What the insurance company does not want you to know is that being partly at fault does not wipe out your claim in Alaska.

From the insurer's side, they will push a simple story: you stayed quiet, so you must have been hiding something. On a summer wreck between Anchorage and Girdwood or on the Seward Highway with tourist traffic everywhere, they will say the delay means the crash was minor, your injuries came from somewhere else, or you caused most of it.

They also like to use your fear against you. If you are undocumented, they may hope you assume filing a claim will bring immigration trouble and make you disappear. That helps them.

Reality: Alaska uses pure comparative fault. If you were 20%, 50%, or even 80% at fault, you can still pursue damages; your recovery is just reduced by your share of blame. So if your losses are $100,000 and you are 30% at fault, the number can drop to $70,000. It is not all-or-nothing.

What hurts you is the failure to report, not your immigration status. A late report gives the other side room to argue:

• the road conditions changed
• the vehicle damage cannot be documented
• witnesses disappeared
• your injuries were not from this crash

In Alaska, you generally must file a written crash report with the Division of Motor Vehicles within 10 days if there was injury, death, or apparent property damage of $2,000 or more. If APD or Alaska State Troopers investigated, get that report number fast. Take photos, save tow and repair records, and get medical care tied clearly to the crash date.

For a lawsuit, the usual deadline for personal injury is 2 years under AS 09.10.070.

The other side can argue you were speeding, following too close, distracted by unfamiliar roads, or driving on a damaged tire. That is normal. What matters is locking down the facts before they turn your silence into their defense.