Alaska Attorneys for Train Accidents

Personal injury laws protect the rights of injury victims and allow an injured person to receive compensation for their injuries, in instances where the accident occurred as a result of someone else’s negligence.

The basic idea behind compensating someone for their injuries is to return the injured person to the financial position he or she would have been in had he or she not been injured. The legal term commonly used to describe the losses a victim suffers as a result of an accident is ‘damages’. The damages that apply in the state of Alaska with respect to personal injury fall into two categories:

• Economic damages – these are actual, quantifiable financial losses suffered by the injured person. Such damages are easily calculated and some examples of economic damages are:
  • Medical bills – this is the cost associated with a person receiving medical treatment, attention and care as a result of their injuries. It can include hospital stays, nursing home care, surgery, physical therapy, medication etc.
  • Lost wages – this is lost wages or income as a result of the injuries suffered which require the person to recover while at home or in the hospital; therefore it is with reference to time spent away from work for example sick leave and vacation days taken to recover.
• Non-economic damages – these are damages that don’t directly correspond to a specific dollar figure or amount, as they are difficult to quantify. Some examples of non-economic damages are:
  • Pain and suffering – this is physical and mental pain and suffering. This is split into two types: a) the actual physical pain and suffering which includes discomfort and other physical effects and non-physical pain, and b) suffering which includes mental anguish, emotional distress, embarrassment, fear, anger, humiliation, shock etc.
  • Loss of enjoyment of life