Local details last verified November 9, 2026. General information, not legal advice or medical advice. This page is about Birmingham, Alabama.
At the scene
- Check for injuries and call 911 if anyone is hurt, unresponsive, or you are unsure. Do not move someone with a possible neck or back injury unless there is immediate danger.
- Stay at or return to the scene. Alabama law requires a driver in a crash with injury, death or damage to a vehicle driven or attended by someone to stop and remain at or near the scene (Ala. Code § 32-10-1) [1].
- Do not move the vehicle if anyone is hurt until an officer directs it. If no one appears hurt and the vehicle is drivable, the law lets you move it to the shoulder or another safe place nearby (§ 32-10-1(b), (c)) [1] [1].
- Make sure a report is made. If someone is hurt, the law requires immediate notice to the local police inside a municipality, or otherwise the county sheriff or state highway patrol (§ 32-10-5) [3]. In Birmingham the non-emergency number is 205-328-9311 and the emergency number is 911 [5] [5].
- Exchange information. Give your name, address, registration number and, on request, show your license; render reasonable help to anyone injured (§ 32-10-2) [2]. Collect the other driver's name, phone, address, license and plate; insurer and policy number (photograph the card); vehicle descriptions; passengers and witnesses.
- Write down who responded. Note the officer's name, badge number and agency, and ask for the report or case number and how to get a copy.
- Take photos: all vehicles from several angles, damage, plates, the whole scene, signals and signs, skid marks, debris, weather and lighting.
Medical care in Birmingham
Get checked by a medical professional even if you feel okay; some injuries show up hours or days later. If someone is seriously hurt, emergency crews decide where to take them. For reference, UAB Hospital says it "has been reverified as a Level I adult trauma center by the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Committee on Trauma (COT) and remains the only ACS-Level I adult trauma center in the state of Alabama" (UAB Medicine news page) [7]. That is the hospital's own description.
The first 72 hours
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| Same day | See a medical professional. Tell your own insurer about the crash as your policy requires. Write down what happened while it is fresh. Start one folder for every bill, receipt and record. |
| Day 1 | Find the report number. Ask the agency how and when you can get the report. Photograph visible injuries and keep photographing them over the next days. |
| Days 2 to 3 | Follow medical advice and keep appointments. Start a simple symptom and pain journal. Note missed work and extra costs. Save the claim number and each adjuster's name and the date of each call. Be careful what you post about the crash online. |
| Within 30 days | Alabama requires the driver to report a crash to the state in writing within 30 days if anyone was killed or injured or property damage to any one person was more than $250 (Ala. Code § 32-7-5) [4]. See reporting requirements. |
Free printable: After-a-crash first-hour checklist, crash journal and medical bills organizer and talking to the insurer card.
Get your Birmingham crash report
Request it from the agency that investigated. BPD Records Division is at 1710 1st Avenue North, Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., (205) 254-6308 [6] [6]. BPD's price list shows accident reports at $10.00 [6]. ALEA reports are sold through the state's online crash report portal. Full steps and who may request a report are on How to get a Birmingham police accident report.
Know the Alabama rules that affect timing and fault
- Deadline: Alabama's general period for personal injury claims is two years [12]. See Alabama deadlines. Claims against a city can have a much shorter notice period.
- Fault: Alabama follows contributory negligence, which its supreme court calls a complete defense to negligence claims [9]. Be careful describing fault. See Alabama contributory negligence.
- Insurance: minimum limits are $25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident and $25,000 property damage, [10] and a liability policy may not be issued for a vehicle registered or principally garaged in Alabama unless uninsured motorist coverage is provided, though the named insured may reject it [11]. See Alabama minimum car insurance.
Where crashes happen in Birmingham
Interstates I-59, I-65 and I-459 had the most fatal crashes in Jefferson County from 2015 to 2024, and 39% of those with a known time happened between 8 p.m. and 4 a.m. (NHTSA FARS) [8]. See the corridor data.
Sources
- Ala. Code § 32-10-1, duties of driver involved in accident (Alabama Legislature) (checked November 9, 2026)Official source“shall immediately stop the vehicle at the accident scene or as close thereto and shall return to or remain at or as close to the scene of the accident until he or she has fulfilled the requirements of Section 32-10-2”“A vehicle involved in an accident with injury to or death of any person may not be moved until directed by a law enforcement officer”“the driver may immediately move the vehicle from the roadway to the shoulder, emergency lane, median, or other location close to the accident site if the vehicle is drivable and can be safely moved from the roadway”
- Ala. Code § 32-10-2, duty to give information and render aid (Alabama Legislature) (checked November 9, 2026)Official source“shall render to any person injured in such accident reasonable assistance”
- Ala. Code § 32-10-5, immediate reports of accidents (Alabama Legislature) (checked November 9, 2026)Official source“shall immediately by the quickest means of communication give notice of such accident to the local police department if such accident occurs within a municipality; otherwise to the office of the county sheriff or to the state highway patrol”
- Ala. Code § 32-7-5, report required following accident (Alabama Legislature) (checked November 9, 2026)Official source“shall within 30 days after the accident report the matter in writing to the director”
- City of Birmingham: Contact Birmingham Police Department (checked November 9, 2026)Official source“Emergency Call 911”“Non-Emergency P: 205-328-9311”
- City of Birmingham: Police Records Division (checked November 9, 2026)Official source“1710 1st Avenue North Birmingham, AL 35203”“Monday-Friday, 8am – 4:30pm”“Accident Reports – $10.00”
- UAB Medicine: UAB Hospital maintains Level I trauma center status (checked November 9, 2026)Official source“has been reverified as a Level I adult trauma center by the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Committee on Trauma (COT) and remains the only ACS-Level I adult trauma center in the state of Alabama”
- NHTSA, Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) (checked November 9, 2026)Where: FARS annual national CSV files 2015-2024, Alabama (STATE 01), Jefferson County (COUNTY 073), our analysis
- Norfolk Southern Railway Co. v. Johnson, 75 So. 3d 624 (Ala. 2011), Harvard CAP case text (checked November 9, 2026)Official source“Contributory negligence is an affirmative and complete defense to a claim based on negligence”
- Ala. Code § 32-7-6, security following accident, minimum limits (Alabama Legislature) (checked November 9, 2026)Official source“not less than twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) because of bodily injury to or death to one person in any one accident”
- Ala. Code § 32-7-23, uninsured motorist coverage (Alabama Legislature) (checked November 9, 2026)Official source“the named insured shall have the right to reject such coverage”
- Ala. Code § 6-2-38, limitation of actions (Alabama Legislature) (checked November 9, 2026)Official source“must be brought within two years”
Page last updated November 9, 2026. Attorney review pending. General information, not legal advice. Fees, hours and rules change; confirm on the official page. How we source.
Questions
What number do I call after a minor crash in Birmingham?
Call 911 for any injury or danger. BPD's non-emergency number is 205-328-9311 [5].
Do I have to call the police?
If anyone is hurt or killed, yes: the driver must give notice "immediately by the quickest means of communication" to the local police department if the crash is within a municipality (in Birmingham, BPD), otherwise to the county sheriff or the state highway patrol [3]. A driver must also stop and remain at or return to the scene and give name, address and registration number [1]. See the full reporting rules.
Where do I get my Birmingham accident report?
From the agency that investigated: the BPD Records Division at 1710 1st Avenue North if Birmingham police wrote it, or the state's online crash report portal if ALEA did. See how to get a Birmingham police accident report.
Should I see a doctor if I feel fine?
Medical professionals recommend being checked, since some injuries appear hours or days later.
How long do I have to file a claim?
Generally two years for injury in Alabama, and claims against a city can have a much shorter notice period. See the deadline guide; an attorney can confirm your date.
The state rules
Deadlines, fault and reports for all of Alabama are in the Alabama reference.
Keep reading
- City guide
Birmingham, AL police accident report: how to get yours
How to get a Birmingham, Alabama police or ALEA accident report: BPD Records Division, the ALEA portal, who can request one. Checked Nov 2026.
Open - City guide
Most dangerous roads in Birmingham, AL: where fatal crashes happen
Which Birmingham, Alabama roads had the most fatal crashes 2015-2024: I-59, I-65, I-459 and more. Times, pedestrians, charts and a free CSV from NHTSA FARS data.
Open - State reference
Alabama statute of limitations for car accident injury claims
Alabama gives two years for most car accident injury claims and two years for wrongful death. Exact statute text, exceptions and city-claim notice rules.
Open - State reference
Is Alabama a contributory negligence state?
Yes. Alabama follows contributory negligence, which its supreme court calls a complete defense. What two opinions say and how it differs from Tennessee.
Open - State reference
Alabama minimum car insurance: the 25/50/25 rule
Alabama requires $25,000 / $50,000 bodily injury and $25,000 property damage. Statute text, uninsured motorist rules and what to check on your policy.
Open - Free download
Your first-hour checklist, ready to print.
A one-page printable first-hour checklist for after a crash: safety, police, photos, doctor, insurer. Free PDF, no sign-up.
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