Motorcycle accident
Motorcycle Accident Attorneys in Montgomery, Alabama
The firms in this guide
- McPhillips Shinbaum, LLP Call McPhillips Shinbaum, LLP: (334) 262-1911
- Law Office of Dwayne L. Brown Call Law Office of Dwayne L. Brown: (404) 738-6000
- Singleton Schreiber Call Singleton Schreiber: (619) 771-3473
- Serious Injury Law Group Call Serious Injury Law Group: (855) 737-4687
- Stokes Stemle, LLC
1. McPhillips Shinbaum, LLP
Practice Focus: Motorcycle accidents, motor vehicle collisions, wrongful death claims, catastrophic injury cases, traumatic brain injuries from motorcycle crashes, spinal cord injuries, premises liability, employment discrimination, civil rights violations
Case Types Handled: Left-turn motorcycle accidents, failure to yield accidents, distracted driving collisions, rear-end motorcycle crashes, intersection accidents, road hazard incidents, drunk driver motorcycle collisions, uninsured motorist claims, wrongful death motorcycle cases
Legal Services: Negligence investigation, accident reconstruction with expert consultation, evidence gathering and preservation, demand letter preparation, insurance claim negotiation, medical bill organization, wage statement documentation, lawsuit filing, trial preparation, courtroom advocacy, settlement negotiation
Background: Firm established in 1978 by Julian McPhillips. Julian McPhillips graduated from Columbia Law School in 1971 and was admitted to Alabama Bar in 1972. Admitted to U.S. Supreme Court (1976), U.S. Court of Appeals for 5th and 11th Circuits, U.S. District Court Middle District of Alabama. Former Assistant Attorney General for State of Alabama (1975-1977). Selected to Super Lawyers Business Edition 2014 for Employment and Labor. Firm has over 45 years of experience with multiple attorneys including Aaron J. Luck, David Sawyer, Kenneth Shinbaum, and Joseph C. Guillot.
Location: 432 E Jefferson Street, Montgomery, AL 36104
Contact: (334) 262-1911 | Toll Free: (866) 224-8664 | https://mcphillipsshinbaum.com
Consultation: Free initial consultation available, contingency fee arrangement
2. Law Office of Dwayne L. Brown
Practice Focus: Motorcycle accidents, car accidents, truck accidents, pedestrian accidents, bicycle accidents, catastrophic injuries, traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, burn injuries, construction accidents, wrongful death
Case Types Handled: Motorcycle vs. car collisions, motorcycle vs. truck accidents, distracted driving accidents, drunk driving motorcycle crashes, hit-and-run incidents, rear-end collisions with motorcycles, lane change accidents, intersection motorcycle accidents, uninsured motorist claims, underinsured motorist claims
Legal Services: Negligence investigation, evidence collection, witness interviews, police report analysis, insurance claim negotiation, litigation, trial representation, settlement negotiations, medical expense documentation, lost wage recovery, pain and suffering claims, wrongful death claims
Background: Attorney Dwayne L. Brown graduated from University of Alabama School of Law in 1994. Licensed in Georgia (1994) and Alabama (2008). Admitted to practice before all Alabama state courts, U.S. District Courts for Southern, Northern, and Middle Districts of Alabama, Superior and State Courts of Georgia, U.S. Court of Appeals for Eleventh Circuit. Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent Rating. Member of Million Dollar Advocates Forum. Super Lawyers selection. Member of American Association for Justice and National Trial Lawyers. Over $100 million recovered in settlements and verdicts.
Location: Montgomery office serving Montgomery County, Alabama (Primary office: 3390 Peachtree Rd NE, Suite 1100, Atlanta, GA 30326)
Contact: (404) 738-6000 | https://dlblawfirm.com
Consultation: Free consultation available 24/7, contingency fee basis (no fee unless recovery)
3. Singleton Schreiber
Practice Focus: Motorcycle accidents, car accidents, truck accidents, pedestrian accidents, bicycle accidents, brain injuries, medical malpractice, slip and fall accidents, train fires and explosions, wrongful death, catastrophic injuries, road rage accidents
Case Types Handled: Speeding motorcycle accidents, unsafe lane change collisions, illegal turn accidents, distracted driving crashes, drunk driving incidents, braking error accidents, blind spot collisions, tailgating accidents, lane splitting incidents, road defect motorcycle accidents, auto defect claims, wrongful death motorcycle cases
Legal Services: Accident investigation, expert consultation, evidence evaluation, liability determination, economic damages calculation, non-economic damages valuation, medical expense documentation, lost wage recovery, disability claims, rehabilitation cost assessment, insurance negotiation, litigation, trial representation
Background: National personal injury law firm with Montgomery office. Firm has helped accident victims across the United States recover more than $3 billion in settlements and jury awards. Local Alabama trial attorneys with access to national resources. Handles cases in state and federal courts.
Location: Montgomery, Alabama office (part of national network with headquarters in San Diego)
Contact: (619) 771-3473 | [email protected] | https://www.singletonschreiber.com
Consultation: Free consultation, contingency fee basis (no cost unless case is won)
4. Serious Injury Law Group
Practice Focus: Motorcycle accidents, car accidents, truck accidents, wrongful death, medical malpractice, defective products, defective drugs, nursing home neglect, pedestrian accidents, catastrophic injuries
Case Types Handled: Left-turn motorcycle accidents, failure to yield crashes, unsafe lane changes, lane sharing collisions, motorcycle visibility accidents, rear-end motorcycle collisions, intersection crashes, drunk driver incidents, distracted driver accidents, wrongful death motorcycle cases
Legal Services: Case investigation, evidence assembly, liability determination, damages assessment, insurance negotiation, litigation preparation, trial representation, medical expense recovery, lost income compensation, future medical expense calculation, pain and suffering claims, loss of consortium claims
Background: Founded by Chuck James and Gerald Brooks, both recognized trial attorneys with extensive experience in Alabama personal injury law. Firm focuses exclusively on personal injury cases. Attorneys include Brandon Price-Crum, Cole Leonberg, Adrian Crittenton, Maya Hoyt, Christopher Burrell, and Amy Gonzalez Jackson. Offices in Birmingham, Montgomery, Mobile, and Lowndes County.
Location: Montgomery, Alabama (with additional offices in Birmingham, Mobile, and Hayneville)
Contact: (855) 737-4687 | https://www.seriouslawyers.com
Consultation: Free consultation, no upfront fees, contingency fee arrangement
5. Stokes Stemle, LLC
Practice Focus: Motorcycle accidents, car accidents, truck accidents, Lyft and rideshare accidents, sexual abuse cases, dog bites, slip and fall accidents, wrongful death, catastrophic injuries
Case Types Handled: Motorcycle collisions with passenger vehicles, truck vs. motorcycle accidents, rideshare motorcycle incidents, intersection accidents, rear-end crashes, head-on collisions, single-vehicle motorcycle accidents, wrongful death claims
Legal Services: Case evaluation, accident investigation, evidence documentation, insurance negotiation, demand letter preparation, litigation, trial representation, medical bill management, transportation assistance, settlement negotiation
Background: Boutique personal injury law firm founded by Jonathan H. Stokes and Joshua C. Stemle, both Alabama natives. Firm provides personalized service with focus on maximizing case value. Offices in Montgomery, Dothan, Opelika, and Auburn, Alabama. Attorneys handle cases throughout Central and Southeast Alabama.
Location: Montgomery, Alabama (with offices in Dothan, Opelika, and Auburn)
Contact: Contact through website | https://stokesstemle.com
Consultation: Free case review, no fees until recovery
Montgomery Motorcycle Claims: Alabama Headgear, Spacing and Fault Rules
For a rider hurt in Montgomery, Alabama law sets what the rider had to wear, how closely other vehicles could follow, and what happens to a claim when the rider shares any fault.
Approved Headgear
Under Ala. Code § 32-5A-245, as reproduced in a 2026 House bill, an individual may not operate or ride upon a motorcycle or motor-driven cycle without protective headgear meeting the standards of § 32-12-41 and without shoes, except when riding within an enclosed cab. The Secretary of the Alabama State Law Enforcement Agency may approve or disapprove headgear, adopt standards and publish lists of approved headgear, and the section bars selling motorcycle helmets that fail to meet those standards.
How Closely Vehicles May Follow
Ala. Code § 32-5A-89(a) bars any driver from following another vehicle more closely than is reasonable and prudent and, except when overtaking and passing, requires at least 20 feet for each 10 miles per hour of speed. A driver traveling at 40 miles per hour behind a motorcycle would need at least 80 feet. On roads outside business or residence districts, subsection (b) requires a truck drawing a vehicle 25 feet or longer that follows another such vehicle to leave at least 300 feet whenever conditions permit.
Contributory Negligence and the Deadline
The Alabama Supreme Court declined to replace contributory negligence with comparative negligence in Golden v. McCurry (1980). Ala. Code § 6-2-38(l) requires an action for injury to the person not arising from contract, and not listed elsewhere in the section, to be brought within two years.
Montgomery Motorcycle Accident Questions
How has Alabama’s helmet rule treated autocycles?
In the text of § 32-5A-245 reproduced in the 2026 bill, the section does not apply to the operator of an autocycle, defined as a three-wheeled vehicle with a steering wheel, roll cage or roll hoops, seat belts and seating that does not require straddling. That 2026 bill proposed requiring autocycle operators to wear headgear and shoes, so confirm with counsel whether it became law before treating the exemption as current.
What must the driver who hit me do at the scene?
Ala. Code § 32-10-1 requires the driver to stop and remain at or near the scene of a crash causing injury or death, and § 32-10-2 requires giving name, address and registration number, showing a license on request and giving reasonable assistance, including transport to a physician or hospital when treatment is apparently needed or requested.
Who files if a rider dies?
The personal representative files under Ala. Code § 6-5-410, within two years after the death, in a county where the deceased could have filed had they lived.