Pedestrian Accident Attorneys Securing Rightful Compensation for the People of Dothan, Southeast Alabama & the Tri-State Area
You should be able to walk through your community without fearing that a careless driver could change your life in an instant. If you or someone you love was hit by a car while on foot, a Dothan pedestrian accident lawyer can help you pursue justice and compensation.
Because pedestrians have little protection from the size and force of a motor vehicle, these crashes often cause catastrophic injuries. The accomplished team at Morris, Andrews, Talmadge & Driggers, LLC is ready to help you seek the financial recovery and support you’ll need to move forward.
Our attorneys have more than 130 years of combined legal experience and a record that includes a $21 million jury verdict, one of the largest in Alabama history. Call 844.654.6228 or contact us online for a FREE, confidential consultation.
What Should I Do After Being Hit by a Car in Dothan?
The aftermath of a pedestrian accident can be frightening and confusing, especially when you’re seriously hurt. Take care of yourself and your loved ones first. The steps you take after the crash can help protect your legal rights, but nothing is as important as your well-being.
If you are able:
- Call 911: Report the crash and let emergency responders treat your injuries.
- Give Your Statement to the Police: Explain what happened, but don’t guess about details you don’t remember.
- Take Photos if You Can: Photograph the vehicle, your injuries, traffic signals, crosswalk markings, signs, and anything else that seems relevant.
- Get the Driver’s Information: Record their name, contact information, license plate number, and insurance information.
- Speak With Witnesses: Ask for their names and contact information. Their accounts may be important if the driver later disputes fault.
- Follow Your Treatment Plan: Even if you begin to feel better, you need to follow your doctor’s orders. Some injuries become more apparent after the initial shock wears off, but you also don’t want the insurance company to argue that failing to follow treatment made your injuries worse.
- Save All Important Documents: Keep your medical bills, wage records, receipts, photographs, and other accident-related records together.
- Don’t Give a Recorded Statement: Avoid signing releases or speaking in detail with the driver’s insurance company before consulting with a Dothan pedestrian accident attorney.
- Contact Morris, Andrews, Talmadge & Driggers, LLC: The sooner we begin investigating, the better our chances of preserving valuable evidence and securing fair compensation.
If your injuries prevented you from taking any of these steps, don’t assume you’ve lost your chance to bring a claim. Our team can investigate the crash and gather evidence for you.
How Long Do You Have To File a Pedestrian Accident Lawsuit in Alabama?
Most Alabama personal injury lawsuits have to be filed within 2 years of the injury (Alabama Code § 6-2-38). A wrongful death action must be filed within 2 years of your loved one’s death.
Sometimes, deadlines can be much shorter. For example, a tort claim involving a municipality may require notice within 6 months (§ 11-47-23). Other exceptions can change the timeline as well, so you shouldn’t wait to have your case reviewed by our team of Dothan pedestrian accident lawyers.
Acting quickly also gives us more time to gather and preserve evidence, identify every responsible party, document your damages, and build the strongest case possible.
Who Is Responsible for Pedestrian Accidents?
Many pedestrian accidents in Alabama are caused by a motor vehicle driver’s careless or reckless conduct. For instance:
- Texting, making a call, programming a navigation system, or otherwise driving distracted
- Speeding or driving too fast for traffic, weather, or visibility conditions
- Failing to yield at a crosswalk or intersection
- Running a red light or stop sign
- Turning without checking for people in the crosswalk
- Backing out of a driveway or parking space without looking
- Driving while intoxicated, impaired by drugs, or dangerously fatigued
- Failing to use reasonable care when children or other vulnerable pedestrians are nearby
However, the driver isn’t always the only one liable. Depending on what happened, a claim could also involve:
- The driver’s employer
- The vehicle’s owner
- A government entity responsible for a dangerous roadway condition
- A property owner
- A manufacturer whose defective vehicle or part contributed to the collision
Our pedestrian injury attorneys examine every potential source of liability and insurance coverage. We’ll discuss your options with you and decide together what makes the most sense for you and your family.
Pedestrians & Right of Way
Do pedestrians always have the right of way? No. Alabama law gives them important protections, but both pedestrians and drivers have a duty of care.
- Drivers must generally yield to pedestrians crossing within a crosswalk (Alabama Code § 32-5A-211).
- Pedestrians crossing somewhere other than a marked crosswalk or an unmarked crosswalk at an intersection generally must yield to vehicles (§ 32-5A-212).
- Even so, every driver has a continuing duty to exercise due care to avoid hitting a pedestrian (§ 32-5A-213).
Being outside a crosswalk doesn’t automatically prove that you caused the accident. The bigger picture needs to be taken into account.
How Could Alabama’s Contributory Negligence Rule Affect My Claim?
Alabama follows a strict contributory negligence rule. If an injured person is found to have contributed to an accident through their own negligence, the defense may argue that they are barred from recovering compensation.
Insurance companies often use this rule aggressively. They may claim that you stepped into traffic, ignored a signal, wore dark clothing, or crossed outside a marked crosswalk. Those allegations shouldn’t be accepted without an investigation.
We’ll look through all available evidence for inconsistencies in the driver’s account. We’ll also evaluate whether the driver could have seen you and avoided the crash. Our investigation could mean the difference between an insurer denying your claim and the responsible party being held accountable.
Notable Verdicts & Settlements
What Evidence Can Help With My Pedestrian Accident Claim?
Strong pedestrian injury cases are built on strong evidence. Depending on the specifics of your accident, our legal team may collect and review:
- The police report
- Photographs of the scene
- Traffic, surveillance, doorbell, dashcam, or security video
- Statements from eyewitnesses
- Vehicle damage
- Event data recorder information
- Cell phone, GPS & other electronic records
- The driver’s toxicology results & criminal case records
- Medical records documenting your injuries & treatment
- Employment & financial records showing lost income
- Testimony from physicians, accident reconstruction professionals & other qualified specialists
Evidence disappears quickly. Video is erased, vehicles are repaired, and witnesses’ memories fade. Reaching out to our team as quickly as possible helps us get started before crucial evidence is lost.
What Compensation Can I Recover After a Pedestrian Accident in Dothan?
Every claim is different. The amount of compensation we seek for you depends on the severity and permanence of your injuries, how the accident affects your work and daily life, the strength of the evidence, and the available insurance coverage.
In general, a pedestrian injury claim may seek compensation for:
- Emergency treatment, hospitalization, surgery & other medical expenses
- Rehabilitation, physical therapy & future medical care
- Lost wages & reduced future earning capacity
- Mobility equipment, home modifications & household assistance
- Pain & suffering
- Permanent disability
- Scarring & disfigurement
- Loss of enjoyment of life
Punitive damages, which are meant to punish the defendant for particularly egregious behavior, may be available if clear and convincing evidence shows that the driver acted wantonly or maliciously (Alabama Code § 6-11-20). This is especially relevant in cases involving exceptionally reckless conduct, including some drunk driving or hit-and-run crashes.
If a pedestrian accident claimed the life of someone you love, Alabama law may allow the personal representative of the estate to pursue a wrongful death claim (§ 6-5-410). Unlike damages in an ordinary personal injury claim, Alabama wrongful death damages are punitive. Our attorneys can explain how these cases differ from ordinary personal injury claims and help your family seek accountability.
Common Pedestrian Accident Injuries
Pedestrians have no vehicle frame, seat belt, or airbag to protect them from an impact. Even a relatively low-speed collision can cause severe or life-changing injuries, including:
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord damage & paralysis
- Broken hips, pelvis, legs, knees, ankles, arms, or wrists
- Internal bleeding & organ damage
- Severe cuts, road rash & soft tissue injuries
- Nerve damage
- Crush injuries & amputations
- Permanent scarring & disfigurement
Recovery could involve surgeries, rehabilitation, assistive devices, missed work, and lasting pain. We want to understand not only what the accident has already cost you, but also what you and your family may need in the years ahead.
How Can a Dothan Pedestrian Accident Lawyer Help?
After a serious pedestrian accident, you shouldn’t have to handle paperwork and filings or fight with the insurance company while trying to heal. Morris, Andrews, Talmadge & Driggers, LLC can handle that for you with your best interests in mind.
Our team can:
- Investigate how the accident happened
- Preserve video, vehicle data, phone records & other evidence
- Identify all responsible parties & insurance policies
- Handle communications with insurers & defense lawyers
- Determine your current & future losses
- Challenge attempts to unfairly blame you for the crash
- Negotiate for full & fair compensation
- Prepare your case for trial if the responsible party refuses to do the right thing
And we handle personal injury claims on a contingency fee basis. You don’t pay our fees unless we recover compensation for you.
Testimonials From Former Clients
I would highly recommend Cory Driggers. He kept me informed all during my case. I never felt left in the dark. He was always straightforward with me . I can’t express how impressed I was with him.
Hired Joseph Morris to handle my car accident and he did a great job at handling the case and explained the process as the case went. I would highly recommend him.
I would highly recommend Cory Driggers. He kept me informed all during my case. I never felt left in the dark. He was always straightforward with me. I can’t express how impressed I was with him.
Mr.Driggers is a wonderful Lawyer that knows the law, he helped me when I had no idea in my situation where to start and what to do, he worked with me hands on and got the best results for me in my case. It was a privilege to get to know him as my lawyer and a friend. If you need legal representation call him you will be satisfied.
“Our family is so thankful for Mark, Dan and their entire team. Every step of the way they made sure we were comfortable and understood every aspect of our case. It was apparent that our interest was …”
“I’ve had Joey take care of three separate cases and two for other family members. The service was always great and he was always there to answer my questions no matter how many times I called. Great m …”
Attorney Driggers and his team did a wonderful job with my case. They were professional and pleasant. They were patient with me and answered all my questions. They addressed all my concerns from the first conversation to the last. I would highly recommend him to anyone needing an attorney.
Cory and his staff are very professional and make you feel at ease whether it is by phone or in person. My case was solved quickly and very efficiently. Thanks for everything!!
Cory Driggers represented my daughter following an car accident. He showed real genuine care for her and the case. He and his staff worked to get all of the medical bills gathered and also to get them decreased. Cory kept us updated and contacted my daughter when decisions needed to be made. Ultimately, Cory got what my daughter deserved for her injuries and my daughter was completely satisfied. I would recommend Cory to anyone that is looking for a good Christian attorney. Thanks Cory for your help!
I would recommend Mr. Driggers to anybody needing legal help him and his staff first of all are very nice to you and act like they are very understanding to your needs. He talked to me on the phone like he knew me all my life and that really mattered to me. When we had our hearing he treated me like he had already met me and he hadn’t, I just really loved him and have already been telling people about him and his office.
“I was pleased with their work and the outcome of my case.”
Joey (and his team) was extremely helpful in a time when we did not know what to do. His professional approach gave us assurance while he settled our case.
“Never in a million years did I believe that these attorneys would do everything possible to seek justice.”
The staff handled my case in a prompt and professional manner. They returned my calls in a timely fashion and was always prepared to answer any questions. Furthermore, Attorney Driggers is a Christian man and first class professional. I am certainly happy that i was represented by this Law Firm.
Love, love, love these people! When no one out there seems to care, let me tell you that this group right here will fight tooth and nail for you.
Cory was absolutely fantastic. He settled my case beyond what I could even imagine. Not only was he very knowledgeable concerning the law, he was available whenever we needed him, Cory was also so kind and courteous to us at all times. During the time since my case ended I have called on Cory several times to ask questions related to situations I have had going on and he has always been available to help me. I would recommend Cory without a second thought to any friend, family member, co-worker or acquaintance.
Why Choose Morris, Andrews, Talmadge & Driggers, LLC?
The lawyer you choose will have a lasting impact on your case and your family’s future. You deserve a firm with experience handling these claims, the resources and confidence to confront powerful insurance companies, and the compassion to understand what this accident has taken from you.
Morris, Andrews, Talmadge & Driggers, LLC has served injured people throughout Alabama for decades. Our attorneys are Alabama natives with deep roots in the communities we represent. We are prepared to take on the most demanding pedestrian accident claims and win.
We know your case is about more than money. It is about getting the treatment and financial stability you need, holding the driver who hit you accountable, and helping your family regain a sense of normalcy after a devastating event.
Contact a Dothan Pedestrian Accident Lawyer Today
If you or someone you love was struck by a careless driver in Dothan, Southeast Alabama, or the Tri-State area, you’re going to need qualified legal assistance. Our compassionate advocates and proven litigators are ready to listen, answer your questions, explain your options, and fight tirelessly on your behalf.
Call the Dothan pedestrian accident attorneys at Morris, Andrews, Talmadge & Driggers, LLC today at 844.654.6228 or contact us online for a FREE, confidential consultation.
