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Oklahoma Appellate Lawyer
Colbert Cooper Hill has prosecuted or defended more than 100 appeals before the Oklahoma Supreme Court and the Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals.
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Oklahoma Appeals. Meaningful Results.
Colbert Cooper Hill Attorneys has prosecuted or defended more than 100 appellate cases before the Oklahoma Supreme Court and the Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals for our clients.
An appeal is not simply another trial. Oklahoma appellate courts generally review the record created in the trial court or administrative proceeding to determine whether the law was applied correctly and whether the decision is supported by the evidence. Appellate advocacy therefore requires careful legal research, precise written arguments, and a thorough understanding of the standard an appellate court will use to review each issue. At Colbert Cooper Hill, we take the appellate process seriously. We think you should too.
Explore Featured Decisions:
Kelley v. Wolverine Tube, Inc.
Attorney John Colbert successfully represented Jewel Kelley after her work-related back injury claim was denied on procedural grounds. The Court of Civil Appeals held that her back injury was separate from her earlier neck and hand injuries, reinstating the trial court’s award and preserving her right to benefits and treatment.
Key Energy Services, Inc. v. Minyard
In Key Energy Services v. Minyard, John Colbert persuaded a unanimous Oklahoma Supreme Court that William Minyard’s claim could not be barred while court-controlled delays prevented him from proceeding. Colbert’s advocacy preserved Minyard’s medical treatment and ensured an injured worker was no longer “thwarted from vindicating his rights” in court.
Mullendore v. Mercy Hospital Ardmore
John Colbert secured an important Oklahoma Supreme Court victory for Emilee Mullendore after her workers’ compensation claim was denied at every prior level. His persuasive appellate advocacy exposed the employer’s unsupported pre-existing-condition theory, convinced the Court to declare her knee injury compensable, and produced a lasting precedent for Oklahoma workers.
Nix v. First Staffing Group USA
Attorney John Colbert successfully represented Robert Nix after the Workers’ Compensation Commission denied additional temporary disability benefits. The Court of Civil Appeals held that medication administered through an IV qualified as an “injection” under Oklahoma law, entitling Nix to eight additional weeks of compensation while recovering from his workplace injuries.
Appellate insight matters long before an appeal begins.
Appellate experience helps an attorney recognize legal issues, preserve the record, challenge unsupported conclusions, and prepare every case with an understanding of how a reviewing court may see it.
Successful appellate work often begins long before an appeal is filed. Important legal arguments must be recognized and properly preserved, relevant evidence must be included in the record, and trial-court or administrative orders must contain sufficient findings to permit meaningful review. Oklahoma appeals are also governed by strict deadlines and detailed procedural requirements. A missed deadline or an incomplete record can prevent an appellate court from ever reaching the merits of an otherwise valid argument.
More than a list of citations.
Selected Appellate Case Record
The following matters are listed by case name, appellate case number, and published citation, when applicable, as reflected on www.oscn.net.
| Case Name | Case Number | Citation (if published) |
| Carlock v. Workers’ Compensation Commission
(Consolidated with Studeman Case No. PR-112613 and Barrera Case No. PR-112653) |
PR-112607 | 2014 OK 29,
324 P.3d 408 |
| Mullendore v. Mercy Hospital Ardmore | WCM-113560 | 2019 OK 11,
438 P.3d 358 |
| Lomoe v. Castells Tire Barn | WCM-116139 | 2017 OK 99,
410 P.3d 1013 |
| Bober v. Oklahoma State University | WCM-114038 | 2016 OK 78,
378 P.3d 562 |
| Key Energy Services, Inc. v. Minyard | WC-102994 | 2007 OK 99,
173 P.3d 1198 |
| Dunkin v. Instaff Personnel | WC-102580 | 2007 OK 51 ,
164 P.3d 1057 |
| Butler v. Multiple Injury Trust Fund | WCM-117403 | 2020 OK CIV APP 10 , 458 P.3d 648
|
| Kelley v. Wolverine Tube | WC-115283 | 2017 OK CIV APP 19 , 392 P.3d 711 |
| Nix v. First Staffing Group, USA | WCM-114526 | 2017 OK CIV APP 8 ,
390 P.3d 978 |
| L.E. Jones Drilling Co. v. Hodge | WC-110859 | 2013 OK CIV APP 111,
315 P.3d 1025 |
| Scott v. Sprint PCS | WC-109275 | 2012 OK CIV APP 36,
274 P.3d 173 |
| Claire’s Stores, Inc. v. Johnson | WC-103175 | 2006 OK CIV APP 109,
143 P.3d 225 |
| Veith v. Ogburn | WC-101824 | 2006 OK CIV APP 75,
136 P.3d 1080 |
| Dollar General Corp. v. Instaff Personnel | WC-101783 | 2005 OK CIV APP 86,
123 P.3d 45 |
| Howery v. Kelley | WC-102512 | Unpublished Opinion |
| Jan Frances Care Center v. Batchelor | WC-104750 | Unpublished Opinion |
| Dollar Tree v. Mai | WC-110638 | Unpublished Opinion |
| City of Durant v. Hutchison | WC-112162 | Unpublished Opinion |
| Impact Roofing v. Torres | WCM-116913 | Unpublished Opinion |
| Hull’s Oilfield Service v. O’Daniel | WC-97009 | Unpublished Opinion |
| Dollar General Corp v. Hooker | WC-100828 | Unpublished Opinion |
| Taylor v. Honorable Tom Leonard | MA-107475 | Unpublished Opinion |
| Kingston Public Schools v. Cunningham | WC-103260 | Unpublished Opinion |
| Holland Group v. Gomez | WC-105235 | Unpublished Opinion |
| Miller v. Prime Operating Co | WC-106346 | Unpublished Opinion |
| Beaver Public Schools v. Holleman | WC-108284 | Unpublished Opinion |
| Advance Food Company v. Forbess | WC-109163 | Unpublished Opinion |
| J & B Oilfield Construction v. O’Neill | WC-110242 | Unpublished Opinion |
| Beaver Express Services v. Harvey | WC-111211 | Unpublished Opinion |
| City of Durant v. Hutchison | WC-111959 | Unpublished Opinion |
| Dollar Tree v. Barter | WC-113444 | Unpublished Opinion |
| Oklahoma Department of Corrections v. Pepiakitah | WCM-118546 | Unpublished Opinion |
| Michelin North America, Inc. v. Wiley | WCM-119117 | Unpublished Opinion |
| Braum’s v. Vincent | WC-110984 | Unpublished Opinion |
| Sundowner Trailers v. Long | WC-111974 | Unpublished Opinion |
| Bitco General Insurance v. Honorable T. Shane Curtin | PR-119324 | Unpublished Opinion |
| Firebird Restaurant Group v. Boyd | WCM-119996 | Unpublished Opinion |
| Inca Community Services v. Pittman | WC-109154 | Unpublished Opinion |
| City of Midwest City v. Beller | WC-109382 | Unpublished Opinion |
| Pro Driver v. Denton | WC-110991 | Unpublished Opinion |
| Michelin v. Moody | WC-111072 | Unpublished Opinion |
| Mercy Memorial Health Center v. Ingram | WC-111238 | Unpublished Opinion |
| Harrison v. Landair | WCM-113656 | Unpublished Opinion |
| TXI v. Maybin | WC-115298 | Unpublished Opinion |
| Reppond v. Bacone College | WCM-115636 | Unpublished Opinion |
| Alpha & Omega Roofing v. Torres | WCM-116913 | Unpublished Opinion |
| McGlocklin v. Jernigan’s Sporting Goods | WCM-120445 | Unpublished Opinion |
| Forsythe Oilfield Service v. Adkins | WC-94102 | Unpublished Opinion |
| Simmons Industries v. Cargill | WC-94397 | Unpublished Opinion |
| NEOSHO Construction v. Bernard | WC-95606 | Unpublished Opinion |
| Dollar General Corporation v. Justice | WC-99179 | Unpublished Opinion |
| Diebold v. Parker | WC-100435 | Unpublished Opinion |
| Keith Electric v. Kunzelman | WC-100508 | Unpublished Opinion |
| Cable Crafters II, v. Ondracek | WC-101431 | Unpublished Opinion |
| Dollar General v. Stevenson | WC-101634 | Unpublished Opinion |
| Houston v. Gibson’s | WC-101741 | Unpublished Opinion |
| Oklahoma Nursing Homes v. McDowell | WC-101931 | Unpublished Opinion |
| AMS Staff Leasing v. Sennett | WC-103396 | Unpublished Opinion |
| Key Energy v. Minyard | WC-103712 | Unpublished Opinion |
| Solitaire Holding v. Hoosier | WC-104641 | Unpublished Opinion |
| Hanson Aggregates v. Rico | WC-105398 | Unpublished Opinion |
| Manpower v. Williams | WC-105596 | Unpublished Opinion |
| Lowe’s v. Ott | WC-106045 | Unpublished Opinion |
| Johnson Controls v. Hill | WC-106129 | Unpublished Opinion |
| Jones v. Elmbrook Management | WC-106666 | Unpublished Opinion |
| Bradi Management v. Woods | WC-107075 | Unpublished Opinion |
| Choctaw Memorial v. Spear | WC-107681 | Unpublished Opinion |
| Spirit v. Newby | WC-112220 | Unpublished Opinion |
| Studeman v. Wilson | PR-112613 | Unpublished Opinion |
| Barrera v. Wilson | PR-112653 | Unpublished Opinion |
| Vargas v. Dollar General | WC-112797 | Unpublished Opinion |
| Pilkington v. Doak | PR-113662 | Unpublished Opinion |
| Gibbs v. Uniroyal Goodrich Tire Co. | WC-88172 | Unpublished Opinion |
| Martin v. Keystone Chevrolet | WC-90732 | Unpublished Opinion |
| Texhoma Sand & Gravel v. Preston | WC-94274 | Unpublished Opinion |
| Wilson Nursing Center v. Stehr | WC-95621 | Unpublished Opinion |
| Jacy’s Restaurant & Catering v. Brenda Taylor | WC-95731 | Unpublished Opinion |
| Cogar v. Dollar General | WC-101769 | Unpublished Opinion |
| American Interstate Ins Co v. Greenhill | WC-101865 | Unpublished Opinion |
| McDonald’s v. McKinley | WC-103512 | Unpublished Opinion |
| Weyerhauser Co. v. Peters | WC-103695 | Unpublished Opinion |
| United Parcel Service v. Shans | WC-103746 | Unpublished Opinion |
| Tahermandarjani v. Mercy Memorial Health | WC-103961 | Unpublished Opinion |
| Advanced Warnings v. Glennon | WC-103968 | Unpublished Opinion |
| David Stanley Dodge v. Welch | WC-105234 | Unpublished Opinion |
| Med Corp Plus Healthcare v. Clow | WC-105400 | Unpublished Opinion |
| Lone Grove Public Schools v. Chapman | WC-105899 | Unpublished Opinion |
| Manor Care Nursing Home v. Davis | WC-106188 | Unpublished Opinion |
| Valley Timbers v. Wickson | WC-106408 | Unpublished Opinion |
| Mercy Memorial v. Nelson | WC-106465 | Unpublished Opinion |
| Flex-N-Gate v. Millican | WC-106857 | Unpublished Opinion |
| Gillespie v. Sathers Family Partnership | WC-106988 | Unpublished Opinion |
| Boyd v. TXI | WC-107425 | Unpublished Opinion |
| Ivey v. Sterling House | WC-107426 | Unpublished Opinion |
| Drano v. WT Painting | WC-107799 | Unpublished Opinion |
| AMS Staff Leasing v. Bilbro | WC-108451 | Unpublished Opinion |
| Landeros v. Dollar General | WC-108708 | Unpublished Opinion |
| Pierce v. Clint Williams Peanut Co | WC-108733 | Unpublished Opinion |
| Good Shepherd v. Gresham | WC-108984 | Unpublished Opinion |
| RFIP v. Nixon | WC-109932 | Unpublished Opinion |
| Big Lots v. Dalrymple | WC-110420 | Unpublished Opinion |
| Clinton v. Splash Sales | WC-111475 | Unpublished Opinion |
| Jones v. KBR Inc. | WC-111842 | Unpublished Opinion |
| American Beauty v. Haynes | WC-115984 | Unpublished Opinion |
Appellate experience can benefit clients at every stage of a case. An attorney who understands how decisions are reviewed on appeal is better equipped to identify legal errors, anticipate opposing arguments, protect the record, and present the case clearly from the beginning. When an unfavorable decision is entered, that experience also helps determine whether an appeal is warranted and which issues provide the strongest basis for relief.
The attorneys at Colbert Cooper Hill have prosecuted and/or defended more than 100 appellate cases before the Oklahoma Supreme Court and the Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals. Our appellate work has addressed significant questions involving workers’ compensation benefits, workplace injuries, statutes of limitation, medical treatment, disability benefits, evidentiary requirements, and the right to meaningful judicial review. Several of the resulting published decisions have helped clarify Oklahoma law while protecting the rights and benefits of the individual clients we represented.
No attorney can guarantee the outcome of an appeal. Each case depends upon its particular facts, the existing record, the applicable law, and the standard of review. Our extensive appellate experience, however, gives clients the benefit of attorneys who understands both how to challenge an incorrect decision and how to defend a favorable result when it is appealed.
Getting the Legal Help You Need Is Simple
The legal process can feel overwhelming after a serious injury, a workplace accident, or the loss of a loved one. On top of managing the aftermath and focusing on recovery or grieving, it can be difficult to know where to start. That’s why our firm focuses on making the process as easy as possible.
WHY CLIENTS CHOOSE US
When you hire our firm, you don’t get just one lawyer, you get a team. We prepare every case like it’s going to trial.
We fight aggressively
Insurance companies know we don’t back down.
We have proven results
We have recovered $100’s of millions of dollars for our clients.
We are lawyers with real compassion
You’re not just a case file — You’re a real person with real injuries.
No fees unless we win
You pay nothing unless we recover for you.