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Mobile Injury Claims Under Alabama's Fault Rule and the Federal Rules on the Water
If you were hurt in Mobile, the law that governs your claim depends on where it happened and what you were doing.
On Airport Boulevard or I-10, Alabama's contributory negligence rule means any negligence of yours that helped cause the crash can bar a negligence claim.
On a vessel or the docks, federal maritime law may apply, with different deadlines and a different approach to fault.
You generally have two years to sue on land, and only six months to reach the city clerk if the City of Mobile is responsible.
Don Worley is admitted in Alabama and takes serious injury and death cases from Mobile County and the Gulf Coast.
Call (888) 713-6653 for a free review of your claim, with no fee and no costs unless we recover.
- Crash, port, shipyard, and hospital claims from across Mobile County
- Trial-ready representation, with the costs of litigating carried by the firm
- You Win or It's Free, with no fee and no costs unless we recover
73 Traffic Deaths in Mobile County and the Interstates Behind Them
Mobile County recorded 13,491 crashes and 73 traffic deaths in 2024, according to ALDOT's crash report.[1] Jefferson County recorded 103 deaths in nearly twice as many crashes, so a Mobile County crash was more likely to be fatal that year.
I-65 ends at I-10 here, and I-10 then has to cross the Mobile River through the George Wallace Tunnel and Mobile Bay on the Bayway. A 2024 presentation on the Mobile River Bridge project said the tunnel crossing was designed for 35,000 vehicles a day and now carries about double that.[2] A sudden stop in that traffic can catch a car between a loaded truck and the one ahead.
After a crash like that, the adjuster will ask how closely you were following and how fast you were going, because that is the opening for a contributory negligence argument. Our page on Alabama's fault rule and its limits explains how those arguments get answered, and our page on Alabama truck crash claims covers the carrier's records.
Port, Shipyard, and Waterfront Injuries That Run on Federal Law
The Port of Mobile supports more than 351,000 jobs across Alabama, according to a 2022 economic impact study the Governor's Office released in 2024.[3] A worker hurt on a vessel, dock, or shipyard may not be in Alabama's workers' compensation system at all, and the rules can be more favorable than the state's. Which group you fall in decides your claim, your deadline, and how your own fault is treated.
Seamen and the Jones Act
A crew member with a substantial connection to a vessel on navigable water can sue the employer for negligence under the Jones Act, within three years.[4] Your own carelessness generally reduces a Jones Act recovery in proportion to your fault and does not end it, which is a different result from Alabama's rule on land.
Longshore and Shipyard Workers
Dock workers, ship repairers, and shipbuilders are usually covered by the federal Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act, with benefits paid regardless of fault. Notice to the employer is due within 30 days, and the claim generally has to be filed within one year.[5] Austal USA and other waterfront employers' workers should ask early which system covers them, because the answer can change with where they were hurt and what they were doing.
A Claim Against the Vessel or Another Company
A longshore worker can also sue a vessel for its negligence under 33 U.S.C. § 905(b), and either kind of worker may have a claim against a contractor, equipment maker, or other outside company. That lawsuit can reach what compensation benefits do not pay, including pain and suffering. A maritime injury suit generally has three years under 46 U.S.C. § 30106.
Do not rely on an employer's or carrier's word about which system applies. We can review your job and tell you what we see, including which deadline we think controls.
Airport Boulevard Crashes, Plant Injuries, and Other Mobile County Claims
Car Accidents
Airport Boulevard, the Beltline, and I-65 are among the area's busiest roads. Our page on Alabama car accident claims covers the state's $25,000 minimum policy and the phone statute.
Truck and Port Freight Crashes
Container trucks and tankers bound for the port and the plants share these roads with commuters, and the company behind the driver is usually where the insurance is.
Plant and Construction Injuries
Airbus now runs three final assembly lines at the Mobile Aeroplex at Brookley, and industry and construction stretch along the river and into Baldwin County.[6] On land, a claim beyond workers' compensation can reach a machine maker, a contractor, or, in narrow cases of willful conduct, a co-worker. See who else can be sued after a work injury.
Medical Malpractice and Nursing Home Neglect
University Hospital, part of USA Health, is the region's Level I trauma center on the state's list, and Mobile Infirmary, Springhill Medical Center, and USA Health Providence are Level III.[7] A malpractice claim runs under the Alabama Medical Liability Act, and who owns the hospital can change the limits. See Alabama malpractice claims and nursing home neglect.
Premises and Hotel Injuries
A fall at a store, apartment complex, or beach rental turns on what the owner knew. See Alabama slip and fall claims.
Wrongful Death
An Alabama wrongful death jury weighs what the defendant did, and no statute caps its verdict against a private defendant. Our page on how Alabama families bring a death claim explains who files. A death on the water follows different federal rules, so tell us where it happened.
How Much Is a Personal Injury Case Worth in Mobile?
On land, you can seek medical care, lost income and earning ability, and pain, disfigurement, and mental anguish, with no cap against a private defendant. Three things move the number most.
- Permanence. A back or hand injury means something different to a shipfitter or a line worker than to someone with a desk job, and an honest valuation accounts for that.
- Fault. On land, whether the insurer can argue contributory negligence, and whether the evidence shows wantonness, can decide if there is a recovery at all.
- Coverage. Alabama's minimum policy is $25,000 per person. Your own underinsured coverage, an employer, or a vehicle owner can add to it, and our page on underinsured motorist claims explains the order of steps.
Maritime and longshore claims are valued under their own rules, and a settlement can affect future benefits, so have the numbers checked before you agree to anything.
Visitors and Beach Traffic on the Road to Gulf Shores and Orange Beach
Baldwin County drew 8.4 million visitors in 2024, according to a tourism report from the Alabama Tourism Department.[8] If you were hurt on a trip and have gone home, Alabama's law and deadlines will usually still apply to your claim. You can start it from wherever you live, by phone or online, and treat with your own doctors while the case moves forward.
ALDOT recorded 6,154 crashes and 26 traffic deaths there that year. A crash in Baldwin County is usually filed in that county's circuit court, across the bay from Mobile County. A rental car, a golf cart, or a borrowed vehicle can add insurance questions, so keep every rental agreement and policy you were given.
Six Months for a City of Mobile Claim and Two Years for Most Others
Most Alabama injury lawsuits must be filed within two years, and wrongful death runs two years from the death.[9] Government claims move faster, and the shortest one comes first.
- City of Mobile. A sworn statement must reach the City Clerk, 9th Floor, Government Plaza South Tower, 205 Government Street, or P.O. Box 1827, Mobile, AL 36633, within six months under Ala. Code §§ 11-47-23 and 11-47-192. Mailing it is not enough if it arrives late.
- Mobile County. The claim goes to the county commission within 12 months. A sheriff's deputy is treated as a state officer and not a county employee, so that crash follows a different route, and your own uninsured coverage may still apply.
- The State. A state agency or highway claim goes to the Board of Adjustment within one year, or two for a death.
- The Alabama State Port Authority or another public body. Ownership decides the route, so tell us who operated the place you were hurt and let us check before any deadline passes.
Our page on injury claims against Alabama government takes each one in turn. The federal maritime and longshore deadlines are in the port section above.
Where Mobile Injury Cases Are Decided, From Government Plaza to Federal Court
A serious injury case from Mobile County is usually filed in the 13th Judicial Circuit at Government Plaza, 205 Government Street, where circuit court hears civil claims above $20,000. A case against an out-of-state company can be moved to federal court, and a maritime claim may have a choice of courts, so we settle where to file before the complaint is written.
Hospital and home visits are available when an injury makes travel hard, and our intake team speaks Spanish.