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Your Unalaska 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 Unalaska, it is reasonable to want a clear picture before you decide anything.
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 Unalaska
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 cap. Ask how Alaska’s limit on noneconomic damages would apply to your injuries (AS 09.17.010).
- Your share of fault. Ask how a finding that you were partly responsible would change the numbers (AS 09.17.060).
- The people. Ask who will be in touch with you and how quickly they return calls.
- Fees and costs. Ask what the fee is, when it is paid, and which expenses are deducted from a settlement.
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
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 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)). You do not have to sort this out alone or quickly; an attorney can explain who is allowed to act and what the dates are.
Injured in Unalaska? Get matched with an attorney now.
Fault Shared Among Several People
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.
What Alaska Caps In An Injury Award
Alaska limits what a court can award for noneconomic loss, meaning pain, suffering, inconvenience, physical impairment, disfigurement, loss of enjoyment of life and loss of consortium. Under AS 09.17.010, the usual ceiling for one injury or death is the greater of $400,000 or the injured person’s life expectancy in years multiplied by $8,000.
A higher ceiling applies in a personal injury action involving severe permanent physical impairment or severe disfigurement: the greater of $1,000,000 or life expectancy in years multiplied by $25,000. Medical bills and lost wages are economic losses and fall outside these limits.
Filing Deadlines For Injury Claims
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.
What The Other Driver’s Policy Must Cover
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.
Local Courts and Care Near Unalaska
The directory of the Alaska Court System shows a court in Unalaska, in the Third Judicial District, at 204 West Broadway. On the state’s trauma center list, Unalaska is shown with Iliuliuk Family and Health Services, designated Level V. The Census Bureau places Unalaska in Aleutians West Census Area.
Ask every provider for your full records and an itemized bill, and keep a running list of appointments. A transfer between hospitals leaves two sets of records, so request both.
Reaching Out For Help In Unalaska
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 Unalaska area. There is no charge to submit it, and submitting it does not hire anyone.
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
Can I still recover if the accident was partly my fault?
Yes. Your award is reduced in proportion to your share of fault, but fault does not bar a recovery in Alaska (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 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)).
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.
Does it matter if my attorney knows the Unalaska 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 Unalaska.
How long do I have to file an injury lawsuit in Alaska?
For most personal injury claims, two years from when the claim accrued (AS 09.10.070(a)). A wrongful death action must be commenced within two years after the death (AS 09.55.580(a)).
If You Were Hurt Somewhere Else In Alaska
The directory lists every Alaska community that has a page.
