Experiencing the wilderness of Alaska is a coveted adventure. A drive from Anchorage to Alaska’s interior is filled with panoramic views, bringing cars to a halt on shoulderways for those fortunate enough to glimpse Denali on a cloudless day. However, the landscape is not the only situation that stops drivers in their tracks.
Alaskans navigate and share the roads with wildlife, particularly moose, that create significant hazards in cities like Anchorage and highways leading out into lesser populated stretches of our state. Anchorage car accident lawyers assist clients daily with moose car accidents in Anchorage. Farnsworth & Vance has witnessed the costs of these crashes to clients and can help you recover compensation for damages in a car accident in Alaska. Increasingly, medical debt is a reality in Alaska with its high costs of healthcare.
The Prevalent Threat of Moose Car Accidents in Alaska
As Alaska grows and tourism booms in our state, moose car accidents continue to rise. The number of moose car accidents becomes more prevalent during the shortened days of winter, when food sources are scarce, and mobility is limited for wildlife in the backcountry due to snowpack, driving even the most stealthy mountain maneuvering creatures to roadways where mobility is less challenging while driving becomes more treacherous. How prevalent are moose-car accidents near Anchorage and the Kenai Peninsula?
- A 14-day span in January (January 6-January 14) saw 21 moose killed along the Kenai Peninsula.
- Over 18 months, 145 moose were killed by automobiles on this stretch of roads.
- Annual reports documented 265 moose vehicle collisions in Alaska along the Peninsula, a drop from 285 the previous year.
- Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADFG) estimates an average of 800 moose car accidents on Alaska’s highways.
Moose can stand as high as seven feet tall, making it challenging to see them on the roads at night because headlights often only illuminate their legs. ADFG also reports when conditions are premium for bulls, their weight can span from 1,200 to 1,600 pounds, making them approximately half the weight of a compact car. The interactive Moose Vehicle Collision story map demonstrates the prevalence of moose vehicle accidents in Anchorage and other major hotspots throughout the state.
Concerns with Higher Insurance Rates if a Passenger Seeks Compensation in a Moose Car Accident
Moose car accidents can cause significant injuries, requiring costly medical treatment. If you are a passenger injured in a moose car accident and are receiving medical care, the vehicle’s insurance policy can be an avenue for you to recover the cost of your medical treatment along with pain and suffering compensation. However, it often demands the assistance of a personal injury attorney in Alaska to navigate negotiations with insurance companies to ensure the best outcome.
The vehicle’s owner or driver may have concerns that if a passenger presents an injury claim to the insurance, that the insurance will raise its rates. This is often misunderstood. The insurance company is likely going to raise those rates anyway because it will be paying out to repair or replace the damaged vehicle, and placing a second claim for the same accident will have minimal effect on future rates. Plus, the settlement value obtained can vastly outweigh the minimal rate increase that the insurance might charge in addition to the rate it is already going to raise. In short, the vehicle’s owner should be more concerned with their passenger’s health and well being than any potential rate increase. Settlements can change the life of passengers, which often include young children, who benefit from greater financial freedoms as adults when these injury claims are brought as children.
A car accident lawyer in Alaska can help navigate concerns about compensation with the insurance company in a moose car accident by mediating and negotiating the fairest compensation possible to cover any current damages you have suffered and provide a comprehensive review of any future medical expenses you may incur for ongoing treatment, when needed. An evaluation of your injuries allows us to seek an appropriate settlement to compensate for your damages in these sensitive situations.
Alaska Accidents and the Presence of Moose on Highways
Collisions with moose on highways in Alaska are not the only threat. Drivers may react to the presence of a moose on the road and maneuver in a manner that results in injury and damage. These actions can lead to:
- Injuries to passengers in a car leaving the road to avoid a moose
- Swerving and causing a sideswipe accident
- Head-on collisions resulting from attempts to miss hitting a moose
- Side underride accidents involving semi trucks
- Wrongful death accidents
- Anchorage pedestrian accidents
- Bicycle accidents in Anchorage
If you are a driver responsible for a moose car accident and a moose is injured, follow these steps to maintain the safety of everyone around. The law requires individuals to report any accident and moose strike to the Alaska State Troopers. Shooting a moose outside of hunting season, even when it is injured, or harvesting the meat is against the law, and drivers should follow the directions of the contacted authority.
Injuries Resulting from Moose Vehicle Collisions
Approximately 59% of accidents involving moose result in traumatic brain injury (TBI) to vehicle occupants, with many patients requiring treatment from multiple specialists, with orthopedic surgery being the most common specialty care. The size and impact produced by a moose car accident are traumatizing to commuters. Other injuries include:
- Cuts and lacerations
- Whiplash
- Contusions
- Concussion
- Broken bones
- Internal bleeding
- Organ damage
Getting medical attention may require extensive effort in Alaska, depending on the area of the crash. However, injury treatment and medical documentation of your injuries are vital to a claim and pursuing legal action. Receiving medical treatment for your injuries at the time of the accident establishes the cause of an injury and prevents the trauma from being associated with a pre-existing condition.
Moose Car Accident Injuries Can Go Unnoticed
There is bound to be a lot of adrenaline after a moose car accident or any vehicle crash incident on the highway, leading injured individuals to miss the initial signs of trauma. Additionally, many injuries, such as whiplash, TBI, and concussion, a form of TBI, can produce delayed symptoms, preventing the connection of these injuries with the accident that caused them. Immediate treatment for these traumas can prevent further injury, which often occurs when medical care is declined or dismissed.
Common Causes of Car Accidents in Alaska
Crashes with moose present significant dangers to Alaskans, but the next biggest threat to drivers in Alaska is other Alaskans on the highway. Anchorage is the largest city in Alaska, boasting its share of safety dangers created by other drivers. Common causes of accidents in Alaska include:
- Alcohol and drug impairment
- Speed
- Fatigued driving
- Distracted driving
- Weather
- Aggressive driving
- Hazardous road conditions, such as ice, frost heaves, and graveled roads
While statistics indicate that fatal accidents have declined in Alaska, the number of alcohol-related fatalities increased in one year by 27.2%, according to the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOT&PF). Having a loved one killed in a car accident in Alaska creates devastating loss, financial hardship, and senseless tragedy. Farnsworth & Vance have walked beside families impacted by wrongful death in Alaska, providing assurance and guidance in one of life’s most challenging moments.
A Look at Alaska’s Crash Statistics
While fatal accidents on Alaska’s highways remain lower than in most states, any life lost is one too many. Individuals injured in an Alaska car crash are often left to deal with personal injuries and property damage. The report cited above by DOT&PF gave the following annual crash injury and damage statistics:
- Fatal crashes: 66
- Serious injuries: 289
- Minor injuries: 2928
- Property damage only: 5817
Alaska’s percentage of paved public roads still hovers around 35%, requiring drivers to know the challenges of driving across the state. While roads are managed well in Alaska during winter, driving in icy conditions can become a contact sport. Additionally, the highways that receive no winter maintenance pose a significant risk in winter.
How an Anchorage Car Accident Attorney Can Help
A feature that draws people to Alaska but also makes it one of the most challenging states to access help is the vast distances between neighbors, towns, and cities. An Anchorage car accident attorney can help remove the barriers to successfully documenting a car accident and bring the information together to support a solid claim or lawsuit. An Anchorage moose car accident attorney at Farnsworth & Vance can also provide the following assistance:
- Utilize various resources to investigate a moose car accident to determine fault
- Ensure camera footage or phone records that may exist are not destroyed or deleted
- Work as a mediator between clients and insurance companies to protect a client’s best interests
- Advise clients of actions not to take during an ongoing accident investigation
- Interview witnesses to an accident to gain an outside perspective on the events of an accident
- Work with expert witnesses to support a case in court
- Negotiate a fair settlement with the insurance company
- Lay out your options so you can make an informed decision
- Support a case in court, seeking the compensation you need to cover your expenses
A claim’s value can be minimized or the case dismissed from court because the burden of proof, put on the injured party, is not met without sufficient documentation. When you work with a car accident lawyer in Anchorage to pursue a moose car accident claim or case, we will apply our understanding of complex laws to uphold your claim and seek the best outcome. Distances to medical care, legal assistance, and other challenges should never stop you from reaching out when you need help the most.
The Purpose of Compensation in an Alaska Moose Car Accident
Another defining characteristic of Alaskans is their ruggedness and sense of independence. But suffering injuries from a moose car accident or any motor vehicle accident can deplete finances, making it difficult to cover daily costs, much less tackle the onslaught of medical bills and other expenses that seem to be never-ending after an accident. The purpose of seeking damages in an Alaska car accident is to restore you to where you were before the accident occurred.
Getting back to life pre-accident can be difficult when you’re unable to work, injuries persist, your vehicle has been damaged, and there’s no way to make ends meet. We provide the experienced legal resentation in Alaska you need. But instead of taking our word for it, read these real stories from real Alaskans that we were able to assist.
Potential Compensation in an Alaska Car Accident
Let us help you determine what compensation is available to you, whether you were injured as the passenger of a car in a moose car accident or your accident involved another motorist. Many injured Alaskans are unaware of what damages they can seek by law after an accident, and we leave no stone unturned when we investigate your injuries. Damages that may be available to you in a car accident in Alaska include:
- Medical expenses and diagnostic testing expenses
- Rehabilitative costs
- Lost income, bonuses, and other income potential
- Medication costs
- Household services and adjustments expenses
- Cost of travel to medical appointments
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional and mental anguish
- Loss of enjoyment of life
This list is not complete of all the damages that may be available to you. Each situation is unique, and damages vary depending on each client’s situation. While we cannot guarantee these results in your case, we will provide unwavering representation from our first meeting until your claim or case is complete.
Time Limits Apply to Your Ability to Take Legal Action for an Alaska Car Accident
It is expected to be unsure whether you want to take legal action, wonder if it’s necessary, or be unfamiliar with how to get help. The most imperative step to take is to reach out to begin the process of asking questions as soon as possible so that when you feel comfortable with our ability to help, we can immediately take action to preserve evidence and complete the appropriate paperwork within legal time limits. The Alaska statute of limitations (A.S. §09.10.070) for pursuing an action for personal injury is two years.
Contact an Alaska Car Accident Attorney Today
Farnsworth & Vance has successfully assisted Alaskans in navigating the legal system to pursue compensation for injuries for years. Let us remove the uncertainty in getting the help you need in sensitive situations when you have a personal connection to a driver in a moose car crash. And let us tackle the complexities of dealing with insurance adjusters or legal action in any Alaska car accident.
We never want the cost to be why you don’t contact an Anchorage car accident attorney to discuss your injuries. Our team works on a contingency basis, meaning you only pay when we secure compensation. A free, no-obligation consultation will confirm why our Anchorage personal injury team at Farnsworth & Vance is the right team to fight for you.