Car Accident Lawyer Homewood, AL
Marsh | Rickard | Bryan, LLC has represented car accident victims across Alabama for more than 30 years. Our Homewood, AL car accident lawyers have the experience and the willingness to successfully fight insurance companies that undervalue serious injury claims. We offer a free consultation and do not charge a fee unless we recover compensation for you.
Why Choose Marsh | Rickard | Bryan for Car Accident Cases in Homewood, AL?
Alabama Trial Attorneys Who Know Jefferson County
Jeff Rickard co-founded this firm and has practiced personal injury law in Alabama for more than 30 years. He’s tried cases in courtrooms across the state, secured multiple seven-figure verdicts and settlements, and served as president of the Alabama Association for Justice. David Marsh has over 40 years of practice representing injured Alabamians. Together, they built a firm with a specific focus: helping people who have been seriously hurt through no fault of their own.
Homewood sits in Jefferson County, and our personal injury attorneys in Homewood, AL are familiar with how cases move through this court system. We know the local community, the judges, and the tactics defense attorneys and insurers routinely use in this jurisdiction. That kind of familiarity matters when your financial recovery is on the line.
A Track Record of Results
Marsh | Rickard | Bryan has helped its clients recover millions of dollars across a wide range of injury cases. Auto accident claims are a significant part of our practice, and we have obtained favorable outcomes in Jefferson County and throughout Alabama. Our results include seven-figure and eight-figure verdicts and settlements in cases involving vehicle collisions, trucking crashes, and wrongful death.
We approach every case with the same level of preparation whether we expect it to settle or go to trial. Insurance companies treat cases differently when they know the attorney on the other side is willing to walk into a courtroom.
No Fee Unless We Recover for You
We handle car accident cases on a contingency fee basis. You pay nothing upfront and owe us nothing unless we obtain a recovery in your case. Your initial consultation is free.
What Our Clients Say
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“Dylan Marsh at MRB Law did an awesome job helping me settle my car wreck case. He was easy to talk to, explained everything clearly, and kept me in the loop the whole time. Super professional and got me a fair settlement quickly. Highly recommend Dylan if you need a great lawyer after an accident!” – Emaleigh Brewer
Read more reviews on our Google Business Profile.
Types of Car Accident Cases We Handle in Homewood
Auto collisions take many forms, and the legal strategy for each type varies. Here are the types of car wreck cases we most frequently handle for clients in Homewood and the surrounding areas of Jefferson County.
- Rear-end collisions. These are among the most common crashes in Homewood, especially on congested stretches of U.S. 31 and along I-65 interchanges. Even low-speed rear-end impacts can cause whiplash and soft tissue injuries that linger for months.
- Intersection crashes. Running red lights and failing to yield cause some of the most violent T-bone collisions. The injuries tend to be severe, particularly for passengers on the struck side of the vehicle.
- Distracted driving accidents. Despite Alabama’s texting ban, drivers continue to use phones behind the wheel. According to NHTSA data, distraction-affected crashes claimed over 3,200 lives nationally in recent years.
- Drunk driving crashes. When an impaired driver causes a wreck, the victim may pursue both a personal injury claim and, in some cases, a dram shop claim against the establishment that over-served the driver, or served a minor.
- Hit-and-run accidents. Even when the at-fault driver flees, there are still legal avenues for recovery. Uninsured motorist coverage and other options may apply.
- Multi-vehicle pileups. These cases involve complicated liability questions because multiple drivers may share fault. Alabama’s contributory negligence rule makes it especially important to establish that our client bears no responsibility for the crash.
- Motorcycle accidents. When a car strikes a motorcyclist, the rider almost always sustains more serious injuries. We handle these cases frequently and understand the particular challenges riders face with insurance companies.
- Rideshare accidents. Crashes involving Uber or Lyft raise unique insurance questions. The driver’s personal policy, the company’s commercial policy, and the timing of the ride all affect which coverage applies.
Alabama Legal Requirements for Car Accident Claims
Two Alabama laws are especially relevant if you’ve been in a car crash in Homewood.
The first is the statute of limitations. Under Alabama Code § 6-2-38, you have two years from the date of the accident to file a personal injury lawsuit. Two years may sound like plenty of time, but gathering medical records, accident reports, witness statements, and other evidence takes months. Waiting too long can also mean losing access to critical evidence like surveillance footage, which may be overwritten within weeks.
The second is Alabama’s contributory negligence rule. If a jury finds that you bear even a small percentage of fault for the accident, you could be barred from recovering anything. An insurance adjuster who asks you questions is looking for an opening to argue contributory negligence.
Alabama also requires drivers to carry minimum liability insurance: $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for bodily injury, and $25,000 for property damage under Alabama Code § 32-7-6. These minimums are often inadequate for serious crash injuries. If the at-fault driver’s coverage falls short, underinsured motorist benefits on your own policy may help bridge the gap.
According to the Alabama Department of Transportation, the state recorded over 140,000 traffic crashes in a recent year, resulting in tens of thousands of injuries. Homewood, with its mix of residential streets and major through-routes, sees its share.
What Damages Are Recoverable After a Car Accident in Homewood?
Alabama law allows car wreck victims to pursue compensation in three broad categories.
Economic damages reimburse you for the actual financial losses caused by the accident. Hospital and emergency room bills, ongoing medical treatment, physical rehabilitation, prescription costs, and any medical devices you need going forward are all included. If you missed work during your recovery or can no longer perform your job at the same capacity, lost wages and diminished future earning ability are also recoverable. Transportation costs for medical appointments, rental car expenses, and out-of-pocket costs related to the crash are part of this calculation, too.
Non-economic damages compensate for things money can’t easily measure. Physical pain, emotional distress, anxiety, depression, scarring, disfigurement, and the loss of your ability to enjoy activities you once valued. Alabama does not impose a statutory cap on compensatory damages in car accident cases. The amount depends on the facts of your case and what a jury considers reasonable.
Punitive damages are available in certain circumstances. If the at-fault driver was intoxicated, racing, or engaged in conduct that Alabama law considers wanton, the court may award punitive damages to punish that behavior. Under Alabama Code § 6-11-21, these damages are generally capped in injury cases at three times the compensatory award or $1.5 million, whichever is greater.
The difference between what an insurance company initially offers and what a case is actually worth can be substantial. That gap is one of the main reasons people hire a car accident attorney in the first place. Accepting a quick settlement offer before you understand the full extent of your injuries is one of the most common mistakes we see.
Contact Marsh | Rickard | Bryan
If you were injured in a car accident in Homewood, AL, we encourage you to reach out. The sooner we can review the facts, the better positioned we are to protect evidence, communicate with the insurer on your behalf, and begin building your case.
Our consultations are free, and we do not charge any fees unless your case results in a recovery. Whether your crash happened on Oxmoor Road, along 18th Street, or at any intersection in Homewood, we are here to help.
Contact us to schedule a free evaluation of your car accident claim.
