Personal Injury Lawyers in Maine

In Maine, the statute of limitations for most personal injury cases is six years. This is significantly longer than the typical one or two-year statute of limitations in most states. While it’s true that you have a long time to file a lawsuit from the date of the accident, it’s always in your best interest to at least consult with a personal injury lawyer in Maine right away. The longer you wait, the harder it will be to prove your case. Evidence is harder to obtain the longer you wait, your memories and witnesses’ memories fade, and it just gets more difficult as time goes on to get all the documents and information you will need. Even if you aren’t sure right away that you want to file a lawsuit, talking with a lawyer immediately is helpful so you at least know your options and can get an educated opinion on whether you have a valid claim or not. 

If you were injured and need to file a claim or lawsuit against a city, county, or state government, the deadline is different. You will have 180 days to file a formal complaint, and two years to file a civil lawsuit.

Maine personal injury claims are governed by comparative fault. If you are found to be 50 percent responsible or more for the accident and your injuries, you will be barred from recovering any compensation. If you are found to be 49 percent responsible or less, you will be able to recover compensation, but it will be reduced by the percentage that you are found to be responsible. For example, if you are awarded $100,000 in compensation but the court finds that you were 40 percent responsible, you will only be able to recover 60 percent of the award, or $60,000. If you are awarded $100,000 but the court determines you were 51 percent responsible, you won’t be able to recover any of that compensation. 

In Maine, you can recover the following types of damages in a personal injury claim:

1. Medical Expenses
After any kind of accident, it’s always a good idea to go to the hospital. Even if you don’t think you’ve suffered any major trauma, you could have internal bleeding or other injuries that you aren’t aware of. Unfortunately, these costs add up very quickly. If you are successful in your personal injury claim, you should be compensated for all of your medical expenses, including future medical expenses. Your personal injury lawyer in Maine will speak with a medical expert witness who can testify or write up a report regarding your injuries and what kind of treatment and rehabilitation you are likely to need in the future. Based on this testimony, you can be awarded compensation for any future medical needs.

2. Lost Wages
You are also entitled to lost wages, past, present, and future. Any wages you lost out on as a result of being in the hospital or out of work because of the accident should be awarded. Additionally, if you are unable to go back to work in the near future, compensation should be awarded for this as well. Further, if you are able to work but can only work part-time or have to work in a lower-paying position because of the accident, your attorney will seek compensation to make up for the difference between what you made before the accident and what you can make after the accident. Even if you were able to take sick days or vacation days while recovering from your injuries, you should be compensated for those as well.

3. Pain and Suffering
Compensation can be awarded for pain and suffering as well. Pain and suffering is considered non-economic damage because it’s much harder to quantify. Pain and suffering generally refers to the pain and suffering you’ve experienced as a result of your injuries or the medical treatment that you had to undergo. It’s clearly related to physical pain and suffering, but it’s not about specific quantifiable monetary loss.

4. Emotional Distress
Compensation for emotional distress can also be awarded. This might include compensation for someone who suffers from severe anxiety, depression, or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) as a result of the accident.  

5. Punitive Damages
Punitive damages are sometimes awarded as a way to essentially punish the defendant. These types of damages are not given to the plaintiff in an attempt to make them whole. Rather, the goal is to deter the defendant and others from engaging in this behavior in the future. 

Most personal injury cases are based on negligence, but not all. For example, in Maine, dog bite cases are based on strict liability. This means that if a dog bites someone, the owner is liable for the injuries even if they weren’t negligent in any way.

If you were injured in a car accident, a slip and fall, or another type of accident and the responsible party wants to settle the case without going to court, many people are tempted to take this quick settlement and don’t bother speaking to an attorney. While in some circumstances this might be a good idea, it’s usually in your best interest to speak to a lawyer. Insurance companies of all kinds have two primary goals: to collect premiums and to pay out the least amount of money in claims as possible. They’re simply concerned with profit. If they’re making you a settlement offer, chances are you can get a significantly higher award if you hire an experienced personal injury lawyer in Maine and have them negotiate a settlement or take the case to trial if necessary.

Anytime you need to hire a lawyer, it can be intimidating and confusing. Most people aren’t experienced in hiring attorneys, so they may not even know what to look for. One of the best things you can do is ask people you know for references. If anyone you know personally has used a personal injury attorney, you can get a good idea of how the firm operates and if they were happy with the firm or not. If you don’t know anyone who has had to deal with a personal injury lawyer, searching online is a good start. Here, you can find local attorneys and you can also see reviews that former clients have left for these attorneys. You want to make sure the firm you choose has a proven track record of successful negotiations and trials.

Morgan & Morgan has been handling all types of personal injury cases for decades. Throughout the course of our careers, we have recovered more than $20 billion dollars in compensation for our clients. We will do everything in our power to ensure you get the justice and compensation you deserve. Additionally, you never pay us anything up front or out of your own pocket. We take all cases on a contingency fee basis, meaning we only get paid if we win or settle your case. We have the resources of the nationwide firm that we are, and the personal touch of a smaller firm. We will always keep you updated on the status of your case, so you’ll never wonder what’s going on. Morgan & Morgan has more than 700 trial attorneys, and we will match you with the best personal injury lawyer in Maine. Morgan & Morgan is everywhere for everyone. Contact us today for a free and confidential case evaluation.