If a drunk driver hurt you or someone you love, our Anchorage drunk driving accident lawyers are here to listen. Crowson Law Group has represented injured Alaskans since 2011, from our office on A Street downtown and our second office in Wasilla. You can call us at 907-777-7777 any time, day or night, for a free consultation.
A drunk driving crash is not an ordinary collision, and the claim that follows does not work like an ordinary claim. There is usually a criminal case running alongside your injury claim, and the two move on separate tracks with separate rules.
We handle the civil side. That means we represent people who were hurt, not drivers facing charges, and our job is to pursue the money that pays for your medical care and your lost income.
Schedule Your Free ConsultationCan I Sue a Drunk Driver Who Hit Me in Alaska?
Yes. A civil injury claim is separate from the criminal case, and you do not have to wait for the criminal case to finish before starting yours.
The state handles the criminal charge under Alaska Statute 28.35.030, which covers operating a vehicle under the influence. A conviction punishes the driver, but it does not put a dollar in your pocket.
Your claim is the part that pays for treatment, time away from work, and the pain you have lived with since the crash. Restitution ordered in a criminal case is usually narrow and rarely covers the full picture.
The two cases can help each other, though. Police reports, breath or blood test results, and the responding officer's observations often become useful evidence on the civil side, which is one reason our Alaska DUI accident attorneys start gathering records early.
Who Else May Be Responsible Besides the Driver?
In some Alaska cases, a licensed bar, restaurant, or liquor store can share responsibility for a drunk driving crash. This is called dram shop liability, which simply means a business that served the alcohol may be answerable for the harm that followed.
Alaska's rule lives in Alaska Statute 04.21.020. It is narrower than many people expect, and it applies only in specific situations:
- The alcohol was served by a licensed establishment, or by an agent or employee of that licensee.
- The alcohol was served to someone already drunk, in violation of Alaska Statute 04.16.030.
- Or the alcohol was served to someone under 21, without the identification check the statute requires.
- A private host at a house party generally falls outside the licensed-provider rule, though separate rules can apply when a minor is served.
Whether a second defendant exists usually turns on evidence that disappears quickly, such as register receipts, point-of-sale timestamps, and security video that a business may overwrite within days. That is why we send preservation letters early rather than waiting to see how the criminal case unfolds.
Employers and vehicle owners
If the driver was working at the time, their employer may share responsibility. The same can be true when someone hands over keys to a person they knew should not be driving.
These questions matter for a practical reason. A single driver's insurance policy is often too small for a serious injury, and a second source of coverage can change what a family is actually able to recover.
How We Build a Drunk Driving Injury Claim in Alaska
We start by taking the pressure off you. The first conversation is about what happened and what you need right now, not about paperwork.
From there, our attorneys work through the parts of the case that tend to decide its value:
- Collecting the crash report, the charging documents, and any chemical test results in the criminal file.
- Identifying every insurance policy that might apply, including underinsured motorist coverage on your own policy.
- Tracking your medical treatment so the record reflects the full injury, not just the emergency room visit.
- Documenting lost wages, missed shifts, and work you can no longer do the same way.
- Investigating where the driver was drinking before the crash.
Each of those pieces feeds the same goal, which is a claim built on documents rather than assumptions. We also keep you updated through My Crowson Case, our client portal, so you can check on your file securely at any hour.
Why the insurance conversation goes differently
An adjuster may be perfectly pleasant on the phone. Their role at the insurance company, though, is to settle claims for as little as the company can reasonably pay, and that role does not change because the other driver was drinking.
We handle those calls so you do not have to. You focus on your recovery while we handle the file.
How Alaska's Comparative Fault Rule Affects a Drunk Driving Claim
Alaska uses pure comparative fault, set out in Alaska Statute 09.17.060. Under that rule, your share of fault reduces your recovery proportionally, but it never bars your claim outright.
So if a jury assigned you 20% of the fault, your award would be reduced by 20% rather than erased. Even a person found mostly at fault can still recover something under Alaska law.
Insurers know this, and in drunk driving cases, they often look for anything to shift a percentage your way. Speed, a missed turn signal, or whether you were wearing a seat belt can all show up in an adjuster's file.
Alaska law also caps noneconomic damages, meaning compensation for pain and loss of enjoyment of life, under Alaska Statute 09.17.010. Economic losses such as medical bills and lost earnings are treated differently, which is part of why careful documentation matters so much.
What Can I Recover After Being Hit by a Drunk Driver in Alaska?
Alaska law allows recovery of both economic and non-economic losses, and, in some cases, punitive damages as well. What a particular claim is worth depends entirely on the facts, and results vary from case to case.
Recovery in a drunk driving injury claim in Alaska commonly includes:
- Emergency care, surgery, hospital stays, and follow-up treatment.
- Physical therapy and future medical care related to the injury.
- Wages lost while you were unable to work.
- Reduced earning capacity when an injury changes what you can do long-term.
- Pain, physical impairment, and loss of enjoyment of life.
- Vehicle damage and related out-of-pocket costs.
Punitive damages sit in a separate category and are reserved for conduct a court finds outrageous or recklessly indifferent to others. They are not available in every case, and no one can tell you in advance whether yours qualifies.
What we can tell you is that the same crash pattern shows up in Alaska car accident claims without the alcohol element, and the presence of impairment often changes both the evidence available and how an insurer approaches the file. You can read more about how impairment affects a claim in our related coverage.
Why Alaskans Choose Our Drunk Driving Accident Attorneys
We are an Alaska firm, and we have been here since 2011. Our attorneys live in the same communities our clients do, drive the same roads, and know how cases actually move through the courts in Anchorage and Palmer.
Here is what working with us looks like:
- Free consultations, with no obligation and no pressure to sign anything.
- Availability 24/7, because crashes do not keep business hours.
- Two Alaska offices, in Anchorage and in Wasilla, so you are not driving hours for a meeting.
- Secure, round-the-clock access to your file through the My Crowson Case portal.
- A firm that is part of the community, through Crowson Cares and the Crowson Cup.
Our founder, James Crowson, built this firm around a simple idea: if you call us, we will listen and try to help, even if we are not able to take your case. That is the standard our attorneys hold themselves to on every call. Stay cool, stay calm, call Crowson at 907-777-7777.
Contact Crowson Law GroupDeadlines That Apply to an Alaska DUI Accident Claim
Most Alaska personal injury claims must be filed within two years, under Alaska Statute 09.10.070. Settlement talks with an insurer do not pause that clock.
Shorter deadlines can apply when a city, borough, or state agency is involved, and those notice requirements can arrive far sooner than two years. Claims involving a minor follow different tolling rules.
There is also a reporting deadline on the front end. Alaska drivers involved in a crash with injury, death, or significant property damage generally must file a written report within 10 days, and the Alaska Division of Motor Vehicles explains how that works when no officer investigated the scene.
Because these timelines overlap and interact, the safest move is an early conversation rather than a late one.
Drunk Driving Crashes Across the Anchorage Area and Beyond
We see these crashes all over the bowl, from the Seward Highway corridor to the surface streets around Midtown and downtown. Winter darkness and icy pavement make an impaired driver's mistakes far harder for anyone else to correct.
The picture shifts north of town, where highway speeds and longer distances between exits change the nature of a collision. We handle drunk driving crashes in the Mat-Su Valley from our Wasilla office.
Local knowledge is not a slogan here. Knowing which intersections have camera coverage and which businesses keep video the longest can change what evidence still exists when we get involved.
Our Anchorage Drunk Driving Accident Lawyers Answer Your FAQs
Below are questions our attorneys hear often from people in Anchorage and across Alaska after a drunk driving crash.
What if the drunk driver was never charged?
A criminal charge is helpful evidence, but it is not required for your injury claim. Civil claims use a lower standard of proof than criminal cases, so a claim can move forward even when prosecutors decline to charge or a case is later dismissed.
What if the driver who hit me had no insurance?
Your own uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage may apply. Many Alaskans carry this coverage without realizing it, and we review your policy as part of the free consultation, so you know what is available.
How long does a drunk driving injury claim take in Alaska?
It depends on your medical treatment more than anything else. Most claims are not ready to resolve until doctors have a clear picture of your recovery, and cases involving a second defendant, such as a bar, generally take longer than single-driver claims.
Will I have to go to court?
Most claims settle without a trial. We prepare every file as though it may be tried, because a claim that is ready for court tends to be taken more seriously by the other side.
What does it cost to hire your attorneys?
We handle these cases on a contingency fee, meaning our fee comes out of a recovery rather than out of your pocket up front. The consultation is free, and we go over the fee agreement with you in plain language before you sign anything.
Can I still file if I was partly at fault?
Yes. Alaska's pure comparative fault rule reduces recovery by your percentage of fault rather than blocking the claim, so it is worth having your situation reviewed even if you think you share some blame.
Should I talk to the other driver's insurance company?
You are not required to give a recorded statement to the other driver's insurer. It is reasonable to decline politely and let your attorneys handle those conversations.
Talk With an Anchorage Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer Today
You did not choose this, and you should not have to figure it out alone. Our attorneys at Crowson Law Group are ready to hear what happened and tell you honestly what we think your options are.
The consultation is free, there is no obligation, and we answer the phone around the clock. If we are not the right firm for your situation, we will try to point you toward someone who is.
Call 907-777-7777 any time, day or night. Stay cool, stay calm, call Crowson.
Speak With an Anchorage Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer