Generally speaking, the Alaska statute of limitations for personal injury is two years. That may be subject to modification depending upon the age of the person injured. If you are a minor, you can have an extension of that statute of limitations until essentially the minor child reaches the age of 20.
Don’t Wait to Contact an Attorney
No one should wait until that very last moment that any statute of limitations might expire. It is important to understand what the statute of limitations is because if you don’t comply with it, your valid claim is deemed legally stale and it would be dismissed as in violation of the statute of limitations.
There is case law in Alaska, however, that if a minor is injured and their parent is also injured in the same incident, that the minor child statute of limitation may also be restricted to two years because the parent of that minor was also injured in the same incident.
The sooner an attorney is contacted and a claim is filed, the easier it will be to pursue that claim. Evidence will be easier to obtain, and there is a much better chance you will get a fair result and full compensation.
Do Wait to Settle
While we don’t recommend that you wait to file a claim. However, we do recommend that you wait to settle your claim and that you do not accept the first offer from the other driver’s insurance company. Why? Because it is impossible to know the full extent of your injuries until months, sometimes years down the road. Many deeper and oftentimes serious injuries are not easily detectable until a significant amount of time has passed after the accident. Not all personal injury attorneys will account for this time, and you might walk away with far less than you need and are entitled to. If you choose to work with the attorneys at Ringstad Law Office, P.C., it will be a long process, but it will be well worth the wait.
What to Do Next
Immediately following an accident, there are several important steps you should take. Find out what those things are and don’t be caught off guard when it happens to you.
Contact one of our attorneys or call us at (907) 452-1205 to set up a FREE consultation. We are ready to answer your questions regarding the Alaska statute of limitations for personal injury and can advise you throughout the personal injury claim process.