National Toll Free: (877) 655-1661|Email: request@autoloss.com|Hours: Mon–Fri 8 a.m.–4 p.m. PT · Sat 7–10 a.m. PT
Nationwide · All 50 states
State law · AK
Alaska's standard jury instruction on damaged personal property lets a jury award repair cost plus any loss in market value that remains after repair, so an owner may seek lost value from the at-fault driver. No Alaska appellate decision applying this to a repaired passenger car was found, and nothing was found on claims against your own insurer. Property damage suits generally must be filed within two years.
Claim against the at-fault driver
Allowed by case law
Claim against your own insurer
Unsettled
Time limit to sue for property damage
2 years
Insurance regulator
Reviewed by Monica Fisher, Owner, Licensed Auto Appraiser and Court Expert Witness — appraisal perspective, not legal advice
Last reviewed
Alaska law
Third-party claim
Allowed by case law
Alaska Civil Pattern Jury Instruction 20.15 offers, as one measure, repair cost plus the difference between fair market value before the accident and after repairs. Its comment cites Alaska Supreme Court cases saying the owner recovers lost value, or repair cost plus residual loss in value, whichever is less. These cases involved equipment, not cars; no car-specific Alaska ruling was found.
Authority: ERA Helicopters, Inc. v. Digicon Alaska, Inc., 518 P.2d 1057 (Alaska 1974); Alaska Civil Pattern Jury Instruction 20.15
First-party claim
Unsettled
No Alaska statute, regulation or appellate decision on whether an auto policy's collision coverage must pay diminished value was found. The answer likely depends on the policy wording; many policies elsewhere exclude it expressly.
Case law
Supreme Court of Alaska · 1974
518 P.2d 1057 (Alaska 1974)
Approved an instruction letting the jury award the lesser of (a) repair cost plus the drop in market value remaining after repair, or (b) the before-and-after value difference of the unrepaired property. The court stressed that tort damages aim to restore the injured party's position.
Alaska Civil Pattern Jury Instruction 20.15: Damage to Personal Property
Pattern instruction (not a statute). Paragraph C: reasonable repair cost plus the difference between fair market value immediately before the accident and after repairs. The comment cites City of Seward v. Afognak Logging, 31 P.3d 780 (Alaska 2001) and ERA Helicopters.
AS 09.10.070(a)(3): Two-year limit for injuring personal property
An action for taking, detaining, or injuring personal property must be commenced within two years of accrual.
AS 09.10.053: Three-year limit for contract actions
Contract actions must generally be brought within three years, which may matter for a claim against your own insurer; policies may also contain their own suit deadlines.
AS 28.22.101(d): Motor vehicle liability policy minimum limits
Requires at least $50,000 per person and $100,000 per accident for bodily injury and $25,000 for property damage.
Researched September 30, 2026. General information from an appraisal perspective, not legal advice.
Autoloss in AK
We serve Alaska from your repair order, photos and records, the same way we serve every state. A typical diminished-value appraisal is $250–$350, typically 24–48 hours after all required information is received.
Other states
The claim review is free: we look at your situation and tell you whether an appraisal is likely to help. The appraisal itself is a paid report. We help from start to finish, including a custom demand letter, and our support staff is a phone call away throughout the process.
