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Action guide · Updated 2026-05-22

What to do after a truck accident in Alaska

Step-by-step for the first 24 hours, the first 30 days, and what to never do — with the Alaska-specific warnings that don't apply elsewhere.

The first 24 hours

  1. Call 911 immediately. Even if you feel okay, adrenaline masks injuries. A police report becomes critical evidence. Refusing medical care at the scene becomes ammunition for the defense to claim you weren't actually hurt.
  2. Get the trucking company's information. Take a photo of the truck's USDOT number (federally required to be displayed on commercial vehicles), the trailer ID, the driver's CDL, and the trucking company's insurance card. The USDOT number lets your attorney look up the company's federal inspection history.
  3. Photograph everything. The vehicles (all sides), skid marks, debris, road conditions, weather, traffic lights, your visible injuries. More is better. Take video too if you can.
  4. Get witness contact info. Witnesses leave. Get names and phone numbers before they're gone. They don't need to give a statement at the scene — just a way to reach them later.
  5. Get medical care that day. Even if you "feel fine," get evaluated. Soft-tissue injuries, internal bleeding, and TBI can be delayed-onset. Insurance defense will argue any gap in treatment proves you weren't injured.
  6. Do NOT give a statement to the trucking company's insurance. They'll call within hours. They are recording. Politely decline: "I'm not ready to discuss the accident yet. Please send any communications to my attorney."
  7. Do NOT accept any settlement offer in the first weeks. The first offer is always a fraction of fair value. Once you sign a release, the case is over — even if you later discover a herniated disc, TBI, or surgery needs.

The first week

  1. Contact a Alaska truck accident attorney. Most offer free initial consultations. Talking to a lawyer is not the same as hiring one. They can advise you on next steps. See our top Alaska firms →
  2. Send a litigation-hold letter to the trucking company. Your attorney does this. It's a formal demand that they preserve evidence — ELD logs, dashcam footage, the truck itself, maintenance records, driver qualification files. Without this, much of the critical evidence can be legally destroyed within weeks.
  3. Get follow-up medical care. Follow your doctor's recommendations exactly. Keep every appointment. Save every bill, prescription, and discharge summary.
  4. Start a recovery journal. Pain levels, mobility limitations, missed activities, sleep disturbance, emotional impact. These daily notes become powerful evidence for non-economic damages (pain and suffering).

The first 30 days

  1. Decide whether to hire an attorney. Most Alaska truck attorneys work on contingency fee — typically 33% pre-trial, 40% if it goes to trial, NOTHING if you don't recover. No upfront cost.
  2. Don't post on social media. Defense investigators monitor plaintiff social media. A vacation photo can be used to claim "you weren't really hurt" even if it predates the accident or shows nothing inconsistent with your injuries.
  3. Document missed work. Get a letter from your employer documenting missed days and lost wages. If self-employed, gather invoices and tax returns showing income before/after.
  4. Watch the SOL clock. Alaska gives you 2 years to file (full SOL guide), but evidence in commercial trucking cases is destroyed within weeks if not preserved by a litigation hold.

What to never do in Alaska

  • Never give a recorded statement to the trucking company's insurance without an attorney present. Insurance adjusters are trained to ask leading questions that elicit statements that minimize liability.
  • Never sign anything they put in front of you. Settlement releases, medical authorization forms, "just for our records" documents — they're all designed to limit your recovery. Have an attorney review every document.
  • Never accept a "quick" settlement. The first offer arrives because the insurer knows your case is worth far more than that. They want you to take a fraction before the full extent of injuries is known.
  • Never wait until "I feel better" to seek treatment. Soft-tissue and brain injuries often worsen over weeks. A gap in treatment is the defense's #1 argument that "the plaintiff must not have actually been hurt."

Alaska-specific deadlines and rules

  • SOL: 2 years for PI / 2 years wrongful death. Full breakdown →
  • Comparative negligence: Pure — recover even at 99% fault. State law page →
  • Damages caps: No statutory cap on compensatory damages