Reckless Driving Accident Attorneys in Birmingham

When you do your best to drive safely and protect your loved ones, it is frightening to know that another driver’s carelessness, recklessness, or aggression can change your life forever. If a reckless driver has caused property damage, left you with injuries, and added to your financial burden, they must be held accountable for their actions. With the help of an Alabama personal injury attorney, you can pursue maximum compensation from the liable party’s insurance provider or personal assets.

What is Reckless Driving?

The term “reckless driving” covers a wide range of unsafe behaviors that display disregard for the safety of others and the rules of the road. Common examples of reckless driving include:

• Speeding, including driving above the posted limit or driving too fast for weather and road conditions
• Failing to yield
• Turning or switching lanes without using turn signals
• Tailgating
• Running red lights and stop signs
• Driving while distracted
• Driving while impaired by drugs or alcohol
• Weaving in and out of lanes
• Driving without headlights at night
• Dangerous passing and merging behaviors

Reckless Driving Laws in Alabama

Reckless driving is addressed by Alabama Code Section 32-5A-190, which states that a person who “drives any vehicles carelessly and heedlessly in willful or wanton disregard for the rights or safety of persons or property” is guilty of reckless driving. It further specifies that engaging in activities at a speed or in a manner that is like to endanger people or property is reckless driving.

What to Do After a Car Accident

Taking the proper steps after a reckless driving crash can help you collect evidence and protect your right to seek compensation. Follow these steps after a crash:

• Check yourself and your passengers for injuries. Call emergency services to report the crash and request emergency assistance.
• If it is safe to do so, take pictures and videos of the car and the crash scene. If the other driver was driving aggressively when they caused the accident, you may want to wait in the car until police arrive at the scene to avoid a confrontation.
• Get contact information from witnesses.
• Exchange insurance information with the other driver.
• Seek medical attention promptly. It is important to check for hidden injuries and get documentation of your injuries from the crash.
• Reach out to a reckless driving accident attorney.

Why You Need a Car Accident Attorney

When you are hurt by someone else’s negligence, it is important to get assistance from a personal injury attorney. Costs associated with a car accident add up quickly, and without compensation from the responsible party, you will be left covering those expenses on your own.

Your attorney will begin by negotiating with the at-fault driver’s insurance company. You may have already been contacted by an insurance adjuster. They strive to settle cases quickly and for as little money as possible, a tactic that could leave you with far less than you deserve. If you try to negotiate on your own, you risk damaging your own claim. Insurance adjusters will use different tricks to get you to admit fault, downplay your injuries and property damage, and find excuses to offer you a low settlement.

Working with an attorney can drastically decrease the amount of time and energy spent arguing with the insurance adjuster. Insurance adjusters know they can intimidate most victims into waiving their right to sue in exchange for a small settlement. They also know that lawyers are not going to fall for the same tactics that victims do. Bringing an attorney to the negotiating table makes the insurance company sit up, take notice, and take your claim more seriously.

During negotiations, your attorney will use evidence from the accident to prove the severity of your injuries and demonstrate the other driver’s liability. Most cases are successfully settled out of court, allowing you to get your compensation quickly and move on from the accident. A small percentage of car accident claims go through the court system. If this happens, your attorney will build an ironclad case to convince the jury of the other party’s liability.

Injuries Caused by Reckless Driving

As a victim of a reckless driving accident, you may have sustained a number of injuries. Injuries commonly caused by reckless driving crashes include:

• Lacerations and abrasions
• Burns
• Spinal cord injuries
• Traumatic brain injuries
• Crushed or broken bones
• Amputations
• Paralysis
• Whiplash

The cost of treating these injuries are often extensive, particularly if an accident leaves you permanently disabled or unable to work. This is why it is so important to reach out to an attorney promptly after your accident. An injury that appears minor could be far more serious than you think, leaving you with more medical expenses than expected.

Fighting for Compensation After a Crash

When you meet with your personal injury attorney to discuss your car accident claim, they will explain the different types of compensation you can ask for. They will also look at the evidence from your accident to determine a fair amount. Damages are typically divided into several different categories:

• Economic damages are the clearly definable and measurable costs associated with your injuries, such as medical bills and lost income.
• Non-economic. Non-economic damages attempt to provide financial compensation for non-financial losses, such as pain and suffering, loss of quality of life, and loss of consortium. While none of these situations can be fixed with money, financial compensation is the only way for the victim to be made whole through the court system.
• Punitive damages. In some situations, Alabama courts will award punitive damages to a victim. Punitive damages are only awarded when the defendant shows egregiously reckless behavior. The court awards punitive damages to punish the liable party and help discourage similar behaviors in the future.

Our Team is Ready to Fight for You

When you are trying to recover from a car crash, you should not have to worry about the stress of handling legal and financial concerns caused by another person’s negligence. At Mann & Potter, PC, we fight aggressively on behalf of every single client to get them the compensation they deserve. To discuss your case in greater detail, message us online or call us at 205-879-9661.