Source: https://www.injuryclaimcoach.com/maine-car-accident-guide.html
Timestamp: 2018-05-25 09:20:46
Document Index: 89899895

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 2254', '§ 2251', '§ 2251', '§ 1605', '§156', '§ 7482', '§ 752']

The Complete Maine Car Accident Guide | Injury Claim Coach
Maine Accident Guide
The Complete Maine Car Accident Guide
Maine is no exception, reporting over 35,000 car crashes last year, resulting in more than 8,000 injuries and 150 fatalities.²
What You Need to Know if You’ve Been in a Maine Car Accident
If you’ve been the victim of a car accident in Maine, you’ll want to be fully compensated for your personal injuries and damaged property. This guide can help.
Here are 10 steps to help you build a successful car accident claim. We’ve also answered 32 of the most frequently asked questions about accident claims.
Will the police file an accident report if they come to the scene?
How can I request a copy of the accident report?
What are my options under Maine’s third-party liability rules?
How much insurance coverage is required in Maine?
7. How Comparative Negligence Affects You
How much can I sue for in Maine small claims court?
How can I learn more about Maine small claims court?
What is the Statute of Limitations period in Maine?
Your location: Emergency responders can get there faster if they know where to find you, so tell the dispatcher the road you’re on, which direction you were heading, the nearest intersecting street names or mile markers, GPS coordinates, or any landmarks that will help describe your location.
Possible injuries: Tell the dispatcher if anyone is injured or asking for medical help.
Scene description: Accidents scenes can be dangerous, with noise and activity around the wrecked cars and from passing traffic. Tell the dispatcher if anyone might be in danger, if there are overturned vehicles, or if there are hazards in the area like leaking fuel or downed power lines.
When anyone has been injured or killed in a Maine car accident, drivers must provide their name, address, car registration and insurance information, and if asked, also show their driver’s license.
Maine law also requires drivers to give “reasonable assistance” to anyone who is hurt or asking for medical help. This means making arrangements to transport the injured person for medical treatment, either by driving them yourself or by calling for emergency services.
Maine Revised Statute Title 29-A Section 2252 (1) (2) A, B, C, D and (3)
Your injuries from a car accident may be obvious, like heavy bleeding or broken bones. But car accident injuries aren’t always easy to see, even critical injuries like head trauma or internal bleeding. Some injury symptoms may not appear for hours or even days after the crash.
If you’ve hit an unattended parked car, you must stop at the scene. Try to find the owner and share your name, address, registration, and insurance information. If the other car owner asks, you must also show your driver’s license.
If you can’t find the owner of the vehicle, leave a note in a conspicuous place on the car. The note should have your name, address, registration and insurance information, and an explanation of what happened.
Maine Revised Statute Title 29 § 2254 (1) (2) A, B, C and 2 (A)
Drivers involved in an accident where anyone is hurt or killed, or there’s property damage of $1,000 or more, are required to immediately notify the police.
Maine Revised Statute Title 29 Chapter 19 A § 2251
You must provide your name, address, vehicle registration and proof of insurance to the other driver. If asked, you must also show your driver’s license to the driver of the other vehicle.
Yes. When the police respond to an accident scene where anyone has been hurt or killed, or there has been property damage of $1,000 or more, the office is required to investigate the accident and file a report within five days.
Maine Revised Statute Title 29 Chapter 19 A § 2251-4
Police accident reports are available online through the Maine Crash Reporting Online Search & Ordering Service.
When you’ve been in a car accident, you’ll want to be fully compensated for your damages. To get a fair insurance settlement, you’ll need evidence that the at-fault driver was negligent or did something wrong.
Gathering evidence at the accident scene will significantly help your insurance claim, especially if the accident happened because of a negligent driver.
Accident scenes change quickly. Damaged cars are removed, and the drivers and witnesses leave. Take advantage of the narrow window of time right after the accident to get vital information and statements from the other driver, passengers, and any witnesses.
Make detailed notes of the date and time, the weather, if it was daylight or dark, and anything else you saw, heard or even smelled (like alcohol) before, during and after the accident.
Passengers: Ask for all passengers’ full names, dates of birth, addresses, telephone numbers, e-mail addresses, and any other contact information. Passengers don’t have to disclose information to you, but you can make notes for yourself about how many passengers, their ages, what they looked like, how they behaved, and any passenger statements you heard.
Vehicles: Look for the make, model, year, license plate number, expiration date, and vehicle identification number (VIN) for each vehicle involved in the accident. The VIN can normally be found on the car’s dashboard in the left corner at the bottom, on the driver’s insurance card, or inside the door jamb of the driver’s side door. Don’t go into the other driver’s car without permission.
Witnesses: Witnesses are not required to speak with you, but you can try to talk with potential witnesses long enough to find out if they saw anything that might help your claim. If you have a cooperative witness, ask for their name, address, phone numbers, e-mail address, and if they’ll write down a statement of what they observed. Have the witness sign and date any written statement.
Yes. Taking pictures or videos with your phone, camera or any other device is very helpful to your claim. Take as many photographs and videos as you safely can from different angles.
Photos and video can show important details of the cars involved, the accident scene, and the adjacent area. Sometimes, pictures or video capture how the drivers and passengers were behaving, apparent intoxication, and other significant factors that may have been involved.
Photographs and videos often become compelling evidence that makes it harder for those involved to change their story after the accident.
Your auto insurance policy is a legal contract between you and the insurance company. You want your auto insurance to protect you if anything happens while you’re driving.
Understanding your obligations under the policy will keep those protections in force after a collision.
Most auto policies have a Notice of Occurrence and Cooperation clause. The clause means you agree to tell your insurance company when you are in an accident, and also agree to cooperate with your insurance company’s accident investigation. The clause will have language similar to this:
Yes. There are apps for Apple and Android devices to make reporting a Maine car accident faster and easier. Many of the apps will help you gather important information and start the insurance claim process.
Yes. You agreed to report all vehicle accidents to your insurance company, even if an accident wasn’t your fault or no one seems to be hurt. Your insurance company wants to hear your side of the story right away. By promptly notifying your insurer, and cooperating with their investigation, you give them the best chance to defend your position.
If anyone from the other car hires an attorney, you can be sure their attorney will notify your insurance company, putting you and the insurance company at a disadvantage if you hadn’t already reported the accident.
Failing to notify your insurance company can cause the company to raise your premiums, decide not to renew your policy, or even cancel your auto insurance.
Step 5. Cooperate with Law Enforcement
When the local police, county sheriff, or Maine Highway Patrol arrive at the accident scene, they are there to perform an important job.
The police investigation and accident report can ultimately help you with your insurance claim.
Take statements from drivers, passengers, and witnesses
Never argue with the police. Confrontational remarks like “I want your badge number. I’m reporting you!” not only interfere with the accident investigation, but they can also lead to a citation, or possibly your arrest.
If the investigating officer decides you violated Maine traffic laws, you may be issued a citation. You can try to persuade the officer not to give you a ticket, but once the citation is issued, you should accept it.
Maine is not a no-fault insurance state, where each driver in a crash relies on their own insurance and pays their own expenses. Under Maine ’s third-party liability rule, drivers who are in an accident caused by another driver can file claims against the other driver’s insurance company.
When it comes to auto insurance, if you make a claim on your own insurance policy, you are a making a first-party claim. If you make a claim under someone else’s policy, where you are not covered or listed on the policy, you are making a third-party claim.
A third-party liability claim is your claim for property damage or personal injuries against the other driver’s insurance because the other driver is at fault, or “liable” for the accident.
In Maine, if you are the victim of a negligent driver, you have three options:
Medical Payments coverage protects you and anyone else covered under your auto policy, even if the accident is your fault. Maine requires Medical Payments coverage of at least $2,000.
Liability Insurance covers injuries or damage to other people or property when you’re at fault for an accident. You are required to have at least minimum liability coverage for bodily injury in the amounts of $50,000 per person and $100,000 per accident, as well as $25,000 per accident for property damage.
Uninsured Motorist coverage is triggered if you’re injured in an accident caused by a driver who has no insurance.
In Maine, drivers must carry Uninsured/Underinsured motorist bodily injury coverage of at least $50,000 per person and $100,000 per accident.
Maine Revised Statute Title 29 A § 1605
Step 7. Learn How Comparative Negligence Affects You
Maine follows the Comparative Negligence rule, meaning you can file an accident claim against the other driver, even if you are partially at fault (liable) for the accident, so long as the other driver is more to blame for the accident than you.
If you are 50% or more at fault for the accident, you won’t be able to recover any damages from the other driver. If your liability is 49% or less, you can still receive a settlement, but the amount will be adjusted according to your share of liability for the accident.
Example of how the Maine comparative negligence law affects a settlement:
Alvin was driving west on Maple Street to pick up his daughter from daycare. He was on his cell phone, texting his wife to let her know he was running late.
Unfortunately, the light turned red as Molly entered the intersection. She T-boned Alvin’s car, causing serious injuries to Alvin.
Alvin was seeking $100,000 for his personal injury claim, to cover his medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering. Molly’s insurance company refused to pay more than $50,000, so Alvin sued Molly.
During trial, the evidence showed Molly failed to stop at the red light, so she was legally responsible for causing the accident. However, the jury also saw evidence that showed Alvin was texting at the time of the accident.
While the jury agreed that Alvin’s personal injury claim was worth $100,000, they determined that he was 20% at fault because he was texting while driving. Molly was 80% at fault for the crash, for failing to stop at the red light.
Since Molly was more to blame for the auto accident, under the Maine comparative negligence law, Alvin was awarded $80,000 (80%) of his damage claim.
If the jury had determined that Alvin was 50% or more at fault, he wouldn’t have recovered any money for his personal injury claim.
Maine Revised Statute Title 14 Chapter 7 §156
No. Because of Maine’ comparative negligence law, it is never appropriate to discuss fault at an accident scene. Don’t make statements that can be used against you. Every accident is different, and you simply don’t have enough information to admit fault.
Until the accident has been thoroughly investigated, you won’t know about acts or omissions by the other driver that contributed to the accident.
Remember, the Maine comparative negligence law means that if the other driver is partially or equally to blame for the accident, they may only be entitled to a partial settlement or nothing at all from you or your insurance company.
Some injury claims will require the expertise of a skilled attorney to persuade the insurance company to pay enough to adequately compensate you for your damages. There are other claims which can be successfully handled without an attorney.
Soft tissue injuries don’t usually need a lot of expensive medical tests, and can often be settled without sworn testimony, legal procedures, or filing a lawsuit.
“Hard” injuries are much more serious and can include amputations, multiple fractures, internal bleeding, head trauma, spinal injuries, and similar severe, and sometimes life-threatening injuries. Hard injury claims are complicated, requiring the insurance company to pay out significantly more money for a fair settlement.
When you’ve been seriously injured in an accident, you have limited power to handle insurance negotiations and legal procedures on your own. Without an experienced attorney, once the insurance company makes their “final” offer, you probably won’t have the knowledge or energy to fight them.
Insurance companies count on that and regularly offer far less settlement money to claimants without legal representation.
Experienced personal injury attorneys have the skills, knowledge and legal tools needed to compel the insurance company to pay a settlement amount you deserve, to fairly compensate you for your injuries and suffering.
Most reputable personal injury attorneys offer a free initial consultation. You can meet with more than one attorney before choosing who will represent you.
If you’ve been seriously injured, gather all your accident-related documents, including your medical records, accident report, and witness statements. Bring those documents to the first consultation with each attorney you meet.
You won’t pay any attorney fees if your attorney can’t settle your claim or loses your case in court.
Small Claims Court is a faster, easier, and less formal way to resolve small claims. Small claims actions in Maine are heard in the District Court and are decided by the judge.
Maine small claims court can be used to pursue claims valued up to $6,000.
Maine Revised Statute Title 14 Chapter 738 § 7482
Your Maine small claims court action should be filed against the at-fault driver, not the driver’s insurance company.
For more information, go the State of Maine Judicial Branch Small Claims Court page.
Maine has a six-year statute of limitations for property damage and personal injury claims. The statute starts to “run” on the accident date.
This means you have six years from the date of the accident to settle your claim or file a lawsuit against the at-fault driver.
Maine Revised Statute Title 14 Chapter 205 § 752
The insurance company and the claims adjuster are not obligated to settle your claim before time runs out. If negotiations are going slowly, it’s up to you to be vigilant about the statute of limitations deadline.
The insurance company doesn’t have to settle your claim before the statute of limitations expires. If you miss the six-year deadline, there is nothing you can do to make them pay for your damages.
Don’t risk forfeiting your claim. If you don’t have a signed settlement agreement, don’t wait until the statutory deadline to protect your claim. Remember, the insurance company doesn’t have the authority to give you an “extension” on the statute of limitations.
They know what happens if your claim isn’t settled and you haven’t sued their insured before the statutory deadline. If you don’t file a lawsuit against the at-fault driver within six years of the car accident date, you can’t do it later by blaming the insurance company.
Be aware of the statute of limitations deadline for your accident. Schedule reminders for yourself well in advance of the deadline. Put alerts on your phone, mark the date on your calendar, or whatever it takes to remind you. Don’t wait until the last day to act on preserving your claim.