What Happens If You Lose a Car Accident Lawsuit in Alabama?

If you suffer injuries in a car accident, you may work with an Alabama personal injury lawyer to file a lawsuit against the other driver or their insurance company to pursue compensation for your recovery expenses or losses. Unfortunately, it’s possible for the injured person to lose a car accident lawsuit, perhaps because the jury found that you shared some of the blame for the crash, making the injured party unable to recover damages under the Alabama contributory negligence rule. If you lose a car accident lawsuit in Alabama, what happens next?

Understanding the Judgment

First, you should review the verdict and judgment after losing a car accident lawsuit to understand the reason(s) why you lost. For example, the jury may have found you fully or partially at fault for the accident. This would result in losing your lawsuit under the Alabama contributory negligence statute, which precludes financial recovery for any party partially at fault for causing their injuries. This makes proving negligence difficult in Alabama, especially compared to other states that use a comparative negligence rule. Alternatively, the jury may have found that you did not sustain any losses, a required element of a car accident claim. An experienced attorney can help determine the reason(s) for the judgment as well as your next steps in the legal process.

Possible Financial Consequences

Losing a car accident lawsuit means becoming fully responsible for the losses you incurred from the crash, including:

• Costs of medical treatment and rehabilitation
• Costs of long-term disability care
• Vehicle repair/replacement expenses
• Lost wages/income from missed work
• Lost future earning capacity
• Pain and suffering
• Reduced quality of life

For economic expenses like vehicle damage or medical expenses, you may have insurance coverage you can rely on to defray those costs, such as health insurance or optional collision or MedPay coverage in your auto insurance policy. However, filing a claim can lead to an increase in your auto insurance rates.

Options After Losing a Car Accident Lawsuit

After losing a car accident lawsuit in Alabama, you may pursue various next steps. First, you may decide to file an appeal of the adverse judgment in your lawsuit. Under Alabama law, filing an appeal requires convincing the appeals court that the trial court made a procedural or legal error affecting the case’s outcome, such as admitting inadmissible evidence or incorrectly instructing the jury on applicable law. If the appeals court rules in your favor, it may vacate the adverse judgment and order the trial court to hold a new trial.

Injured car accident victims who lose their lawsuits may seek financial support through health insurance to cover the costs of medical treatment and rehabilitation. A car accident victim who suffers severe disabilities due to their injuries may also apply for Social Security disability benefits to obtain monthly financial assistance. A car accident lawyer can help you determine your options and help you seek the best outcome.

Contact Our Alabama Car Accident Attorneys to Learn More

If you get hurt in a car crash, you may lose a car accident lawsuit that you filed for various reasons, potentially tied to Alabama’s contributory negligence laws. However, losing a lawsuit may not mean the end of your injury claim. Contact Stokes Stemle, LLC,  today for a free consultation with an Alabama personal injury lawyer with experience filing personal injury claims to learn more about your legal options.