With approximately 80 fatalities in Alaska motor vehicle crashes annually, the number, even though it has decreased over recent years, remains too high. The 250-300 serious crashes and 3,000 minor collisions each year cause people to get hurt. If you suffer injuries as a result of a motor vehicle accident or other personal injury incident, contact an Anchorage Attorney knowledgeable in this area to set you on the path toward a monetary recovery. The Alaska Department of Motor Vehicles requires someone involved in a car accident to, at a minimum, (1) assess the damage to your vehicle and the other vehicles involved, (2) exchange information with the other driver(s) including, the other driver's name, phone number, address, license plate number, driver's license number, and insurance company name, (3) submit a Certificate of Insurance within 15 days, (4) contact the local police department (or Alaska State Troopers, if appropriate) and (5) mail in an Alaska Motor Vehicle Crash Form to the Alaska DMV. Hiring an Anchorage Attorney to help you through this process affords you the best chance at recovery. And while these are just some basic steps that help protect some of your rights, there is more that must be done to offer you complete protection. Indeed, when you contact a competent vehicle accident law firm with lawyers that are familiar with Alaska’s relevant laws, you will learn about other key issues such as time limitations, how to best complete the relevant forms to preserve your rights, comparative negligence, and various other factors relevant to the personal injury procedure in Alaska. Some things you will learn include (1) that you only have two (2) years from the date of accident to file your lawsuit with the Court, (2) that a Court will limit any award you receive based on any amount it deems you are responsible for, (3) that claims for property damage have different procedures than those for personal injury, and (4) that wrongful death, workers compensation and property damage claims have vastly different procedures. As such, no matter how minor you believe the accident to have been, it is important to consult and ultimately hire an Anchorage Attorney even before you speak with any representative of an insurance company, even if the person is from your own insurance carrier. And while the advice from a lawyer familiar with automobile accident cases and local laws can often help you avoid torpedoing your claim, the success of same is often dependent on the quality and experience of your attorney, no matter how strong you case may otherwise be. It is therefore almost imperative to retain attorneys that can assist you in complying with all relevant laws and regulations, obtaining the information you will need to prevail at trial and helping you otherwise achieve a proper award in an efficient amount of time.
