Alaska Truck Accident Lawyer

Alaska's road system is small, and the trucks that keep the state supplied share it with everyone else. When a heavy truck crashes on a two-lane highway in winter, the injuries are often severe and the investigation is unusually difficult.

Where do large trucks travel in Alaska?

A handful of highways carry nearly all of Alaska's truck freight. Most goods reach the state by ship or barge, then move by truck from the Port of Alaska in Anchorage and other ports to communities on the road system.

• The Glenn and Parks Highways carry freight from Anchorage to the Mat-Su Valley, Fairbanks and the Interior.
• The Richardson Highway links Valdez to Fairbanks along the pipeline corridor.
• The Dalton Highway, often called the haul road, runs north to the oil fields on long gravel stretches with steep grades.
• The Alaska Highway brings freight in from Canada through Tok.
• The Seward Highway connects port traffic on the Kenai Peninsula with Anchorage.

Fuel tankers, logging and gravel trucks, oversize loads for oil and mining projects, and delivery trucks all share these roads with cars and tourist RVs.

What records show whether a trucking company followed the rules?

Federal motor carrier safety rules apply to most commercial trucks in Alaska, and the company's own records often prove whether those rules were broken. Hours-of-service limits, inspection requirements and driver qualification standards all create paper and electronic trails.

Federal rules contain special hours-of-service provisions for drivers operating in Alaska, which reflect the long distances involved. That makes it important to apply the correct standard to the driver's electronic logs rather than assuming the general rules. The truck's engine control module may also record speed and braking. Other useful records include dispatch messages, fuel receipts, GPS data, inspection reports and maintenance files. A preservation letter sent quickly helps keep these records from being lost.

Who besides the driver may be responsible?

Several companies may share the blame for one crash. In Alaska, fault can be divided among every party that contributed, so identifying each one helps ensure the full loss is covered.

• The motor carrier that employed or contracted the driver.
• A company that loaded or secured the cargo, including oversize or hazardous loads.
• A maintenance provider that missed brake, tire or chain problems.
• A broker that hired a carrier with a poor safety record.
• The maker of a defective part, which can lead to a product liability claim.

How is fault divided in an Alaska truck crash?

Each party's share is set by the jury, and your recovery is reduced only by your own percentage. Alaska generally holds each defendant responsible for its own share rather than the whole loss.

A worked example: a pickup driver on the Parks Highway is hit by a tractor-trailer that jackknifes while descending a grade in freezing rain. Damages total $600,000. The jury finds the trucking company 70% at fault for excessive speed and worn tires, a maintenance contractor 15% at fault, and the pickup driver 15% at fault for following too closely. The pickup driver can recover $510,000, with each defendant generally paying its own share. Without the maintenance contractor in the case, that 15% might have been left unpaid.

What should you do after a truck crash on a remote Alaska road?

Get to medical care first, then protect evidence that the weather may erase. Remote crashes may leave you with only your phone and your memory.

1. Photograph the truck, the trailer, the cargo and the road surface if you can do so safely.
2. Record the carrier name and the USDOT number from the cab door.
3. Note weather, light conditions and any warning signs or chain-up notices.
4. Keep your vehicle until it can be inspected.
5. Avoid recorded statements to the carrier's insurer.
6. Talk with a lawyer about sending preservation letters for electronic data and video.

How long do you have, and how does the damages cap apply?

Most Alaska truck injury claims must be filed within 2 years. Alaska's cap on noneconomic damages applies in most injury cases, with higher limits for severe permanent impairment, so economic losses must be fully documented.

Truck crashes often cause brain injuries, spinal injuries and amputations that require lifelong care. Our catastrophic injury page explains how those losses are measured. If you were driving for work, a claim against the trucking company may exist alongside workers' compensation. To compare other claim types, see our Alaska car accident page or our Alaska injury guide. We offer a free case review, and you pay no fee unless we win.