ArticlesAn interstate crash can force you to make important decisions while traffic is still moving nearby. After an I-20 accident, the safest response depends on whether anyone is hurt, whether the vehicles can move, and what is happening around the scene.
I-20 is distinctive in Birmingham because portions of the corridor run together with I-59 and connect with routes serving downtown and eastern Jefferson County.
For this reason, ALDOT identifies the combined corridor as I-20/59 in its Birmingham-area project materials. A deliberate response to a crash in this area can protect your health, preserve evidence, and support a potential Alabama injury claim.
What Should You Do After an I-20 Crash?
Safety comes first, but information available at the scene can disappear quickly. The following steps explain how to respond to an Interstate 20 accident while addressing immediate concerns and issues that may affect a later claim.
Step 1: Move out of Traffic When the Law Allows It
Alabama requires a motorist involved in a crash causing injury, death, or damage to an attended vehicle to stop at the scene or as close as possible and remain there while fulfilling other statutory duties.
State law also addresses when an automobile may be moved. If no apparent injury or death occurred, the driver is not impaired, and the vehicle can be driven safely, a motorist may move it to the shoulder, emergency lane, median, or another nearby location.
When a collision involves injury or death, the automobile should remain in place until law enforcement directs otherwise.
On I-20, avoid walking into an active lane or standing between damaged automobiles. Preventing a secondary collision should remain the priority.
Step 2: Call for Help and Address Possible Injuries
Contact 911 when someone is injured or emergency assistance is needed. Alabama law requires drivers involved in qualifying collisions to render reasonable aid, including arranging transportation for medical treatment when necessary or requested.
Pay attention to symptoms even if you initially feel capable of leaving. Pain, dizziness, stiffness, or limited movement may become clearer after the stress of the crash subsides.
Describe your condition accurately to medical professionals and follow appropriate treatment recommendations.
Step 3: Record the Exact Birmingham Location
Location can be unusually important on Birmingham’s interstate network. I-20/59 includes multiple ramps and connections, which can make the precise crash site difficult to remember later.
When conditions allow, record the nearest:
- Exit number,
- Mile marker,
- Interchange,
- Overpass, and
- Road sign.
Those details may help identify the investigating agency, nearby cameras, or potential witnesses. They can also distinguish an I-20 car accident near downtown from a collision farther east or west in Jefferson County.
Step 4: Preserve Evidence Before the Scene Changes
Highway scenes can change rapidly after emergency crews arrive. Photographs taken from a safe position may document damage, debris, lane markings, vehicle placement, skid marks, or roadway conditions.
Witnesses can provide information that neither driver noticed. Obtain contact details from anyone who saw the impact and is willing to speak later.
Avoid debating fault while gathering evidence. Merging traffic, lane changes, commercial vehicles, and multiple impacts can make an I-20 accident more complicated than it first appears.
Step 5: Exchange Required Information
Alabama requires motorists involved in covered collisions to provide their name, address, and vehicle registration number. Drivers must also display their driver’s license when requested.
Collect the other motorist’s insurance information as well. Photographing the card may be easier than copying details beside a busy highway.
Keep the interaction factual. You do not need to accept another driver’s account or decide responsibility at the roadside.
Step 6: Obtain the Report and Keep Important Records
A police report can provide identifying information, the reported location, and other details from the investigation. Alabama law requires an investigating officer to forward the completed written report within 24 hours after completing the investigation.
The Birmingham Police Department Records Division currently allows eligible parties to purchase accident reports online or in person. If another agency handled your Interstate 20 accident, determine where that department provides its records.
Keep medical bills, repair estimates, towing paperwork, photographs, insurance correspondence, and proof of missed income together. Organized documentation can show how the collision affected you financially.
Step 7: Be Careful with Insurance Questions About Fault
An adjuster may contact you before you understand your injuries or have reviewed the available evidence. Give accurate information, but avoid estimates about facts you did not clearly observe.
Fault deserves particular attention because Alabama follows contributory negligence. The Alabama Supreme Court continues to recognize contributory negligence as a complete defense to an ordinary negligence claim. An insurer may therefore investigate whether an injured driver contributed to the collision.
A Birmingham car accident lawyer can compare those allegations with physical evidence, witness accounts, reports, and other information rather than relying solely on an adjuster’s interpretation.
Step 8: Evaluate Your Losses Before Resolving the Claim
The first medical bill may not reflect the full impact of a significant collision.
Depending on the circumstances, recoverable damages may include:
- Medical expenses,
- Lost income,
- Reduced earning capacity,
- Property damage, and
- Pain and suffering.
Future treatment may matter when an injury requires surgery, rehabilitation, or continuing care. Understanding those needs before accepting a settlement can help prevent significant losses from being overlooked.
Step 9: Decide Whether Legal Representation Would Help
Some crashes can be handled without counsel. Serious injuries, disputed responsibility, multiple vehicles, commercial trucks, or inadequate insurance offers may make representation more valuable.
Following an I-20 car accident, an attorney can help identify evidence that should be preserved, investigate liability, communicate with insurers, and document damages. A Birmingham car accident lawyer can also determine whether another person or business may share responsibility.
Fob James Law Firm represents injured plaintiffs, never insurance companies or defendants. Our attorneys provide direct lawyer access, maintain a limited caseload, and prepare substantial injury matters with the possibility of trial in mind.
Protect Your Next Steps After an I-20 Collision
The roadside emergency eventually ends, but decisions made afterward can affect an injury claim. Continue appropriate treatment, preserve relevant documentation, and approach insurance discussions carefully.
If an I-20 accident caused serious harm, Fob James Personal Injury can help you determine what comes next. Our plaintiff-only firm has recovered more than $100 million for injured clients, including multiple seven-figure results.
Contact us for a free consultation to discuss the crash, your losses, and your options under Alabama law.
Official Legal and Other Sources
To ensure the accuracy and clarity of this page, we referenced official legal resources during the content development process:
- Alabama Code § 32-10-1
- Alabama Code § 32-10-2, Duty to Give Information and Render Aid
- ALDOT I-20/59 Birmingham Project Information
Fob James, IV
Fob James obtained a B.S., in software engineering from Auburn University and then continued his education by getting his J.D. from Vanderbilt University School of Law. After working for a large national firm for several years, Fob found that his passion was fighting for individuals who have been seriously injured or wronged by others. Fob believes that the jury is the great equalizer to the power and influence that large corporations have in society. Many of Fob’s cases are high profile and have been featured in, among others: Bloomberg News, PlanAdvisor, AL.com, PlanSponsor, National Law Review, and BusinessInsider. For his work in obtaining numerous multi-million dollar outcomes for his clients, Fob has been recognized by: National Trial Lawyers Top 100, SuperLawyers Rising Star (2020-2026), Birmingham Business Journal Who’s Who in Law (2023-2025), and TrustAnalytica – Top Personal Injury Lawyers in Alabama.