Car accident
Car Accident Attorneys in Birmingham, Alabama
The firms in this guide
1. Drake Injury Lawyers
Practice Focus: Car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, pedestrian accidents, bicycle accidents, wrongful death, catastrophic injuries
Case Types Handled: Rear-end collisions, head-on collisions, T-bone accidents, multi-vehicle pileups, drunk driving accidents, distracted driving accidents, hit-and-run accidents, commercial vehicle accidents, traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries
Legal Services: Insurance claim negotiation, litigation, trial representation, settlement negotiations, medical expense recovery, property damage claims, lost wage recovery, pain and suffering claims, wrongful death claims, uninsured motorist claims
Background: Attorney Whit Drake served as lead counsel in securing the largest wrongful death settlement in Alabama history. The firm has collected over $1 billion in compensation for clients. Attorney Whit Drake graduated from the University of Alabama School of Law and founded the firm after building experience at a prestigious Birmingham personal injury law firm. Attorney Mary Amari Bruce has years of litigation experience and is admitted to practice in both Alabama and Louisiana and in federal courts. She graduated from Louisiana State University, Paul M. Hebert Law Center.
Location: Birmingham, AL
Contact: Contact via website | https://www.drakeinjurylawyers.com/
Consultation: Free consultation, contingency fee arrangement
2. Farris, Riley & Pitt, LLP
Practice Focus: Car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, pedestrian accidents, wrongful death, catastrophic injuries, premises liability
Case Types Handled: Rear-end collisions, head-on collisions, T-bone accidents, drunk driving accidents, distracted driving accidents, texting while driving accidents, commercial vehicle accidents, tailgating accidents, hit-and-run accidents, uninsured motorist claims
Legal Services: Insurance claim negotiation, litigation, trial representation, settlement negotiations, medical expense recovery, property damage claims, lost wage recovery, pain and suffering claims, wrongful death claims, punitive damage claims
Background: The firm has been representing injured individuals and families throughout Alabama for more than two decades. Attorneys Kirby Farris and Ken Riley were both born and raised in Alabama and are members of the Alabama Bar Association, Birmingham Bar Association, and American Bar Association. Both are admitted to the United States District Courts for the Northern, Middle, and Southern Districts of Alabama, as well as the Alabama Supreme Court. The firm has recovered multimillion-dollar verdicts and settlements, including notable results in waterpark injury and premises liability cases.
Location: 1728 3rd Avenue North, Fifth Floor, Birmingham, AL 35203
Contact: (205) 324-1212 | https://www.frplegal.com/
Consultation: Free case evaluation, contingency fee arrangement
3. Belt, Bruner & Barnett Personal Injury Lawyers
Practice Focus: Car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, pedestrian accidents, wrongful death, premises liability, product liability
Case Types Handled: Rear-end collisions, head-on collisions, T-bone accidents, multi-vehicle pileups, drunk driving accidents, distracted driving accidents, commercial vehicle accidents, defective vehicle accidents, traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries
Legal Services: Insurance claim negotiation, litigation, trial representation, settlement negotiations, medical expense recovery, property damage claims, lost wage recovery, pain and suffering claims, wrongful death claims, punitive damage claims
Background: The firm has more than nine decades of combined attorney experience and has obtained hundreds of millions of dollars for personal injury victims. Belt, Bruner & Barnett is recognized as a consistently successful litigation firm in the Birmingham area. The firm handles serious personal injury matters with offices also located in Huntsville and Montgomery. Partners have extensive trial experience in both state and federal courts throughout Alabama.
Location: 880 Montclair Road, Suite 300, Birmingham, AL 35213
Contact: (205) 973-6417 | https://www.alabamainjurylawyer.com/
Consultation: Free, confidential consultation, contingency fee arrangement
4. Hollis Wright Law Firm
Practice Focus: Car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, wrongful death, product liability, catastrophic injuries
Case Types Handled: Rear-end collisions, head-on collisions, T-bone accidents, multi-vehicle pileups, drunk driving accidents, distracted driving accidents, commercial vehicle accidents, uninsured motorist claims, underinsured motorist claims
Legal Services: Insurance claim negotiation, litigation, trial representation, settlement negotiations, evidence preservation, accident reconstruction, medical expense recovery, property damage claims, lost wage recovery, pain and suffering claims, wrongful death claims
Background: The Birmingham automobile accident attorneys at Hollis Wright have extensive experience fighting for injury victims in Jefferson County and throughout Alabama. The firm emphasizes immediate evidence preservation and thorough investigation of accident claims. Attorneys work directly with accident reconstruction experts and medical professionals to build comprehensive cases.
Location: Birmingham, AL
Contact: Contact via website | https://www.hollis-wright.com/
Consultation: Free consultation, contingency fee arrangement
5. Alabama Personal Injury Lawyers, LLC
Practice Focus: Car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, pedestrian accidents, bicycle accidents, dog bites, slip and fall injuries, wrongful death
Case Types Handled: Rear-end collisions, head-on collisions, T-bone accidents, drunk driving accidents, distracted driving accidents, commercial vehicle accidents, premises liability, workplace injuries, third-party liability claims
Legal Services: Insurance claim negotiation, litigation, trial representation, settlement negotiations, medical expense recovery, property damage claims, lost wage recovery, pain and suffering claims, wrongful death claims, workers’ compensation claims
Background: The firm has over 30 years of experience helping victims of serious accidents throughout Alabama and the Southeastern United States. The attorneys handle trucking accidents, motorcycle accidents, car accidents, drunk driving cases, dog bites, slip and falls, and wrongful death matters. The firm also handles workplace injuries through both workers’ compensation and third-party claims.
Location: Birmingham, AL
Contact: Contact via website | https://www.alabamapersonalinjurylawyers.com/
Consultation: Free consultation, contingency fee arrangement (no fee unless recovery is obtained)
Birmingham Car Crashes Under Alabama Fault, Texting and Punitive Damages Law
Three Alabama rules carry much of the weight in a Birmingham car accident claim: the contributory negligence bar, the texting ban that defines one thing no driver may do on a public road, and the high standard for punitive damages.
Contributory Negligence Can Bar Recovery
In Golden v. McCurry (1980), the Alabama Supreme Court declined to adopt comparative negligence in place of contributory negligence and affirmed judgment for a defendant where the plaintiff admitted contributory negligence. Under that rule, an injured driver’s own negligence is a defense the other side can raise against the whole negligence claim, not just a reduction, although the same opinion recognizes that contributory negligence is no defense to a claim that the other driver acted wantonly.
The Texting Ban
Ala. Code § 32-5A-350(b) bars operating a motor vehicle on a public road, street or highway while using a wireless telecommunication device to write, send or read a text-based communication. The section defines that device as a handheld unit readily removable from the vehicle and used through manual input, and it excludes voice-operated devices that work without either hand except to turn a feature on or off. Fines are $25, $50 and $75 for first, second and later violations.
The Standard for Punitive Damages
Except in wrongful death actions, Ala. Code § 6-11-20(a) allows punitive damages in a tort action only on clear and convincing evidence that the defendant consciously or deliberately engaged in oppression, fraud, wantonness or malice. Wantonness means conduct carried on with a reckless or conscious disregard of the rights or safety of others, and clear and convincing evidence must produce a firm conviction as to each essential element.
Two-Year Limit
An action for an injury to the person not arising from contract, and not listed elsewhere in the section, must be brought within two years under Ala. Code § 6-2-38(l).
Birmingham Car Accident Questions
Who brings a wrongful death claim, and where?
Under Ala. Code § 6-5-410, the personal representative may sue when the person who died could have sued had they lived, and the action must be commenced within two years after the death. It may be filed only in a county where the deceased could have brought the action, and the damages are distributed under the statute of distributions without being subject to the deceased person’s debts.
What must the other driver do if I was hurt?
Ala. Code § 32-10-2 requires a driver in a crash causing injury or death to give name, address and vehicle registration number, show a driver’s license on request and render reasonable assistance, including transport or arrangements for transport to a physician or hospital when treatment is apparently necessary or the injured person asks for it.
Is there an earlier deadline for a claim against the City of Birmingham?
Yes. Ala. Code § 11-47-23 requires claims against a municipality for damages growing out of torts to be presented within six months from accrual, or they are barred.