Your Wasilla Accident Case

We love Wasilla. There is so much to do, so much to see and so much to enjoy. But there are also many dangers, whether it be from other drivers, snow and ice slipperiness or other factors. If you are involved in a Wasilla Accident where you are injured, it is important to retain an attorney capable of prosecuting a lawsuit properly so that you recover the amount of compensation you deserve.

Without an attorney, you run the risk of falling into certain pitfalls that can either greatly reduce—or even eliminate entirely—your chances at recovery.

For example, in any Wasilla Accident case, Alaska only affords you two years from the date of the incident to file your lawsuit. This is known as a “statute of limitations,” and if you fail to meet that deadline, you will forever be barred from recovering any monies, no matter how liable the defendant is and no matter how badly you were injured.

Also important to consider is Alaska’s “comparative negligence” rule, where any award will be reduced based on any percentage of fault attributed to the plaintiff. For example, let’s say John is driving a car and is blindsided by Margaret, who was speeding and ran a red light. John suffers multiple broken bones and, as a result, a jury awards him $100,000.00. However, Margaret’s attorney is able to show that John was also texting at the time of the accident, so the jury attributes 10% of the fault for causing the accident to John. John’s recovery will then be reduced, by 10%, to $90,000.00.

In addition, if your Wasilla Accident case involves a government entity, there may be additional requirements. For example, in certain cases, the municipality must be given additional—and much more prompt—notice before the accident case can be filed in court. This process is designed to allow municipalities the opportunity to settle cases without the expense of full-blown litigation, something to save taxpayers money.

Finally, parties without attorneys also neglect to seek recovery for property damage. And even if they seek reimbursement for damage to their vehicle, they are unaware that any property in that vehicle that is damaged or destroyed may also serve as the basis for a property damage claim. And even if you make your property damage claims, you have to be careful to make sure you receive adequate compensation before you sign a “release,” which is a document that will prevent you from ever seeking recovery for property damage for this incident in the future.

It may seem that your case is so clear-cut that no attorney is necessary. However, there is way too much to know to try to go it alone. Even though an attorney will be entitled to a percentage of your recovery, the amount you may recover without an attorney is likely to be so much less, that any payment to an attorney will be well worth it.