Automobile Accidents

• Randy Jones Motorcycle Wreck

  Ward Merdes | July 14, 2007 8:35 PM | 0 CommentsFairbanks, AK

  Colleen Jones suffered a terrible loss when her husband Randy was killed in a motorcycle wreck. Their insurance companies should be working hard to take care of them. Any bets on whether they will? Hold your breath.Fairbanks lost a good man on July 12. Randy Jones died in a motorcycle wreck. Riding side-by-side with his wife, the newspaper reports that their motorcycles touched, Randy lost...

• Accident or Negligence?

  Ward Merdes | May 12, 2007 7:25 PM | 0 CommentsFairbanks, AK

  Negligence is stupidity. As a juror, just ask yourself if the defendant could have avoided this situation by being more careful. If your answer is "Yes" - then hold the defendant Negligent and give the injured person enough money to get back on their horse. It's that simple. If you break it - you buy it.Jurors are sometimes confused between "Accidents" and "Negligence." After conducting dozens...

• Delta Junction Man Killed in Car Accident

  Shannon Weidemann | April 19, 2007 12:23 PM | 0 CommentsFairbanks, AK

  A 48-year-old man who is a resident of Delta Junction was killed in a single car accident on Monday night. The accident happened on Richardson Highway south of Fairbanks. The victim lost control of his Jeep and went off the road. Troopers in Fairbanks who responded to the accident were not available for comment on Wednesday, but Delta-based trooper Narsuk Nay, who arrived about two hours...

• Single Car Wrecks - "Can I Sue Daddy?"

  Ward Merdes | March 10, 2007 4:06 PM | 0 CommentsFairbanks, AK

  Kids hurt when a family vehicle goes off the road are doubly-helpless. A driving parent doesn't want to admit fault, and their own insurance carrier will deny benefits to the injured child. Call an attorney ASAP when your family is in a single-vehicle wreck. You have rights that your insurer won't mention.Motor vehicle wrecks. Nobody wants to think about them - but they happen anyway. Real...

• Grand Jury Indicts Man in Dragging Case

  Shannon Weidemann | February 14, 2007 12:18 PM | 0 CommentsFairbanks, AK

  A North Pole man was indicted by a Grand Jury with manslaughter charges. Allegedly he hit a woman with his 2005 Honda Civic and dragged her for four blocks. He then left her under his car.A neighbor spotted Ahsoak under the car at daybreak and called 911.Garner also was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol and failing to stop and render assistance.A $25,000 warrant was issued...

• Turn Left - You Lose... Maybe

  Ward Merdes | February 06, 2007 8:20 PM | 0 CommentsFairbanks, AK

  A left turn in a wreck isn't always the cause. Common sense controls. Don't listen to insurance carriers.Alaska's Administrative Code 13 AAC 02.125 addresses vehicle turning left, usually across traffic. It provides: "The driver of a vehicle intending to turn left at an intersection or into an alley, private road or driveway shall yield the right-of-way to a vehicle approaching from the opposite...

• HAVE YOU BEEN INJURED IN A CRASH?

  Ward Merdes | April 25, 2006 2:27 PM | 0 CommentsFairbanks, AK

  The insurance company of the individual responsible for injuring you will contact you very soon after the crash. They will want to ask you questions about your injuries. These first conversations after the crash may by difficult. You may be agitated or in pain. But common sense and a few guiding principles will prevent you from saying anything that may negatively effect your claim in the long...

• Five Fairbanks Intersections To Avoid...

  Ward Merdes | April 10, 2006 11:13 PM | 0 CommentsFairbanks, AK

  Like most cities, Fairbanks has its share of bad intersections. But, some just stand out as particularly dangerous. Here is the Top Five List of Fairbanks intersections to avoid...Number 5: Airport Rd. and Cushman St. For some reason, folks just haven't learned to slow down on Airport Rd. Furthermore, as a main four-lane, it seems to draw drunks and lead-footed kids in loud pickup trucks. Over...

• Get Paid To Be A Juror ... Now.

  Ward Merdes | April 02, 2006 8:30 PM | 0 CommentsFairbanks, AK

  Some folks view jury service as a pain. Some view it as a civic duty. Some folks even want to be jurors, begging to help render justice. Here's your chance to get paid for your opinion as a juror...The Alaska Court System uses a special list of prospective jurors: The Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend list. When you apply for your PFD, you are also applying for jury duty. So ... whether you want to...

• "What Can You Get For Me?"

  Ward Merdes | March 31, 2006 10:45 PM | 0 CommentsFairbanks, AK

  Injured people phone me every week, asking what I can get for them. They want to know what Alaskan law allows them to recover. Here's the list...If you are injured in a motor vehicle crash, for example, Alaskan law allows you to claim these "damages" from the defendant: (1) past and future medical bills; (2) past and future lost wages; and (3) past and future "non-economic" losses. The term...