How To Recover Compensation for Your Wasilla Accident?

Alaska has one of the lowest populations in the United States and a huge amount of territory. You would think this would result in far fewer accidents, and you would be somewhat correct. Indeed, Alaska sees fewer accidents, but many are significant. If you are injured in a Wasilla Accident, be sure to find attorneys with whom you are comfortable to help prosecute your claim and recover compensation.

When it comes to compensation, there are different items that can be recovered. For example, your Wasilla Accident can result in the recovery of economic damages. These include easily-provable damages such as (i) lost wages, (ii) medical bills and (iii) property damage.

The more complicated items to prove are non-economic damages, such as pain and suffering, loss of services and loss of consortium. How do you attach a monetary value to pain and suffering, or the activities a person performs at home, such as laundry, cooking, food shopping, etc.? This is where your attorney comes into play. Her job will be to construct a story that depicts how difficult life has been for everybody as a result of the injuries suffered by the victim. When told to the judge or jury, this plot should make them feel extreme pity for the injured party and his family, all while remaining credible. It is a fine line to toe, but experienced attorneys are able to do so.

Also important is the fact that even the injured party’s attorney must “play defense” at times. A defendant is likely to try to impose blame on the plaintiff (or injured party) in order to eliminate—or at least reduce—the award to the plaintiff. Alaska’s “comparative negligence” regulations allow a judge or jury to reduce any monetary award based on the percentage of fault attributed to the injured party. For example, if John, the plaintiff, proves $500,000.00 in injuries, but the judge or jury finds him 20% at fault for causing the accident, the award will be reduced by 20%, or $100,000.00, so the total amount received by John will be $400,000.00. While that seems like a nice award, $100,000.00 is a lot to lose.

This is a reason why it is not only important for your attorney to prove that the defendant was at fault in your accident, but also that the defendant was entirely at fault. Experienced attorneys know this important rule and how to tailor your case to make sure the judge or jury knows this.

In sum, the retaining of a competent attorney is vital to prosecute your personal injury claims in Alaska. Without one, there are too many rules and regulations you may fail to comply with, rendering your award much smaller, or even non-existent.