Fairbanks Alaska Statewide Personal Injury Lawyers - Sterling Highway

Sterling Highway Crash leaves 1 dead and 3 in critical condition

James Cool — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 00:31:14 GMT

Soldotna, Alaska—KTTU and the Anchorage Daily News report that a head-on collision left 1 dead and 8 injured (3 critically) on February 16, 2009. At around 3:25 p.m., while traveling along the Sterling Highway, a 2000 Ford Windstar driven by 74-year old Saylor Rehm of Kenai collided head-on with a 2006 Dodge Pick-up driven by Galen McIver of Wasilla. The crash closed the Sterling highway between Soldotna and Sterling for more than four hours as emergency response teams tended to the injured and removed the vehicles from the roadway. 58 year old Cindy Rehm, a passenger in the Ford Windstar, perished in the accident. 3 of the passengers from both vehicles were listed in critical condition as of this writing and 5 others sustained injuries in the crash.

According to KTTU: “In addition to Saylor and Cindy Rehm, the other passengers in the Windstar were Danielle Rehm, 17; Kyle Wisnewski, 18; Leah Stephens, 18; and Randy Jackson, 16. All reside in Kenai. The three occupants of the Dodge were driver Galen McIver, 48; Daniel Monk, 45; and Dawson Monk, 45. All live in Wasilla.”

Our thoughts and prayers go out to those injured and in critical condition. We wish you a speedy recovery and hope that you have not suffered any lasting injury in the crash. We also share the sorrow of the Rehm family and offer our sincerest condolences to Cindy’s loved ones. We are very sorry for your loss. We know that grief and the aftermath of an accident can be confusing and overwhelming. Here are a few things that you should know:

The KTTU report suggests that the driver of the Windstar, Saylor Rehm may have fallen asleep at the wheel. Nonetheless, it is not 100% clear who is responsible for the accident or what caused it. Even if Mr. Rehm did fall asleep, it is unknown what caused that. The only ways to find out who is responsible for the accident are to:

(1) Seek out the incident report from the Alaska State Troopers ASAP. (Visit http://www.dps.state.ak.us/PIO/ for information on obtaining reports.)

(2) Hire an investigator to examine the scene of the accident. 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.

Once you have this information you should:

(3) Contact an attorney to help you ASAP. Depending on the circumstances you may or may not have a viable claim. 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 families involved. If you would like a referral, feel free to contact Ward Merdes or call the Alaska Bar Assn. for a free lawyer referral: 800-770-9999. You can also try the National Board of Trial Advocacy (NBTA) at www.nbtanet.org. Just be sure to call an attorney who has handled cases like this before.

(4) Remember that the Statute of Limitations for personal injury and death claims in Alaska is normally two years (AS 09.10.070). This means that you have two years to file your claim, settle it with the responsible party or your claim goes away and you may lose the ability to pursue it. Ms. Rehm’s survivors can bring claims on her behalf. Her natural survivors would be a spouse or child.

(5) Also be aware that if Saylor Rehm had an insurance policy, even his passengers can make claims against this policy in order to recoup their medical expenses and money for injuries they have suffered. This is of course also true for the occupants of the Dodge if Mr. Rehm was at fault.

(6) Never forget that anything you say to your or anyone else’s insurance company may be recorded and can later be used against you. We encourage you to contact an attorney as soon as possible so they can advise you how to handle your own insurance company and so they can deal with the other guy’s.

(7) Always remember it’s critical that everyone drive safely and carefully as Alaska roads can be very dangerous. For more information about staying safe on Alaska’s icy roads, please visit www.slowdownalaska.org.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by James Cool

Three-Car Accident on Sterling Highway Sends Three to the Hospital

James Cool — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 15:57:26 GMT

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 18^th 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.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by James Cool