Alaska Personal Injury Settlement Calculator

What the Alaska Personal Injury Settlement Calculator Does

This calculator gives you a rough estimate of your possible settlement or court award after a personal injury accident in Alaska.

It considers important details like:

• Medical expenses (past and future)
• Lost wages (past and future)
• Property damage
• Severity of injury
• Percentage of fault
• Attorney fees and case costs
• Insurance policy limits

The calculator uses these values to estimate both economic damages (like bills and lost income) and non-economic damages (like pain and suffering).

It also applies Alaska’s comparative negligence law, meaning your payout decreases based on how much fault you share in the accident.

How to Use the Calculator

Here’s a simple step-by-step guide:

1. Enter your percentage of fault
   In Alaska, you can still recover damages even if you were partly at fault.
   For example, if you were 10% at fault, your total award is reduced by 10%.
2. Add your medical expenses
   Include both what you’ve already paid and what you expect to pay in the future.
3. Add lost wages
   Enter income you’ve lost so far and any future income loss.
4. Include property damage
   This covers things like vehicle repairs or replacement.
5. Select your injury severity
   Choose between:
   • Minor (1.5x multiplier) — bruises, small cuts, short recovery
   • Moderate (3.0x multiplier) — broken bones, longer recovery
   • Severe (4.5x multiplier) — serious trauma, permanent impact
   These multipliers help estimate pain and suffering (non-economic damages).
6. Add policy limits (optional)
   If the at-fault party’s insurance has a maximum coverage limit, include it.
   The calculator won’t show a value higher than that.
7. Include attorney fees and costs (optional)
   You can select the standard fee rate or adjust for your situation.

When you click “Calculate Estimate,” you’ll get a breakdown showing:

• Total settlement estimate
• Economic and non-economic damages
• Attorney’s fee
• Case costs
• Your net recovery (the amount you might actually receive)

Understanding the Results

The calculator shows three key numbers:

1. Total Settlement Estimate

This is the combined value of your economic and non-economic damages after adjustments for fault and policy limits.

2. Breakdown of Damages

• Economic Damages = Medical + Lost Wages + Property Damage
• Non-Economic Damages = (Medical + Wages) × Severity Multiplier
  (Capped by Alaska law — usually $400,000 to $1,000,000 depending on injury)

3. Your Net Recovery

After subtracting attorney fees and costs, this is what you might take home.

Example:
If your total settlement is $100,000, your attorney takes 33%, and your case costs are $2,500, your estimated net recovery would be around $64,500.

Alaska’s Comparative Negligence Rule

Alaska follows a pure comparative negligence system.
That means your settlement is reduced by your percentage of fault — no matter how small or large it is.

For example:

• You’re 20% at fault.
• Your total damages are $100,000.
• Your final settlement becomes $80,000.

This rule ensures fairness — but it also makes accurate fault assessment crucial for a realistic estimate.

Why Non-Economic Damages Are Capped in Alaska

Alaska law places caps on non-economic damages (like pain and suffering) to prevent excessively high awards.
These caps depend on injury severity:

• Minor to moderate injuries: Up to $400,000
• Severe or catastrophic injuries: Up to $1,000,000

That’s why the calculator applies a cap automatically — it mirrors how Alaska courts handle real-world cases.

How Attorney Fees Affect Your Settlement

Most Alaska personal injury lawyers work on a contingency fee, meaning they only get paid if you win.

Common fee percentages:

• 33.3% – before litigation starts
• 40% – after litigation begins
• 0% – if you’re representing yourself

The calculator includes this deduction so your estimate reflects your true net recovery, not just the gross settlement number.

A Practical Example

Let’s say:

• You have $20,000 in medical bills
• $10,000 in lost wages
• $5,000 in property damage
• Moderate injury (multiplier 3.0)
• 10% fault
• $100,000 policy limit
• 33% attorney fee
• $2,500 in costs

Your estimated settlement might look like this:

• Economic Damages: $35,000
• Non-Economic Damages: $90,000
• Total Settlement: $125,000 → reduced to $112,500 (10% fault)
• Capped by policy limit: $100,000
• After attorney fees and costs: ~$64,500 net recovery

That’s the number you’d likely see displayed on the calculator.

Disclaimer

This tool gives an informational estimate, not a legal guarantee.
Many factors can change your real outcome — from insurance negotiations to jury awards.

Always consult a licensed Alaska personal injury attorney before making legal or financial decisions about your case.