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Your Cordova Personal Injury Attorney
After an injury, ordinary life gets heavy. There are appointments to keep, bills arriving, and a claim that nobody explained to you. If another person’s carelessness hurt you in Cordova, it is reasonable to want a clear picture before you decide anything.
A quick note on what this page is: general information about Alaska injury law, written from the statutes, from a matching service that does not practice law. It is meant to help you ask good questions, not to decide your case.
What To Ask Before You Choose An Attorney In Cordova
Ask these in any first conversation:
- The deadline. Ask the attorney to name the exact last day to file for your claim. Alaska’s general limit is two years (AS 09.10.070(a)).
- The damage limit. Ask how the statutory cap on noneconomic damages applies to someone with your injuries (AS 09.17.010).
- If you were partly to blame. Ask what happens to your award if a jury assigns you a percentage of fault (AS 09.17.060).
- Who will work on it. Ask who handles your file day to day and how fast messages are answered.
- Fees and costs. Ask what the fee is, when it is paid, and which expenses are deducted from a settlement.
Injury Claims People Ask About
Vehicle crashes
Vehicle injuries start with the same few steps: medical care first, then photographs of the scene, names and numbers of anyone who saw it, the other driver’s insurance information and any estimates for repairs.
Pedestrian and bicycle injuries
Walkers and cyclists hurt by a vehicle should write down the location, the time of day, the lighting and the signals as soon as they can. Witnesses who stopped are valuable, so ask for their contact details before they leave.
Falls and unsafe property
Falls on someone else’s property usually depend on what the owner knew or should have known about the hazard. Photograph the spot before it changes, report the fall in writing, and keep the shoes you were wearing.
Wrongful death
If someone you love died because another person was careless or at fault, the law treats it separately. Alaska law lets the personal representative bring the action (AS 09.55.580(a)). It is a heavy time to make decisions, and an attorney can explain the process at your pace.
Injured in Cordova? Get matched with an attorney now.
Fault Shared Among Several People
Alaska is a pure comparative fault state. AS 09.17.060 says contributory fault chargeable to the claimant diminishes the compensatory damages in proportion to that fault, and it does not bar recovery. If a jury decided you were 40 percent at fault for a $100,000 loss, you would be awarded $60,000.
AS 09.17.080 covers cases with several people at fault. Fault is divided among everyone, including people who have already settled, and judgment against each defendant follows that defendant’s percentage rather than the whole amount.
Limits On Pain And Suffering Awards
In an action for personal injury or wrongful death, AS 09.17.010 limits awards for noneconomic loss, meaning pain, suffering, inconvenience, physical impairment, disfigurement, loss of enjoyment of life and loss of consortium. The ordinary limit for a single injury or death is the greater of $400,000 and the injured person’s life expectancy in years times $8,000. In a personal injury action with severe permanent physical impairment or severe disfigurement, the limit is the greater of $1,000,000 and life expectancy in years times $25,000. This does not apply to economic loss such as medical bills and wages.
When the Clock Starts and Stops
Most personal injury claims in Alaska must be filed in court within two years of when the claim accrued (AS 09.10.070(a)), and a wrongful death action within two years after the death (AS 09.55.580(a)). Missing the date usually ends the case, so ask any attorney to name the exact last day for yours.
Two exceptions are written into AS 09.10.140: time is excluded while a claimant is a minor or legally incompetent, and for a child under eight the years before the eighth birthday are not counted. Those exceptions are narrow.
Insurance Minimums in Alaska
Alaska’s financial responsibility law, AS 28.20.440(b), requires an owner’s liability policy to provide at least $50,000 for injury to one person, $100,000 for injury to two or more people in one accident, and $25,000 for property damage. If your bills pass the other driver’s limit, your own policy matters.
The same section calls for uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage of at least those amounts. AS 28.20.445 lets an insured reject that coverage in writing, so look at your own policy to see whether you have it.
The Court Listed for Cordova
The Alaska Court System’s directory lists a court location in Cordova, in the Third Judicial District, at 500 Water Street. The Census Bureau places Cordova in Chugach Census Area.
Keep copies of everything the hospital or clinic gives you, ask for an itemized bill, and note each appointment as it happens. If you moved between facilities, collect the records from each one.
How To Take The First Step In Cordova
Use the form at the top of the page to tell us what happened. We connect you with an attorney who takes injury cases in the Cordova area. There is no charge to submit it, and submitting it does not hire anyone.
Before the first call, collect the basics: the date, the place, names of witnesses, your medical visits and your missed work. A single folder for bills, letters and photographs saves time later.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I save for my claim?
Save treatment records and bills, photographs, the report number if there is one, pay stubs that show lost work, estimates for repairs, and every letter or email from an insurance company.
Do I have to give the other insurer a recorded statement?
Not right away. You may decline a recorded statement until you have talked to someone about your options, and saying so is fine.
Does it cost anything to use this page to find an attorney?
No. The form is free, and many injury matters are handled on a contingency fee. Ask for the fee agreement in writing.
What are the first steps after an accident?
See a doctor, report the accident to the right party, take photographs, and write down the details soon after. Then keep every bill and record together.
What is the deadline to sue for an injury in Cordova?
Two years from when the claim accrued for most personal injury claims (AS 09.10.070(a)), and two years after the death for wrongful death (AS 09.55.580(a)).
Does Alaska bar me from recovering if I share the blame?
No. Under AS 09.17.060 your damages are reduced by your percentage of fault, and you can still recover the rest.
Is there a limit on noneconomic damages in Alaska?
Yes. AS 09.17.010 caps noneconomic damages at the greater of $400,000 or $8,000 times life expectancy, with a higher cap for severe permanent impairment or disfigurement.
How much liability coverage must an Alaska driver carry?
The minimums for an owner’s policy are $50,000 per person, $100,000 per accident and $25,000 for property damage (AS 28.20.440(b)).
Injury Attorney Pages For Other Alaska Communities
The directory lists every Alaska community that has a page.
