In Alabama, there is no limit or cap on the amount of damages you can sue for in a car wreck claim.
You can recover two types of damages in Alabama: compensatory and punitive damages.
An expericenced car accident attorney at Fob James Law Firm will help you maximize the damages you recover from your case.
Compensatory Damages in Alabama
Compensatory damages include economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages are damages you can add up with a calculator like medical bills or lost income.
Examples of economic damages include:
- Current medical care and treatment,
- Future medical treatment,
- Current lost income and benefits,
- Future lost income.
Non-economic damages are more abstract. They compensate the victim for pain, harm, and what was taken away in terms of health or enjoyment of life. Examples of non-economic damates include:
- Pain and suffering,
- Emotional trauma,
- Mental anguish,
- Diminished earning capacity, and
- Diminished quality of life.
Fortunately, compensatory damages in Alabama are not capped. Basically, compensatory damages are whatever a jury says they are.
Punitive Damages in Alabama
Punitive damages are not available in every case. Specifically, they are intended to deter bad conduct from happening in society.
For instance, a punitive damages case could be a drunk driver that hits an innocent bystander. Indeed, driving drunk is reckless and wanton conduct–the type of conduct that justifies punitive damages.
Under Alabama law, punitive damages in a personal injury case cannot exceed three times the amount of compensatory damages or $1.5 million, whichever is greater.
For example, assume that compenatory damages in a car accident case are $1 million dollars. In this scenario, punitive damages are capped at $3 million dollars.
Thankfully, the caps on punitive damages do not apply in wrongful death cases.
Our Car Accident Lawyers Can Help You Recover the Maximum
If you have a question about how much you can sue for after a crash, now is the right time to contact an Alabama car accident lawyer.
Time is of the essence after an injury accident. The sooner you can speak with an experienced attorney, the sooner you can set your legal claim in motion.
The experienced Alabama car accident lawyers of the Fob James Law Firm work diligently to investigate your claim and document your damages. In most cases, we can successfully negotiate a settlement with the at-fault party’s insurance company.
However, if we cannot come to a settlement agreement, we have the option of filing a lawsuit and pursuing your claim in court.
From beginning to end, we handle everything on your behalf, so you can focus on recovering from your injuries and getting back to work.
To schedule a free consultation, or to learn more about what the value of your Alabama car accident case might be, call or contact us now.
Fob James
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 regional firm for several years where he obtained awards for both individual and corporate clients, 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.