Car accidents in Alaska: what to do and who pays

At the scene and reporting a crash in Alaska

Always stop and help anyone who is hurt. Leaving the scene of a crash is a crime in every state.

When to call the police

Call police right away by the quickest means if anyone is hurt or killed, or total property damage looks like $2,000 or more. Inside a city, call the local police; outside a city, call the Alaska Department of Public Safety (State Troopers).

Damage amount

$2,000

Report to the state

In those same crashes, you must also send a written or electronic crash report to the Alaska Department of Administration (Division of Motor Vehicles), and to the local police if the crash was inside a city, within 10 days. You do not need to file it if a peace officer investigated the crash. Separately, if anyone was hurt or property damage was over $501, you must be able to prove to the DMV within 15 days that you had insurance (AS 28.22.021, 28.22.031).

Deadline for your report

10 days

Law

AS 28.35.080; AS 28.22.021, 28.22.031

Official text

Read the official text

First 24 hours after a crash in Alaska

Tick the boxes as you go, or print the list and keep it in your glove box.

Insurance system in Alaska

Alaska is a fault (tort) state: the driver who caused the crash, through their liability insurance, pays for the other people's injuries and damage.

System

Fault (tort)

PIP, benefits and when you can sue

No PIP. Alaska has no no-fault law: the driver who caused the crash (and their liability insurance) pays for the other people's injuries and damage. You can claim against the at-fault driver's insurer or sue the at-fault driver.

Law

AS 28.22.101 (liability insurance for 'liability imposed by law'); AS 09.17.060

Official text

Read the official text

Compare every state in the no-fault states table.

Who pays: comparative fault in Alaska

Rule

Pure comparative

What it means

In Alaska, you can recover damages even if you were mostly at fault, but they are reduced by your share of the fault.

Law

AS 09.17.060: your own fault lowers what you can recover by your share, but does not bar recovery.

Compare every state's rule in the comparative negligence table.

Who pays in Alaska: fault and payout explainer

If both drivers share the blame, your state's comparative-fault rule decides whether you can recover and how much. Enter your share of the fault and your total damages to see what the rule means. This is an illustration, not a prediction: insurers, juries and judges decide the percentages.

Minimum insurance in Alaska

Liability minimum

50/100/25

Uninsured / underinsured motorist (UM/UIM)

Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage (UM/UIM) must be included in the same amounts (50/100/25), unless you reject it in writing. The UM property damage part covers only your vehicle, not loss of use, and has a $250 deductible unless the insurer offers a different one (AS 28.22.101(e), 28.22.201).

Official text

Read the official text

Numbers like 25/50/25 mean $25,000 for injury to one person, $50,000 for all injuries in one crash and $25,000 for property damage. Compare every state in the minimum insurance table.

Getting the police report in Alaska

Ask the police agency that investigated the crash (city police, or the Alaska State Troopers / Department of Public Safety outside cities) for a copy.

No confirmed online way to order a report in Alaska? Ask by mail with our free police report request letter.

Filing a claim and insurer deadlines in Alaska

How fast insurers must act

Insurers must acknowledge a claim in writing within 10 working days (3 AAC 26.040), finish investigating within 30 working days unless they tell you in writing why they need more time (3 AAC 26.050), and on your own policy accept or deny within 15 working days after proof of loss and pay undisputed amounts within 30 working days (3 AAC 26.070). They must also explain in writing how they valued your vehicle and itemize any betterment or depreciation deductions (3 AAC 26.080). Unfair claim practices are banned by AS 21.36.125.

Put your claim in writing. Our free insurance claim letter lists your damages and asks for a written answer, within 10 working days for Alaska where our data gives a day count.

If the other driver has no insurance in Alaska

Every Alaska policy includes UM/UIM coverage unless you rejected it in writing; it pays for your injuries and damage to your covered vehicle (usually after a $250 deductible). For a hit-and-run, report it to the authorities within 24 hours so the other vehicle is presumed uninsured (AS 28.22.201(b)). A driver who can't prove insurance to the DMV within 15 days after a crash with injury or property damage over $501 loses their license for at least 90 days (at least 1 year for a repeat within 10 years) (AS 28.22.021, 28.22.031, 28.22.041).

Read what to do if you are hit by an uninsured driver.

Deadlines to sue in Alaska

Property damage (your car)

2 years

Injury

2 years

Notes, including claims against a government

Small claims court in Alaska cannot hear claims against the State of Alaska or the U.S. government.

Law

AS 09.10.070(a)

The deadline is the statute of limitations. Insurance claims and talks with an adjuster don't stop it. Compare every state in the deadlines table.

Deadline to sue in Alaska

Every state limits how long you have to file a lawsuit after a car crash. This is the statute of limitations. Choose your state, the type of claim and the date of the crash to see the usual deadline and the last day to file. Nothing you type here is sent anywhere.

Small claims for property damage in Alaska

Small claims limit

$10,000 (same for businesses).

Alaska small claims guide on Small Claims Map

Small claims court can be a way to recover the cost of repairs from the driver who caused the crash. Read how to use small claims for car damage.

Insurance complaints in Alaska

If an insurer delays, underpays or denies a claim without a good reason, you can file a complaint with the state insurance regulator:

• Alaska Division of Insurance (Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development)

Free help in Alaska

• Alaska Court System Self-Help Center
• Alaska Court System Self-Help: Small Claims

Good to know in Alaska

• Alaska requires higher minimum liability limits (50/100/25) than most states (AS 28.22.101).
• Insurers must warn an unrepresented claimant in writing at least 60 days before a deadline (such as the statute of limitations) that could affect the claim (3 AAC 26.070(c)).

Free letters

Questions about car accidents in Alaska

Other states