Dodge Repair: 96 Ram V8: ran out of oil/locked up

Question
So i was driving down the road and my dodge just locked up and quit,I realized the oil was just getting low but to find out i ran it out of oil like an idiot.Now it wont turn over at all? what could it be? did i blow the engine?I just changed the oil recently,It hasnt been leaking so im not sure whats going on but its a v8, 1996 1500 dodge ram.

Answer
Hi Alyssa,
I believe that for lack of oil the pistons and cylinder walls locked up which prevents the starter motor from rotating the crankshaft. It is very likely that the engine is damaged beyond any simple repair.
But don't be too hard on yourself...I did that myself in the past year. I replaced the engine with a rebuilt engine that is really great. If you like the vehicle you might do well to do that. Mine is an '89, and though it cost more than the value of the car I am pleased to still have it and running with a great engine.
If there is any possibility that the oil change shop screwed up when they changed the oil, you might seek some restitution. Look at the receipt to see how many quarts of oil they charged you for and compare that to the fill requirements for your engine as show in the manual. Another possibility is that the oil drain plug was not tight and it could have fallen out. So take a look at the drain plug of the oil pan to see if it is missing or about to fall out. If that were the case I would have a mechanic document that with a photograph.
These would be contentious claims but you might get some financial help that way.
Please read the PS below and respond to it.
Thanks,
Roland