Pedestrians struck by vehicles in Birmingham face some of the most devastating injuries possible — and some of the most complicated legal fights. Unlike a two-car crash where both drivers carry insurance, pedestrian cases often involve disputes about who had the right of way, whether a driver was distracted or impaired, and whether an employer is liable for a driver who was on the job.
Simmons Law represents pedestrian accident victims in Birmingham and Jefferson County. Chris Simmons personally handles every case from the firm's office at 1905 14th Ave S in Birmingham.
High-Risk Areas for Pedestrian Accidents in Birmingham
The UAB campus area around University Blvd and 5th Ave S sees heavy foot traffic from students, staff, and patients at UAB Medical Center — and high-speed vehicles from drivers cutting through residential streets to avoid I-65 traffic. The intersection of University Blvd and 20th St S is one of the most dangerous pedestrian crossings in the city.
Downtown Birmingham near 5th Ave N and the Government Plaza also generates regular pedestrian crash incidents. Workers crossing at lunch, visitors to the Jefferson County Courthouse, and residents in the Southside and Crestwood neighborhoods all share roads with drivers who often treat city streets like extensions of the interstate.
Employer Liability: Respondeat Superior in Alabama
When the driver who hit you was working at the time of the crash — making a delivery, driving a company vehicle, running an errand for their employer — Alabama's respondeat superior doctrine holds the employer liable. This matters because the employer typically carries far more insurance than the individual driver.
Proving respondeat superior requires evidence: dispatch logs, GPS records, phone records showing work-related calls at the time of impact, and testimony about the driver's job duties. Simmons Law issues immediate preservation demands to lock down this evidence before companies delete it.
Distracted and Impaired Drivers
Alabama Code § 32-5A-350 prohibits texting while driving and using a handheld device while operating a vehicle. When a driver was on their phone at the time they hit a pedestrian, that violation constitutes negligence per se — meaning fault is presumed from the statutory violation alone. This shifts the legal burden significantly in favor of the injured pedestrian.
Drunk driving cases carry potential for punitive damages under Alabama law. Alabama allows punitive damages for wanton conduct — behavior that shows conscious disregard for the safety of others. A driver who gets behind the wheel while intoxicated meets that standard. Punitive damages go beyond compensating your injuries; they punish the wrongdoer.
Medical Care After a Pedestrian Accident in Birmingham
UAB Medical Center at 619 19th St S is Birmingham's Level I Trauma Center and handles the most severe pedestrian injuries, including traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord damage, and crush injuries. Brookwood Baptist Medical Center and Grandview Medical Center serve additional areas of Jefferson County.
Get medical care immediately — even if you feel you can walk away from the scene. Adrenaline masks pain. Internal injuries, brain bleeds, and spinal injuries often do not present symptoms until hours after the impact. A gap in treatment is one of the first things insurance companies use to argue your injuries were not caused by the crash.
Jefferson County Circuit Court
If an insurance company refuses to pay a fair settlement, Simmons Law files suit in Jefferson County Circuit Court at 716 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd N, Birmingham, AL 35203. Jefferson County juries understand the dangers of Birmingham's streets — they live on them. Simmons Law does not threaten litigation; it delivers it.
Pedestrian accident victims in Mobile can reach Simmons Law at the firm's Mobile office — serving Mobile and Baldwin County.
Simmons Law also handles car accident cases throughout Birmingham and Jefferson County on the same contingency basis.
