When the driver who hit you has no insurance, your own policy may pay for your recovery. At Cory Watson Attorneys, our Birmingham uninsured motorist accident lawyers work with our Birmingham personal injury attorneys to secure the money you need for medical care, lost income, and the years ahead.
Talk with us before you talk with the adjuster. Your case review is free. Contact us at (205) 328-2200.
Hit by an Uninsured Driver in Birmingham? Here's Where You Stand
Finding out the other driver had no insurance, or only the state's minimum limits, is a hard blow after a crash.
We know Birmingham's busiest roads, including Malfunction Junction at I-20/59 and I-65 and the Red Mountain Expressway (U.S. 31 and U.S. 280) near Vulcan Park.
While you heal, we gather crash reports, witness statements, and camera footage, and we find every policy that may protect you. Often, the toughest negotiation is with your own insurer.
What Alabama UM/UIM Coverage Actually Covers
Alabama law requires every auto liability policy issued here to include uninsured motorist (UM) coverage unless a named insured rejects it. It can apply when:
- The at-fault driver carried no bodily injury insurance.
- The driver fled in a hit-and-run. As the Alabama Department of Insurance explains, UM coverage pays if you are injured by a hit-and-run driver.
- The driver's limits are too low to cover your losses. This is underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage.
How Our Birmingham Uninsured Motorist Accident Lawyers Build Your Claim
We work with your doctors and other experts to show what your injuries will cost over time. We often handle:
- Hit-and-run crashes. When a driver flees on I-65 or a side street in Ensley, we pursue funds for surgery, therapy, and ongoing care.
- Drivers with no insurance. We document every loss, from medical bills to ramps or accessible bathrooms.
- Underinsured drivers. Minimum-limits policies often fall short of what a serious injury costs. UIM coverage can close the gap.
- Pedestrians, cyclists, and passengers. Depending on the policy terms, your coverage may protect you even outside your car, so we check every household policy.
- Fatal crashes. Alabama's UM law covers deaths too. Our Birmingham wrongful death lawyers guide the estate's personal representative. In Alabama wrongful death cases, the only damages available are punitive, and a UM claim pays up to the available policy limits.
Can You Stack Coverage? Often, Yes
Alabama's uninsured motorist statute lets you combine UM coverage for up to three vehicles on one policy. Coverage from separate policies may also be combined, depending on the policy terms.
A recovery can include out-of-pocket medical costs, documented lost wages, reduced future earning ability, and pain and suffering. Outside wrongful death cases, punitive damages require clear and convincing proof that the driver consciously or deliberately acted with wantonness, malice, fraud, or oppression. Punitive damages require clear and convincing proof of wantonness, malice, fraud, or oppression.
Why You Want a Lawyer When Your Own Insurer Pushes Back
In a UM claim, you must show you are legally entitled to recover from the at-fault driver, so your own insurer may dispute fault or downplay your injuries.
We Know the Alabama Rules That Can Sink a Claim
Alabama follows pure contributory negligence, so an insurer may try to deny your claim if you share even a small part of the fault. Alabama generally gives you two years to sue the at-fault driver, and your policy may have its own notice requirements.
Under Alabama Supreme Court precedent, you should notify your UM/UIM carrier of a proposed settlement with the at-fault driver before you agree to it. Settling without that notice can put your UM claim at risk.
You'll Always Know Where Your Case Stands
We respond promptly to your questions, keep you updated, and explain each step in plain words.
You Pay Nothing Unless We Win
There are no upfront fees, and you owe no fee unless we recover compensation for you.
Getting Started Takes Three Steps
- Free consultation. Tell us what happened.
- Strategy. We review the Birmingham Police or Alabama State Trooper crash report, your declarations page, and your medical records, then bring in specialists as needed.
- Advocacy. We handle every call, letter, and negotiation with the insurers so you can focus on recovering.
Questions We Hear Most
Do I have uninsured motorist coverage if I never asked for it?
Most likely, yes. Alabama law places UM coverage in every auto liability policy unless a named insured rejects it. Bring your declarations page, and we will review it together.
What should I do if the driver who hit me in Birmingham fled the scene?
Call 911, get medical care, and report the crash to your insurer promptly, since many policies require quick notice. UM coverage often applies to hit-and-run crashes. We look for camera footage along I-65 or U.S. 280. If police later identify the driver, your case may also proceed as a standard Birmingham car accident claim.
What if my insurer delays or underpays my UM claim?
We push stalled claims forward and will file suit if your insurer still refuses to pay fairly.
Visit Our Birmingham Office
Our Birmingham office is on Magnolia Avenue South in Five Points South, a short drive from I-65 and U.S. 280. We serve Homewood, Hoover, Vestavia Hills, Avondale, Ensley, and North Birmingham, including ZIP codes 35205, 35222, and 35207.
Cory Watson Attorneys, Birmingham Office: 2131 Magnolia Ave. S., Birmingham, AL 35205 · (205) 328-2200
You do not have to handle this alone. Contact us at (205) 328-2200, or use our free case review form.