Miscellaneous

• Head Injured ATV Driver Gets Day in Court

  Jane Schneider | November 23, 2007 12:38 AM | 0 CommentsAnchorage, AK

  Defendant Brown lost control of his vehicle and crashed into a "breakaway" light pole. It broke away, creating a hazard for other vehicles in the right of way. 90 minutes later an ATV driver came along, collided with the pole and suffered a serious head injury. The ATV driver, Winschel, sued Brown, whose insurance carrier denied the claim and successfully talked Fairbanks Superior Court Judge...

• Punitive Damage & Emotional Distress Award Upheld

  Jane Schneider | November 21, 2007 12:26 AM | 0 CommentsAnchorage, AK

  Recently, the Alaska Supreme Court upheld an award of $25K in punitive damages and $50K in damages for emotional distress against a local physician, Dr. Michael Bradner. Bradner assaulted a scheduling nurse at a local hospital because he was upset with her. She also suffered a knee injury requiring surgery. The verdict was considerably in excess of $100K. All of Bradner's appeal points were...

• Critically Injured Child May Have Insurance Claim

  Jane Schneider | November 14, 2007 12:14 AM | 0 CommentsAnchorage, AK

  Police claim that Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2007, and Anchorage man, Joshua Sagayo, 23, so violently abused a 22 month old toddler in his care, that the child is still hospitalized with serious, and possibly fatal, injuries. Sagayo is in jail facing first and second degree assault charges. Conviction of assault often requires a finding by the jury that the conduct was "reckless" or "criminally...

• Truck Drags Pedestrian to His Death

  Jane Schneider | November 12, 2007 12:03 AM | 0 CommentsAnchorage, AK

  Poor lighting and visibility may have been factors in the Saturday morning, 11/10/07, pedestrian fatality in Anchorage. It was snowing and just getting light as Stephen W. Hanes, 57, turned Eastbound onto 6th from the northbound lanes of A street. He was driving a tractor pulling a belly-dump. A pedestrian caught in the right rear dual tires was drug 10 blocks before a motorist was able to...

• Insurers Try to Deny Insurance Claims in Federal Court

  Jane Schneider | October 26, 2007 12:16 AM | 0 CommentsAnchorage, AK

  Allstate, Progressive, and other carriers are often quick to take coverage disputes to Federal Court. The carriers bring a "declaratory judgment" action against their own policy holders, and sometimes sue the party that may have been seriously injured or killed by their policy holder. The insurers try to get the Federal Court to side with them. Carriers take such steps even though they know...

• Alaska Commercial Fishing Involves Death & Injury

  Jane Schneider | October 22, 2007 12:55 AM | 0 CommentsAnchorage, AK

  Statistics show that commercial fishing in Alaska, particularly the notoriously dangerous King crab fishery, is among the most dangerous occupations in America today. Death and serious injury are the result of constant exposure to risks of the business; slippery, wet, heaving decks, heavy equipment, moving lines, and ferocious weather. When death or serious injury is caused in a fishing...

• Alcohol Leads To Serious Injury and Arrest

  Mike Schneider | October 19, 2007 12:55 AM | 0 CommentsAnchorage, AK

  Two Noorvik men drank home brew into the early morning hours Monday. Then things went bad. One man attacked the other, injuring him seriously. The attacker was arrested and charged with assault. A good personal injury attorney can often find insurance coverage for an event like this, even where it appears the acts were criminal or intentional.For more information on this subject, please...

• Do You Need An Attorney for a Serious Injury or Death Case?

  Mike Schneider | October 15, 2007 10:55 AM | 0 CommentsAnchorage, AK

  Allstate Insurance Company works hard to keep people with serious injury or wrongful death claims away from qualified attorneys. There is a good reason the "Good Hands" people want you in their hands. Its own figures prove that if you are hurt, or have lost a loved one, you will get two to three times more compensation if you have an attorney on your side.The numbers aren't limited to large...

• Palmer Jury Finds for GEICO Insured

  Mike Schneider | October 10, 2007 12:32 AM | 0 CommentsAnchorage, AK

  Geico insured the mother of two...now three...a homemaker, who was 26 YOA on March 10 2001 when a Gieco-insured, 65 yoa male, now deceased, turned in front of her. She told the Dr. She was going 50 (in a 45) and had no seat belt on. Injury was cervical sprain with head turned to right to check on her kids in the back seat at the point of impact. After two years, Geico paid its $50,000...

• Spenard Shooting Leaves Victim With Few Options

  Jane Schneider | October 08, 2007 7:31 AM | 0 CommentsAnchorage, AK

  Last week a guest at a Spenard motel was wounded by gunfire. He and the shooter exchanged words, the shooter got into a vehicle, rolled down the window, fired a number of times and fled the scene. Even if later identified, it is unlikely that the shooter's auto insurance will cover the wounded man's bills, and even if the shooter had homeowner's coverage, the "intentional act" exclusion could...