The biggest money-loser is assuming Alaska gives you the usual 2 years and nothing else matters; in a government crash, waiting even a few weeks can wreck the claim.

• Yes, Alaska usually gives you 2 years to sue for personal injury under AS 09.10.070, but that is not a safe "do nothing until later" deadline when a City of Kodiak, Kodiak Island Borough, or State of Alaska DOT&PF vehicle or work zone is involved. Government defendants fight early on immunity, missing records, and who controlled the site.

• There is no Alaska-wide magic "90-day notice" rule for every government injury case. That bad advice gets repeated a lot. The real problem is that cities, boroughs, and the state often demand prompt claim reporting through their risk management or insurance channels, and construction-zone evidence disappears fast: flagger logs, lane-shift plans, truck GPS, radio calls, body-cam or dash-cam footage, and work orders.

• Road-design and traffic-control decisions can be immune. Alaska law gives government entities strong protection for discretionary function decisions, including some planning and design choices. A bad lane shift or unsafe taper may be framed as an immune planning decision unless the facts show negligent operation, maintenance, or failure to follow the approved traffic-control plan.

• Do not guess the right defendant. In Kodiak construction season, the truck may say "city," but the road work could be controlled by DOT&PF, a borough crew, or a private contractor. On state routes, the state may own the road while a contractor handles flaggers and equipment. You may have claims against more than one entity.

• Your old condition does not kill the claim. If the crash dramatically worsened a bad back, neck, or prior injury, Alaska law still allows recovery for the aggravation. What matters is getting early records showing the before-and-after change.

• Use your own auto policy right away. Alaska is a no-fault/PIP state, so your PIP coverage should be opened immediately for medical bills and wage loss after a vehicle crash, even if a government truck caused it. That does not extend the lawsuit deadline.