Alaska Personal Injury Lawyers

Personal Injury Lawyers Alaska, Explaining Non-Economic Damages

Alaska Personal Injury Lawyers
Explaining Non-Economic Damages

When someone is injured because of the negligence or recklessness of someone else, that injured person has a right to file an Alaska personal injury lawsuit in order to recover damages.  There are several different types of damages that can be pursued, and many of them are directly tied to financial loss, including medical costs and lost income.

However, there are also several different forms of non-economic damages that can be pursued and recovered in a lawsuit.  Anyone who faces a situation where he or she should be able to recover these non-economic damages should seek the help of experienced Alaska personal injury lawyers, because there are many different laws in place that govern these situations.  Below is a brief explanation of how these damages are handled by the Alaska legislature.

Specific Types of Non-Economic Damages in Alaska

If someone has been injured by someone else or a family member files an Alaska wrongful death lawsuit against a defendant or defendants, Alaska law specifically lays out the types of non-economic damages that can be recovered.  These damages include:

• Pain
• Suffering
• Inconvenience
• Physical impairment
• Disfigurement
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Loss of consortium
• Other nonpecuniary damage

When someone files a lawsuit and seeks non-economic damages, the request for these damages must include at least one of these types of losses.

Limits on Alaska Non-Economic Damages

In addition to the specific types of non-economic damages that can be pursued, Alaska law also places limits on the amounts that can be recovered for these types of losses.  Specifically, the law states that these damages may not exceed the amount of $400,000 or the injured person’s life expectancy in years multiplied by $8,000, whichever is greater.

However, there is an exception to this limit when the plaintiff has suffered severe permanent disfigurement or severe permanent physical impairment.  In these situations, the plaintiff can recover up to $1 million or the injured person’s life expectancy multiplied by $25,000, whichever is greater.

Finally, when someone suffers multiple injuries as a result of a single incident that led to the filing of the Alaska personal injury lawsuit, those injuries shall be treated as a singular injury when it comes to deciphering the amount of damages that can be pursued.  This provision basically prevents a plaintiff from seeking separate damages for every infliction of harm that was suffered.

As can be seen, pursuing and recovering non-economic damages in Alaska is allowed, but it is also a somewhat complicated issue that requires legal skill in order to obtain them successfully.  If you or someone you love has been harmed by someone else, seek the help of Alaska personal injury lawyers who have recovered these types of damages many times for clients.  Contact Barber & Banker today to schedule a free initial consultation.