If you have been injured because of someone else's negligence, you need Guster Law Firm on your team.
Personal Injury Lawyer in Alabama
Birmingham Personal Injury Attorney - Fighting for the Injured Since 2002
Accidents can cause life-altering injuries and sometimes death. Knowing your rights and responsibilities as a plaintiff is important, but hiring a knowledgeable attorney can assist you through an often complex legal system.
Guster Law Firm, LLC has been representing the injured in Alabama since 2002. We fight for our clients’ rights, standing up against even the most formidable opponents to pursue fair compensation for their medical bills, lost earnings, pain, suffering, and emotional trauma. Our Birmingham personal injury lawyer will make your needs our top priority when pursuing a claim.
Have you or a loved one suffered a personal injury in Alabama? Contact our Birmingham personal injury lawyer online or call us at (205) 581-9777 for a free consultation.
What Are the Common Causes of Personal Injury Claims in Alabama?
Accidents and personal injuries can occur in a number of ways, including as a result of medical errors, drunk drivers, defective products, and unsafe premises.
Common causes of personal injury include:
- Motor Vehicle Accidents: These can include car accidents and truck accidents. These can occur for many reasons, including drunk driving or intoxicated driving, distracted driving, poorly maintained roads, and defective auto parts.
- Defective Products: Items such as medical devices, toys, and car parts, among other products, can cause serious injury and even death if they are not manufactured properly. Children are often the most vulnerable to dangerous products, such as those containing small parts that present choking hazards or products that contain paint with toxic chemicals.
- Unsafe Premises: When a property owner or manager fails to keep the premises safe for visitors, guests, or tenants, dangerous accidents such as slip and fall injuries can occur. These cases fall under the category of premises liability.
- Medical Malpractice: Such as medication errors, wrong diagnosis, or unnecessary surgeries, can cause serious injuries or even death. Medical errors are usually the result of doctor or other health care provider’s failure to provide standard treatment or care.
What You Need To Know About Personal Injury Law in Birmingham, Alabama
While it is clear in some personal injury cases that the defendant has straightforward liability, and fully to blame for the accident or injuries, there are other cases where the principle of contributory negligence will apply. This refers to situations where the plaintiff bears some of the responsibility for his or her injuries.
Here is one example: A pedestrian who did not heed lights at a street crossing and is struck by a vehicle. In court, the pedestrian would be subject to pure comparative negligence, where his or her contribution to the injury would be decided. A jury or judge might decide that the pedestrian (plaintiff) was 25% to blame for the accident, thus lowering the plaintiff’s settlement or award by 25%. If the plaintiff is found to be equally responsible or more than 50% responsible, he or she would not be eligible to recover compensation from the other party.
It will be important to work with your personal injury lawyer to determine the cause of your accident with regards to Alabama negligence law and to prove that you were not to blame, as this could reduce your recovery or even altogether eliminate your ability to recover compensation from the other party.
To learn more about personal injury law in Alabama, contact us online or call our firm at (205) 581-9777 today. Our Alabama personal injury attorney offers free consultations.
Is there a Limit on Personal Injury Damages in Alabama?
Alabama law does not impose limits on personal injury compensation that can be awarded in cases against private individuals, except pertaining to punitive damages.
Other limits to personal injury cases in Alabama apply to municipal (city, town, or county) liability. The limitation in these situations is $100,000.
What are Punitive Damages?
Punitive damages are intended to punish the defendant for their conduct and deter similar conduct of the defendant or others in the future.
Punitive damages can be subjective and therefore imprecise, because the nature of the wrongdoing is variable.
The terms characterizing punitive damages include fraud, malice, bad faith, oppression, wickedness, and reckless situations where the defendant acted without regard for the rights of the plaintiff.
Alabama law states there should be "clear and convincing evidence" that the defendant acted with "deliberate or conscious malice." This can be difficult to establish, but if you are eligible for punitive damages or suing for emotional distress, recovery is limited to three times the compensation awarded or $1.5 million, whichever is greater.
What is the Personal Injury Statute Of Limitations in AL?
The statute of limitations in Alabama is two years. This means you have two years from the date of your injury to file a lawsuit or lose your ability to do so. Hiring a lawyer who is knowledgeable and experienced can be help to you navigate the complex court system.
What Kind of Recovery Should I Expect in Alabama?
Each legal proceeding, whether civil or criminal, is unique and what may apply for one case could be irrelevant in the next. As such, it's difficult to say with what your case may be worth without a thorough investigation and review. There are basic guidelines, however, for understanding what compensation is available such as damage types, liabilities, and caps on personal injuries.
What Are the Categories of Personal Injury Damages?
There are two common categories that personal injury claims cover:
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Economic Damages - which are the concrete costs associated with an accident. Property damage, hospital bills, medical expenses, and any future rehabilitation such as physical therapy fall into this category. Loss of wages or employment or, with death, loss of future earnings for the survivors are considered economic damages.
- Non-Economic Damages - these are considered the "soft" damages resulting from accidents. Non-economic damages may include emotional trauma, pain and suffering, loss of companionship, and loss of enjoyment of life. Generally, the more severe the accident or negligence, the larger these awards can be.
