Posts by Ryan Y. Cunningham
Can a Traumatic Brain Injury Lead to Hearing or Vision Loss?
A traumatic brain injury (TBI) is one of the most severe injuries that can occur to an accident victim. These brain injuries often develop when a person’s head hits an object, such as the windshield or headrest in a vehicle during a car accident, or a hard surface in a slip and fall accident. Injuries…
Read MoreInjuries Common to the Oil Field Sector
Workers in the oil and gas industry face many dangers. They are often exposed to severe weather. They work long hours which causes fatigue. Many employees and contractors work with machinery that is defective, needs repairs, and is hard to manipulate. Derrick hands, roustabouts, and oilfield drivers have the greatest likelihood of being injured. Employees…
Read MoreWhat Other People Might Work on My Truck Accident Claim?
People who watch lawyers present evidence before juries and watch them make closing arguments are just seeing the end of the litigation process. Most truck accident cases are won or settled due to the work done at the beginning and middle stages of the lawyer’s representation. Plaintiff lawyers need to be skilled at understanding the…
Read MoreHow Can You Prove Distracted Driving Caused Your Accident?
Distracted driving is a leading cause of death and injury on America’s highways. Teens, adults, and seniors who text while driving, talk on their smartphones, focus on their GPS system, eat, drink, or do anything that distracts their attention are a constant danger to their passengers and other vehicles on the road. They’re also a…
Read MoreDangerous Jobs in the Oil and Gas Industry
The oil and gas industry provide good paychecks for many employees and contractors. This is, in part, due to the risks of death and serious injury in these demanding jobs. Employees who are injured on the job normally file a workers’ compensation with their employer. In workers’ compensation cases, there is no need to show…
Read MoreVaping and E-Cig Related Illnesses
For years, the makers of e-cigarettes and vaping devices have been touting their products as the safer alternative to smoking nicotine cigarettes. Now, reports and studies are beginning to show these newer devices can also cause death and serious injuries. The manufacturers and distributors of e-cigs and vaping devices may be subject to product liability…
Read MoreShould I Settle My Car Accident Case on My Own?
Every now and then, a client will call and ask if he or she really needs to hire a lawyer to settle a “fender bender.” After all, isn’t it faster and easier to just settle your car crash claim yourself? In a word? No. Anyone injured in a car accident case should immediately review their…
Read MoreReasons Trucking Is Such a Dangerous Job
Oklahoma has numerous resources that require the aid of truckers to deliver these goods to the rest of the nation. In the same way, truckers deliver many necessary products to Oklahoma communities. While many truck accidents are related to the negligence of the trucker or the company he or she drives for, there are many…
Read MoreNew CA Law Will Qualify Gig Workers for Workers’ Compensation Benefits
The California Assembly recently passed legislation which, essentially, adopts a California Supreme Court decision on whether workers should be categorized as employees instead of as independent contractors. California Governor Gavin Newsome signed the bill into law on September 18, 2019; it is designed to help many workers in the “gig” economy, such as rideshare drivers…
Read MoreWhy the Oil and Gas Industry is Concerned about the New Methane Emissions Rollbacks
The current EPA administration recently proposed rolling back methane emission regulations. The rollbacks are part of the current discussion about the impact of these gases on climate change. While it was anticipated that climate scientists would oppose the rollbacks, the noteworthy news is that even some of the oil and gas companies that might have…
Read MoreTBI in Children Caused Often By Common Everyday Products
Children and adolescents are particularly susceptible to sustaining traumatic brain injuries (TBI). In the U.S. every year, 700,000 children under the age of 19 are diagnosed with TBI. This represents a large percentage of the 1.7 million TBI patients diagnosed every year. The Official Research Journal of the International Brain Injury Association (IBIA) published a…
Read MoreCongratulations, Jamie Campbell, on Being Selected for the 2019 Cunningham & Mears Academic Scholarship!
A strong justice system is critical to protecting people. At Cunningham & Mears, we believe it is our duty to help young law students achieve their dreams, so they can help uphold the rule of law in this country. That is why we are thrilled to announce that Jamie Campbell is the winner of the…
Read MoreCar Incursions into Structures – Causes and Injuries
It is commonly understood that any type of car crash poses a danger to drivers, other vehicle occupants, pedestrians, motorcyclists, and bicycle riders. We hear on the news and sometimes may witness in person the aftermath of these accidents. However, a less common type of accident ever seen or reported is referred to as a…
Read MoreCauses of, and Injuries from, Jackknife Accidents
Unfortunately, Oklahoma roadways are the scene of jackknife accidents involving big tractor-trailers all too often. These accidents on high-speed highways in particular can cause multi-vehicle pileups and serious injuries for many people involved. If you have sustained an injury in a truck jackknife crash due to the negligence of another party, you maybe be entitled…
Read MoreCongenital Heart Defects in Babies Connected to Proximity with Oil and Gas Areas
The occurrence of congenital heart defects in babies has been linked to pregnant mothers living in close proximity to oil and gas well sites. A new study conducted by researchers at the Colorado School of Public Health came to the following conclusion: Children born to mothers who live a relatively short distance from oil and…
Read MoreDecision Pending in $17 Billion Opioid Case Against Johnson & Johnson
The $17 billion lawsuit the state of Oklahoma has filed against Johnson & Johnson and its subsidiary, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, is now awaiting a decision by Cleveland County District Judge Thad Balkman. As the 7-week trial wound down to a conclusion on Monday, July 15, attorneys for the state and J&J presented their closing arguments, thus…
Read MoreThe Dangers of Lithium Ion Batteries
Almost every portable electronic device in use today has a lithium-ion battery. As device manufacturers race to build more products, they may use less reliable batteries, or take short-cuts when it comes to building or installing them. A fire or explosion resulting from a malfunctioning lithium battery has the potential to cause catastrophic results for…
Read MorePolice and First Responders Face Dangers on the Side of the Road
Place yourself in the position of a first responder for a moment. You are giving first aid on the side of the road in the aftermath of a car crash. Or, you are working feverishly to free someone from a badly damaged, twisted vehicle. Or, as a police officer, you may be evaluating a suspect…
Read MoreOil Field Workers and Heat Stroke
Oilfield workers in Oklahoma are particularly vulnerable to suffering heat stroke during the hottest months of the year. The risk for heat stroke is higher under direct sun and hot conditions which are commonly found at these oil field operations, according to the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA). Although heat stroke is one of…
Read MoreWhat to Do If You are Injured in a Pedestrian Accident
Car crashes involving pedestrians can result in serious and devastating injuries, including fractured bones and brain damage. Injured victims may require hospitalization and extensive rehabilitation or physical therapy that lasts months or even years. As a pedestrian accident victim, you may be entitled to pursue compensation from the liable driver in the accident in order…
Read MoreDistracted Driving and its Potentially Devastating Consequences
In 2010, a student at the University of Oklahoma – Mary Beth Davis – was traveling home to Guthrie, OK to visit her parents for the weekend when she suffered a car accident that changed her life. As Ms. Davis told KFOR, “Distracted driving, took my eyes off the road, overcorrected, went down a steep…
Read MoreJohnson & Johnson is the Latest Target in Oklahoma’s War Against Pharmaceutical Giants
The title wave of litigation focused against opioid manufacturers over their alleged culpability in feeding the national epidemic in recent decades has entered the courtroom once again. Now the target is Johnson & Johnson, as Attorney General Mike Hunt takes aim at the mammoth manufacturer. Johnson & Johnson is staring down the allegations from the…
Read MoreInsurance Coverage Considerations in the Wake of El Reno
During a Memorial Day weekend of destructive tornados that passed through the El Reno, OK and surrounding areas in the Central portion of the state, six people lost their lives. Two were confirmed dead in El Reno, two others in nearby Maynes County, and one fatality occurred in Stephens and Payne Counties, according to officials.…
Read MorePoultry Processing, Injuries, and Workers’ Compensation Claims
Most people associated Oklahoma with a handful of industries: oil and gas, biotech, and aviation. Our open landscapes, though, make us an ideal place to raise chickens on an industrial scale, and a number of farms and processing centers can be found around the state, including a few right here in Oklahoma City. You might…
Read MoreHow Much Is Pain and Suffering Worth?
When you get into a serious car accident, or if you are injured because of a defective product or unsafe property, you can make a claim for pain and suffering. How much that claim is worth, however, can be difficult to answer. Generally, the more serious and longer-lasting your injuries are, the higher your personal…
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