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Your Juneau 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 Juneau, it is reasonable to want a clear picture before you decide anything. This page gives you one, and the form at the top will connect you with an attorney when you are ready.
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.
Questions To Ask A Juneau Injury Attorney
Whoever you speak to, a few answers tell you a lot:
- The date. Ask for the specific last day to file in your case. The general rule 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.
- The people. Ask who will be in touch with you and how quickly they return calls.
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
If a driver hit you while you were on foot or on a bike, note exactly where it happened, what the signals and lighting were like, and who saw it. Ask the people who stopped to leave their names and numbers.
Falls and unsafe property
Wet floors, icy steps and broken railings cause injuries that turn on how long the hazard existed and who was responsible for it. Photograph the hazard as soon as you can and report the fall to whoever runs the property.
Wrongful death
If a loved one died because of another person’s wrongful act or omission, 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 Juneau? Get matched with an attorney now.
Sharing Blame Without Losing Your Claim
People often assume that if they made a mistake, they get nothing. Alaska law says otherwise. AS 09.17.060 provides that contributory fault chargeable to the claimant diminishes the compensatory damages in proportion to that fault and does not bar recovery. So a claimant held 25 percent responsible receives 75 percent of the damages.
The statute that follows it, AS 09.17.080, deals with several people sharing responsibility. The judge or jury sets a percentage for every claimant, defendant and released person, and judgment is entered against each defendant according to that defendant’s percentage. Settling with one party does not remove that party from the fault allocation, which affects how a case with several defendants is handled.
The Statutory Limit on Noneconomic Damages
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
A person bringing a claim for personal injury or death must commence the action within two years of when it accrued (AS 09.10.070(a)). A wrongful death action must be commenced within two years after the death, under AS 09.55.580(a). The clock can be paused while a claimant is a minor or legally incompetent (AS 09.10.140), and when a child under eight is injured, the time before the eighth birthday is not counted. Because exceptions are narrow and a missed deadline can end a case, ask about dates in your first conversation.
Insurance Minimums in Alaska
Under AS 28.20.440(b), an owner’s liability policy must provide at least $50,000 for injury to one person, $100,000 for injury to two or more in a single accident, and $25,000 for property damage. The same section calls for uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage in at least those amounts, but under AS 28.20.445 an insured may reject that coverage in writing, so check whether your own policy includes it. If your medical costs are higher than the other driver’s limits, coverage from your own policy may become important.
Courts and Hospitals in Juneau
Juneau lies within Juneau City and Borough. The Alaska Court System’s directory lists a court location in Juneau, in the First Judicial District, at 123 4th Street. The Alaska Department of Health trauma list names Bartlett Regional Hospital as the Level IV trauma center in Juneau.
Whichever provider treated you, request your complete records and an itemized bill, and keep a list of every appointment. If you were flown or transferred to another hospital, ask for the paperwork from both ends of that trip.
What To Do Once You Are Ready To Talk In Juneau
Fill in the form at the top of this page. NeedAnAttorney.net will connect you with an attorney who handles Juneau injury cases, and the form is free to use. Sending it does not mean you have hired anyone.
Until someone calls, make a simple record: what happened, the date and time, names of anyone who saw it, the treatment you have had, and the days you missed from work. Keep every bill and letter in one place.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the deadline to sue for an injury in Juneau?
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)).
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).
Does Alaska put a ceiling on pain and suffering?
Yes, a statutory one: the greater of $400,000 or life expectancy in years times $8,000, and a higher limit for severe permanent impairment or disfigurement (AS 09.17.010).
How much insurance does the other driver have to have?
An owner’s policy that meets Alaska’s financial responsibility law must provide at least $50,000 per person and $100,000 per accident for injuries, and $25,000 for property damage (AS 28.20.440(b)).
Where do injury lawsuits from the Juneau area go?
The court is chosen by the type and size of the case and where the people involved live or the injury happened. Ask your attorney to confirm it; the court listing described above names the local court locations.
What documents should I keep?
Medical records and bills, photographs, the police or incident report number, pay stubs showing missed work, repair estimates and every letter or email from an insurer.
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.
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.
If You Were Hurt Somewhere Else In Alaska
The directory lists every Alaska community that has a page.
