Three-Car Accident on Sterling Highway Sends Three to the Hospital
Posted by
James CoolDecember 21, 2008 3:57 PM
Soldotna, Alaska—The Peninsula Clarion reports that that a three-car accident on December 15, 2008 sent three people to the hospital and closed down the Sterling Highway for 40 minutes. Those injured in the accident include 21 year old Amber Sawyer of Anchorage, 62 year old Norma Daniels of Sterling and an unidentified passenger in the third vehicle which was driven by 17 year old Karen Duffy of Sterling. The Clarion reports that Duffy, driving a Subaru, rear-ended Sawyer while traveling north on the Sterling Highway. According to reports, this collision caused Sawyer to lose control of her vehicle and slide into on-coming traffic in the southbound lane where she was T-Boned by Daniels’ Chevy Trailblazer. This final collision caused Daniels’ Trail Blazer to roll over, trapping her inside. The collisions removed all three cars from the roadway and the assistance of emergency personnel was required to remove Ms. Daniels from her vehicle.
Thankfully, reports indicate that despite their injuries and damages to their vehicles, no one died or suffered life-threatening injuries. We wish everyone involved a speedy recovery and the best of health and cheer this holiday season. However one you finish recovering, it is critical that everyone involved is mindful of their rights and responsibilities. It is easy to put stressful and time consuming projects such as dealing with the aftermath of accident off during the holiday season. But in order to preserve your rights and protect your interests, there are certain things you must consider right away.
First, please remember to drive slowly and carefully. Alaska has some of the most dangerous roadways in the world, particularly during this time of year. Because of the increased snow and ice, as well as the presence of holiday revelers, driving Alaska’s roads requires extra caution and care. For more information on how to stay safe in Alaska and everywhere else, please visit: www.slowdownalaska.org.
For everyone involved in the accident, please remember:
(1) The Statute of Limitations for personal injury and death claims in Alaska is normally two years (AS 09.10.070). This means that all parties except Ms. Duffy have two years to file a claim, settle it with the responsible party or the claim goes away and you will never be able to file it. In the case of Ms. Duffy, who is 17, under Alaska law she will typically have two years from the date of her 18th birthday to file any claims.
(2) If you were a driver or passenger in any of the vehicles, your insurance policy may be available to cover any injuries you sustained in the crash. If you were a passenger in a vehicle, the driver’s auto-insurance may cover your expenses. Additionally, if the driver of the vehicle you were in has a med-pay provision in their insurance policy, that may also be available to cover your medical expenses. Obviously, if the Alaska State Troopers determine who is at fault, the insurance carrier for the party at fault may be available to cover some or all of your expenses and to compensate you for your injuries. For more on this, please see #3. Finally, even if the driver(s) of the other vehicle(s) are uninsured or not adequately insured, then your or your driver’s under/uninsured motorist coverage may cover any shortfall. If any of the drivers were driving a vehicle other than their own, the vehicle owner’s auto-insurance policy may cover you as a driver of the vehicle. To sort out the mess of determining whose insurance covers what it is recommended that you contact an attorney who handles auto-injury cases as soon as possible.
(3) Seek out the incident report from the Alaska State Troopers ASAP - and consider hiring your own investigator (Visit here for information on obtaining reports. It may already be too late to determine the exact conditions of the road or other helpful information, but the sooner you can collect evidence from the scene where the accident happened, the more valuable it will be.) A spokesperson for Central Emergency Services did not indicate that the roads were icy. If they were not, it is possible that there may have been a problem with the freeway or that one of the drivers acted negligently. The best way to answer these questions is to contact an attorney and to hire an investigator as soon as possible.
(4) Contact an attorney to help you ASAP. Depending on the circumstances you may or may not have a viable claim. However, it is critical that you speak with someone who can properly advise you of all of your rights. For more information on finding an attorney you can contact Ward Merdes for a referral at the number below or you can contact the Alaska Bar Association for a free lawyer referral at 1-800-770-9999, or visit the National Board of Trial Advocacy website at www.nbtanet.org.
(5) Please remember that any statements you make to the police or to your, or anyone else’s insurance company may be recorded and later used against you. For this reason, it is imperative that you speak with an attorney. Additionally, your attorney will be able to handle your discussions with your insurance company without exposing you to any unnecessary problems and can advise you of how to best obtain compensation for any injuries you sustained in the crash.
While you are certainly free to contact Mr. Merdes at 866-735-1102 Ext. 455, this is not a solicitation or legal advice. This is offered as information to the parties involved. No matter who you contact, just be sure to hire an attorney who has handled cases like this before.