Accident without insurance

What is the name of your state? Alaska

I was involved in a car accident back in Jan. of 2004. I had an old beat up Mazda pickup, and I had no insurance. The accident happened on my way to work. The roads were icy and at an intersection, I had a hard time stopping at a stop sign. (I was going under the speed limit.) A pickup truck twice the size of mine, which is owned by the government, hit me on the right side and completely damaged my truck. I also had a cut on my forehead that required 12 stitches. I was given a ticket for 'failure to stop at a stop sign', but was later dropped. I was told by the officer handling the accident that the other vehicle was going into the shop to get an estimate done. After a few months of not hearing from them, I figured they dropped everything. My fiance and I, along with my daughter decided to relocate to California in July. Now, 9 months after the accident, I receive a bill from the government stating that I owe close to $8,000. Is there any way I can fight this?

[LdiJ]

Originally Posted by jennjanes

What is the name of your state? Alaska

I was involved in a car accident back in Jan. of 2004. I had an old beat up Mazda pickup, and I had no insurance. The accident happened on my way to work. The roads were icy and at an intersection, I had a hard time stopping at a stop sign. (I was going under the speed limit.) A pickup truck twice the size of mine, which is owned by the government, hit me on the right side and completely damaged my truck. I also had a cut on my forehead that required 12 stitches. I was given a ticket for 'failure to stop at a stop sign', but was later dropped. I was told by the officer handling the accident that the other vehicle was going into the shop to get an estimate done. After a few months of not hearing from them, I figured they dropped everything. My fiance and I, along with my daughter decided to relocate to California in July. Now, 9 months after the accident, I receive a bill from the government stating that I owe close to $8,000. Is there any way I can fight this?

This is a perfect example of why its necessary to at least have liability coverage. Does Alaska not require liability coverage or financial responsibility declarations for registered vehicles? In my state you wouldn't be able to fight this. You would still be technically "at fault" for the accident even though the citation was dropped. Your best bet would be to consult an attorney in Alaska.

[john123456]

Of course Alaska requires vehicles to be insured. Poster, why shouldn't you have to pay this?

Okay, I know I was at fault for not having insurance. The town I lived in in Alaska is a very remote one. Several of the vehicles are not insured and they don't require your vehicles to even be registered.

One more question though. After getting a copy of the police report, the officer who was covering the accident had noted on the other driver's report that there was alcohol suspected. Is it worth the time and money to contact a lawyer about this?