Fairhope, AL Car Accidents Attorneys 

Car accidents are an unfortunate reality on Fairhope’s roads. The majority of car accidents happen within a few miles of home, so don’t get too comfortable driving on U.S. Highway 98, State Highway 46, or County Road 13. You never know what type of driver is waiting around the next bend. Unfortunately, a growing number of these accidents result in severe or fatal injuries for vehicle occupants. 

As an Alabama driver, it is crucial that you know your rights after a car crash. If you or someone you love has been injured in an Alabama accident, it’s time to talk to the team at Turner, Onderdonk, Kimbrough & Howell. We are here to help you pursue the compensation you deserve. Call us at 251-651-0483 to set up a consultation with our team right away. 

What You Should Know About Alabama Car Accidents 

The Alabama Crash Facts booklet provides valuable information about car accidents, how they occur, and who is most likely to be involved. The most recent volume covers collisions that occurred in 2022, and the statistics are alarming. There were almost 38,000 injuries and over 144,000 collisions. Of these crashes, 907 resulted in deaths—a 2.25% increase from 2021. Quite a few of these accidents were associated with distracted driving, and almost 60% of fatalities were among those who were not wearing seatbelts at the time of the crash. 

What does this mean for you? There was one accident every three minutes in Alabama. Every 14 minutes, there was an injury-causing colliding. Every nine hours, a fatal crash occurred. It has never been more important to drive cautiously, drive defensively, and be aware of your surroundings. 

Common Causes of Collisions  Collisions

The data provided in the Crash Facts guide also outlines why these crashes happen. Some of the most common contributing circumstances to Alabama collisions include: 

• Speeding 
• Driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol 
• Failing to yield the right of way 
• Failing to see another object, person, or vehicle 
• Driving on the wrong side of the road 
• Swerving to avoid an obstacle 
• Failing to heed sign, signal, or officer
• Driving while fatigued 
• Tailgating 

Some of these errors were less common but far more likely to result in fatal crashes. For example, a small percentage of crashes were caused by driving on the wrong side of the road—however, this circumstance contributed to over 5% of all fatal collisions. Other errors, including speeding and driving under the influence, were commonly seen in both collisions and fatal crashes. 

Determining Liability 

Before you can fight for compensation after a crash, you must be able to determine the liable party. This is somewhat complicated in Alabama, thanks to our state’s contributory negligence law. Most states follow a comparative negligence law, which means that a victim of an accident can still receive compensation even if they are partially to blame for it. Most accidents split liability to some degree, even if one party is just 5% liable. However, Alabama is a contributory negligence state—this means that if a court finds that the victim is even 1% to blame for the accident, they cannot recover any compensation. By working with an experienced car accident lawyer, you can protect yourself from this outcome and navigate your claim appropriately. 

In most car accidents, one driver or the other shoulder the majority of the liability. However, there are other parties who may be held liable, including: 

• The manufacturer of either vehicle 
• Repair shops that have handled either vehicle 
• The municipality meant to maintain the roads, signs, and traffic lights 
• Any bars or restaurants that overserved a driver who later went on to cause a drunk driving accident 

Types of Compensation 

Once your attorney has determined who is liable for the accident, it’s easier to pursue compensation. A full and fair settlement will make you whole, compensating you for the multiple losses you suffered during the collision. Some types of compensation relate directly to the financial losses associated with the crash. These include medical bills, repair estimates for your vehicle, and time away from work. There’s a specific financial value for each of these losses, making them fairly easy to calculate. 

However, you may also be entitled to compensation for your non-financial losses. This includes things like pain and suffering, mental anguish, disability, disfigurement, and loss of enjoyment of life. While there’s no monetary loss associated with these types of compensation, they are still things you have lost because of the other party’s negligence. Since there’s no cut-and-dry financial value, it may be a bit harder to calculate how much you deserve in these categories. 

In rare situations, punitive damages may be awarded. This is only an option if your case makes it to court and does not settle during negotiations. Punitive damages are reserved for when the liable party acted intentionally or with such egregious negligence that the outcome was essentially inevitable. Your attorney will explain whether or not your case falls into that category. 

What Turner, Onderdonk, Kimbrough & Howell Can Do For You 

When you’ve been hurt due to another person’s mistake, it should be easy to get the compensation you deserve. Unfortunately, that is rarely the case. You have to pursue compensation through the liable party’s insurance company, and insurance companies are in the business of making money. They will do whatever they need to do in order to diminish the value of your claim or even pay you nothing. 

The team at Turner, Onderdonk, Kimbrough & Howell knows what it takes to hold negligent drivers accountable and demand fair compensation for victims like you. By building the strongest case we can, we’ll put ourselves in a strong position for negotiations. Whether your case settles in negotiations or reaches the courtroom, we will be with you every step of the way. 

Reach Out Today to Start Your Fairhope Car Accident Case 

The sooner you reach out to our team after a Fairhope car crash, the sooner we can begin building your case. Get started now by getting in touch online or calling us at 251-651-0483.