Were you or a family member injured in a truck accident in Birmingham, AL? An experienced Birmingham truck accident lawyer can help you fight for fair compensation. Our team at Belt, Bruner & Barnett Personal Injury Lawyers knows how to help you maximize your compensation. Call us today at 205-206-5088.
Our lawyers have over 93 years of experience practicing personal injury law. In that time, we’ve helped injury clients recover hundreds of millions of dollars in settlements and verdicts.
We’re confident that we can help you, too. Contact our law offices in Birmingham, Alabama, to schedule a free consultation with a Birmingham personal injury lawyer today.
How Belt, Bruner & Barnett Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help After a Truck Accident in Birmingham
At any point, commercial trucks are the largest vehicles on the road in Birmingham, AL. Their drivers also tend to have the most experience. After all, they spend most of their days behind the wheel. That said, they’re often on tight deadlines and tired–which can lead to poor decision making.
When truck drivers cause accidents, passengers in smaller vehicles are left with the most severe injuries. That doesn’t mean trucking companies will hand over fair settlements. They’ll fight tooth and nail to avoid liability. They have the resources to drag the insurance battle on indefinitely.
An experienced Birmingham personal injury attorney can force them to stop the games and take your case seriously. Injury victims have trusted our team at Belt, Bruner & Barnett Personal Injury Lawyers since we started our practice in 2002.
Now, we’re ready to fight for you by:
- Conducting an investigation
- Compiling all evidence to prove causation and liability
- Hiring experts to strengthen your personal injury claim
- Defend against victim-blaming insurance strategies
- Determine how much your injury claim is worth
- Negotiate with the insurance companies and defense teams on your behalf
You can learn more about the benefits of hiring our Birmingham personal injury lawyers by scheduling a free case review. Call us today to arrange a time to discuss your case with a Birmingham truck accident attorney.
How Common Are Truck Accidents in Alabama?
Based on preliminary data, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) estimates that 3,891 accidents involving large trucks occurred in the state of Alabama in 2023. 1,645 people were injured, and sadly, 120 people were killed in those crashes.
Although large truck crashes are less common than crashes involving passenger vehicles, it’s unfortunately much more likely that they’ll be devastating.
What Is My Birmingham Truck Accident Case Worth?
Factors that can impact how much your case is worth include:
- Whether you’ll make a full recovery from your injuries
- The general severity of your injuries
- The cost of your medical treatment
- How the injury impacts your earnings, both now and in the future
- Whether you share blame for the accident
- Your age and earning capacity
- Damage to your lifestyle and quality of life
- The evidence that’s available to prove your case
In the end, speaking with an experienced attorney is the best way to learn about your case value. An attorney can look at the facts of the case and give you a more detailed estimate during a free case review. Call our team to schedule yours today.
What Types of Damages Are Available to Truck Accident Victims in Birmingham?
After a commercial vehicle accident in Alabama, you can seek compensation for economic damages and non-economic damages.
Economic damages compensate you for financial losses, including:
- Past and future medical expenses
- Rehabilitation
- Nursing care
- Lost wages
- Reduced earning potential
- Property damage
- Out-of-pocket expenses
Non-economic damages represent the other types of losses you experience, including:
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Reduced quality of life
- PTSD, anxiety, and other mental health conditions
- Physical disfigurement and scarring
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Loss of consortium
You may also be entitled to collect punitive damages if the at-fault party’s acts were intentional or demonstrated a gross disregard for your safety.
How Much Does it Cost to Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer?
Most personal injury law firms in Birmingham charge contingency fees. Belt, Bruner & Barnett Personal Injury Lawyers is no different. When you hire us, you’ll agree to pay a percentage of your settlement or verdict. You won’t have to worry about upfront costs or expensive hourly rates.
How Can Shared Fault Impact My Right Recover Damages If I’m Being Blamed for a Truck Accident in Alabama?
If you share any blame, you’re completely barred from recovering compensation. Alabama has adopted a harsh contributory negligence law. Anyone who is even slightly responsible for their own injuries forfeits their right to damages.
Our Attorneys in Birmingham Will Fight to Recover Compensation for All of Your Truck Accident Injuries
Truck accident injuries always have the potential to be severe. Semi-trucks and big-rigs are much larger and heavier than traditional vehicles. They may also be carrying hazardous cargo.
At Belt, Bruner & Barnett Personal Injury Lawyers, we often represent clients who have sustained:
- Broken bones and crushing injuries
- Chest injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Back injuries
- Facial injuries
- Nerve damage
- Whiplash
- Soft tissue damage
- Head and neck injuries
- Concussions
- Organ damage
- Burns
- Amputations
- Paralysis
- Catastrophic injuries
- Wrongful death of a loved one
Always seek medical care quickly after an accident. Serious injuries aren’t always obvious. Without prompt medical care, it’s always possible that they could become worse.
What Causes Most Truck Accidents in Birmingham, AL?
The trucking industry is subject to strict state and federal regulations. Despite that, trucking companies often cut corners. Drivers are under tight deadlines that aren’t always reasonable–meaning that they might be rushed, distracted, and fatigued.
Some of the most common causes of truck accidents include:
- Speeding
- Passing too closely
- Dangerous turns, particularly left-hand turns and U-turns
- Drug use or drunk driving
- Driver fatigue
- Violations of FMCSA hours-of-service rules
- Negligent truck maintenance
- Underqualified truck drivers
- Distracted driving
- Failure to conduct proper pre- and post-trip truck inspections
- Improperly secured cargo
- Negligent hiring practices
- Failure to account for longer stopping times and wide turns
- Failure to check blind spots
- Ignoring traffic regulations
Reach out to our personal injury law firm in Birmingham for a free case review today. We’ll help you determine why your semi-truck accident happened and build a strong case for compensation.
Who Can Be Liable for a Truck Accident in Birmingham?
When commercial truck drivers cause motor vehicle accidents, they can be held financially responsible like any other careless driver. However, it’s also likely that someone else shares legal responsibility for your damages.
Examples of potentially responsible parties include:
- The trucking company or owner of the truck
- Companies responsible for attaching the tractor and trailer
- Companies hired to inspect and maintain the vehicles
- Government agencies tasked with oversight
- The company responsible for securing the truck’s cargo
- Manufacturers of defective safety equipment
- Third-party drivers
- Employers of negligent parties
If you were injured in a truck accident, our attorneys in Birmingham can identify all parties who share legal responsibility for your losses. Contact us today to schedule a free case review.
How Do I Prove Negligence After a Truck Accident in Alabama?
To recover compensation in most truck accident cases, you’ll have to prove that someone was negligent to recover damages.
Four legal elements are required to establish negligence:
- The at-fault party had a legal duty of care. All drivers have a legal duty to exercise reasonable caution and obey traffic laws behind the wheel
- A breach of that duty occurred via some action or omission
- Causation, which means that the at-fault party’s acts were the actual and proximate cause of the accident
- You suffered losses or damages because of the accident
It’s also possible that your case could be based on strict liability. For example, if your accident occurred because the truck’s safety equipment was defective, the manufacturer may be strictly liable for damages.
Either way, you’ll need evidence to prove your case.
That evidence might include:
- The truck’s electronic recording device, or “black box”
- The truck driver’s hours-of-service log
- Inspection and maintenance records
- The truck driver’s commercial driver’s license (CDL) and qualifications
- Video footage from dash cams and traffic lights
- Eyewitness testimony
- Testimony from experts in medicine, accident reconstruction, and other specialties
- Physical evidence from the accident scene
- Police and accident reports
- Medical records
Trucking companies conduct detailed investigations when accidents occur. The results of those investigations tend to favor truck drivers. They don’t always tell the whole story. Hiring an experienced Birmingham truck accident attorney is always the best way to make the fight fair.
How Long Do I Have to File a Personal Injury Lawsuit After a Truck Accident in Alabama?
After a truck accident, you have two years to file a lawsuit. Once the two-year statute of limitations expires, you cannot seek compensation from the at-fault driver.
Contact an Experienced Birmingham Truck Accident Lawyer for a Free Consultation Today
You deserve to understand your legal options after a truck accident in Birmingham, AL. With an experienced Birmingham truck accident lawyer on your team, you’re much more likely to get the maximum compensation you deserve. Contact Belt, Bruner & Barnett Personal Injury Lawyers to schedule a free case review today.