Road Construction Fatalities Result in Wrongful Death Lawsuit Against State of Oklahoma and Construction Firms

Muskogee County District Court is set to hear a strict liability and wrongful death lawsuit filed by the Estates of John C. Simmons and Garland Tynes, along with Carrie Kelley as Next of Kin of Wilma Smith. The plaintiffs are accusing the State of Oklahoma, the Oklahoma Department of Transportation, Built Right Construction LLC, and Direct Traffic Control Inc. of failing to properly mark a road construction detour, which allegedly resulted in a fatal head-on car collision. The case, identified as CJ-2023-230, is scheduled for July 14, 2023, and will be presided over by Judge Jeffrey Atkins.