Practice Areas: Personal Injury; view more
Licensed in Oklahoma since: 1988
Education: The University of Oklahoma College of Law
Selected to Super Lawyers: 2009 - 2024 Call today:
405-607-1790
Stipe & Belote, LLP
9400 Broadway ExtensionSuite 420
Oklahoma City, OK 73114 Visit website
Details
A partner with the Law Offices of Stipe & Belote, James A. Belote has significant experience providing representation to clients in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and throughout the State. He focuses his practice primarily on plaintiff's personal injury litigation, with cases that involve motor vehicle accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, defective products, medical malpractice and nursing home negligence. Mr. Belote also assists people in pursuing their insurance bad faith claims.
A 1985 recipient of a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Oklahoma, Mr. Belote stayed in Norman and pursued his legal education at the University of Oklahoma College of Law. He was awarded his Juris Doctor in 1988 and joined his current firm in 1990. Admitted to practice in both Oklahoma and Texas, Mr. Belote is also admitted to practice before the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern, Northern and Western Districts of Oklahoma and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit.
Mr. Belote is highly regarded as a dedicated and compassionate lawyer by both his clients and his fellow professionals. He has received an AV Preeminent* peer review rating through Martindale-Hubbell as well as a 10.0 "Superb" peer review rating through Avvo. Mr. Belote has also been selected for membership in The National Trial Lawyers: Top 100, an invitation-only group made up of the leading plaintiff's personal injury and criminal defense trial lawyers from each state. A former president of the Oklahoma Association for Justice, Mr. Belote is an active participant in a variety of other legal organizations. His memberships include the Oklahoma and Oklahoma County bar associations, the State Bar of Texas and the American Association for Justice.
*AV®, AV Preeminent®, Martindale-Hubbell Distinguished and Martindale-Hubbell Notable are certification marks used under license in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards and policies. Martindale-Hubbell® is the facilitator of a peer review rating process. Ratings reflect the anonymous opinions of members of the bar and the judiciary. Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Rating™ fall into two categories – legal ability and general ethical standards.
Practice areas
Personal Injury - General: PlaintiffFocus areas
Brain Injury, Motor Vehicle Accidents, Personal Injury - Plaintiff, Trucking Accidents, Wrongful Death
- 100% Personal Injury - General: Plaintiff
First Admitted: 1988, Oklahoma
Professional Webpage: https://www.stipeinjurylaw.com/about-us/james-belote-esq-/
- Vice-President, Oklahoma Association for Justice, 2007-2008
- Executive Committee, Oklahoma Association for Justice, 2011
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern Districts of Oklahoma
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Tenth Circuit
- American Association for Justice
- All Oklahoma State Courts
- OBA Administration of Justice Task Force, 2009
- Texas Bar Association, 1990
- U.S. District Court for the Western Districts of Oklahoma
- Executive Committee, Oklahoma County Bar Association, 2004-2010, 2012-2015
- President, Oklahoma Association for Justice, 2009
- Executive Committee, Oklahoma Association for Justice, 2004-2010
- Oklahoma Bar Association, 1988
- U.S. District Court for the Northern Districts of Oklahoma
- Oklahoma County Bar Association
- President elect, OAJ, 2008-2009
- Trucking Accident Verdict of 2.5MWhen KLLM semi-tractor trailer collision victim Latrina McNeil was offered a sum to settle her case, we knew we couldn’t accept such a low amount. After helping Latrina pursue compensation in court, a unanimous jury awarded her $2.5 million in late January. The disparity between what Latrina was offered to settle her case at mediation and what she ultimately won demonstrates why plaintiffs must carefully consider settlement offers. Had Latrina taken the offer from KLLM to settle, she would have walked away with nine times less in compensation than what she ultimately won at trial. The $2.5 million Latrina won will help her afford her medical treatment from the accident, which includes two neck surgeries. KLLM admitted liability for the accident, which occurred when the driver of one of the company’s semi-tractor trailers crashed into a concrete wall. Latrina was a co-driver of the vehicle and sleeping in the vehicle’s sleeping berth at the time of the accident. Although KLLM was willing to admit fault for the accident, the compensation they offered our client at mediation was unacceptable. We encourage all accident victims to seek legal counsel they trust to help them achieve a better settlement or jury award. If you were injured in an accident and need legal representation, reach out to us at The Law Offices of Stipe & Belote for more information., 2022
- In Cox v Southwestern Bell Telephone (SWBT), CJ-11-145. The Jury awarded Ms. Cox $836,000 in damages, which is more than three times the Defendant's best offer
- $5.5 million - Trucking Accident, Wrongful Death
- $2.8 Million - Defective Product, permanent injuries
- $6.025 Million - Trucking Accident, Wrongful Death
- $1.020 million - Products Liability, door opening during rollover
- $9 million - Trucking Accident, permanent injuries
- $2.5 million - Products Liability, defective medical devices
- $2.2 Million - Defective Product, Explosion
- $1.75 million - Insurance Bad Faith, failure to pay insurance benefits
- Opitz, Inc., sued LeMars Insurance Company for breach of contract, bad faith and for punitive damages. The jury awarded Opitz, Inc., $415,000 in actual damages on the breach of contact and bad faith claim and $225,000 in punitive damages. The Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals affirmed the punitive damage award on May 7, 2013
- In Willis v. Loomis Armored US LLC ( CJ-2015-142), the Jury awarded Ms. Willis $1,125,000 in damages. Loomis filed an offer to confess judgment before trial in the amount of $200,000. The verdict of $1,125,000 included economic damages of $125,000 and non-economic damages of $1,000,000. The Jury and the Judge made a finding of gross negligence, so the cap on non-economic damages was lifted., 2018
- $4.1 million - Insurance Bad Faith - failure to pay insurance benefits
- In excess of $10 million - Class Action - Insurance Bad Faith, failure to pay interest benefits
- $3.0 million - Medical Malpractice, Failure to Diagnose Fracture
- $1.9 million - Premises Liability, failure to properly maintain work place
- $5.5 million - Trucking Accident, Wrongful Death
- $1.170 million - Trucking Accident
- Oklahoma Super Lawyer 2010
- Oklahoma Super Lawyer 2013
- AV rated by Martindale Hubble
- Oklahoma Super Lawyer, 2017
- Oklahoma Super Lawyer 2011
- Oklahoma Super Lawyer 2014
- National Trial Lawyers Top 100 Oklahoma Lawyers
- Oklahoma Super Lawyer, 2018
- Oklahoma Super Lawyer 2009
- Oklahoma Super Lawyer 2012
- Oklahoma Super Lawyer 2015
- Oklahoma Super Lawyer 2016
- University of Oklahoma, B.B.A. in Finance, 1985
Office location for James A. Belote
9400 Broadway Extension
Suite 420
Oklahoma City, OK 73114
Phone: 405-607-1790
Selections
- Super Lawyers: 2009 - 2024
