Negotiating Car Accident Claims Seminar

Seminar: Presented by Keenan Powell, this seminar is intended for the injured Alaskan who wants to negotiate his or her own claim. You will be provided with the "nuts and bolts" of presenting your claim.

Topics: Types of claims, types of insurance, liability, comparative negligence, doctor's liens, subrogations, tax consequences, hiring an attorney, documenting and negotiating bodily injury claims, property damage claims, lost wages, medical bills, emotional distress, uninsured/underinsured motorists claims.

Where: Spenard Recreational Center, Anchorage, Alaska.

When: October 13, 6:30 - 9:30 PM.

Admission: $ 15

Police Pursuits

The only thing worse than a drunk driver is a drunk driver being chased by the police. While a drunk driver poses obvious risks to the public safety, pursuing the drunk forces the drunk to try to outrun the police by increasing his or her speed.

By chasing the drunk driver, the police have taken a situation that may result in an accident and increased the chances of an accident. Not only have the police increased the chances of an accident, the police have increased the severity of the accident because the police are forcing the drunk to drive faster.

The role of a personal injury attorney is to obtain compensation for the injured person. Yet the injured person is not the only beneficiary of the claim. In the case of police pursuits, the public is the beneficiary as well. All over the country, police departments have been reviewing their policies and training programs regarding high-speed pursuits. The reason why the police are becoming accountable for their actions is because they are being held accountable for their actions by attorneys representing the innocent bystanders who were injured.

Making A Difference

It is my honor to represent injured Alaskans to recover compensation for injuries inflicted by a negligent party. Many of my clients suffer permanent disabling and painful injuries. No one understands the impact that chronic pain or other disabling injuries imposes upon an injured person. Even the people closest to the injured person are unable to understand what that person truly suffers.

Fortunately the medical field has advanced enough in the past few decades to offer some relief to chronic pain patients but at a great financial expense. When I prosecute a claim on the behalf of a seriously injured person, the goal is to obtain money to compensate for lost wages, medical bills, life care costs, and pain and suffering.

There is often a side-benefit that results from the claim: The negligent party becomes responsible for his or her behavior. Whether it is a hospital, the State of Alaska or a police department, the defendant is made aware of the breakdown in its systems which resulted in injury to my client. It is comforting to myself and to my clients that our efforts have led to the defendant's adoption of different policies, better screening of employees and increased training which will prevent other people from being injured in the future.

Foster Child Abuse

In Alaska, like the rest of the United States, there are children who are abused in foster homes. The abuse includes sexual abuse, mental abuse, emotional abuse, physical abuse and sometimes ends in murder. The State of Alaska and the agencies which place a child in a foster home, supervise the foster home and provide support services to the foster child are all responsible for the safety and welfare of the child. In two recent trials, the State of Alaska has been held responsible for its negligence in relation to foster child abuse. If you suspect that your child is being abused in a foster home, you should contact an attorney to investigate the matter.

Death by Mistake

An estimated 200,000 people die from preventable medical errors and hospital-aquired infections each year. The Hearst Corporation published an excellent article on-line regarding medical malpractice "Death by Mistake". The article describes common hospital errors, case stories and laws to prevent errors. Currently in Alaska there are no laws requiring hospital to report medical errors.

Read the article at: http://www.chron.com/deadbymistake/.

Nursing Home Negligence

Many of our seniors and disabled relatives live in nursing homes or assisted living. Many of these institutions provide excellent care. However it is important to be vigilant in watching your loved one for signs of neglect or abuse. Some, not all, of signs of neglect or abuse include:

1. Bed sores

2. Falls: falling out of bed and slip and falls

3. Overmedication and undermedication

4. Malnutrition and dehydration

5. Seniors walking away from the institution

6. Assault and sexual assault

7. Unreasonable physical restraint

If you suspect that your loved on is being neglected or abused, you need to act. Call an attorney. I would be happy to consult with you free of charge. Call Keenan Powell: 258-7663.

Hiring An Attorney

Hiring an attorney will be the most important choice you make when you need to protect your legal rights. There are people in Alaska who are representing themselves to be attorneys and practicing law without a license. Never hire someone who is not licensed to practice law. A non-attorney will not be around to help you when things go wrong and the Bar Association cannot help you if that person commits malpractice.

There are a number of ways to obtain the names of attorneys who practice in a particular area of law. Many attorneys maintain websites which will provide information regarding where they went to school, how long they have been practicing, what areas in which they practice and representative verdicts and settlements.

Besides asking your friends for referrals and searching the internet or the telephone book, you can call the Alaska Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service, 272-0352, to obtain the names of attorneys who practice in the area that is related to your question. If your case is a Workers Compensation case, you can call the Workers Compensation Division for a list of attorneys. The telephone numbers are: Anchorage 269-4890, Fairbanks 451-2889 and Juneau 465-2790.

After you have the names of attorneys who you are considering, you should do some research. First, find out if the attorney is an active member of the Alaska Bar Association. Go on-line to: http://www.alaskabar.org/index.jsp. There is a search engine at the website for the public to use to find out if the attorney is an active member.

On the same website, there is a list of attorneys who are in compliance with "MCLE/VCLE". That means that they have taken all of the continuing education which is required. The public can access that list. It is important that attorneys are current in developments of the law and take ethics courses.

When you call an attorney for an initial consultation, ask him or her on the telephone how much the consultation will be before you go in. Be prepared. Bring all of the documentation which you have regarding your case.

When you meet with attorney, ask if the attorney has malpractice insurance. Be weary of an attorney who does not carry malpractice insurance.

Good communication is critical to good representation. Select an attorney with whom you feel you can communicate comfortably.

Make sure that your fee agreement is in writing.

Keep copies of everything that the attorney sends to you.

You are entitled to be kept up to date regarding the status of your case. Sometimes attorneys get busy and don't have the opportunity to call all of their clients. You should feel comfortable in calling your attorney to request status updates.

Finally, if you do not feel comfortable with the progress of your case, first ask to meet with your attorney to have your questions answered. If you are still uncomfortable, get a second opinion. Meet with another attorney and review your case. The second opinion attorney is bound to attorney-client privilege and is not allowed to call your attorney unless you authorize it.