Personal Injury Attorney in Tuscaloosa

HAVE YOU BEEN INJURED BY SOMEONE ELSE’S ACTIONS?  CALL PRINCE GLOVER HAYES AT (205)345-1234 TODAY!  WE WELCOME THE OPPORTUNITY TO ASSIST YOU.

At Prince Glover Hayes, we have built our reputation as one of most highly regarded Alabama personal injury law firms. Personal injury is a legal term that means injuries that affect a person’s body, mind, or emotions. Whether physical or psychological, these injuries can affect your quality of life, your ability to work, and your relationship with loved ones.  

A personal injury lawsuit alleges that person’s injury (the “plaintiff”) results from someone else’s actions (the “defendant”).  At PGH, our Alabama personal injury attorneys are dedicated to fully investigating your claim, gathering evidence, hiring the right experts, and making sure you see medical professionals who can evaluate your prognosis.  This preparation enables us to present your claim confidently and with conviction.

WHAT, EXACTLY, IS A PERSONAL INJURY CASE?

While car collisions are the most common type of personal injury case, we also handle other types of personal injury including slip-and-fall, injuries at home and work, premises liability, product liability and general negligence cases. Common types of personal injury lawsuits in Tuscaloosa, Alabama include the following:

- Road traffic collisions

- Injuries at home

- Injuries at work

- Slip-and-fall injuries

- Assault claims

- Defective products

- Medical and dental malpractice

- General negligence

- Premises liability

- “Industrial disease” cases (i.e., emphysema, occupational deafness)

- Injuries from a dog bite

What damages (monetary compensation) are allowed in a personal injury case? 

1.  Economic Damages:  Sometimes referred to as “special” damages, these damages are amounts that can be computed.  Examples are medical expenses, lost wages, property damages and any other expenses that the injured party has incurred.  Keeping medical records such as bills for ambulance service, emergency room or hospital stays, chiropractic sessions, x-rays or other diagnostic tests including lab work and rehab is very important and will be used to prove your economic damages.  

If you have had to miss work on account of your injuries, reimbursement begins on the date of your injury and continues until you have been released by your doctor to return to work.  Documents provided by your employer will be used to support your claim  for lost wages.

Other out of pocket expenses can include prescription or over the counter drug costs, rental car expense, the cost of other medical aids you may need (crutches, walker, wheelchair, etc.).  Again, keeping records of these expenses is important so that an accurate accounting of your expenses is insured. 
 

2. Non-economic Damages:  Sometimes referred to as “general” damages, these damages are ones that are not able to be computed, such as pain and suffering, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life and loss of consortium. These general damages are not always available in every case.  They encompass not just physical pain, but also emotional and mental distress such as fear, insomnia, grief, worry, inconvenience and even the loss of the enjoyment of life.  The severity of your injury and accompanying pain and suffering can be demonstrated through documentation such as photographs and journals that record your physical and emotional states. Written observations from friends and family can also provide confirmation of the way the particular injury has harmfully affected you. Proof of treatment by a mental health professional is very beneficial and is necessary when claiming injuries such as increased anxiety, insomnia, or depression, PTSD and other negative emotions that are sometimes debilitating.

If you enjoyed doing activities before your injury that you are now not able to enjoy, this would amount to loss of enjoyment of life. 

If you experienced injuries that caused you to lose the benefits of family relationships, you may be entitled to additional financial compensation. For example, if you had an incapacitating injury and can no longer care for your children, this would constitute loss of consortium.

Even though these circumstances do not have a method to establish their worth, these non-economic damages can have overwhelming harmful effects after suffering grave injuries
 

3. Punitive Damages: Economic and non-economic damages are classified as compensatory damages because the compensate (reimburse) the injured person for out of pocket expenses and losses. In addition to compensatory damages, an injured person may be entitled to punitive damages.  Punitive damages are intended to punish the negligent party and deter others from similar conduct. In most cases, punitive damages are unavailable. Before a party can be said to be guilty of wanton conduct, it must be shown that with reckless indifference to the consequences he either consciously and intentionally did some wrongful act or consciously omitted some known duty which produced the injury. For example, a motorist who causes an accident while driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs may have to pay punitive damages.

How does Prince Glover Hayes determine what a personal injury case is worth?  

First, we will fully investigate your claim, gathering evidence, hiring the right experts and making sure you see medical professionals who can evaluate your prognosis. 

Obviously, the severity of your injuries is a major indicator of the value of your case. Severe injuries mean more medical treatment, more pain and suffering, more lost wages.  These injuries may affect your quality of life for many years and this factor is also considered when evaluating your case.  For example, brain injuries or spinal cord injury resulting in paralysis are much more severe than those associated with treating a broken bone or those involving soft tissue injuries (whiplash).  

The conduct of the adverse party is also a factor in determining how much your case.  

While these guidelines are an excellent place to start, it’s crucial to remember that the amount you receive from a settlement or in court differs with each case. The best way to get more insight into how much you might stand to gain from a case is to speak to one of our lawyers about a personal injury case valuation.

Learn More About Your Case’s Worth

If you’re ready to defend your legal rights and pursue compensation for the injuries you or a loved one received from a personal injury, contact us at Prince Glover Hayes. With over 100 years of combined experience between our team of professionals, we have the knowledge and determination to handle any personal injury case, no matter how large. We offer free consultations and give you a better idea of how much you stand to gain from your case after getting a few key facts from you. You deserve financial compensation for the pain and suffering you’re experiencing after an accident, and we’re here to ensure you have the representation you need in order to get it.

At PGH, each case is carefully analyzed and methodically prepared in order to ensure our clients are compensated for their injuries.  We are steadfastly committed to giving our clients and referring attorneys the care and courtesy they deserve as well as maximizing their claims for the greatest possible benefit.  We are humbled and grateful that many former and current clients who have been satisfied with our results have referred us to others.  

Here are a few examples of verdicts and settlements we have been able to secure for our clients who have been injured due to someone else’s actions.