Auto Accident Injury in Maine
Have you suffered an injury due to a car accident in Maine? If so, your life may never be the same again. Injuries from a car accident can interfere with your ability both to work and to enjoy everyday activities. They can also be incredibly painful. As such, you need an auto accident attorney who understands the laws in ME that will fight for your legal rights and help you receive the financial compensation you deserve.
Auto Accident Injury Statistics in Maine
Auto crashes and injuries come as a significant concern in Maine within recent years. For the period from 2017 to 2021, the state of Maine recorded around 166,842 numbers of car crashes across the highways, of which approximately 23.31 percent resulted in injuries, with the number totaling 38,889 injury crashes. Unfortunately, 719 accidents could not be avoided resulting in fatalities. Such major causes of car accidents are distracted driving, adverse weather conditions, and driving while drunk.
What to Do After an Auto Accident
It’s important to be prepared in the event you are a victim of a car accident. Below are the steps to remember immediately after your crash.
Receive Immediate Medical Attention
What is the most important step that you need to take after an auto accident? You need to receive immediate and proper medical treatment. You may believe that the injuries sustained after an auto accident are minor. Proper medical treatment helps ensure that you have not sustained any internal injuries that you may not be aware of.
File a Police Report
Even if no one sustained injuries, you still need to call 911 and request law enforcement assistance. When officers arrive, jot down each one’s name and badge number. Answer their questions honestly, but don’t volunteer any unasked-for information, especially your thoughts on exactly what happened or who caused the car accident. Be sure to ask the officers for the number of their police reports. Also ask when and where you can get a copy of it, including how much it will cost you.
Crash reports may be obtained through the Maine Police Department for $10, but you will not be charged if no matches are found for your search. You will need the name and date of birth of an individual on the crash report; reports will be sent via email and most will be sent within two hours.
Gather the Appropriate Documentation
While waiting for officers to arrive after a car accident, collect information from all other drivers involved in the accident, including the following:
- Full name, address, phone number and email address
- Driver’s license state and number
- Auto insurance company name, policy number, and phone number
Use your cell phone to take pictures of each driver’s license, auto insurance card, your vehicle, and each additional vehicle involved in the car accident. Don’t rely on verbal communication. Having as much information as possible will only help you and your case later on. Try to keep this exchange as civil and friendly as possible. However, do not apologize for causing the accident or indicate in any way that you think you may have caused it.
Recovering Damages After an Auto Accident Injury
After surviving a car accident, the emotional and economic toll it takes can be staggering. You are not only dealing with the mental anguish that comes with being involved in a crash, but you may also be experiencing severe physical harm as well.
Common injuries associated with motor vehicle accidents include:
- Burn injuries
- Back and neck injuries, such as whiplash
- Brain and head injuries
- Broken bones
- Spinal injuries
- Soft tissue injuries
On Maine highways, the average cost of traffic crash property damage is $10,600 per crash. The average cost of suspected serious injuries per crash is $585,600. Drivers aged 30-39 are, on average, the largest group to be involved in a highway crash, with drivers aged 50-59 the second largest.
Hiring a car accident lawyer ensures you have the financial ability to cover any losses that have occurred as a result of a crash. An auto accident attorney will also help you handle the paperwork that you will have to complete from insurance companies. This boosts your odds of receiving the insurance compensation you deserve.
Auto Accident Laws in Maine
Liability Laws for ME
When car accidents happen, it is essential to determine who bears responsibility for the resulting damage and medical bills. Determining fault impacts everything from your insurance claim and level of liability to the amount of confusion you may endure during the claims process.
Maine is a modified comparative fault state. The amount you can recover in an accident-related lawsuit is reduced by your amount of responsibility as determined by a jury. The required minimum amounts of liability insurance in Maine are $50,000 for bodily injury or death of one person, $100,000 for total bodily injury or death and $25,000 for property damage per accident.
Statute of Limitations in ME
Each state has its own tort laws that determine the statute of limitations on a claim. In some states, this gives you just one year to file a claim in court, while some others may give you up to six years. In Maine, the law allows six years to file a personal injury or property damage lawsuit. A wrongful death claim must be filed within two years of the victim’s death.
This is why it is important to consult with an attorney immediately after your car crash. Don’t wait and risk losing out on any compensation they can recover.
Work With an Experienced Auto Accident Lawyer In Maine
After a car accident, you have enough to worry about. We can help you find an auto accident attorney for your unique case. Get the financial restitution that you deserve if you’re the victim of someone else’s conduct.
Submit a request online or call us today at (866) 345-6784 to get in touch with an experienced lawyer in ME!
About the Author
Aaron is a professional legal writer with a B.S. in English Education from Southern Illinois University – Carbondale. He has written, published, and edited thousands of legal articles for RequestLegalHelp, which has connected over 5 million people to legal help in the United States.
With over five years of experience writing thousands of legal articles for law firms across the U.S. and Canada, Aaron specializes in covering federal, state, and city-level legal issues ranging from auto accidents to wrongful terminations.
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