Anchorage Personal Injury Lawyers

What is personal injury anyway? This blanket term can often cause confusion about what a “personal injury” really is and whether it constitutes legal action on the part of the injured party. If you trip and bang your knee on the floor at work because a co-worker left some boxes laying around, that is technically a personal injury but—depending on the severity of the damage done to your knee—it’s not likely an incident where a personal injury suit would be filed.

However, serious injuries from car and motorcycle accidents are the kinds of injuries that might leave you completely debilitated and drained emotionally and financially. These personal injuries are the injuries that bring on a maze of medical bills, insurance company paperwork, loss of wages, and a weighing concern about the person who hurt you and what to do about it all. At Kelley & Canterbury, LLC, we are dedicated to helping our clients through these overwhelming cases of personal injury.

If you’ve been involved in a serious accident and suffered an injury, you and your family should be able to focus on healing. Unfortunately, the stress of dealing with insurers and bill collectors who are demanding that you pay the bills or admit to fault for the accident can make healing difficult if not impossible. This is where our personal injury lawyers come in. We are experienced in helping Anchorage families navigate personal injury cases and determine the next best steps for families after a serious accident or injury.

After an accident, you might have big questions about whether or not you should file suit against the person responsible for your injuries, and what bringing a case against someone could mean for you. We are here to answer those questions for you and clear up any confusion about personal injury law to the best of our ability. We can start by explaining in more detail some of the most common personal injury claims in Alaska.

Accidents and injuries involving motor vehicles

On average, there are more than 6 million traffic accidents every year in the United States. These accidents include bicycle and motorcycle accidents, as well as accidents involving pedestrians and motor vehicles.

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Many of these accidents happen on account of distracted or impaired drivers. Whether the driver was texting, under the influence of alcohol, or just scolding the kids in the back seat when the accident occurred, that person should be held responsible for not paying close attention to the road and who is sharing it with them. If you’ve been injured in a car accident that was caused by another driver then you likely have a right to compensation for your damages.

After a serious motor vehicle accident in Anchorage, it is helpful to have an attorney on your side to ensure that your rights are protected. The at-fault party’s insurance company will likely contact you after an accident and ask you questions about how the accident was caused and your involvement.

Keep in mind that these insurance companies have the goal of avoiding a large settlement for your injuries. These companies might offer you a lowball settlement, one that doesn’t nearly cover the extent of your injuries. An experienced personal injury lawyer can recognize when a deceptive settlement is being offered and can help you determine what is a truly fair amount of compensation for your injuries.

Maritime Injuries

Alaska has more coastline than the entire continental U.S. and that means boating is a common form of travel and a popular recreational activity. However, that also means boating accidents happen more often here than in other places across the country. When these types of accidents do happen, they often affect the lives of every person involved.

Legal action in boating accidents can be tricky because it can be especially difficult to prove that your injury happened as a result of negligence. Negligence is the failure to act without reasonable care. Just because you were hurt in a boating accident doesn’t necessarily mean that another boat operator acted without care—at least it is often difficult to prove that negligence caused your injury. To determine fault and negligence, it’s helpful to know the most common types of boating accidents and how they occur.

A collision with another boat is the most common boating accident where injuries take place. Often, in a collision between two motorboats, both operators are usually at least partly at fault for the accidents. Much like a car accident case, injured passengers on the boat could have legal cases against both operators. If one of the operators is injured, he or she only has a case against the other operator when they are less than fifty percent at fault for the collision.

Hitting another boat’s wake is another likely cause for injury on the water. When a boat hits a big wake or wave, the jolt can knock passengers out of their seat or overboard. Legal liability for this type of accident is much less clear-cut than others. In many cases, the responsibility falls on the operator of the boat that hit the wake because it is their responsibility to keep a proper lookout for anything that could harm his or her passengers. The operator’s liability in a wake accident generally depends on the circumstances of the accident such as the size of the wake, the boat’s speed, and the level of visibility at the time of the accident.

If you’ve been seriously injured in a boating accident and you think it happened as a result of negligence on the part of a boat operator, you might be confused about what to do next or how to prove the operator’s liability. Our attorneys have experience with boating accident cases and will use any evidence from your incident to prove fault and get you the compensation you might deserve.

Elder abuse

When elderly Alaskans get to a vulnerable or disabled stage in their lives, attention to their most basic life necessities is needed the most. Eating, drinking, bathing, and sleeping are some of the tasks that elderly people need the most help with—the most basic, and vital, aspects of living.

Unfortunately, elder persons and their needs are often overlooked or neglected by the people who are supposed to care for them. This neglect can result in serious injuries and unnecessary suffering in the final years of his or her life. In many cases, caregivers and even trusted family members take advantage of elders by helping themselves to money, property, and other assets.

Neglect, abuse, and exploitation of the elderly occur in Anchorage and across the state of Alaska. It is often overlooked because the people being neglected or hurt often can’t speak up for themselves. If this type of abuse has happened to one of your loved ones, the result can be devastating. You might be asking yourself, how could this go overlooked for so long? What can I do to make up for this damage and suffering? The elder law attorneys at Kelley & Canterbury LLC can help you with these questions and work with you to ensure that justice is given to you and your family.

Contact our law firm today

There are many types of personal injury cases. Every one is unique and therefore deserving of specialized attention and true compassion. Our attorneys will work with you every step of the way to reach your goals; we are dedicated to the highest level of service for our clients and will answer all your questions with the attention and compassion you deserve after a debilitating injury.

Contact us today if you’ve been in an accident or have been injured due to the negligence of another person. We’ve helped many people successfully resolve all types of personal injury cases in Anchorage and across Alaska.