Guide to Finding Alabama Personal Injury Lawyer

What is a Personal Injury Lawsuit?

Personal injury cases fall into two categories of law: civil law and tort law. These kinds of lawsuits usually occur when one party or individual suffered direct harm or personal injury because of another party’s pure and proved negligence. In most states, the plaintiff can receive compensation to cover medical expenses, wage or earnings losses, property damages, attorney and court fees, and a wide variation of numerous other expenses. The state of Alabama faces personal injury cases similar to any other states, but there are a few laws and procedures that are unique to AL.

What Types of AL Personal Injury Lawsuits Exist?

There are a large number of different personal injury lawsuits. Any time you think you may be entitled to compensation for any particular reason, it’s a good idea to try and seek a consultation with a Alabama personal injury lawyer. Additionally, you may want to find a personal injury lawyer in AL who offers free consultations just in case he or she states you might have trouble obtaining compensation.

Personal Injury may directly or indirectly affect an individual inside the workplace, in a public location, or on personal or other private property. The most common personal injury lawsuits in the state of Alabama include:

1) Workers Compensation

2) Slip and Fall

3) Medical Malpractice

4) Legal Malpractice

5) Auto Accidents

6) Industrial Disease Related Accidents

7) Injuries to Children

8) Dangerous Animals and/or Dog Bites

Finding a Personal Injury Lawyer in Alabama

AL Personal injury lawyers almost always advertise their services through various forms of media including television, radio, and the internet. Many of these Alabama personal injury lawyer will also advertise their services within advertisements in newspapers, magazines, brochures, billboards, and other forms of advertisements.

You may also use this site to research AL personal injury laws and get into contact with a particular AL personal injury lawyer. You can simply search for laws in the “search tab” at the top of the screen or you can scroll down to the bottom of the screen and search specifically with the state of AL. There a sections specifically devoted to personal injury on the homepage, so you might want to consider these options when beginning your search.

You may also decide to search for personal injury lawyer in Alabama by other means. A good place to always start is with people you know. Do you know anyone who has been involved in an accident lawsuit and received compensation in the state of AL? They may refer you to their AL personal injury lawyer, and most of these attorneys greatly enjoy referrals to their firms. You may want to ask the person you know what specific things that went through with their Alabama personal injury lawyer and defendant so you can be prepared to discuss certain issues with the lawyer.

There are also a number of ways to find a particular Alabama personal injury lawyer by doing a detailed search on the internet. The state of Alabama contains various associations that lawyers are either entitled to join or choose to join because it often promotes there professional ability and credibility. The types of associations and organizations you might choose to look into include:

• The Alabama State Bar (It’s always a good idea to first refer to the state bar within any state)

• The Alabama Lawyer’s Association located in Montgomery

• The Alabama Trial Lawyers Association

• The Alabama Bar Association

• The Birmingham Bar Association

There are other associations in and around the state, but the above resources may help as a starting point.

Important and Specific Personal Injury Law in Alabama

Unlike most other states, the state of Alabama has several unique and strict personal injury laws when it comes to negligence. The following are several laws to consider when thinking about filing a personal injury lawsuit within the state:

1) The Pure Contributory Negligence Doctrine- This doctrine directly addresses personal injury law because it limits the amount of compensation a plaintiff may be able to recover. A defense may legally argue that the negligence was not entirely their fault because the plaintiff was partly to blame. So, for example, if a plaintiff was determined to be 40% responsible for the negligence, they may only recover up to 60% of the total compensation.

• This doctrine is extremely important in the state of Alabama. Even if the defendant was partly responsible for the accident but less responsible than the plaintiff, a jury may in fact decide that the plaintiff not receive any compensation.

2) Statutes of Limitations- The normal amount of time for a plaintiff to file a personal injury claim is two years. Some cases can extend beyond this particular statute, though. Such cases may include issues around mesothelioma and/or related diseases, or if the victim was a minor during the accident.

Questions to Consider Asking your Alabama Personal Injury Lawyer

It is important to be thorough and specific when talking with your AL personal injury lawyer. He or she needs to know exactly what happened surrounding an accident—especially in the state of AL. You shouldn’t hide the fact that you might have been partly responsible for the accident because you can still receive compensation in some cases. You might want to ask your AL personal injury lawyer some of the following questions:

• How long have you been practicing law?

• Have you received your CLE (Continuing Legal Education) in the state of Alabama or are you currently enrolled in CLE?

• Does your firm mainly focus on civil cases, and can you tell me some figures about lawsuits in the past? What were the final compensations and how long did the litigations last?

• Do you charge contingency or do you charge by the hour? What are your rates or what percentage do you generally receive from compensation?

• Do you have professional liability insurance in the state of Alabama?

• Are we working with any time restraints as far as submitting documents and what do you suggest I collect for the case?