When you file a claim seeking damages against individuals the following rules apply:

1) for the recovery of land, claims must be filed in the county where the land is located.
2) for contract disputes, claims must be filed in the county where a defendant resides.
3) all other claims must be filed where the injury occurred or where a defendant resides.

Alabama Code Section § 3-6-1. Liability of owner of dog for injuries to person bitten or injured while upon property owned or controlled by owner:

"If any dog shall, without provocation, bite or injure any person who is at the time at a place where he or she has a legal right to be, the owner of such dog shall be liable in damages to the person so bitten or injured, but such liability shall arise only when the person so bitten or injured is upon property owned or controlled by the owner of such dog at the time such bite or injury occurs or when such person has been immediately prior to such time on such property and has been pursued therefrom by such dog."

However, if your dog bites someone not on your premises and poor Fido did not pursue someone from your premises, then in order to establish liability, the plaintiff must prove the defendant's knowledge of the dog's vicious tendencies. This is commonly referred to as the "one free bite rule." Thus, if a dog has never bitten anyone before, and there is no other evidence to suggest the dog is vicious and liable to bite a human, then no liability exists. The "one free bite" rule is a common law rule and is still in effect in Alabama.

Basically, the Alabama Slip & Fall Rule is simple. The business must be shown to have notice, either actual or implied, of the danger than caused the slip and fall. If the business had notice and failed to remove the debris causing the slip and fall, then they are liable for the resulting damages.

(a) A personal representative may commence an action and recover such damages as the jury may assess in a court of competent jurisdiction within the State of Alabama, and not elsewhere, for the wrongful act, omission, or negligence of any person, persons, or corporation, his or their servants or agents, whereby the death of his testator or intestate was caused, provided the testator or intestate could have commenced an action for such wrongful act, omission, or negligence if it had not caused death.

(b) Such action shall not abate by the death of the defendant, but may be revived against his personal representative and may be maintained though there has not been prosecution, conviction or acquittal of the defendant for the wrongful act, omission, or negligence.

(c) The damages recovered are not subject to the payment of the debts or liabilities of the testator or intestate, but must be distributed according to the statute of distributions.

(d) Such action must be commenced within two years from and after the death of the testator or intestate.