Don't Cheat Yourself

When you have been injured in a car accident, you need money to fix your car, to pay your medical bills and to keep a roof over your heard. Insurance companies know this. A friendly insurance adjuster might a day or two after the accident and offer you $1,500 - $2,500 to settle your claim hoping that you will settle low before you find out what is fair.

Don't cheat yourself! Don't settle until you know how serious your injuries are. Frequently doctors do not diagnose permanent injuries until six months or more after the accident. What looks like a simple whiplash a day or two after an accident can turn out to be a serious permanent injury which may require surgery. If you already settled your case, you can't get more money from the insurance company.

Before you settle your case, you need to talk to an experienced personal injury attorney. Keenan Powell has been fighting the good fight for injured Alaskans for over 25 years. Free consultation. Call: 258-7663 or 800-386-5678.

Distracted Drivers

Each year 5,800 people die in car accidents caused by distracted drivers. Another 515,00 people are injured. (Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration). There have been two terrible car accidents in Anchorage in recent weeks on clear days with good driving conditions. We all like to think that because we are careful drivers, we won't be in an accident. The problem is that we cannot control other drivers who are irresponsible or distracted.

Dealing with the insurance companies and medical bills is a whole new arena. Most people don't know what to ask for or what is fair. When you hire an attorney, that's your attorney's job.

Consultations with Keenan Powell are free of charge. Call: 258-7663 to make an appointment today. Toll free: 888-368-5678.

Fighting the Good Fight

I love my job. I believe in my clients and our cases. I fight against liars, cheaters, corporate greed, oppression, exploitation, sell-outs and indifference. I fight for justice. When I am stand up before a jury to introduce myself and my client, I always state that it is my privilege and honor to represent my client. These are not just words. This is how I feel. My strong feelings is what drives me to obtain justice for my clients. I love my job because I get paid to fight the good fight.

Sexual Harassment and Sex Discrimination

With the recent revelations of David Letterman, sexual harassment has gained attention in the media again. Alaska law and Alaska juries recognize that any sexual relationship between a supervisor and an employee is inherently coercive. Whether the supervisor explicitly or implicitly demands sex in exchange for a condition of employment (obtaining a job or raise, keeping a job, avoiding an undesirable job assignment or demotion, avoiding being fired), because of the inherently coercive nature of the relationship, sexual harassment has occurred. Sexual harassment has occured even though the employee submitted to the advances or not.

Sex discrimination may have occurred even if there are no sexual demands but when conditions of employment are related to the employee's gender. Sex discrimination occurs when a male counterpart is paid better than a female employee or when a male counterpart is given better job assignments or promotions despite seniority.

Sexual harassment and sex discrimination are serious problems in our culture which will continue as long as they are tolerated.

If you have been a victim of sexual harassment or sex discrimination, you should seek the advise of an attorney as quickly as possible.

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.