Practice Areas

Apr 1, 2014 - Car Accidents by Cross & Smith

If there is any chance that an auto insurance company can find grounds on which to deny a claim, you can bet they are going to try. Our personal injury lawyers in Tuscaloosa know one element that can make it tougher to win your claim is if the policy is outdated. When your policy fails to accurately reflect your living situation with regard to residency and household members, it can create problems when it comes time to file a claim. This was what happened in the recent case of Progressive Gulf Ins. Co. v. Faehnrich. This Nevada Supreme Court ruling reveals why it is so important to revisit your auto insurance policy in the event you move, divorce, have a licensed teen driver in your home, or experience other relevant life events. You want to make sure your loved ones are going to be covered in the event of a serious crash. Here, a married couple in Mississippi secured auto insurance for themselves and their household members. The policy listed Mississippi as their state of residency, and indicated that Mississippi was the state statutory law the policy would incorporate. Any disputes, the policy indicated, would be resolved by the law of that state.

Mar 25, 2014 - Wrongful Death by Cross & Smith

The Alabama Supreme Court recently returned a decision in the personal injury case of Morrow v. Caldwell that negligent government workers sued in their own capacity shouldn’t expect protection under the state’s statutory $100,000 damages cap. Our Birmingham wrongful death attorneys recognize that this was an important decision in favor of families who have suffered the ultimate loss as a result of a government worker’s carelessness. And it means that the damages to which these families are entitled to receive can exceed that $100,000 limit that is otherwise imposed. The death that gave rise to this case was that of a young boy who was playing outside at the Montgomery home of his great-grandmother.

Mar 23, 2014 - Workers' Compensation/Work Injury by Cross & Smith

Workers who sustain on-the-job injuries must be careful to provide ample documentation and proof regarding the cause, particularly when older injuries come into play. Our Tuscaloosa workers’ compensation attorneys recognize that when insurers and/or employers can’t refute the seriousness of the injury, they may attempt to argue the source. When old work injuries are exacerbated by new work injuries, they are compensable. Even when a non-related injury is exacerbated by a work injury, it may be compensable, but the amount you can collect could be diminished.

Mar 20, 2014 - Premises Liability by Cross & Smith

One of the more common types of injuries that people sustain is a slip-and-fall or trip-and-fall. However, Birmingham personal injury lawyers recognize that in order to have a valid premise liability claim against the property owner for such an incident, plaintiffs have to show there was some degree of negligence. This is a several-step process. It involves establishing that: The property owner had a duty of care to you; The property owner breached that duty of care to you; As a result of this negligence, you sustained injuries for which you deserve compensation. A lot of this is going to depend on your relationship to the property owner, the type of hazard that resulted in the fall and whether you in any way contributed to the fall with reckless or negligent action.

Mar 18, 2014 - Nursing Home Neglect by Cross & Smith

Arbitration agreements almost never benefit the consumer, whether they are written into the fine print of an electronics purchase or as a precursor to employment or shoved in front of family members working to admit a loved one into a nursing home. These agreements require that instead of having any disputes resolved in court, both parties are required to resolve matters before an arbitrator – one who is often chosen by the defendant and paid for by the plaintiff. In theory, the process should be fair. Too often, it’s anything but. Yet these documents have become standard – though not required – in nursing home admissions. In cases of Tuscaloosa nursing home neglect, plaintiffs may wish to challenge the enforceability of the original agreement. This is being done with increasing frequency – and success – across the country.

Mar 12, 2014 - Birmingham by Cross & Smith

Alabama is one of the most dangerous places for bicyclists, ranking fourth in the nation for the rate of cyclist deaths. That’s according to a benchmark study released by the National Alliance for Biking and Walking. In fact, as a more recent report by The Atlantic points out, the Deep South in general has a horrible track record when it comes to cyclist safety. Our Birmingham personal injury lawyers note 10 states in the country had the highest pedalcyclist fatality rates: Florida, South Carolina, Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, North Carolina, Texas, Delaware and Arkansas.

Mar 11, 2014 - Workers' Compensation/Work Injury by Cross & Smith

A pair of decisions out of the Arkansas Supreme Court recently illustrates how companies will go to great lengths to fight workers’ compensation claims. This is as true in Alabama as it is in Arkansas, and despite the differing jurisdictions, our Birmingham workers’ compensation lawyers know that the issues presented in these cases are highly relevant here as well. The cases involve two separate employees and two separate appeals, but both were involved in the same accident at the same company. The first case is Prock v. Bull Shoals Boat Landing and the second is Edmisten v. Bull Shoals Landing.

Mar 6, 2014 - Birmingham by Cross & Smith

There are many states in which a plaintiff can be at least partially at-fault for an auto accident and still collect compensation – these states adhere to the doctrine of comparative negligence. The degree to which a plaintiff is negligent is called “comparative fault” and the higher it is, the more it will impact the overall amount of compensation to which a plaintiff is entitled. Alabama, though, is different. As our Birmingham car accident attorneys must sometimes explain, here, if a plaintiff is partially at-fault the claim is completely barred under a legal doctrine known as contributory negligence.

Mar 4, 2014 - Personal Injury by Cross & Smith

Fraternities are heavily marketed to young college students as a valuable, right-of-passage experience. The promise of a four-year party can be a powerful draw to a group who will soon be staring down a decade or more of burdensome loan debt. However, the experience has resulted in serious injuries for more than a few. As a recent investigation by The Atlantic revealed, in some cases members are left permanently scarred, disabled – even dead. Our Tuscaloosa injury attorneys recall a case just a few years ago in which a fraternity brother attending the University of Alabama sued the Gamma Alpha chapter of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity following an alleged hazing incident that occurred when he was 19.

Feb 20, 2014 - Premises Liability by Cross & Smith

A 7-year-old boy was in critical condition following a 5-story fall from a balcony in Birmingham. Authorities are still investigating what factors may have played a part in the fall. A Birmingham premises liability lawsuit could be a possibility depending on the particular facts of the case. Individual homeowners may also be liable in certain situations. Unfortunately, balcony falls are all too common, often resulting in critical injuries, or even death. Recent balcony falls since the beginning of the year include: