This page was written, edited, reviewed & approved by JR Krebs following our comprehensive editorial guidelines. JR Krebs, the Founding Partner, has years of legal experience as a Personal Injury attorney. Our last modified date shows when this page was last reviewed.
Drunk drivers cause serious crashes, and Alabama law lets injured people hold them accountable. If an impaired driver hurt you or someone you love in the Huntsville area, a Huntsville drunk driving accident lawyer at Krebs Personal Injury Lawyers can help. You may be facing medical bills, lost income, and a recovery you never planned for. Our team investigates the crash, works with the insurance companies, and builds a claim for full compensation. We work on a contingency fee basis, so you pay nothing unless we win your case.
Call (205) 843-6037 today for a free case evaluation, and speak with someone who will treat you like a person, not a file number.
When a drunk driver upends your life, you need a legal team that treats your case as your own, not one of hundreds. At Krebs Personal Injury Lawyers, we build each drunk driving accident claim around the specific facts of your crash and the injuries you are living with.
​Our clients often tell us the same thing: They never felt like just another case. That personal attention shapes how we investigate, negotiate, and prepare every claim.
​We represent injured people throughout the Huntsville area on a contingency-fee basis. You pay no upfront costs, and you owe no fee unless we recover money for you. As the firm puts it, "You Don't Pay Until We Win."
​Because Alabama injury law is unforgiving toward partial fault, we move quickly to gather evidence, document your losses, and protect your claim from the insurance company's tactics.
A drunk driving crash claim in Alabama is a civil case for compensation, separate from any criminal charges the driver faces. The criminal case can punish the driver, but it does not pay for your medical care or lost wages. That is what your injury claim is for.
​Under Alabama's DUI law, a driver is impaired when their blood alcohol concentration reaches 0.08 percent or more, though drivers under 21 and commercial drivers face lower limits. A DUI arrest or conviction can serve as powerful evidence that the driver failed to use reasonable care.
​Still, a criminal charge is not automatic proof in your civil claim. Our team uses police reports, chemical test results, witness statements, and other evidence to establish that the driver's negligence caused your injuries.
​Alabama also follows a strict contributory negligence rule. If you are found even slightly at fault for the crash, you can be barred from recovering any compensation.
​While Alabama’s contributory negligence rule is strict, it does not apply if the defendant’s conduct was 'wanton.' Wantonness is defined as conduct carried out with a reckless or conscious disregard for the rights or safety of others, such as driving while intoxicated. If the impaired driver’s behavior rises to the level of wantonness, your own partial fault may not bar your claim.
​Insurance companies know this, and they often try to shift a share of the blame onto injured people. We work to counter those arguments and keep the focus where it belongs: On the impaired driver who caused the harm.
More than one party may share responsibility for a drunk driving crash. Identifying every source of compensation is one of the most important parts of building your claim.
​The impaired driver is the most obvious at-fault party. In many cases, though, others contributed to the danger.
​Under Alabama’s Dram Shop Act, an establishment may be held liable if it 'knowingly' sells, furnishes, or serves alcoholic beverages to a person who is visibly intoxicated, provided that such service is the proximate cause of the injury or death. The term 'knowingly' means the establishment knew or should have known under the circumstances that the individual was visibly intoxicated.
​Other parties can be responsible as well. An employer may be liable when an impaired driver was working at the time. A vehicle owner who handed the keys to an unfit driver could also face a claim.
​We investigate each of these possibilities early on because the insurance coverage from a single driver is often insufficient for a serious injury. Finding every liable party can make the difference in your recovery.
connect with our Personal injury team today.
The compensation available in a drunk driving accident claim depends on the severity of your injuries and how the crash has changed your life. Alabama places no cap on most personal injury damages, which matters in serious cases.
​Economic damages cover your measurable financial losses, including:​
Non-economic damages address the human toll of the crash, such as:​
Drunk driving also involves conduct that a jury may view as especially reckless. In such cases, additional damages intended to punish the wrongdoer may be available.
​When a drunk driver causes a death, Alabama's wrongful death law takes a distinct approach. The personal representative of the estate brings the claim, and the claim must be filed within 2 years of death.
​Alabama is the only state in the nation where wrongful death damages are exclusively punitive. This means the law focuses entirely on punishing the wrongdoer to deter future misconduct, rather than compensating the family for economic losses like medical bills, funeral costs, or lost wages. Because of this unique framework, these claims are intended to seek accountability and are exempt from the statutory caps that apply to other punitive damage awards in Alabama.
Impaired drivers cause some of the most severe crashes on Alabama roads. Slowed reaction time, poor judgment, and reckless speed often lead to high-impact collisions.
​We help injured people and families after drunk driving crashes of many kinds, including:​
These crashes frequently cause life-changing injuries, such as:​
However your crash happened, our team focuses on documenting the full extent of your injuries so your claim reflects everything you have lost.
Alabama gives injured people a limited window to take legal action. Under the state's statute of limitations, most drunk driving injury claims must be filed within 2 years of the crash.
​When a crash causes a death, the wrongful death claim generally must be filed within 2 years of the date of death. Missing these deadlines usually means losing the right to recover compensation, no matter how strong your case is.
​There are reasons to act well before the deadline. Evidence can disappear, vehicles can be repaired, and witnesses can become hard to reach. The sooner we begin, the more we can do to preserve what your claim needs.
Yes. The criminal case handles penalties such as fines or jail time. It does not pay you for medical bills, lost income, or pain and suffering. A separate civil claim is how you pursue that compensation.
Alabama's contributory negligence rule can bar recovery if you are found even slightly at fault. This is why the insurance company may try to blame you. Our team works to build a clear record that the impaired driver caused your injuries.
We work on a contingency fee basis. You pay no upfront costs, and you owe a fee only if we recover money for you. Your free case evaluation costs nothing.
Every case is different. Value depends on your medical costs, lost income, the severity of your injuries, and how the crash has affected your daily life. We can give you a clearer picture after reviewing the details.
You may be able to bring a wrongful death claim through the estate's personal representative. These claims carry strict deadlines, so it helps to speak with our team as soon as you are able.
If an impaired driver turned your life upside down, you do not have to face the aftermath alone. The Huntsville drunk driving accident lawyers at Krebs Personal Injury Lawyers are ready to investigate your crash, deal with the insurance companies, and pursue the compensation you deserve.
​Founding attorney J.R. Krebs and our team represent injured people throughout the Huntsville area on a contingency-fee basis, so there is no cost to get started. You focus on healing while we handle the legal work.
​Call Krebs Personal Injury Lawyers today at (205) 843-6037 for a free case evaluation. Let us help you hold the drunk driver accountable and move your life forward.
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J.R. is dedicated to providing personalized representation, avoiding a one-size-fits-all approach. He tailors his strategy to the unique challenges and needs of each client and case, ensuring focused and individualized attention.
His practice mainly covers Plaintiff’s Personal Injury, including car and 18-wheeler accidents, slips and falls, dog bites, defective products, and wrongful death. He also handles commercial disputes on contingency, with experience in contracts, construction, and probate. For any dispute headed toward litigation, J.R. develops an aggressive strategy to maximize your recovery through negotiation, arbitration, or trial.
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