Alabama injury rights, deadlines, and help

This page covers Alabama injury deadlines and what to do right now.

Are you in an emergency right now?
Check yourself and others for injuries, breathing, and bleeding.
Call 911 if anyone is hurt or the road is not safe.
Move away from traffic if you can do it safely.
Get medical care even if you feel fine. Some injuries hide for days.
This page is for after you are safe.

We are the injured person's advocate. We connect you with a lawyer who handles cases like yours, so you get the full settlement your recovery deserves. Always free. Talk to an advocate. We usually reply within minutes, at most one business day.

The deadline box: Alabama's key time limits

Alabama's deadlines come with some of the strictest fine print in the country. Here are the main clocks.

Personal injury lawsuit: 2 years. Under Ala. Code § 6-2-38(l), most injury lawsuits must be filed within 2 years of the injury. (Source)
Work injury, report to your employer: 5 days, in writing. Under Ala. Code § 25-5-78, you must give your employer written notice within 5 days of the accident. If no written notice is given within 90 days, no compensation is payable at all. (Source)
Work injury, file the claim: 2 years. Under Ala. Code § 25-5-80, a workers compensation claim (the state system that pays for work injuries) must be filed within 2 years of the accident. If compensation payments were made, the clock is 2 years from the last payment. (Source)
Injury involving a city: 6 months. Under Ala. Code § 11-47-23, a claim against a city must be presented to the city clerk within 6 months. (Source)

Warning: don't wait! Alabama's 2-year injury clock is a trap. The 6-month city deadline is not paused for minors either, so people wait, and waiting kills cases. The longer you wait, the fuzzier memories get and documents get lost. Collect and save what you can, then talk to an advocate immediately. And important: medical claims can have different, often shorter deadlines. Do not assume the standard rule covers a hospital or doctor case.

Protect your case

Talk to an advocate at WeHelpInjured. It is free.
If it happened at work, give your employer written notice today. In Alabama, spoken notice is not enough. Keep a copy.
Write down what happened while it is fresh: date, time, place, people, and conditions.
Take photos of the scene, your injuries, and anything involved (a vehicle, a wet floor, a machine).
Get names and contact information for witnesses.
Note who owns the place where you were hurt. If a city is involved, the 6-month clock is already running.

Never do these

Never give a recorded statement to an insurance company, even your own. Talk to an advocate first.
Never sign a release or accept a first settlement offer before you talk to an advocate. Once you sign, you may not be able to undo it.
Never admit fault at the scene. Stick to facts only.
Never post about your injury or recovery on social media. Insurers use these posts against you.

Common situations in Alabama

Hurt at work. Alabama's workers compensation system pays medical costs and part of your wages, but the notice rules are unforgiving. The 5-day written notice and the 90-day absolute cutoff are the traps that catch people. If your injury seems minor, report it in writing anyway. Injuries that "seem fine" can get worse.

Hurt on the road. Alabama follows a rule called contributory negligence (a rule that blocks recovery if you share any fault). Under Alabama common law, confirmed in Golden v. McCurry, a person found even slightly at fault can be barred from recovering anything. (Source)

Only a few states still use this rule. It makes early evidence, photos, and witnesses matter even more here, because the other side will look hard for any fault to pin on you.

Hurt on someone's property. Falls, dog bites, and unsafe conditions follow the same 2-year lawsuit clock. For dog bites, under Ala. Code § 3-6-1, the state statute only covers bites that happen on the owner's property while you are lawfully there. An owner who did not know the dog was dangerous may owe only actual expenses. (Source)

Other dog injuries fall under older court-made rules. If a city sidewalk or public building is involved, remember the 6-month notice.

A true story: fault almost ended their case

In 2023, Brian and Jennifer Wood were hurt when another driver, going through an intersection at high speed, T-boned their car. Brian's injuries were permanent. Under Alabama's contributory negligence rule, any fault on their own side could have wiped out their entire claim. The Alabama Supreme Court ruled that a legal exception, called the last clear chance rule, could still let them recover, because the other driver had the last chance to avoid the crash. (Source: Insurance Journal) Talk to an advocate before you deal with fault questions.

Talk to an advocate. You do not have to sort out deadlines and lawyers alone.

What we can help with

We are on your side, and our help is free to injured people. We can help you:

Understand which Alabama deadlines apply to your situation
Understand why a written work-injury notice, sent today, matters
Know what records, photos, and timeline details to keep
Connect with a lawyer who handles cases like yours, so you get the full settlement your recovery deserves

We do not give legal advice, and we never take money from injured people. We explain your rights in plain language and help you connect with a lawyer who handles cases like yours.

Talk to an advocate

If you or someone you love was hurt in Alabama, you do not have to sort this out alone. Start the form or open the chat. Talk to an advocate. It is free and private.

Sources

Last reviewed: 2026-08-17

This is general information, not legal advice. Deadlines can change or vary with the facts. A licensed attorney can confirm the rule for your situation.

Injury types we cover in Alabama

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