Alabama Car Accident Lawyer Blog

A hit and run car wreck on I-59 in downtown Birmingham near the Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center has claimed the life of Anita Pickett of Tarrant, Alabama. According to the Birmingham News report, Ms. Pickett's vehicle was struck by another vehicle causing Ms. Pickett's vehicle to fall off the overpass onto the highway below. A witness reported seeing a black female driver fleeing the scene in a black Chevrolet Trailblazer.

Unfortunately hit and run car accidents happen far too often. Last year, our firm represented the victim of a hit and run car accident in Huntsville. In a situation where the accident was caused by a hit and run driver, Alabama's uninsured & underinsured motorist law allows for claim to be made under the victims UM/UIM policy. The hit and run driver is often called a phantom vehicle. It's extremely important when hiring an Alabama car accident lawyer to hire someone who has experience handling underinsured motorist claims. One unique aspect of Alabama UM law is that it allows for the stacking (adding together) of polices. For more information see "A Guide to Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Law in Alabama."

A car wreck on Interstate 22 in Walker County, Alabama just outside the city of Jasper has sadly claimed the life of one child and injured two others. The automobile accident happened about 4:30 pm yesterday. Initial reports from the Alabama State Troopers do not indicate the cause of the crash.

Interstate 22 is Alabama's newest Interstate Highway, which follows the US Highway 78 corridor from Memphis, Tennessee to Birmingham, Alabama. This 213 mile Interstate runs through the cities of Holly Springs, Mississippi; New Albany, Mississippi; Tupelo, Mississippi; Hamilton, Alabama; Winfield, Alabama; and Jasper, Alabama.

Summer in Alabama means more bicycles and motorcycles on Alabama roads. In 2008, 182 people were injured in Alabama bicycle accidents. From 1999 to 2008, 72 people were killed in Alabama bicycle crashes. The easiest bicycle safety rule is to always wear a helmet; however, wearing a helmet will not prevent a cyclists or child from being hit by a car. www.Bicyclesafe.com is a great website that provides "Ten Ways Not to Get Hit" by a car. This list of bike safety tips explores the most common way bikes riders are involved in car v. bike accidents. The site also offers general bike safety ideas such as:

Always light up;
Avoiding busy streets;
Signal your turns;
Taking the whole lane when appropriate;
Re-think music players and mobile phones; and
Ride as if you were invisible.

For information on teaching children bike safety visit

http://www.ibike.org/education/safety-kids.htm
Nhtsa and bike safety

A two car collision near Lexington, Alabama (Lauderdale Co.) has sadly claimed the life of Thomas P. Scott, 32, St. Joseph, Tennessee. The car accident occurred on Alabama Hwy 64 around 5:30 am last Friday morning. The driver of the other vehicle, Cory Scott Goode, 30, of Anderson was also seriously injured in the wreck and taken to Eliza Coffee Memorial Hospital in Florence. A report indicates there was a severe impact between the two vehicles. The cause of the car accident is still under investigation. Our thoughts and prayers go out to both families.

This car wreck brings up an interesting legal dynamic that of when one party involved in a car accident is from Alabama and the other is from another state. Since the car accident happened in Alabama the cause of action for either party can be brought in Alabama state court; however, if the amount in controversy is over $75,000.00 then the other party could remove the matter to Federal Court based upon diversity of citizenship. Federal Courts are courts of limited jurisdiction and only hear certain types of cases under certain circumstances. Essentially if there are only 2 parties to a lawsuit and they are from different states and the amount in controversy (amount at issue) is over $75,000.00 then Federal Court can have jurisdiction to hear the matter. The issue gets more complicated as more parties are added. We will discuss this matter further in an upcoming Alabama Injury Attorney Blog post.

It appears there is a correlation between an increase in the number of Alabama State Troopers on our highways and a reduction in car and truck accidents. During this past Memorial Day Holiday, Alabama State Troopers again cranked up their Take Back the Highways Campaign. According to the Alabama Department of Public Safety, 16 people were killed on Alabama's Highways from May 22-31, which is down 11 deaths from last year when 27 people lost their lives in Alabama automobile accidents.

Alabama Troopers gave more than 24,700 traffic citations during this campaign, which includes more than 8,200 speeding tickets and almost 7,000 for seat belt and child restraint violations. With over 4.6 million people now living in Alabama that means there are now more drivers on Alabama's Highways than ever before. While no one likes getting a speeding ticket, if having more State Troopers on Alabama's Highways will make them safer then more state troopers need to be added.

Continue reading "More Troopers Equals Fewer Car Accidents and Deaths on Alabama's Highways" »

Car Accidents are the number one killer of children under age 12. Statistics show that about 80% of car seats are installed incorrectly. To reduce the number of children injured in automobile wrecks there are four simple steps that should be followed:

1. Restrain your child on every trip, every time.
2. Keep your child in the back seat.
3. Use the best safety restraint for your child's size.
4. Use the child safety seats and belts correctly.

Children should be placed in a rear-facing car seat until the child is at least one year old and weighs 20 lbs. Cars manufactured after September 2002 have the LATCH system for car seat installation. This newer system is designed to make the installation process easier. Parents should always consult the installation manual for their vehicle and the car seat when installing the seat for the first time.

As evidence by prior a blog post on our Alabama Injury Attorney Blog (Alabama Car Wreck Claims Unrestrained Child's Life) too many children in Alabama are injured each year because of improper car seat installation. In 2008, according to the Alabama Department of Public Safety, 138 children were injured in Alabama car accidents where the child was not using a child restraint system. Many hospitals, fire department and police departments offer free installation by a certified installer. For example, Huntsville Hospital offers such installation.

For more information on car seat installation please visit, Keeping Kids Safe During Crashes, which has numerous helpful videos on car seat safety and installation.

A multi-car accident on Interstate 65 near Greenville, Alabama (Butler County) has sadly killed four people and seriously injured 5 others. The wreck happened Memorial Day. According to WFSA News out of Montgomery, AL the accident happened around 7:00 pm when a Mazda 3 headed northbound crossed the median and crashed into a Chevrolet truck, which was then struck from behind by an SUV. The victims have been identified as 53-year-old Jennifer Richardson of College Park, Ga.; 15-year-old Kelvin Pickering of Naples, Fla.; 69-year-old Ira Juan Cito Fleming of St. John, Virgin Islands, and Lorraine Ione Fleming of Snellville, Ga. Our thoughts and prayers go out to all the victims and those injured in the horrific wreck. Alabama State Troopers are still investigating this matter to determine exactly what happened.

The increased traffic during the Memorial Day holiday generally results in an increase in the number of car accidents. During the 2008 Memorial Day holiday weekend 6 people lost their lives in Alabama car accidents. This was down from 2007 when 9 people were killed in Alabama automobile accidents.