Car accident
Car Accident Attorneys in Montgomery, Alabama
The firms in this guide
1. Morris Bart, LLC
Practice Focus: Car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, wrongful death, personal injury, slip and fall, workers compensation
Case Types Handled: Rear-end collisions, head-on accidents, intersection crashes, drunk driving accidents, distracted driving accidents, commercial vehicle accidents, multi-vehicle pileups, hit-and-run incidents, uninsured motorist claims
Legal Services: Insurance claim handling, litigation and trial representation, evidence collection, medical record compilation, demand letter preparation, settlement negotiations, damage calculation, expert witness coordination
Background: Morris Bart founded the firm with offices throughout the Gulf South region including Montgomery, Alabama. The firm has recovered over $10 billion for clients since 1980. The firm’s attorneys have extensive experience handling car accident cases throughout Alabama. The “One Call, That’s All” approach provides accessible legal representation.
Location: Montgomery, AL office (serves Montgomery County)
Contact: (800) 537-8185 | https://www.morrisbart.com
Consultation: Free consultation available 24/7. Contingency fee basis with no fees unless compensation is recovered.
2. Bence Law Firm, LLC
Practice Focus: Car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, wrongful death, personal injury, premises liability, medical malpractice
Case Types Handled: Automobile collisions, commercial vehicle accidents, motorcycle crashes, pedestrian accidents, drunk driving accidents, distracted driving accidents, catastrophic injuries, wrongful death
Legal Services: Case investigation, evidence gathering, insurance negotiations, litigation, trial representation, settlement negotiations, damage assessment, medical record analysis
Background: The Bence Law Firm serves clients throughout Alabama including Montgomery. The attorneys focus on proving the four elements of negligence required in Georgia and Alabama personal injury cases: duty, breach, causation, and damages. The firm handles cases on a contingency fee basis and emphasizes thorough case preparation.
Location: Alabama (serves Montgomery and surrounding areas)
Contact: https://www.bencelawfirm.com
Consultation: Free case evaluation. The firm provides guidance through every step of the claims process.
3. Siniard, Timberlake & League, PC
Practice Focus: Car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, wrongful death, personal injury, medical malpractice
Case Types Handled: Automobile collisions, commercial vehicle accidents, tractor-trailer crashes, motorcycle accidents, pedestrian accidents, drunk driving accidents, uninsured motorist claims
Legal Services: Insurance claim handling, litigation, trial representation, settlement negotiations, evidence collection, medical coordination, damage calculation
Background: Siniard, Timberlake & League is a Montgomery-based personal injury firm with decades of experience representing accident victims in Alabama. The firm’s attorneys are known for their courtroom experience and willingness to take cases to trial when necessary. The firm serves clients throughout central Alabama.
Location: Montgomery, AL
Contact: (334) 263-3711 | https://www.siniardlaw.com
Consultation: Free initial consultation. Contingency fee arrangement.
4. Stokes Stemle, LLC
Practice Focus: Car accidents, truck accidents, wrongful death, personal injury, product liability, mass torts
Case Types Handled: Automobile accidents, commercial truck collisions, motorcycle crashes, pedestrian accidents, defective product injuries, catastrophic injuries, wrongful death
Legal Services: Case investigation, evidence preservation, insurance negotiations, litigation, trial representation, settlement negotiations, damage assessment
Background: Stokes Stemle has offices in Alabama including the Montgomery area. The firm has recovered substantial verdicts and settlements for clients throughout the state. The attorneys have experience handling complex cases including commercial vehicle accidents and product liability claims. The firm emphasizes client communication throughout the legal process.
Location: Alabama offices serving Montgomery
Contact: https://www.stokesstemle.com
Consultation: Free consultation available.
5. Hare Wynn Newell & Newton LLP
Practice Focus: Car accidents, truck accidents, wrongful death, personal injury, medical malpractice, product liability
Case Types Handled: Automobile collisions, commercial vehicle accidents, tractor-trailer crashes, motorcycle accidents, pedestrian accidents, defective product injuries, catastrophic injuries
Legal Services: Insurance claim handling, litigation, trial representation, settlement negotiations, evidence collection, expert witness coordination, damage calculation
Background: Hare Wynn is a Birmingham-based firm that serves clients throughout Alabama including Montgomery. The firm has been representing injury victims for decades and has a strong reputation for courtroom advocacy. The attorneys have recovered significant verdicts and settlements in car accident cases throughout Alabama.
Location: Birmingham, AL (serves Montgomery and central Alabama)
Contact: (205) 328-5330 | https://www.harewynn.com
Consultation: Free consultation available. Contingency fee basis.
Alabama Fault and Deadline Rules for Montgomery Car Crashes
In Alabama a driver’s own negligence can end a negligence claim after a car accident entirely, so the fault rule comes first for anyone hurt in a Montgomery crash. The deadlines that follow are short, and one of them applies only to claims against a city.
Contributory Negligence
In Golden v. McCurry (1980), the Alabama Supreme Court declined to replace contributory negligence with comparative negligence and affirmed judgment for a defendant where the plaintiff admitted he had been contributorily negligent. The rule rests on court decisions such as this one rather than on a statute, and the same opinion notes that it does not apply to a claim of wantonness, which is why the question of whether the injured driver did anything negligent matters so much in an Alabama case.
Two Years for an Injury Claim
Ala. Code § 6-2-38(l) requires an action for an injury to the person not arising from contract, and not specifically listed elsewhere in the section, to be brought within two years. An action for a death caused by wrongful act, omission or negligence must be commenced within two years from the death under § 6-2-38(a) and § 6-5-410(d).
Six Months for a Claim Against the City
Under Ala. Code § 11-47-23, claims against a municipality for damages growing out of torts must be presented within six months from accrual or they are barred. A crash involving a vehicle or road controlled by a city therefore carries a deadline far shorter than the two-year limit.
What Drivers Must Do at the Scene
Ala. Code § 32-10-1 requires a driver involved in a crash causing injury, death or damage to an attended vehicle to stop and remain at or near the scene until the duties in § 32-10-2 are met: giving name, address and vehicle registration number, showing a driver’s license on request and giving reasonable assistance to anyone injured, including arranging transport to a physician or hospital when treatment is apparently needed or requested. A vehicle in a crash with injury or death may not be moved until a law enforcement officer directs it.
Montgomery Car Accident Questions
The other driver went past a yield sign and hit me. Does that prove fault?
No, not conclusively. Ala. Code § 32-5A-112(c) provides that when a driver who drove past a yield sign without stopping collides with a vehicle in the intersection, the collision is deemed prima facie evidence of that driver’s failure to yield the right-of-way.
Is texting while driving illegal in Alabama?
Yes. Ala. Code § 32-5A-350 bars operating a motor vehicle on a public road while using a handheld wireless device to write, send or read a text-based communication, with fines of $25, $50 and $75 for first, second and later violations. Officers may treat it as the primary reason for a stop, and calls for emergency help and use while parked on the shoulder are excepted.
Who files a wrongful death case after a Montgomery crash?
Ala. Code § 6-5-410 gives the action to the personal representative of the person who died, when that person could have sued had they lived. The damages are not subject to the deceased person’s debts and are distributed under the statute of distributions, and the case may be filed only in a county where the deceased could have filed.