Automobile Accidents

• Raeleen Morgan Injured in Alaska Single-Car Wreck. What She Needs To Know...

  Ward Merdes | September 18, 2007 10:32 AM | 0 CommentsFairbanks, AK

  Single Vehicle Wreck - Passenger Claims Against Driver's Liability & U/UIM InsuranceAlaska State Troopers report that there was a single vehicle / moose wreck at miles 344.5 of the Richardson Highway on Thursday. Matthew Morgan, 24 was apparently driving. His passenger was Raeleen Morgan - who was injured in the wreck. Both were wearing seatbelts. They were traveling north in a 2004 Chrysler...

• Seaplane hits Ketchikan, Alaska tree. Four Killed.

  Ward Merdes | August 19, 2007 5:08 PM | 0 CommentsFairbanks, AK

  Four killed in Ketchikan float plane accident. Get an Attorney ASAP.The tragic floatplane accident in Ketchikan, where four people were killed and two injured, was caused by the plane striking a tree upon takeoff. The victims include 3-year-old Allison N. Smith, who remains in critical condition. Also, their grandmother, Mindy Mayer, 60, of Oregon City, was upgraded from serious to satisfactory...

• Infant Dies When Van Rolls Into Chena River

  Ward Merdes | July 18, 2007 6:54 AM | 0 CommentsFairbanks, AK

  When a child dies in a vehicle, grieving families rarely look to their own insurance - but they should. Always file an insurance claim when you suffer a loss. If the insurance company denies your claim, call a lawyer.James Barnes, born May 6 of this year, died when the van he occupied rolled into the Chena River, just outside Fairbanks, Alaska. By all accounts, his father fought like hell to get...

• 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...

• 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...

• 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...

• "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...

• Protect Your Rights

  Ward Merdes | March 30, 2006 9:17 AM | 0 CommentsFairbanks, AK

  If you, or someone you know, has been injured in a motor vehicle crash, and there is a related injury or death claim act quickly. Alaska state laws limit the time Alaskans have to file a claim or bring a lawsuit.A statute of limitations is a law limiting the time for you to pursue a legal remedy. Once the statutory period lapses, unless a legal exception applies, an injured person loses his/her...

• 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...