Car accidents can change your life in an instant. From the damage done to your vehicle to the physical injuries you suffer, you may feel like the walls of your world have come crashing down. A Phenix City car accident lawyer from our law firm can help.
At the Law Office of Dwayne L. Brown, we pride ourselves on meeting our clients’ needs first. If your car accident was caused by someone else’s negligence, you may be eligible for compensation, and our personal injury lawyer will fight for you to recover it. Contact us today for a free case review!
Compensation You Could Recover After a Car Accident
Injuries from car accidents are often severe and can include lacerations, broken bones, and traumatic brain injuries (TBIs). Depending on the severity of your injuries, you may be looking at months or years of recovery and extensive medical treatments.
Your Phenix City car accident lawyer will go over your medical records and treatment plans, in addition to expenses you’ve already paid, to understand all your losses. We will use this information to get the maximum compensation your personal injury case is worth.
Recoverable compensation can include:
- Medical Expenses: In most instances, your medical bills will be your largest expense and typically include emergency room visits, doctor appointments, surgeries, and medications.
- Lost Income, Including Lost Earning Potential: Whether you need to take a week off to recover or you are unable to ever return to work, you deserve compensation for the loss of income.
- Non-Economic Damages: Non-economic damages are just as important to your well-being as your physical recovery, which can include the physical pain and emotional distress caused by your injuries and lost quality of life.
Why Liability Matters in Car Accident Cases
Under Alabama’s contributory negligence laws, victims of personal injury must prove both that someone else caused their injuries and that they themselves hold no fault for the injury. If you are considered even 1% at fault for your injury, you are not eligible to recover compensation.
In car accidents, proving liability may mean showing that:
- The at-fault driver was intoxicated
- The at-fault driver was not following traffic laws
- The at-fault driver was speeding, or otherwise driving recklessly
At the Law Office of Dwayne L. Brown, our legal team will work to build a case that supports your right to compensation. In order to prove liability, we may:
- Interview eyewitnesses, such as passengers or drivers in other cars
- Obtain footage of the event, such as from traffic or dashcams
- Take photos of the accident scene
- Consult with subject area experts, such as accident reconstruction specialists, your doctors, financial advisors, or those involved with highway safety
- Review crash reports and medical records
How Timing Affects Your Case
Timing can affect your case in several ways. For example, eyewitness statements may carry less weight as time goes on since their memories may be considered less reliable. Additionally, evidence may no longer be available, such as if traffic camera footage is overwritten or skid marks fade.
In addition to these factors, your case must also follow the state’s legal deadlines, known as the statutes of limitations. You typically have two years from the date of your accident to file a personal injury lawsuit in the Russell or Lee County courthouse, per AL Code § 6-2-38.
If a tragedy occurred and you lost a loved one in a car accident, wrongful death lawsuits also carry a two-year deadline, but this deadline starts on the day your loved one dies from their injuries in the car accident. Our Phenix City car crash attorney can help you recover compensation for this wrongful death.
