Anchorage Alaska Personal Injury Law Blog

The Alaska State Troopers are investigating a crash that involved eight people. An AST spokesperson says three people lost their lives, which is not unusual for auto accidents that involve motorcycles. Traffic on Parks Highway was disrupted for almost 12 hours.

A preliminary crash report indicates that it occurred at approximately 4:30 p.m. on a recent Monday near Fairbanks. A Palmer woman, whose daughter, age 5, was in the station wagon with her was southbound on the highway when she veered across the center line. Two northbound motorcycles could not avoid colliding with the vehicle. One biker's wife who rode as a passenger died at the crash scene, while the other biker was airlifted with critical injuries to his lower body.

When an Alaska family loses a loved one in an auto crash, the financial consequences often exacerbate the emotional trauma. If the accident was caused by negligence such as distracted or aggressive driving, violations of the road rules, or poor driving skills, the surviving family members could file a wrongful death lawsuit. However, some people do not consider this option because they feel that the loved one cannot be brought back by any amount of compensation.

However, a successful lawsuit can ease the financial burden the family may face while also rectifying the wrongdoing and giving the family closure. Navigating a legal claim could be daunting without help, and for that reason, most plaintiffs seek legal counsel to establish negligence. Even if it was a single vehicle crash, there might be a manufacturer's defect, faulty brakes or tires, or other factors like poorly maintained roads that contributed to the accident. A lawyer can ensure that all responsible parties are named as defendants.

Sometimes, motorists or their passengers in Alaska who are involved in car accidents might believe they are uninjured and refuse a trip to the hospital for a medical evaluation. However, even a low-speed collision can cause a brain injury that might only become evident hours or days later. The rapid whiplash movement of the head that is typical upon sudden impact of a collision causes the brain to smash against the inside of the skull, causing bruising or bleeding of the brain.

A bleeding brain can ultimately cause death. The blood vessels and arteries that run through the brain and between the brain and the skull can tear or rupture when they are smashed against the hard bone of the skull. The bleeding form subdural and epidural hematomas. The pressure causes the hematomas to leak, filling the space between the brain and the skull with blood.

Consumers in Alaska may not realize that shopping might be a hazardous activity. Premises liability laws require owners of retail facilities to take reasonable care to offer consumers premises that are free of unsafe conditions or hidden dangers. They must ensure that spills are cleaned up immediately to prevent slip-and-fall accidents, repair broken railings or stairs, remove objects that have fallen, replace faulty light bulbs and provide the necessary security to protect customers.

While many shopping injuries are minor, some are life-changing. Dangerous premises can cause bone fractures, head trauma, muscle sprains, spinal injury, neck injury and some injuries could even be fatal. Floors that are wet from spillages or leakages pose slip-and-fall hazards, but so do torn carpets, malfunctioning escalators, insufficient lighting and torn carpets. Falling objects, unstable retail displays and objects that are out of reach can cause head and body injuries.