Anchorage Alaska Insurance Claim Attorney

When analyzing a personal injury claim, an attorney not only evaluates the merits of the case, but also whether an ultimate award can be collected. With insurance claims, this requires a complex analysis of the various insurance policies available to cover the accident. The Law Office of Robert Stone, LLC will look into your insurance coverage, and the insurance coverage of the person who caused harm to you, to insure that you realize the benefit of all applicable coverage.  This usually involves analysis of the bodily injury or Liability Coverage, Medical Payments Coverage, Uninsured Motorist (UM) Coverage, and Underinsured Motorist (UIM) Coverage.  Likewise, often there exists Private Health Care Coverage.  The Law Office of Robert Stone, LLC has successfully worked with Medical Payments Carriers and Private Health Insurers in order to get our clients’ medical bills paid.  Private Health Insurers will often deny payment of benefits when injuries arise out of an insured accident.  Without the assistance of an experienced personal injury attorney, this process can be frustrating and overwhelming.  The Law Office of Robert Stone, LLC has years of experience guiding the injured through this insurance process.  We have successfully coordinated the payment of medical bills for hundreds of clients.

Alaska’s Auto Accident Insurance System

When another person negligently causes harm to you, Alaska law allows you to make a claim against that person’s automobile insurance policy.  This claim is fault based, which means that you can make a claim for damages that were caused by the actions of the at-fault driver.  If the at-fault driver does not have insurance, you may be able to make a claim under your own uninsured motorist (UM) policy. Likewise, you may also make a claim under your own underinsured insurance (UIM) policy to compensate you for personal injury damages exceeding the limits of the at-fault party’s liability policy.  Finally, your Medical Payments Coverage, if you have it, covers medical expenses arising out of an automobile accident, regardless of fault.

Problems with insurers can quickly escalate. The first problem may be if the at-fault driver is not properly insured. Even if you have Uninsured Motorist (UM) Coverage, your insurer may deny coverage if you violated the terms of your policy or if the accident was not within the scope of the policy contract terms. If you do not have Underinsured (UIM) or Uninsured Motorist (UM) Coverage you may have to file a lawsuit against the other driver to recover your damages.

Collateral Source Rule Allows Payment from Your Insurer and Wrongdoer

When deciding whether to file a lawsuit as a result of an auto accident, many people hesitate because they have already received a partial payment of their expenses from a source. However, just because you receive a portion of your expenses from one source, does not necessarily preclude recovery from other sources. Under Alaska’s collateral source rules the wrongdoer in an auto accident cannot use the fact that you received compensation from your insurer in order to reduce the amount that they owe.

Medical damages are often the most expensive item in an Alaska auto accident. If you are fortunate enough to have health insurance, you may be able to use that insurance to cover your immediate medical expenses. However, this should not limit your ability to recover from the wrongdoer as well.