Dothan Personal Injury Attorneys
Suffering an injury as the result of another person’s negligence can be a shocking experience. At the law offices of M. Adam Jones & Associates, our experienced Alabama personal injury lawyers are here to help you understand your legal options, file your personal injury action, and recover the compensation award you need and deserve.
Personal Injury Practice Areas
Our skilled Alabama injury attorneys are well-versed in a wide range of personal injury practice areas. When you have been injured and are looking for an attorney, you want an attorney who has experience working on cases like yours. At the law offices of M. Adam Jones & Associates, we can assist you if you have been injured in the following accident types:
- Motor vehicle accidents. Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of injury and death in the state, and our law firm has successfully handled countless motor vehicle accident cases over the years.
- Commercial vehicle and large truck accidents. Accidents involving commercial vehicles or large trucks are not only devastating–these accidents can cause catastrophic injuries, and even death–but also extremely complicated. tour attorneys have the extensive experience necessary to investigate commercial vehicle accidents, prove liability, and maximize compensation to our clients.
- Motorcycle crashes. If you are involved in a motorcycle accident, you need an attorney on your side who is willing to fight for your right to recovery. We know how tragic these collisions can be, as we have successfully represented countless motorcycle accident victims.
- Pedestrian and bicycle accidents. With no protections to prevent against injuries, pedestrians and bicyclists who are struck by motor vehicles often suffer serious, sometimes fatal, injuries. These accidents are unacceptable – let our Alabama injury lawyers help you hold the responsible party liable.
- Slip and fall accidents. When a slip and fall accident occurs on the property of another due to a hazardous condition, the property owner can sometimes be held held responsible for the injuries and harms caused. We know how to prove whether or not the property owner knew or should have known of the harmful conditions upon the property which led to your injuries.
- Nursing home abuse and neglect. Nursing home abuse and neglect is tragic; elderly persons are often extremely vulnerable and deserve to be treated with the highest degree of care and respect. When abuse or neglect occurs, it can be shocking, and the party responsible needs to be held responsible. Our attorneys have the experience necessary to do so.
- Wrongful Death. Any one of the above injuries could lead to a loved one being killed. If your loved one has been killed in an accident as a result of someone else’s negligence you have a right to recover for your loss. Give us a call for a free consultation in learning how our experienced attorneys can to assist you in this matter.
- Other personal injury cases. If you’ve been harmed in an accident type not listed listed above, including catastrophic injuries, don’t hesitate to call us. We also have experience representing clients harmed by defective products, dog bites, and in many other situations. Call our law firm for a free consultation, and find out if we can help you.
Damages Recoverable in a Personal Injury Action
Those who are harmed by the negligent actions of another party in our state have the right to seek compensation for the full value of damages which they have suffered, including compensation for:
- Past and future medical expenses;
- Lost wages and loss of earning capacity;
- Any property damage losses;
- Pain, suffering, and other noneconomic damages; and
- Punitive damages, which are available in cases where the defendant acted intentionally or with a reckless disregard for the safety of others.
Statute of Limitations in Alabama
A statute of limitations is a time limit upon how long a plaintiff has to file a lawsuit after an accident occurs. The statute of limitations in Alabama is two years from the date of the injury. If you wait longer than two years to file your case, you may be permanently barred from recovering compensation at all. Do not delay in hiring a lawyer and initiating the claims process.
Protecting Your Credibility During a Personal Injury Claim
There are a number of things that you can do to help establish and maintain your credibility after you were injured in an accident:
Seek Prompt Medical Treatment
Be sure to go into the hospital or emergency room as soon as possible to get treated for your injuries. It is very important that you are seen right away, so you can establish a causal link between the accident and your injuries. If there is too much of a time gap between these events, this will give the insurance company ammunition to claim that your injuries happened for other reasons.
Follow your Doctor’s Orders
Once you go in to see a medical professional, be sure to follow through on subsequent appointments, referrals to specialists, and activity restrictions. Following the instructions of the health professionals you see is essential to your credibility; and ignoring these instructions could severely damage your claim. For example, if you are seen out and about shopping or playing ball in the park, the insurance company might claim that you are exaggerating your injuries.
Stay Off of Social Media While the Claim is in Progress
Social media posts made by injury victims are often uncovered and taken out of context by insurance companies to damage the claimant’s credibility. For example, if you post a picture of you and your family relaxing on a well-deserved vacation, they might try to say that you are not really suffering too much physical or emotional pain because of the accident. The best advice is to stop social media activity altogether until your case is concluded.
Limit Communication with the Insurance Company
You might get contacted by an insurance company representative shortly after your accident. If you are contacted, keep in mind that no matter how friendly the representative is, they are your adversary in this process. Keep any statements you make to them brief and to the point. Never admit any kind of fault for the accident, and do not agree to provide a recorded statement without first speaking with a lawyer.
Work With an Experienced Personal Injury Lawyer
The best way to protect your credibility during a personal injury claim is to work with a skilled and knowledgeable attorney and follow their guidance. Reputable attorneys know the common tactics that insurance companies typically use, and they know what steps you need to take to protect the full value of your claim.
Common Mistakes to Avoid with a Personal Injury Claim
Delaying Medical Treatment
Many people who are involved in accidents do not believe that they need medical help unless their injuries are apparent. But what they often fail to realize is that with a lot of injuries, the symptoms do not manifest themselves until several hours or even up to a few days later.
The problem is that if you don’t see a doctor right away or fairly soon after the accident, it will be more difficult to establish a causal relationship between the accident and the injuries you have suffered. In addition to that, waiting too long to get treatment can make your injury worse and lengthen your recovery time. Always get prompt medical treatment after an accident, even if you do not feel like you are hurt. It is better to be safe than sorry.
Providing an Official Statement to the Insurance Company
Shortly after the accident, you might get a call from an insurance company representative asking how you are and assuring you that you will be taken care of. Once they believe they have earned your trust, they might also ask you to give a recorded statement giving your version of events. You are not required to provide a statement to the other party’s insurer, and it is not generally in your best interests to do so.
In the days following an accident, many victims are disoriented and still trying to make sense of what happened. If you give the insurance company an official statement while in this condition, you run the risk of confusing important details and even tacitly admitting some fault for the accident. Either way, your words will most likely be twisted around and used against you later on. Never provide a recorded statement to the responsible party’s insurance company without first speaking with an attorney.
Accepting an Immediate Settlement Offer
If the accident is clearly someone else’s fault, their insurer might give you a quick settlement offer in an attempt to get the claim off of their books. While it might be tempting to take the money and move on with your life, the offer they are giving you is probably for a lot lower than your claim is worth. Before accepting an offer from the insurance company, at the very least, run it by an attorney to make sure that the offer is fair. After an attorney reviews your case, you might find out that you are entitled to quite a bit more than they want to give you.
Posting on Social Media During the Claims Process
Most of us are active on social media these days, and this is a great medium for staying in contact with family members and friends. That said, when you are involved in a personal injury claim, social media is no longer an innocuous activity. Insurance companies spend a lot of resources investigating claimants and looking for inconsistencies in their stories that they can use to undermine their claim, and one of the most common ways that they do this is by going through social media posts. For this reason, it is best not to make any posts or comments while the claim is ongoing. You can resume normal activity once the case is settled.
Not Hiring a Reputable Attorney
If you only suffered minor injuries from your accident and there are no complicating factors, you might be okay dealing with the insurance company on your own. But if you have moderate to severe injuries, there is a question over who is at fault, there are multiple parties that could share responsibility, and there are other complications, then it is very possible that something could go seriously wrong with your claim if you decide to handle it on your own.
Work with an Experienced Alabama Personal Injury Lawyer
Working with a personal injury lawyer can improve the outcome of your case and increase your chance of recovering the compensation that you need and deserve. At the law offices of M. Adam Jones & Associates, our services are provided on a contingency fee basis, which means that you will never have to pay our legal fees if you don’t receive a settlement. Consultations are free of charge and completely confidential. To schedule your free case review today, send us a message, or call our Alabama injury lawyers directly today at (334) 699-5599.
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