Call Us Today
334.737.3718
Free Case Evaluation for Personal Injury
Call Us Today
334.737.3718

Auto Accidents

  1. Home
  2. »
  3. Practice Areas
  4. »
  5. Personal Injury
  6. »
  7. Auto Accidents
Auto Accident Attorneys in Opelika

Auto Accident Attorneys in Opelika

Alabama has some of the worst traffic accident statistics in the nation, with the death rate of motor vehicle occupants sitting at 13.7 people per 100,000 in population; the national average is 7.0 people per 100,000 in population. The high accident and fatality rate is worrisome and indicates that not only are accidents occurring far more often than they should, but that many of these accidents are severe enough to cause life-changing, or life-taking, injuries.

Everyone must do their part to prevent auto accidents from occurring, and safe driving practices are at the top of the to-do list. When the basic duty of care that a driver owes to others on the road is breached, the risk of an accident is increased.

If you are involved in an auto accident, contact our office immediately. Even if no one else is involved in the accident, you have rights. Let us talk to you about your options. The call is free and their is no charge for you unless we win your case.

The sooner you contact our office the better our chances at recovering compensation for you. Accident scenes need to be examined, the automobiles involved need to be preserved and medical records must be obtained. Fortunately, our Opelika car accident attorneys are here to advocate for you and help you to recover from your injuries and recover your full compensation amount.

Don’t delay! Call attorney Zach Alsobrook today at 334-360-9534. We also service Auburn car accidents.

Types of Car Accident Cases We Handle

No two car accidents are alike. At Alsobrook Law Group we recognize how unique your car accident is. Because we have years of experience serving car accident victims in East Central Alabama, we have acquired the skill set to investigate a myriad of accident types and get to the bottom of why a car accident occurred and who is at fault. Our lawyers can help, regardless of the type of auto accident you were involved in:

  • Rear-end collision cases. Rear-end crashes are not always the fault of the rear-driver. In fact, many factors can contribute to a rear-end crash, including the negligence of the driver in front. While these car crashes rarely cause fatal injuries, they can result in property damage and injuries like whiplash.
  • Rollover accident cases. One of the deadliest accident types, rollover accidents can involve a single vehicle. Usually, these accidents involve traveling at unsafe speeds but may be caused – in part – by a lack of signage or railings, or due to the negligence of another driver or another party.
  • Head-on crash cases. Head-on crashes are typically the most tragic accident type, leaving drivers and passengers of both vehicles with severe injuries. While these accidents may occur for a variety of reasons, typically the cause is one driver traveling the wrong direction on a road.
  • Side-swipe collision cases. Whether the result of a dangerous lane change, distracted driving, or an aggressive maneuver, side-swipe collisions can leave all parties involved with serious injuries, especially when these accidents occur when traveling at high speeds.
  • T-bone accident cases. Finally, a T-bone crash is common when one vehicle traveling through an intersection fails to yield to another, resulting in one of the vehicles crashing directly into the side of the other. T-bone accidents are deadly, and when not fatal, can lead to disabling injuries.

We investigate your car accident, hire accident reconstruction experts, and work with specialists to determine the precise cause of your accident, and who should be held liable.

Who Pays for Damages in a Car Wreck?

Alabama is an at-fault car insurance state. Simply put, this means that drivers who cause accidents are responsible for paying for them. If your auto accident was caused by the negligence of another driver, that driver – typically through their liability insurance policy – is responsible for paying for your damages. In order to recover your full compensation amount, you will need to prove that:

  • The other driver committed an act of negligence, defined as a breach of the standard of care owed to you;
  • The negligent act was the direct cause of your accident; and
  • You suffered damages as a result, such as medical expenses, pain, suffering, lost wages, and more.

If the other driver does not have insurance or does not have enough insurance to fully cover your injuries, you may file a claim with your own policy’s uninsured/under-insured motorist coverage, collision coverage, or medical payments coverage (if you carry these policy types).

If an insurance adjuster offers you less than you believe your claim is worth, you also have the right to negotiate your settlement. If a settlement agreement cannot be reached, you can file a lawsuit against the at-fault driver, and bring your case to court.

5 Things You Should Not Do After a Car Accident

1. Do Not Leave the Scene without Exchanging Information

Perhaps the biggest mistake that a person can make in the aftermath of an accident is to leave the scene of the accident without exchanging information with the other driver first. While you certainly do not want to be involved in a hit-and-run, you also don’t want to be involved in a situation where you and the other driver agree that everything looks okay, only to part ways and later discover that your car actually does need repairs, or that you actually have suffered an injury that required medical care. If you leave the scene without exchanging information (and without filing a police report), you may be out of luck in terms of seeking insurance compensation.

2. Do Not Dismiss Any Injuries and Fail to Seek Medical Care

Another big mistake is that of failing to seek medical care. While it’s true that you may feel totally fine initially following an accident, you may not feel fine hours, days, or weeks after the crash, particularly if you have suffered a delayed-onset injury. Examples of delayed injuries include soft tissue injuries like whiplash, traumatic brain injuries like concussions, and psychological injuries, like post-traumatic stress disorder.

3. Do Not Make Any Admissions of Fault

It can be difficult to not make an admission of fault or say something that sounds like an admission of fault after an accident, even if you’re not at all to blame. For example, saying, “I’m so sorry!” or “I didn’t even see you!” may feel perfectly natural. However, both of these phrases may be used to put at least some of the blame for the accident on your shoulders. For example, why would you be sorry if you weren’t at fault? And if you didn’t see the other driver, then were you really paying attention? Note than an insurance adjuster is great at twisting words and deriving meaning from innocuous statements. Be wary, and be careful with what you say.

4. Do Not Accept a First Settlement Offer

It can be very tempting to accept an initial settlement offer, especially if you have been seriously injured and need money to pay for your losses as soon as possible. While you may be very eager to get a settlement, the insurance adjuster knows this, and will try to take advantage of your desperation as such. Thinking that you’ll probably accept anything that you’re offered, the insurance adjuster may very well lowball your claim and offer you much less than you truly deserve.

Resist the temptation to accept a first settlement offer unless you are sure that it fully compensates you. If it does not, reject the offer and be prepared to negotiate for an amount you deserve.

5. Do Not Decide to Represent Yourself if Things Get Complicated

Many car accident claims are complicated. You may not be offered what you deserve, you may be blamed for the accident, you may be told that your injuries are preexisting and therefore not eligible for coverage, or your claim may be denied altogether. If things get complicated, don’t make the mistake of trying to represent yourself. Instead, you should hire an experienced car accident lawyer who has handled claims like yours in the past and has an in-depth understanding of the best strategies for maximizing a settlement.

Alabama’s Pure Contributory Fault Laws

When pursuing an auto accident claim or lawsuit in Alabama, it is very important that you understand the state’s pure contributory fault laws. These laws are rare in the nation and are only found in a handful of states. Essentially, these laws state that if a plaintiff contributed to their own injuries in the slightest – even if they are only one percent responsible – this contribution may be a bar to recovery. This means that if the insurance adjuster of the party against whom you have filed a claim, or the defense, can prove that you did anything to contribute to the crash, you may be barred from recovering the compensation that you deserve. Slight examples of negligence that could serve as a bar to recovery could include checking your cellphone, being distracted by a child or pet in the vehicle, eating while driving, changing the radio, forgetting to signal, driving slightly above the speed limit, and more.

How Our Experienced Opelika Auto Accident Attorneys Can Help You

When you are injured in a crash, we know that the legal details aren’t at the top of the list of things you care about; you want to be compensated and you want your settlement fast. We understand what you are going through, as we’ve worked with countless Alabama accident victims, suffering through similar circumstances. At The Alsobrook Law Group, we are committed to helping you along the road to recovery. We have the years of the experience, the legal acumen and the passion to help you collect the recovery that you deserve.

It is important that you contact an experienced Alabama personal injury attorney as soon as possible – the clock on the statute of limitations for your claim is ticking! By contacting us as early as possible, we can begin the investigative process and work hard to ensure that evidence critical to your claim is preserved. We can also immediately begin organizing documents relevant to your claim, including your medical bills.

A consultation with Alsobrook Law Group is completely free and you are under no obligation to hire us. To schedule your case review today, call us now at 334.737.3718 or use our online form to send us a message. Our job is to work for you.

We also handle the following cases:

Car Accidents in Tuskegee

Zachary D. Alsobrook

Zach Alsobrook

ATTORNEY AT LAW

Zachary D. Alsobrook is a partner in the Opelika law firm of Alsobrook Law Group, where he concentrates his practice in the areas of criminal defense and DUI; divorce, child custody…

Learn More

Practice Areas

The Alsobrook Law Firm is located in Opelika, AL and serves clients in and around Opelika, Loachapoka, Auburn, Salem, Waverly, Cusseta, Smiths, Barbour County, Bullock County, Calhoun County, Chambers County, Clay County, Cleburne County, Coosa County, Dale County, Elmore County, Henry County, Lee County, Macon County, Montgomery County, Pike County, Randolph County, Russell County, Talladega County and Tallapoosa County.

Firm Location

Quicklinks

Practice Areas

Connect With Us

The information on this website is for general information purposes only. Nothing on this site should be taken as legal advice for any individual case or situation. This information is not intended to create, and receipt or viewing does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship.

No promises are made that services performed are greater than that of other lawyers.

No content on this site may be reused in any fashion without written permission from www.alsolaw.com

© 2024 Alsobrook Law Group. All Rights Reserved.

  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • Sitemap