A person who suffers personal injury or death or the person’s personal representative under Alaska Stat. § 09.55.570 or 09.55.580 may not recover damages for the personal injury or death if the injury or death occurred while the person was

(1) engaged in the commission of a felony, the person has been convicted of the felony, including conviction based on a guilty plea or plea of nolo contendere, and the party defending against the claim proves by clear and convincing evidence that the felony substantially contributed to the personal injury or death;

Attorney's Note

Under the Alaska Statutes, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:
ClassPrisonFine
Class A felonyup to 20 yearsup to $250,000
Class B felonyup to 10 yearsup to $100,000
For details, see Alaska Stat. § 12.55.125(c) and Alaska Stat. § 12.55.125

Terms Used In Alaska Statutes 09.65.210

  • Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
  • Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • Nolo contendere: No contest-has the same effect as a plea of guilty, as far as the criminal sentence is concerned, but may not be considered as an admission of guilt for any other purpose.
  • person: includes a corporation, company, partnership, firm, association, organization, business trust, or society, as well as a natural person. See Alaska Statutes 01.10.060
  • Plea: In a criminal case, the defendant's statement pleading "guilty" or "not guilty" in answer to the charges, a declaration made in open court.
(2) engaged in conduct that would constitute the commission of an unclassified felony, a class A felony, or a class B felony for which the person was not convicted and the party defending against the claim proves by clear and convincing evidence

(A) the felonious conduct; and
(B) that the felonious conduct substantially contributed to the personal injury or death;
(3) fleeing after the commission, by that person, of conduct that would constitute an unclassified felony, a class A felony, or a class B felony or being apprehended for conduct that would constitute an unclassified felony, a class A felony, or a class B felony if the party defending against the claim proves by clear and convincing evidence

(A) the felonious conduct; and
(B) that the conduct during the flight or apprehension substantially contributed to the injury or death;
(4) operating a vehicle, aircraft, or watercraft while under the influence of intoxicating liquor or any controlled substance in violation of Alaska Stat. § 28.35.030, was convicted, including conviction based on a guilty plea or plea of nolo contendere, and the party defending against the claim proves by clear and convincing evidence that the conduct substantially contributed to the personal injury or death; or
(5) engaged in conduct that would constitute a violation of Alaska Stat. § 28.35.030 for which the person was not convicted if the party defending against the claim proves by clear and convincing evidence

(A) the violation of Alaska Stat. § 28.35.030; and
(B) that the conduct substantially contributed to the personal injury or death.