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Your Galena Personal Injury Attorney
If you are reading this after an accident in Galena, you are probably tired, sore and unsure whom to trust. That is normal. A few rules learned early can keep you from making choices that are hard to undo.
NeedAnAttorney.net is a matching service. It does not give legal advice about your case. What follows is general information about Alaska injury law, taken from the text of the statutes, so you know which questions to ask. The form at the top of the page connects you with an attorney when you are ready.
What To Ask Before You Choose An Attorney In Galena
A short list of questions can sort out who is right for you:
- 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)).
- Your share of fault. Ask how a finding that you were partly responsible would change the numbers (AS 09.17.060).
- The damage limit. Ask how the statutory cap on noneconomic damages applies to someone with your injuries (AS 09.17.010).
- The money terms. Ask how fees are calculated and which costs come out of a recovery.
- Who will work on it. Ask who handles your file day to day and how fast messages are answered.
Kinds of Injury Claims
Vehicle crashes
Whether the collision was minor or serious, the same early steps help: get checked by a doctor, photograph the vehicles and the scene, exchange insurance information and keep any repair estimates.
Pedestrian and bicycle injuries
A collision on foot or on a bicycle is easy to dispute afterward. Record where it happened, what the road and signals were like, and who saw it, and keep any damaged clothing, helmet or equipment.
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 a loved one died because of another person’s wrongful act or omission, a different set of rules applies. Alaska law lets the personal representative bring the action (AS 09.55.580(a)). This is a hard moment to decide anything, and an attorney can walk you through the steps without hurrying you.
Injured in Galena? Get matched with an attorney now.
When You Were Partly At Fault
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.
Filing Deadlines For Injury Claims
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.
What The Other Driver’s Policy Must Cover
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.
Court Information for Galena
Galena lies within Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area. Look under Galena in the Alaska Court System directory: the Fourth Judicial District location is at 167 Burbot Street.
Whichever provider treated you, request your complete records and an itemized bill, and keep a list of every appointment. If you were transferred to another hospital, ask for the paperwork from both ends of the transfer.
Starting The Personal Injury Attorney Alaska Galena Intake Process
Start with the form at the top. It asks a few questions about the injury, and we pass your answers to an attorney who handles Galena cases. Using it is free, and it does not create an attorney client relationship.
Meanwhile, jot down the facts while they are fresh: date, time, place, who was there, what care you have had and what work you have missed. Save every bill and every message from an insurer.
Frequently Asked Questions
If I was partly responsible, can I still recover something?
Yes. Alaska reduces your damages by your percentage of fault and does not bar recovery (AS 09.17.060).
Is there a cap on what I can recover for pain and suffering?
There is a statutory cap on noneconomic damages, the greater of $400,000 or $8,000 times the injured person’s life expectancy. Economic losses such as medical bills are not capped by it (AS 09.17.010).
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)).
Which records matter most after an accident?
Keep your medical records and itemized bills, photographs of the scene and injuries, any police or incident report number, proof of missed pay, repair estimates, and all messages from insurers.
Can I talk to the other side’s insurance company?
You can, but you do not have to give a recorded statement right away. It is fair to say you are getting advice first.
Is there a fee for the form on this page?
No fee for the form. Many attorneys take injury cases on a contingency basis, so ask how it works and get the terms in writing.
Does it matter if my attorney knows the Galena area?
Local knowledge can help with scheduling, courts and medical providers. The form on this page connects you with an attorney who takes cases near Galena.
What is the Alaska statute of limitations for an injury claim?
Generally two years (AS 09.10.070(a)). For a wrongful death, the two years run from the date of death (AS 09.55.580(a)).
Help Elsewhere in Alaska
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