Truck Accident Lawyer in Bessemer, Alabama
Truck accidents on Bessemer's roads inflict injuries far more severe than typical car accidents. The size and weight differential between an 18-wheeler and a passenger vehicle means that collisions involving commercial trucks on I-20/59, AL-150, 19th Street, Morgan Road, and Bessemer Super Highway regularly produce catastrophic, life-altering outcomes. At Simmons Law, Chris Simmons represents truck accident victims in Bessemer and across Jefferson County — pursuing full accountability from both the driver and the trucking company.
The Roads Where Truck Accidents Happen in Bessemer
I-20/59 through Bessemer is one of Alabama's primary interstate freight corridors — connecting Birmingham to Mississippi and beyond. The volume of 18-wheelers and heavy commercial trucks on this stretch is among the highest in Jefferson County. When these trucks collide with passenger vehicles on Bessemer's roads, the results are devastating. Chris Simmons investigates every aspect of the commercial operation — driver qualification files, maintenance records, load documentation, ELD data, and dispatch communications — to build a complete picture of what went wrong.
FMCSA Regulations: The Federal Rules That Govern Commercial Trucks
Every commercial truck operating in Alabama is governed by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulations. These rules cover hours of service, ELD requirements, drug and alcohol testing, driver qualification, and vehicle maintenance. A violation of any of these regulations is powerful evidence of negligence. Federal ELD (Electronic Logging Device) mandates require commercial trucks to record driving hours automatically. In a Bessemer I-20/59 truck accident, ELD data is critical evidence that must be preserved immediately — it can prove hours-of-service violations that carriers would prefer to keep hidden.
Respondeat Superior: Holding the Trucking Company Liable
The driver is rarely the only responsible party in a Bessemer truck accident case. Under Alabama's respondeat superior doctrine, a trucking company is vicariously liable for its driver's negligence when the driver is acting within the scope of employment. Additionally, if the carrier failed to properly vet the driver, maintain the vehicle, or enforce FMCSA compliance, independent negligence claims against the company may be available.
Acting Quickly Is Critical in Truck Accident Cases
Trucking companies have accident response teams that deploy immediately after a serious collision. Their goal is to protect the carrier's interests — which means gathering evidence before it can be used against them. Chris Simmons moves quickly to preserve ELD data, driver logs, black box (ECM) data, and surveillance footage from the scene before it is overwritten or destroyed.
Serious truck accident victims in Bessemer are transported to UAB Hospital — a Level I Trauma Center in Birmingham — or to Grandview Medical Center or Brookwood Baptist Medical Center. Truck accident cases from Bessemer are filed in Jefferson County Circuit Court (716 Richard Arrington Jr Blvd N, Birmingham, AL 35203).
Contact Simmons Law After a Truck Accident in Bessemer
Chris Simmons handles truck accident cases throughout Bessemer and Jefferson County on a contingency basis — no fees unless there is a recovery. Contact Simmons Law immediately after a truck accident to protect the evidence and the claim.
