Car Accident Lawyer Alabama

No matter how careful you are, you can anticipate being in at least one car accident in your lifetime. These can range from rear-end collisions to head-on collisions to failing to yield. If it occurs to you, you will require the assistance of a lawyer to handle the insurance companies, pay your medical expenses, and reclaim any lost wages.

Ala. Code 6-5-410 may allow you to file a lawsuit to hold the at-fault motorist financially liable if you lost a family member as a result of the injuries they sustained in an Alabama car accident. However, Alabama’s wrongful death statutes and the state’s personal injury possibilities are somewhat different from those in other states.

In a wrongful death vehicle accident case, Alabama does not permit the surviving family members to demand and obtain compensable damages. Instead, they limit the recovery in these suits to punitive damages. Punitive damages, which are typically only granted by a jury, are intended to punish the at-fault party and deter future wrongdoing.

In Alabama, a wrongful death claim’s worth will therefore have nothing to do with your losses. Instead, it will depend on how irresponsibly the responsible party acted. Despite being the only damages available in wrongful death claims in Alabama, punitive damages are practically never granted in personal injury cases.

What To Do If A Car Crash Occurs In Alabama?

A car crash can be among the most horrific events that many Alabamans will ever have to endure since it often comes suddenly. The moments immediately following a vehicle collision and what you do in them can make all the difference when it comes down to litigating your case, even though the event itself is unanticipated and typically out of the victim’s control.

The health and safety of you and those close to you should always come first following a car collision, so get everyone out of the cars and into a safe place away from the road.

Once secure, dial 911. The police will not only protect the area and offer assistance, but they will also record the incident and interview all those involved.

Make careful to take as many pictures of the situation as you can to add to the evidence the authorities have already gathered. Take pictures or videos if you can; they might come in handy later.

It is crucial to obtain the other driver’s insurance information, including the name of the insurance provider and the policy number, as well as their name, contact information (including a phone number and address), driver’s license number, and license plate number. Don’t forget to contact your own insurance company right away once you receive it.

After the accident only your car accident lawyer should be informed of the specifics. They will provide you with guidance on how to proceed effectively and respond to any queries you may have.

Visit your physician for a medical assessment even if you don’t believe you were gravely injured. They might discover a wound or trauma you weren’t aware of, and in some situations, they might prevent difficulties down the road.

Keep all receipts for repairs and medical care from your mechanic to your primary care provider. Your ability to argue for appropriate compensation will increase with the quality of your supporting paperwork. Make copies, then give them to your lawyer.

Best Car Accident Lawyers Alabama

1.) Martin & Helms PC

401 Holmes Ave NE suite c, Huntsville, AL 35801

+12569739434

2.) Dean Waite & Associates, LLC

412 Dauphin St, Mobile, AL 36602

+12512651000

3.) Hodges Trial Lawyers

320 Clinton Ave E, Huntsville, AL 35801

+12565393110

4.) Mezrano Personal Injury Law Firm

31 Inverness Center Pkwy Suite 350, Birmingham, AL 35242

+12052066300

5.) Alexander Shunnarah Trial Attorneys

2900 1st Ave S, Birmingham, AL 35233

+18002297989

6.) Clay, Massey & Associates

509 Church St, Mobile, AL 36602

+12514331000

Common Reasons For Auto Accidents

Why the car accident happened is a subject that needs to be addressed. Before deciding who is ultimately responsible for paying for your injuries, you must ascertain how the event occurred. Your accident could have been caused by a number of things, including but not limited to the following:

• Speeding
• Not granting the right of way
• Tailgating
• Wrong-way lane change
• Driving carelessly or aggressively
• Underestimating the required stopping distance
• Distraction
• Not noticing another thing, person, or vehicle
• Swerving to avoid a thing, someone, or a car
• Fatigue/drowsiness
• Drugged or drunk driving
• Zones of construction
• Hazardous roadways
• Juvenile drivers without experience
• Faulty vehicle parts

Call the attorney whether you are certain that you know what caused your vehicle accident or are unsure. Your vehicle accident attorney will carefully examine all of the information pertaining to the collision and, if required, retain expert witnesses to ascertain what transpired and why. You may benefit from having an accident reconstructionist work on your case in accidents where the initial cause is ambiguous.

Alabama Lawsuit Filing

You could decide to launch a personal injury lawsuit against the motorist instead of making a claim with the other party’s insurance company. Your attorney can help you decide which course to take.

You might desire to file a wrongful death claim or lawsuit if an automobile accident claimed the life of a loved one. This might give you the right to seek additional compensation for things like loss of companionship, loss of parental supervision, and loss of quality of life.

According to AL Code 6-5-410, you would only have two years from the incident’s date to initiate a wrongful death case in Alabama. According to AL Code 6-2-38, you would also have two years from the date of the incident to initiate a personal injury case in Alabama. In your case, your attorney will assist you in meeting the deadline.

Even if you don’t think you’ll sue, you should contact our firm as soon as possible to keep the option open.

Alabama Car Crash Injuries

Car accidents will result in a wide range of injuries, from mild aches and pains to fatalities and lasting traumatic brain injuries. Following car accidents, the following injuries are some of the most often reported:

• Traumatic encephalopathy
• Bone fractures
• Spinal cord damage
• Cuts, lacerations, and road rash
• The infection brought on by road rash
• Internal wounds
• Bleeding inside
• Organ injury
• Burns that could leave behind disfiguring scars
• The sooner you begin treatment for some injuries, the better the results will be; the longer you wait, the worse the results will be.

What Results Can A Car Accident Attorney Help You Achieve?

It’s sad that some people choose to handle their claims alone without an attorney in order to save money. In reality, those who represent themselves typically receive far less money than those who hire attorneys because their claims are subject to the strategies employed by insurance companies to reduce costs, the most prevalent of which is to reduce the value of a claim if they cannot completely deny it.

Having legal representation ensures that your claim is always valued fairly.

To find those at fault for the accident, your attorney can perform a thorough investigation. Additionally, the attorney will look for proof of causation, which entails demonstrating the following:

• The incident was brought on by the responsible parties’ carelessness.
• Your wounds were caused by the incident.
• Your damages resulted from your injuries.

To succeed with your claim, these linkages must be formed.

A qualified attorney will understand how to fairly assess your claim. To determine an accurate claim value, your Alabama auto accident lawyer will carefully evaluate your damages and integrate the details from the accident investigation. This guarantees that when negotiating a settlement, you won’t leave money on the table.

A personal injury trial lawyer is able to identify and steer clear of the insurance company’s numerous tricks. A knowledgeable lawyer will recognize the insurance company’s attempts to reduce the value of your claim and prevent them. One way they do this is by handling all correspondence with the insurance provider, preventing them from using your remarks about the accident against you.

Employing a trial lawyer notifies the insurance provider. The insurance company will know they cannot delay and deny your claim if your attorney comes in to handle it on your behalf, expecting you’ll give up. They will also be aware that failing to provide a reasonable settlement will expose them to legal action.

You may feel confident rejecting settlement offers that are too low to waste your time and attention by following the advice that your Alabama auto accident lawyer can give you regarding settlement offers. Without legal counsel, it will be challenging to know what constitutes a strong offer. The appropriate evaluation of your claim is the first step, followed by frank feedback on the offers that are made. It will ultimately be up to you to accept or reject a settlement offer; the right attorney won’t make that decision for you. When you are hurt and vulnerable, the correct lawyer can make the process of considering a settlement easier. Benefit from the advice a qualified attorney may provide.

If required, a trial lawyer will argue in favor of your entitlement to compensation before a jury. This safeguards you from underwhelming settlement proposals. Some lawyers will always settle rather than take your case to trial. As many cases as possible are handled by these volume-driven businesses by accepting low-ball settlement proposals that don’t benefit the client. Don’t work with a settlement mill lawyer. An experienced trial lawyer will work to get you the most money possible, whether they do it through negotiations or by presenting your case to a jury.

Having the appropriate attorney gives you the opportunity to hand the claims process over to a professional so you can focus on healing while also benefiting from the many ways your Alabama car accident attorney can help safeguard the value of your claim. While dealing with major injuries, you don’t have to figure out how to prevail against the insurance company. By hiring the best automobile accident trial attorney, you can get the rest and healing you need.

Do You Need A Lawyer In Alabama After A Car Accident?

In Alabama, in cities like Auburn, Mobile, Birmingham, Montgomery, and Huntsville, as well as other towns and major metropolitan regions, millions of people live and work. People use their cars every day to travel to work, drop their kids off at school, shop, attend sporting events, and visit friends and relatives. Anytime a car accident occurs, they could sustain severe injuries.

Car insurance is meant to cover both property damage from accidents as well as medical costs for treating injuries. Insurance providers, however, are not on your side. They will take whatever measure to avoid paying you because their main concern is making a profit. The claims process may become exceedingly frustrating as a result. Many people are uncertain of their next steps.

In Alabama, if you were hurt in a car accident, you need someone to watch out for your best interests, someone who is knowledgeable about the claims procedure and understands how to avoid the pitfalls that can prevent you from getting compensated. A lawyer can ensure that your rights are upheld and assist you in obtaining the damages you are due for your injuries.

How Frequently Do Vehicle Accidents Occur In Alabama?

The Alabama Department of Transportation reported 147,452 collisions across the state in 2015. There were collisions in every county, including Jefferson (27,409), Mobile (15,559), Madison (10,984), Montgomery (9,938), and Lee (5,144).

Additional short information about accidents in Alabama from the agency:

• Seven hundred eighty-nine fatal crashes resulted in the deaths of 849 persons.
• Every 3.55 minutes, there was a reported traffic accident.
• Every 11 minutes and 56 seconds, a person was hurt in a car accident.
• Leading to fatal collisions is speeding.
• In Alabama, metropolitan regions saw the majority of crashes (78%), whereas rural areas saw the majority of fatalities (59%)
• 9.5% of fatal collisions involved drivers under the age of 19, and 23.3% involved drivers under the age of 25.
• There were 51 injuries for every fatality.
• Forty-nine percent of deadly collisions happened at night (including dusk and dawn).

What Kind Of Damages Are Available In Alabama To Vehicle Accident Victims?

You have the right to file a claim for damages if you can demonstrate that the other motorist was at fault for your injuries.

Both economic and non-economic damages are included in these damages. You might ask for money to:

• Medical costs associated with your accident, including fair future medical expenses
• Income loss, including potential future income loss
• Damage to property
• Distress and suffering
• Disfigurement
• Emotional distress and mental anguish
• The inability to enjoy life

Occasionally, a jury may decide that you are entitled to punitive damages. There is a $1.5 million cap on these damages.

If You’re Accused Of Causing A Car Accident In Alabama, Can You Receive Compensation?

It’s critical to get knowledgeable legal representation as quickly as you can if you’re being held responsible for your accident. In accidents involving joint fault, Alabama applies a legal principle known as contributory negligence. If it is determined that you were even just 1% at fault for your accident, you will not be allowed to recover any damages under this regulation.

The majority of states no longer recognize contributory negligence. Alabama’s strict contributory negligence law is advantageous to insurance carriers. They can escape all culpability for your damages if they can somehow assign you even the slightest bit of blame.

However, you might be able to claim that the contributory negligence rule shouldn’t apply in your crash. There is an exemption for outrageous conduct. Let’s say the other motorist purposefully disregarded other people’s rights and safety. If so, even if you were partially to blame for the accident, they could still be held accountable for the damages. Drunk driving may be acceptable.

FAQ

In Alabama, how long do you have before filing a claim?

In Alabama, you have two years from the day of the accident to file a lawsuit after an auto accident. Although there may be some exceptions if an injury wasn’t immediately obvious or if the victim was a kid at the time of the incident, the courts will likely not entertain your case after this point. In general, it is important to get in touch with your auto injury lawyer as soon as you can, giving them the most time to effectively prepare your case.

How long does it take to solve an Alabama automobile accident injury case?

There is no quick response, but the earlier you speak with a vehicle accident lawyer, the sooner they can begin assembling your case and filing the necessary paperwork. The long answer is that since every auto accident is unique, so are the injury claims that emerge from them. The length of time it takes to see a real settlement depends on a number of variables, including the severity of the accident and the insurance companies willingness to cooperate.

What if you have a car accident with someone who is uninsured?

Your best option is to have comprehensive insurance yourself in case you are struck by an uninsured driver. Even though you may have the legal right to sue the uninsured driver, there may not be much you can do to actually obtain compensation because they may not have the means or assets to satisfy a court’s ruling. You can prevent being forced to foot the entire payment after a car accident by choosing an optional insurance policy like uninsured motorist protection or personal injury protection. Always get in touch with a professional auto accident lawyer before making a choice.

Who is “at fault,” and how is that determined?

Police, insurance firms, and very infrequently, courts determine “fault.” Initial assessments of what happened and who was at fault are made by the responding police, who then record their findings in their report, which insurance companies significantly depend on when making their own judgments. Although disputes rarely end up in court, a jury may nonetheless be present. The legal concept known as “pure contributory negligence” prohibits a plaintiff from receiving any compensation at all if they are found to have been at all, even tangentially, culpable for the accident. Alabama is one of just four such states.

Does Alabama have a no-fault law?

Alabama does not provide no-fault insurance. Alabama does not have a no-fault auto insurance system, unlike some other states. Regardless of who was responsible for the collision, accident victims in some jurisdictions are entitled to reimbursement under their own auto insurance coverage. Instead, when it comes to auto insurance and motor accidents, Alabama adheres to the conventional fault-based (or “tort”) system.

This implies that in order to receive financial compensation for their damages following an automobile accident in Alabama, the majority of victims must make a claim against the auto insurance provider of the negligent driver. This requires demonstrating that the other party was really to blame for the collision.

If the victims have chosen to have uninsured motorist (UM) or underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage on their policies, they may be eligible to receive reimbursement from their own insurance companies if the at-fault driver has no vehicle insurance or flees the scene of the collision.