Understanding Car Accident Compensation In Alaska

Yes. Alaska has what’s known as an at-fault car insurance system. This means that the at-fault party is responsible for paying injury victims for their accident expenses. In other words, if someone else caused your accident, they should pay for your accident-related expenses.

This might sound simple. But actually getting the money someone deserves from the at-fault party in Alaska can often be much harder than many people might realize. This is why it’s important for accident victims to talk to an attorney familiar with Alaska’s at-fault car insurance system as soon as possible.

What type of car insurance is mandatory in Alaska?

All drivers in Alaska must have car insurance. According to the Alaska Division of Motor Vehicles, the minimum car insurance requirements for Alaska drivers include:

• $25,000 per accident for property damage.
• $50,000 per person for injury-related expenses.
• $100,000 per accident for injury-related expenses.

What optional car insurance is available in Alaska?

In addition to the mandatory minimum car insurance requirements in Alaska, drivers can choose to have additional insurance coverage. Such optional coverage can include:

• Medical payment coverage, also known as “med pay,” which covers the cost of medical bills and funeral expenses for anyone who was injured or died in a car accident, regardless of fault.
• Collision coverage, which covers vehicle repair costs resulting from a crash with another vehicle or a fixed object, regardless of fault. If your vehicle is financed, collision will likely be required by the lienholder, even though it’s optional under state law.
• Comprehensive coverage, which pays for vehicle repairs or buying in a new car if a driver’s vehicle is damaged in some way other than a collision, including weather-related damage, theft or an accident involving an animal. Like collision, comprehensive insurance is usually required for financed vehicles.
• Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM) coverage, which pays for accident expenses if a driver is involved in a crash caused by an uninsured driver or an underinsured driver.

After a car accident in Alaska, the at-fault driver's insurance may offer a settlement to cover your accident expenses. A settlement is a one-time payment to resolve your accident claim and should ideally cover all your accident-related expenses.

You might be tempted to accept such a settlement payment, especially if you already have a lot of bills and expenses due to your collision. But what you might not realize is if you do take their offer, you cannot ask for any more money, even if your accident expenses increase dramatically in the future. That why you should carefully consider any settlement offer before agreeing to accept it.

How much money is my Alaska car accident worth?

Ideally, you should receive enough money to pay for all your accident-related expenses. What you might not realize is just how much money all of those expenses can add up to during your lifetime. Overall, your accident claim could be worth thousands of dollars or significantly more, especially once you take into account future anticipated expenses.

This is one of the reasons why you should talk to an attorney as soon as possible after your Alaska car accident. You could be eligible to receive more money than you might suspect since you might not be taking into account all your accident-related expenses.

What car accident expenses can I be compensated for in Alaska?

There’s often a great deal of debate about what expenses car accident injury victims should be compensated for in Alaska. Insurance companies only want to pay for short-term expenses immediately after a car crash. But the truth is accident victims should receive compensation for all past, present and future anticipated expenses, which can include:

• Cost of all medical treatment, including ongoing future medical care for long-term injuries and health issues caused by your car accident.
• Vehicle repairs or the cost of buying a new car if your vehicle is a total loss.
• Replacement income if you need time off from work to recover from your injury.
• Future income if you cannot return to work or work in a reduced capacity because of a permanent disability sustained in the accident.

Can I receive compensation for pain and suffering for a car accident in Alaska?

Yes. Alaska allows injury victims to receive money for non-economic damages, such as pain and suffering. Non-economic damages is a legal term that simply means that such expenses don’t have a specific dollar amount attached to them, like a bill for medical expenses or vehicle repairs. But pain and suffering is just as real and deserves to be compensated for after a serious car accident.

Ironically, the business responsible for paying you for your accident expenses is often the same one that decides how much your accident claim is worth. This is the at-fault driver’s insurance company. And as you might suspect, they’re often more concerned with paying accident victims as little as possible. That way, they can keep profits up and expenses down.

Fortunately, they’re not the only ones who decide how much money you receive for your accident. You can be part of these important conversations. And one of the best ways to do that is by having an experienced Alaska car accident lawyer at the negotiating table, demanding the money you deserve.

How is car accident compensation calculated in Alaska?

Insurance companies will often talk about how complicated it can be to determine how much someone should be financially compensated for their car accident. But the truth is this process should not be that difficult. Quite simply, accident victims should be paid for all their accident-related expenses.

What makes this process complicated is insurance companies often don’t take into account all anticipated expenses when calculating how much money to pay accident victims. For example, if you sustained a serious back injury or spinal cord injury that limits your ability to work and requires you to hire someone to assist you with household chores or other routine tasks, you should receive money for such anticipated expenses.

Can I ask for more money for my car crash claim?

Yes. If you believe your settlement offer does not accurately reflect the true financial impact of your Alaska car accident, you should ask for more money. Remember, you didn’t do anything wrong. Another driver caused your collision. And under Alaska law, the at-fault party should pay for your expenses.

But asking for more money can be a lot more difficult than you might suspect. If the at-fault party’s insurance company made a lowball settlement offer, they might not be willing to increase their offer. This is where an experienced Alaska car accident lawyer can be a big help. Your attorney can demand more money and negotiate a better settlement offer or file a lawsuit on your behalf seeking damages, the legal term for financial compensation.

Yes. You have the legal right to file a lawsuit in response to your Alaska car accident. What’s critical is you need to provide evidence that proves that the at-fault party’s reckless or negligent actions caused your car accident.

Another important part of any Alaska car accident lawsuit is time. According to Alaska’s Code of Civil Procedure, Statute §9.10.070, car accident injury victims only have two years from the date of their accident to file a lawsuit seeking damages. This deadline is known as the statute of limitations. And if that deadline expires, injury victims often forfeit their right to file a lawsuit.

What options are available if the other driver doesn’t have car insurance?

If an uninsured driver causes your Alaska car accident, you may be able to file an accident claim with your own insurance company, if you have Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM) insurance coverage. If you don’t have UM car insurance, other legal options may be available depending on the circumstances of your accident. The best way to know what to do in such situations is to talk to a lawyer as soon as possible. They can review your case and advise you on what to do.

So many legal issues often come up after a serious auto accident in Alaska. And in most cases, injury victims only have one opportunity to obtain a lifetime’s worth of financial compensation for their accident. Insurance companies know this. That’s why they often do everything they can to pay injury victims as little as possible or nothing at all.

An experienced Alaska car accident lawyer can help level the playing field. Your attorney can thoroughly investigate your accident and search for evidence in support of your car accident claim or lawsuit. That way, you can demand the money you deserve to get your life back on track.