If you’ve been injured in a car accident, do not wait to protect your legal rights. Contact the Huntsville car accident attorneys at Mama Justice today.
If you or a family member were involved in a car accident, you probably have many questions about what steps to take. Our Huntsville car accident attorneys will support you and stand by your side during the claims process and help you regain control of your life.
If your car accident was someone else’s fault, we could help you recover financial compensation from the responsible parties. You should not be punished twice for another person’s negligent or reckless actions.
Contact Huntsville automobile accident lawyers at Mama Justice today to schedule your free consultation.
How Can an Alabama Car Accident Lawyer Help Me?
When you are hurt in a car accident, you will be forced to deal with insurance carriers to get your losses covered. Although the insurance adjuster may seem friendly and concerned, they aren’t. They are there to prove that you either caused the accident or are not severely injured. Like other insurance companies, they are determined to pay out the smallest amount possible.
You need someone on your side to defend your right to compensation. That’s where our firm is ready and willing to assist. We have worked with thousands of collision victims to recover monetary damages for their medical expenses, lost income, diminished future earning capacity, and other costs.
You may also need help finding resources after a crash. Our attorneys can help you with that as well. We are here to guide you successfully through the legal process.
Common Types of Alabama Car Accidents
No matter what kind of car accident caused your injuries or the loss of a family member, the personal injury lawyers at Mama Justice are here for you. We understand that a variety of factors might have conspired to involve you or a loved one in one of many common forms of car accidents, including:
Rear-End Accidents
Rear-end collisions are the most frequent kind of car accident. Typically, these occur when you are stopped at a red light, stop sign, or stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic. Sometimes, however, they happen because a driver simply is not paying attention to the roadway. The majority of rear-end collisions involve only minor injuries.
Head-On Collisions
These accidents are one of the most destructive. The negligent driver is almost always acting carelessly and somehow merges into oncoming traffic and crashes head-first into your car. The injuries that victims sustain in head-on accidents are usually quite serious.
Side-Impact Collisions
Also referred to as a T-bone accident, this type of collision happens when the front end of one vehicle crashes into the side of another. These accidents usually take place at intersections. For example, if a driver is making a lefthand turn and fails to yield the right of way to oncoming traffic. The severity of the damage will depend on the level of impact and the striking vehicle’s rate of speed.
Single-Vehicle Accidents
Countless variables can cause many different kinds of single-vehicle crashes. For instance, a driver could be involved in a collision with a stationary object that causes them to run off the road and spin out of control after sliding on an ice patch. In this type of accident, a third party could be liable. For instance, if a tire you recently had changed blew out due to a product defect or if another driver ran a red light and you swerved to avoid a collision and crashed into a pole. The tire manufacturer and the red light runner could be held responsible in these examples.
Multi-Vehicle Crashes
Sometimes called pile-ups, these accidents involve three or more cars. Much like head-on accidents, multi-vehicle crashes are highly hazardous and can result in severe injuries and deaths. It is possible for the involved vehicles to collide with one another more than once from various angles. They typically occur on congested, high-speed roadways, such as highways and interstates.
Hit-and-Run Accidents
A Huntsville car accident attorney should be contacted immediately after a hit-and-run accident, an accident where one driver flees the scene after striking a person or vehicle. Unfortunately, finding out the identity of the driver is often very difficult.
Any of these types of car accidents can cause a claim to be complicated. We do not want you to face a big car insurance company and their even bigger team of lawyers on your own. We fight hard to ensure you collect the largest amount of financial compensation possible.
Common Causes of Alabama Car Accidents
In order to be awarded damages, the cause of your car accident must be established. You or your Huntsville personal injury attorney will have to prove why your accident occurred before you can determine who is liable for your compensation and file a claim against them.
Multiple factors could have played a role in your accident, such as:
Speeding
The government sets speed limits. These limits specify the maximum safe speed for travel on every road. Some drivers, however, choose to ignore speed limits and drive dangerously fast. In addition, many careless drivers disregard current road conditions. Even with speed limits in place, drivers should slow their speed to compensate for dangerous driving conditions, like snowy or ice-covered roads or foggy, rainy weather.
When a driver goes too fast, they do not have as much time to react to what is going on around them. They have less time to identify a dangerous situation and decide the best course of action.
Construction Zones
Driving near or in a construction zone is inevitable. Driving through a construction zone increases your odds of being involved in a car accident. It also poses a considerable danger to workers in the area. In 2014, the Alabama Department of Transportation reported more than 500 injuries and over 20 fatalities due to construction zone accidents.
In Huntsville, the most common construction zone accident is a rear-end collision. The two main causes of these accidents are speeding and distracted driving.
Drowsy Driving
Drowsy driving is defined as driving an automobile while sleepy or fatigued. It is a huge problem that causes several thousand crash fatalities every year. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published that roughly one out of every 25 adults surveyed admitted to falling asleep while driving in the last 30 days.
Driving while drowsy is very dangerous, not just because of the high probability of falling asleep at the wheel, but because drowsiness and fatigue impair making good decisions, decreasing attentiveness, and slow reaction times. Despite the well-known dangers of drowsy driving, an estimated 28,000 drowsy-driving accidents occur every year.
Drunk Driving
The Alabama Department of Transportation’s 2016 Crash Facts shows that nearly 6,000 drivers who caused car accidents that year were cited for driving under the influence. The majority of the drunk or drugged drivers were between 25 and 29-years-old. The next age group most commonly cited was between 20 and 24, followed by 30 to 34-year-olds. The cited drivers were overwhelmingly male, with only about 1,500 offenders being women.
In 2016, Alabama witnessed about 6,000 alcohol-related collisions, which is a serious issue as these kinds of accidents have a high likelihood of causing catastrophic injuries and deaths.
If you or a family member was injured in an accident that involved alcohol, our drunk driving injury attorneys can help you understand the complexities of your unique case. We will conduct a thorough investigation into your accident and do everything in our power to show that you are entitled to compensation.
Inexperienced Teen Drivers
A report published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration states that in 2014, close to 100 teenage drivers were involved in deadly collisions in Alabama.
Multiple factors play a role in accidents involving younger drivers, such as alcohol consumption, driver inexperience, electronic distractions, and speeding. Sadly, a lot of teenagers feel compelled to maintain an active online presence, even when they are driving. They are putting themselves and those around them in danger by doing this. 25% of teen drivers said they actively reply to text messages while they are behind the wheel.
A teenager involved in a car crash can injure themselves and their passengers and other people on the roadway.
If a teen driver injured you or a relative, we urge you to meet with a Huntsville car accident attorney to learn more about your rights. Young drivers and their insurance carriers can both be held liable when their blatant disregard for the safety of others results in a traffic accident. Just like any other reckless driver, they can be forced to compensate their victims.
Whether you are convinced that you know what caused your accident or have absolutely no idea how it happened, give the law offices of Mama Justice a call. Our experienced Huntsville personal injury lawyers will closely examine all evidence regarding your accident and, if necessary, hire professionals or expert witnesses to work out exactly what happened and why. Where accidents with an undetermined cause are concerned, most victims gain an advantage by having an accident reconstructionist on their case.
What Damages am I Able to Recover?
You might be entitled to recover compensation for your injuries provided that you can prove the other driver caused the accident as well as your injuries. Our Huntsville car accident lawyers will build the most robust case using evidence proving the other party was at fault. This makes it much more likely that you will receive financial recovery for things such as:
- Current and anticipated medical costs
- Lost wages
- Diminished future earning capacity/future lost wages
- Physical pain
- Emotional suffering
- Physical handicap
- Disfigurement
- Reduced quality of life
- Property damage or loss
The more severe your injuries, the more financial compensation you will be awarded.
Common Car Accident Injuries
Our Huntsville car accident lawyers have seen all types of injuries. Most car accidents, even minor ones, cause some degree of injury. Your car accident attorney’s job is to ensure that you are awarded fair compensation for your car accident injuries.
Some of the most frequent car accident injuries include:
Back Injuries
Regardless of the type of accident you are in, you might end up with a serious injury to your back or spine. Common back injuries include strains and disc herniations that usually require surgery. That means dealing with months or even years of physical therapy. Many people with bad back injuries end up out of work for months. Our Huntsville car accident lawyers will ensure that compensation for this time is worked into a fair settlement.
Neck Injuries
If you are involved in a distracted driving accident or a head-on collision, you could have serious neck injuries. These are very dangerous and range from a broken neck to nerve damage and soft tissue injuries, all of which are extremely painful and could lead to lifelong complications.
Internal Injuries
One of the reasons an experienced attorney urges you to seek medical treatment promptly following your car accident is because many car accident victims receive internal injuries. Internal injuries include organ damage, punctured lungs, or internal bleeding, all of which can prove fatal if they are not treated immediately and appropriately. A hospital will be able to run tests to determine if you have any internal injuries.
Traumatic Brain Injury
Victims who suffer a powerful blow to the head might sustain a traumatic brain injury. The symptoms of a traumatic brain injury include:
- Headaches
- Nausea
- Impaired vision or blindness
- Tinnitus (ringing in the ears)
- Memory problems
- Hearing problems
- Fatigue and exhaustion
If you experience one or any combination of these symptoms after your car accident, get to the hospital right away to find out if you have a brain injury.
Whiplash
Probably the most familiar injury resulting from motor vehicle accidents, whiplash is caused by the sharp, sudden movement of the neck and head. Rear-end car accidents are a leading source of this injury.
For personal injury victims, ligament and neck muscle damage can be caused to varying degrees. The severity of the injury depends on the details of the car accident itself and the victim’s health. Signs of whiplash include:
- Stiffness and pain in the neck
- Loss or reduction of range of motion in the neck
- Headaches
- Pain or tenderness in the upper back, arms, or shoulders
- Numbness or tingling in one or both arms
- Dizziness
- Fatigue
These symptoms can last from a couple of weeks to several years.
Broken/Fractured Ribs and Other Broken Bones
Broken ribs are usually the result of the victim’s chest hitting the steering wheel or being restricted by a seat belt. This broken bone injury causes intense shooting pain and undue discomfort. If the sternum or a rib is not fractured or broken, but you notice a dull ache when you breathe, you may have severe bruising caused by the impact. During a Huntsville, AL car accident, almost any bone can be fractured or broken.
Internal Organ Damage
Since any internal injury has the potential to be life-threatening, they demand immediate medical attention. Chest pains caused by damage to the heart or lungs could be early indicators of a heart attack or other cardiac event.
How is Liability For My Huntsville Car Accident Claim Determined?
Once your car accident lawyer understands how your car accident happened, they will be able to determine who is at fault for the collision and, therefore, liable for compensating you for your accident-related expenses. This could be one person or several different people.
For example, if a driver rear-ended you, and every bit of evidence proved they were speeding and failed to stop in time, your claim would be against the driver and their insurance company.
Unfortunately, not every accident is that simple. What if you were hit by an employee driving a company vehicle. In that case, your claim for damages could be against the driver who caused the car accident and their employer as well.
After a car crash, the foundation of any successful personal injury claim hinges on the demonstration of the following four elements:
Duty of Care
The at-fault driver owed you a duty of care, meaning they were obligated to behave reasonably to protect those around them from unnecessary harm.
Violation of Duty
The at-fault driver violated their duty of care and, because of their negligent or reckless actions, you endured unnecessary harm.
Causation
By breaching their duty of care, the defendant caused your car accident and your resulting injuries, making them liable for your personal injury expenses, including medical bills and wrongful death.
Damages
The car accident lawyers at MW Law Firm will document any damages you sustained during your car accident by using copies of medical bills, medical records, W-2s, your accident report, and any other supporting documentation necessary.
Personal injury cases and their victims are always unique.
A reliable personal injury law firm will tailor its approach and legal strategy to ensure the best outcome for its clients. Call the legal team of Mama Justice today to schedule your free case evaluation.
We Use Facts and Evidence to Support Your Claim
You may find yourself in a situation where the other insurance company or driver is claiming that you are partially to blame for the car crash. According to Alabama law, you may not collect any financial compensation if you contributed even a little bit to the accident.
That is why one of the many legal services performed by the Huntsville, AL. offices of our law firm is ensuring we collect the proof necessary to show that the other driver caused your injuries.
Unlike other lawyers, we collect evidence, such as pictures of the accident scene. Our trial lawyers will also gather necessary documentation and testimony, like statements from first responders, that support your side of the story.
What Do I Do if an Out-of-State Driver injured me?
You might have a hard time with an insurance claim if an out-of-state driver injured you. Our Alabama car accident lawyers are able to identify and communicate with the liable driver and their insurance company, no matter where they live.
What if I Have an Uninsured Motorist Claim?
Suppose you were struck by a driver who doesn’t have car insurance or doesn’t have adequate insurance, such as uninsured motorist coverage or underinsured motorist coverage. In that case, you will need the benefits of hiring experienced legal counsel. Depending on your coverage, you might have to turn to your own insurance carrier to pay for your medical expenses. A situation like this will most likely come down to you filing a personal injury suit against the negligent driver.
Any accident involving an uninsured motorist is complicated. With the legal representation of the car accident lawyers at Mama Justice, you are in good hands.
Wrongful Death Claims and Fatal Alabama Car Accidents
If you lost a loved one in a car wreck, we offer you our condolences. Whether you were involved in the accident or not, you might have a legal claim for your loss.
If your child, parent, spouse, or other family member died due to their car accident injuries, we can help you understand your rights and explain how wrongful death cases work. An accident lawyer will evaluate your circumstances and explain Alabama’s wrongful death laws, including how you can seek financial recovery.
Will I Have to Deal With the Car Insurance Company?
Your car wreck will probably feel like one of the hardest things you have ever gone through until an insurance adjuster hits you with inquiries and red tape. Insurance companies turn a profit by charging their customers premiums and lose money by paying claims. They will do everything in their power to reduce their liability as much as possible simply because it’s better for their bottom line.
Insurance carriers have no incentive or duty to help you during the claims process. This puts crash victims at a distinct disadvantage. This is why an experienced personal injury attorney is a huge benefit to your claim.
At Mama Justice, we know Alabama liability laws and understand exactly how insurance companies work.
How Much is My Alabama Car Accident Claim Worth?
The value of your personal injury claim hinges on multiple factors, such as the type and degree of your injuries. The more visible, painful, and significant your injuries are, the more likely it is you have a high-value claim. If you only sustained minor injuries, then you could be looking at a comparatively small payout for your medical bills and pain and suffering.
Our Alabama Car Accident Lawyers Are Here to Help You
If you were injured or lost a family member in a car accident, the best way to defend your rights is to hire a Huntsville car crash lawyer who will fight for justice and compensation on your behalf. At Mama Justice, we know that the decision to hire an attorney is a difficult one. After your no-obligation consultation, we know that you will choose our Huntsville personal injury attorneys to help you and your family. Contact Mama Justice at (888) 699-1846.