be transformed through intervention into a statewide enforcement case, while leaving the underlying hail-loss and bad-faith allegations undecided.

Jason Hicks · September 10, 2026 · 14 min read

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personal injury

The Waiver Did Not End the Question

Mayo v. Tulsa Tough shows how an Oklahoma court examines a signed race waiver, a known course hazard, and the narrow line between ordinary negligence and conduct a contract cannot excuse.

Jason Hicks · September 7, 2026 · 12 min read

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legal process

The 61 Days That Did Not Run

Williams v. McFeeters holds that the sixty-one days covered by Oklahoma’s 2020 COVID emergency orders cannot be counted against the applicable negligence limitations period.

Jason Hicks · August 24, 2026 · 11 min read

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legal process

The First Forum Can Decide the Case

Cactus Drilling v. Kirkland explains why pursuing an Oklahoma workers’ compensation claim and receiving benefits barred a later district-court action against the employer for the same work injury.

Jason Hicks · August 17, 2026 · 11 min read

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insurance

When the Insurer's Engineer Enters the Claim

A 2026 Oklahoma Supreme Court decision holds that an insurer-retained engineering company acted as the insurer's representative during a claim inspection, barring tortious-interference and civil-conspiracy claims against it on the pleaded facts. The opinion also preserves the insurer's non-delegable duties and a dissent's warning about intentional conduct.

Jason Hicks · August 3, 2026 · 15 min read

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insurance

The Policy Layer Behind the Loss

A 2026 Oklahoma Supreme Court decision explains how policy language determines the order in which primary and excess liability insurance responds, and why a prevailing insurer could not recover statutory prejudgment interest in this dispute between carriers.

Jason Hicks · July 30, 2026 · 16 min read

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legal process

The Discovery Request Must Fit the Injury Case

A 2026 Oklahoma Supreme Court decision explains why requests for prior incidents must be tied to the actual claims and defenses, proportionate to the case, and specific enough to separate useful evidence from a broad subject-matter search.

Jason Hicks · July 26, 2026 · 15 min read

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personal injury

The Immunity Question Inside an Oklahoma Medical Negligence Case

The Oklahoma Supreme Court's Burgess decision separates state emergency-era immunity from federal PREP Act protection and shows why medical negligence cases can turn on the source, scope, and causation language of an immunity statute.

Jason Hicks · July 26, 2026 · 16 min read

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trucking

When the Passing Lane Becomes the Case

A fatal Highway 33 crash near Kingfisher shows why Oklahoma semi-truck and passing-lane cases turn on reconstruction, commercial records, comparative fault, and evidence preservation.

Jason Hicks · July 15, 2026 · 15 min read

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civil rights

The Record Behind the Wall

A new Oklahoma accountability initiative for deaths in jail shows why these cases depend on preserved medical records, video, staffing evidence, timelines, and disciplined constitutional proof.

Jason Hicks · July 16, 2026 · 16 min read

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personal injury

Motorcycle Wrecks Are Evidence Cases Before They Become Blame Cases

Why serious Oklahoma motorcycle wrecks require fast preservation of scene evidence, video, motorcycle and gear, roadway proof, medical causation, and a disciplined response to rider-blame defenses.

Jason Hicks · June 15, 2026 · 15 min read

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personal injury

The Missing Vehicle Is the Case

A recent fatal hit-and-run on I-35 in McClain County shows why Oklahoma hit-and-run and highway death cases often turn on the evidence that is not waiting at the scene.

Jason Hicks · June 11, 2026 · 14 min read

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trucking

Semi-Truck Wrecks Are Evidence Cases Before They Are Injury Cases

Why serious semi-truck wrecks require immediate preservation of electronic data, driver files, maintenance records, dispatch communications, and carrier safety evidence.

Jason Hicks · June 1, 2026 · 16 min read

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civil rights

What It Takes to Win a Jail Death Verdict in Oklahoma

A $2 million Oklahoma County jail death verdict shows what serious civil-rights cases require: records, depositions, medical proof, jail-policy work, and trial command.

Jason Hicks · May 15, 2026 · 10 min read

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civil rights

Allen Gamble Prison Homicides and the Duty to Protect People in Custody

What families should know about reported homicides at Allen Gamble Correctional Center, records that may matter, and civil-rights claims when officials ignore known danger.

Jason Hicks · May 13, 2026 · 18 min read

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civil rights

Federal Officer Shootings and the Limits of Civil-Rights Remedies

How federal-agent cases can raise difficult questions about accountability, immunity, records, and the remedies available to families.

Jason Hicks · February 3, 2026 · 15 min read

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civil rights

Why Civil Accountability Matters When Officers Take a Life

When a police officer kills a civilian, the criminal justice system addresses only part of the equation. This article examines why civil litigation under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 is essential to holding institutions accountable, through the lens of Browder v. City of Albuquerque and the case of Emily Gaines.

Jason Hicks · May 5, 2026 · 14 min read

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personal injury

Oilfield Injury Cases When Corporate Structure Hides Responsibility

Why ownership records, contracts, supervision, and company control can matter when an oilfield injury involves multiple entities.

Jason Hicks · February 2, 2026 · 10 min read

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civil rights

Civil Claims After a Federal Agent Uses Deadly Force

What families should understand about federal-agent cases, immunity defenses, available records, and the limits of a Bivens claim.

Jason Hicks · January 20, 2026 · 14 min read

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trucking

Truck Black Box Data After a Serious Commercial Crash

Why electronic logging data, engine control modules, hard-braking events, speed settings, and preservation letters can matter after a trucking crash.

Jason Hicks · January 15, 2026 · 10 min read

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civil rights

The 1-Year Tort Claim Deadline in Oklahoma Explained

For a claim against an Oklahoma county or city, the 1-year Tort Claim Notice clock usually starts when the loss occurs, and the GTCA sets the other rules.

Jason Hicks · January 8, 2026 · 6 min read

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insurance

Reviewing Early Settlement Offers

Early settlement offers should be reviewed against medical prognosis, future care, release language, and available insurance coverage.

Jason Hicks · January 8, 2026 · 5 min read

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personal injury

Government Liability for Dangerous Road Conditions in Oklahoma

How notice, maintenance records, weather evidence, and the Governmental Tort Claims Act can affect injury claims involving public roads.

Jason Hicks · December 15, 2025 · 8 min read

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trucking

Hours-of-Service Evidence in Commercial Trucking Cases

How driver logs, dispatch pressure, delivery schedules, device data, and supporting records can reveal fatigue or rule violations.

Jason Hicks · November 20, 2025 · 11 min read

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civil rights

Jail Medical Neglect and Private Healthcare Contractors

What records may matter when a person in jail is denied medical care, including requests for treatment, staffing, policies, and contractor responsibilities.

Jason Hicks · November 5, 2025 · 13 min read

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insurance

Insurance Delay, Denial, and Low Offers After a Serious Injury

How claim notes, denial letters, payment history, medical records, and changing explanations can matter in an Oklahoma bad-faith insurance claim.

Jason Hicks · October 25, 2025 · 9 min read

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civil rights

Taser Use, Excessive Force, and Qualified Immunity

How video, witness statements, officer reports, medical records, and clearly established law can affect excessive-force cases involving tasers.

Jason Hicks · October 10, 2025 · 10 min read

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Find the right starting point

Read by the problem in front of you.

Pick the area closest to what happened. Each section is written to help you spot the records, deadlines, and proof issues that should be addressed early.

High-value negligence cases

Truck wrecks, fatal crashes, motorcycle wrecks, catastrophic injuries, and premises cases need early proof and attorney review.

Start with the right review

Truck and fleet crashes

Commercial crash cases often turn on driver files, electronic data, maintenance records, dispatch history, and company safety rules.

Read trucking articles

Fatal crashes and wrongful death

Fatal crash cases require careful proof of what happened, what was lost, who may file, and which records should be preserved.

Read wrongful-death articles

Catastrophic car and motorcycle wrecks

When the injury is permanent or the rider cannot tell the story, physical evidence and medical proof need to be organized quickly.

Read injury articles

Attorney review

When legal research should lead to attorney review

A high-value case is not just a big number. It often involves life-changing harm, disputed responsibility, meaningful damages, and records that need careful review. Articles can help you understand the legal issue, but a high-value case still needs direct attorney review.

Major harm

Major injury or death

Death, permanent injury, surgery, disability, brain injury, paralysis, or long-term medical loss.

Accountable party

Company, insurer, business, or agency

A trucking company, commercial fleet, insurer, property owner, jail, police agency, government entity, or business defendant.

Meaningful damages

Losses that change the future

Medical cost, lost earning capacity, family loss, future care, civil-rights harm, or denied insurance benefits.

Proof pressure

Facts the defense will fight

A dispute over what happened, what records show, who knew what, or why a company or agency should be accountable.

Request case reviewReview documented results

When to act quickly

If evidence may be at risk, ask whether preservation steps are needed.

  • A death, brain injury, paralysis, surgery, or permanent impairment
  • A trucking company, insurer, jail, police department, or government agency is involved
  • Video, black-box data, logs, policies, medical records, or witnesses may be hard to preserve
  • The official account, denial letter, or settlement offer does not match what happened
Request a confidential review

Ask for review

If the facts are serious, send them directly to the firm.

A short summary is enough to start. Include what happened, where it happened, who was involved, and whether video, records, vehicles, devices, or witnesses may be at risk.

What helps us evaluate the inquiry

  • What happened, and when?
  • Who may be responsible?
  • What records, video, devices, or witnesses may exist?
  • What injuries, death, treatment, or long-term losses are involved?
$160,850,000

Published documented recoveries. Past results do not guarantee any future outcome.

Call (405) 759-0515

Request a Confidential Review

Use this form for serious injury, wrongful-death, trucking, insurance, jail, or civil-rights matters.

Start with the facts

A clear summary of what happened, who was involved, and what evidence may exist is enough to begin.

Confidential review

The firm reviews your information and responds if the matter appears to fit.

Evidence and timing

Dates, locations, records, photos, video, and witness names help us understand what may need to be preserved.

How to reach you

Tell us how to reach you and when you are available for follow-up.

We handle cases on a contingency fee. If there's no recovery, there's no fee. We front the case costs. Submitting this form does not create an attorney-client relationship.