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If you need an Alaska personal injury and wrongful death attorney with experience handling personal injury and wrongful death claims arising from motor vehicle accidents of all kinds, maritime and aviation accidents, defective product accidents and premises liability and job site accidents, please contact Attorney Elliott T. Dennis today.
Anchorage, Alaska Personal Injury and Wrongful Death Lawyer - Elliott T. Dennis
Serious injuries have devastating effects on victims and their families. From medical bills and lost wages to substantial property damage and permanent disabilities, victims are often left with mounting expenses and an uncertain future. Injury victims have the right to be compensated for the damage caused by other persons.
With more than 30 years of experience advocating the legal rights of his clients, Anchorage, Alaska personal injury and wrongful death lawyer Elliott T. Dennis understands the needs of a person or family coping with a catastrophic injury or loss of a loved one. He is experienced in the litigation of many different types of personal injury and wrongful death claims and can help you recover the compensation to which you are entitled for your injuries and losses. Contact Elliott T. Dennis for a free evaluation of your claim.
Personal Injury
The law entitles personal injury victims to recover fair compensation for injuries that are caused by someone else. These damages may included loss of wages, impaired earning capacity, emotional distress, pain and suffering, medical expenses, and more. The injured party may also recover punitive damages, which are damages awarded to punish the offender when his or her actions were particularly malicious or oppressive.
The law assumes that individuals have a duty to conform to a certain standard of behavior. This standard is defined as what a “reasonable” person would do in a similar situation. If a person violates this standard, he or she has acted negligently. When a person acts negligently and a serious injury or loss of life results, that person is financially responsible under the law.
Individuals in Alaska who have sustained a serious injury or lost a loved one due to someone else’s negligence should contact a personal injury attorney as soon as possible. A qualified attorney will preserve crucial evidence, interview witnesses, deal with the insurance company, file all the necessary legal paperwork on time, and help the victim pursue civil litigation against the negligent party.
Wrongful Death
Wrongful death is defined as a loss of life caused by the negligent or wrongful act or omission of another. Wrongful death claims can result from a variety of fatal injuries, including those caused by defective products, motor vehicle collisions, aviation accidents, workplace accidents, boat accidents, and slip and fall accidents.
Immediate family members of the deceased – including spouse, children, and parents – are eligible to file a wrongful death lawsuit and recover damages. Wrongful death claims are civil lawsuits filed independently of any criminal charges. Under the law, surviving family members may be compensated for damages caused by the death of their loved one. Damages may include medical and funeral costs, lost wages and benefits, loss of contributions for support, loss of assistance and service, loss of training and education support, loss of consortium, emotional trauma and punitive damages.
Anchorage, Alaska personal injury and wrongful death lawyer Elliott T. Dennis has devoted his professional career to helping his seriously injured clients and their families get their lives back on track. With more than 30 years of experience and an extensive network of personal and professional contacts, he has the resources and expertise to help you recover the maximum allowable compensation for your losses. Contact The Law Offices of Elliott T. Dennis to schedule a free consultation today.
Insurance Coverage
Of critical importance to an injured person or his/her survivors are whether the person or company responsible for his/her injuries has insurance, how much insurance coverage exists, and whether the coverage applies to the injury. If there is no insurance, an injured person is not likely to recover adequate compensation for his/her injuries. This can be financially devastating. Alaska personal injury and wrongful death attorney, Elliott T. Dennis, will find applicable insurance, if it exists, as soon as possible after he is hired to represent a client.
Auto Insurance
The law in Alaska requires automobile liability insurance. The minimum liability insurance required is $50,000 per person for bodily injury or $100,000 per accident regardless of the number of injured people. The minimum property damage liability limit is $25,000.
If the person legally responsible for the injury has no insurance coverage or the damages exceed the amount of that person’s liability insurance coverage, the injured person may make a claim against his/her own insurance, if he/she has purchased uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage. Under this situation, the injured person’s own insurance company stands in the shoes of the uninsured driver.
Passengers in a negligently driven automobile are frequently covered by a limited amount of medical insurance coverage (med-pay), but only if the driver purchased med-pay coverage. Law does not require med-pay coverage and the amount of med-pay coverage varies from policy to policy.
Premises Insurance
Premise liability claims based upon negligence are covered by Home Owners insurance or by Business Premises insurance. The law does not require such insurance. However, the bank or home mortgage company holding the loan on a home often requires the homeowner to have insurance. Business owners often carry premise liability insurance that will pay personal injury damages to persons injured on the business property.
Workers' Compensation
Workers' compensation insurance is required by law to be carried by all employers. There are a very few limited exceptions to this requirement. Any employee injured on the job while acting within the course and scope of his/her job is entitled to receive workers' compensation benefits. These benefits pay the medical expenses related to the injury, a limited amount of money to compensate for lost earnings, rehabilitation expenses, and a limited payment for permanent disability.
Workers' compensation claims are within the jurisdiction of the Workers' Compensation Board, not the court system. So long as the employer provides workers' compensation benefits, the employee cannot sue the employer for actual damages, even if a negligent employer or a co-worker caused the injury. This is called the Exclusive Remedy doctrine. However, if the employer has failed to obtain workers' compensation insurance, the employee can sue the employer for full damages.
Maritime Insurance
Marine insurance applicable to personal injury claims is Protection and Indemnity Coverage (P&I). If a vessel crewman or passenger is injured, they are typically covered by P&I coverage. However, the extent of the vessel owner’s liability is different between a passenger and a crew member.
A crew member can recover payment for maintenance and cure, as well as sue to recover personal injury damages against his/her employer. A passenger is not entitled to pursue a claim for maintenance and cure, but can file a lawsuit for negligence. The right of a maritime employee to sue his employer for damages is a major difference between the rights of maritime employees and shore-based employees.
Anchorage, Alaska personal injury and wrongful death lawyer Elliott T. Dennis has devoted his professional career to helping seriously injured clients and their families get their lives back on track. With more than thirty years of experience and an extensive network of personal and professional contacts, he has the resources and expertise to help you recover the maximum compensation justified by the facts and the law for your losses. Contact the Law Offices of Elliott T. Dennis to schedule a free consultation today.