A non-injury car accident settlement in Maine covers property damage and related financial losses when another driver’s negligence causes a collision but no physical injuries result. Under Maine’s negligence standard, an at-fault driver is responsible for your vehicle repair or replacement costs, rental car expenses, and any other out-of-pocket losses directly caused by the crash, even when no one is hurt.
The details of every non-injury collision are different. Thus, a seasoned attorney needs to review the circumstances of your case to determine the approximate value of your losses.
Because specific details about the crash will affect your recovery, there is no average settlement for a non-injury car accident. When another person causes your financial losses, they should be responsible for compensating you for them.
A Maine car accident attorney at Mann Law can review your case and determine whether you qualify to file a claim. Our team has more than fifty years of combined experience advocating for those who suffered losses in car accidents.
Contact our office today to schedule an appointment with a member of our team.
A car accident settlement with no injuries covers only property damage, including vehicle repair or replacement, rental car costs, and damaged personal items. The payout depends on repair costs, insurance policy limits, and liability. To receive compensation, file a claim with the at-fault driver’s insurer and provide supporting evidence.
For example, vehicle damage from the accident is a type of loss you may recover in a non-injury accident settlement. Someone who drives a $100,000 vehicle will likely need more money to repair their vehicle than someone who owns a vehicle worth only $5,000.
Alternatively, consider a drunk driver who crashes into another person’s lawn. A property owner with expensive landscaping and fencing will typically recover a larger settlement than a property owner without such property additions.
The plaintiff’s characteristics and habits can also affect the size of a non-injury car accident settlement. Consider an accident where the at-fault driver totals the plaintiff’s vehicle, rendering it inoperable.
The plaintiff uses their vehicle to drive to and from work every day. The plaintiff can seek compensation for their lost wages while their vehicle was repaired, or can rent a vehicle and seek reimbursement for their rental car.
Although many car accidents only result in property damage, other collisions can result in devastating injuries to occupants and bystanders.
Car accident injuries often require immediate medical treatment and a stint in the hospital. Some accidents result in permanent injuries that affect an individual’s ability to return to their job or obtain other positions in the future.
The medical bills and loss of future earning capacity can easily add up to tens of thousands of dollars in losses. These damages, in addition to higher property damage repair costs, often make severe car accident settlements much larger than settlements for minor car crashes.
Proving fault in a Maine non-injury car accident requires establishing four elements of negligence: duty of care, breach of duty, causation, and actual losses. Maine courts apply the same negligence standard to property damage claims that they apply to injury claims, meaning the absence of physical injury does not make fault harder to prove.
A legal duty is an obligation to conform your conduct to the standard of a reasonably prudent person. Drivers owe a duty of care to other motorists and pedestrians to operate their vehicles in a reasonably safe manner.
Someone breaches their duty of care when they fail to act as a reasonably prudent person would in the same or similar circumstances. For example, drivers can breach their duty of care by ignoring posted traffic signs and signals.
The plaintiff demonstrates causation by proving that their losses would not have occurred if the at-fault driver had not breached their duty of care. Additionally, the plaintiff must show that their losses were a foreseeable result of the opposing party’s breach.
Lastly, you must provide evidence that you suffered actual losses due to the at-fault party’s negligence. The most common form of loss in a non-injury accident is property damage.
Our team of experienced injury lawyers at Mann Law will not treat your case as just another number. We are committed to putting our clients’ interests first and securing the best outcome possible.
Our attorneys offer personalized service to each of our clients and will fight tooth and nail to secure the settlements they deserve.
With experience as in-house counsel for an insurance company, our founding attorney, Christiana Mann, possesses unique insight when negotiating the best possible non-injury car accident settlement.
No injuries do not mean no recovery. Additionally, Mann Law has earned recognition as the Best Law Firm and Best Personal Injury Law Firm by the Portland Radio Group.
We are dedicated to holding individuals and corporations responsible for the losses they cause. Contact us today to schedule your free consultation.
Our team provided some answers to questions clients frequently ask about non-injury accident settlements.
You can file a car accident claim as long as you can demonstrate that the opposing party’s negligence caused your losses. Once you initiate the legal process, the opposing party’s representation may try to settle the claim without going to trial.
In this scenario, you are in control of the minimum settlement you will accept. Our team will help you compile information to calculate the true value of your losses, so you know whether a settlement offer is fair.
Car accident injuries may require extensive medical treatment and rehabilitation to restore the victim to their prior condition.
The treatment and recovery process constitutes a large portion of damages in many car accident cases. Additionally, the lasting impacts of a serious injury can give rise to noneconomic damages like pain and suffering and loss of enjoyment of life.
Property is almost always easier to replace than fully recovering from a devastating injury.
There is no fixed average settlement for a non-injury car accident in Maine because every collision involves different property damage, different at-fault parties, and different insurance policy limits. In general, non-injury settlements range from a few thousand dollars for minor fender-benders to tens of thousands of dollars when a vehicle is totaled or when commercial property is damaged. Maine’s modified comparative negligence rule can also reduce your recovery if you share any fault for the crash. An attorney can review the specific facts of your collision and give you a realistic estimate of your claim’s value.
Yes. In Maine, you can file a property damage claim or lawsuit against an at-fault driver even if no physical injuries occurred. You must be able to show that the other driver’s negligence caused the crash and that you suffered actual financial losses as a result, typically vehicle repair costs, replacement costs, rental car expenses, or damage to other property. Maine’s statute of limitations gives you six years from the date of the crash to file suit under 14 MRSA Section 752.
In a Maine non-injury car accident settlement, recoverable damages typically include vehicle repair or replacement costs, diminished vehicle value, rental car costs while your vehicle is being repaired, towing and storage fees, and damage to personal property inside the vehicle. If the crash caused you to miss work because your vehicle was your only means of transportation, lost wages may also be recoverable. Attorney fees are generally not recoverable in Maine property damage claims unless bad faith conduct by the insurer is established.
