Last updated: October 5, 2026 · Written by John C. Hubbard, Attorney
If you were hurt in a wreck or a fall in Birmingham and someone else caused it, John C. Hubbard, LLC handles the claim from the first call with the adjuster through trial in the Jefferson County Circuit Court. The firm is based downtown at 351 24th Street North, a few blocks from the courthouse, and John has practiced in Alabama since 2008. There is no fee unless money is recovered, and the case review is free.
Where Birmingham injury cases are filed
Almost every injury case arising in the city is filed in the Jefferson County Circuit Court, Birmingham Division, at the Jefferson County Courthouse on Richard Arrington Jr. Boulevard North. Wrecks and falls in the western part of the county, including Bessemer, Hueytown and McCalla, go to the Bessemer Division instead, and the two divisions have different juries and different judges, which matters when the case is valued. Smaller claims are filed in the Jefferson County District Court. When the defendant is an out of state company, such as a national trucking carrier or a big box retailer, it can move the case to the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama, in the Hugo L. Black courthouse downtown. The firm handles the case in whichever court it lands.
The roads where Birmingham wrecks happen
The interchange where I-65 meets I-20 and I-59 north of downtown, which locals call Malfunction Junction, produces a steady stream of rear end and lane change collisions, and the ongoing construction on I-59/20 through downtown adds work zone crashes to it. U.S. 280 from the Red Mountain Expressway out past Grandview is the other reliable source: heavy commuter volume, closely spaced signals, and left turns across three lanes. Add I-459 through Hoover and the Galleria area, U.S. 31 through Homewood and Vestavia Hills, and Finley Boulevard and the industrial corridors where commercial trucks run. Where the wreck happened decides which police agency wrote the report (Birmingham Police, the Jefferson County Sheriff, or ALEA for the interstates) and whether a city or state vehicle was involved, which changes the deadline.
The deadlines that apply in Birmingham
Two years from the injury to file suit (Ala. Code § 6-2-38). If the City of Birmingham or one of its employees is involved, including a city vehicle, a BJCTA bus, or a road defect, a sworn claim must be filed with the city clerk within six months of the injury (Ala. Code § 11-47-23), and the city’s liability is capped by statute. Claims against Jefferson County must be presented within twelve months. Those are not dates to work toward; the intersection camera footage and the other driver’s phone records are gone long before them.
Alabama’s contributory negligence rule
Alabama is one of the few states where a person who is even slightly at fault recovers nothing. That rule is the reason the adjuster wants a recorded statement in the first week and the reason you should not give one before the firm has reviewed the file. The rule does not apply to wanton conduct, such as a drunk driver or a driver running a red light at speed, and the defendant has to prove your fault, not the other way around.
Treatment and medical liens
Most Birmingham injury clients treat at UAB Hospital, Grandview Medical Center, St. Vincent’s Birmingham, Brookwood Baptist, or one of the urgent care clinics along 280 and 31. Every one of those providers, and your health insurer, Medicare or Medicaid, can claim a share of the settlement. Alabama hospitals have an automatic lien on it under Ala. Code § 35-11-370. Reducing those liens after the settlement number is agreed is part of the representation and often matters more to what you take home than the last round of negotiation with the adjuster.
What the firm handles in Birmingham
Car and truck wrecks, motorcycle wrecks, falls on commercial property, wrongful death, and the credit and debt problems that follow a serious injury, such as medical bills sent to collections or a car repossessed while you were out of work. Those crossover cases are a specialty of the firm; see medical bills in collections during an injury claim and repossession after an accident.
Start your Birmingham injury case
Answer the questions below and John will review your summary, usually the same business day. It takes about three minutes. Or call 205-378-8121. Se habla español.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a Birmingham injury lawyer cost?
Nothing up front. The firm is paid a percentage of the recovery, and there is no attorney’s fee if there is no recovery.
Do I have to go to court?
Most cases settle without a trial. If suit is filed, it is in the Jefferson County Circuit Court or the Northern District of Alabama, and John handles every appearance. You attend your deposition and, if it comes to it, the trial.
The other driver’s insurer already offered me money. Should I take it?
Not before you know the full extent of your injuries and what the liens will take. An early offer is priced on the assumption that you do not.
What if the other driver had no insurance?
Your own uninsured motorist coverage is the claim, and Alabama lets you stack it across up to three vehicles on the same policy. Send the firm your declarations page.
This page is general information about Alabama law, not legal advice, and contacting the firm does not create an attorney-client relationship. No representation is made that the quality of legal services is greater than that of other lawyers.