Potential Parties in Alaska Tourist Accidents

Tourism is a leading industry in Alaska, employing around 1 in 10 of all residents and generating $297 million in annual spending according to Visit Anchorage Alaska. COVID-19 may have shrunk the number of visitors, but in 2022 the state was projected to set another year-over-year record for tourism and exceed 2.26 million guests. Locally, tourists spend enough on excursions, hotels, rental cars, meals, and other perks to generate $38 million in tax revenue for Anchorage.

If you travel for business or pleasure, you will also be contributing to tourism and taking advantage of the industry’s services. Unfortunately, the risk of accidents exists regardless of whether you are in your home city or visiting another. Rest assured that you still have legal options if you were hurt, and an Alaska tourist injuries attorney can assist with your legal remedies. There are often questions about liability and who you can sue after an accident, and some of the following information should help to clarify.

Liability for Accidents

There are multiple forms of liability to note when you were hurt in a tourist accident.

  • Negligence is the most common approach to your legal remedies in an accident. Under this concept, you need to prove that the accident happened because the at-fault party failed to exercise reasonable care.
  • A theory that is similar to negligence is common carrier liability, but there is a key distinction. With negligence, a party is required to use reasonable care; common carriers must exercise the utmost care, diligence, and attention. A common carrier is any business that transports individuals from one place to another, or round trip, for a fee.
  • If your tourist accident involved a defective product, you may proceed on the basis of strict liability. You do not need to prove fault, but you have evidence that the item was dangerous due to a flaw.

 

Parties in Alaska Tourist Accidents 

Business and property owners have a duty to use reasonable care to protect the safety of patrons and visitors, so many of these cases are based upon negligence. You may qualify to pursue:

  • A hotel, motel, campground, or other accommodations operator;
  • Restaurant owners, such as for food poisoning injuries;
  • The owner of a shop, boutique, market, grocer, or convenience store; and
  • Companies running adventure excursions, including downhill skiing, zip lining, tandem parachute jumps, city walking tours.

Common carrier liability would apply if you were hurt in an accident involving an airline, helicopter, ferry, bus, train, cruise, or other forms of transportation. There may be some overlap when transportation is part of a tour, such as whitewater rafting, dog sledding, and snowmobile trails.

Discuss Remedies With an Alaska Tourist Injury Lawyer Today

This risk of accidents persists whether you are home or away, but there can be complications when attempting to pursue your remedies from afar. For more information on potential parties, please contact Power & Power Law. You can schedule a free case evaluation at our offices in Anchorage by calling 907-222-9990 or visiting our website. We will advise you on remedies after reviewing your case.