Living through a high-speed car crash is a traumatic experience. Survivors often suffer catastrophic injuries that require emergency medical treatment, surgeries, and years of rehabilitation.

If you cannot work after the accident, you may be worried about how you will provide for your family call a high-speed car crash lawyer today. 

When drivers exceed the speed limit, their conscious decision to break the law amounts to negligence. You could pursue compensation for someone else’s negligence with help from an experienced attorney at Mann Law.

One avenue for compensation is from the speeding driver’s auto insurance. Another is to make a case before a jury for damages.

Before you speak with an insurer or attempt to file a lawsuit, contact a Bangor high-speed collision lawyer to discuss your options and get the dedicated support you deserve.  

Excessive Speed is Negligence

Bangor, Maine’s traffic laws and speed limits are meant to keep everyone safe on the road. Exceeding the speed limit is a legal violation and puts everyone in danger, which can earn a driver a citation and fine. 

Drivers have a duty to drive responsibly, which they fail to do when they speed. If the speeding driver causes an accident and you suffer injuries, you and a skilled lawyer could hold the third party accountable for their negligence.

A Bangor high-speed collision attorney at our firm can work to determine the negligent parties in your situation. 

Compensation for High-Speed Car Crashes in Bangor

In Maine, if you go to trial to ask for compensation after a high-speed collision, the defendant’s insurance company generally will be on the hook for some damages, but not all. 

Juries weigh the evidence your injury attorney presents, including police reports and medical reports, testimony, photos of the crash and your injuries, and surveillance video, if available.

The evidence is meant to prove the defendant was negligent and demonstrate the amount of money you will need to compensate for your losses. Collecting evidence at the scene of the accident will help your case. 

Some losses are financial, and some are meant to replace what cannot be easily measured. Economic and non-economic losses include:

  • Medical bills current and future
  • Current lost wages and those you will lose in the future if you cannot work
  • Damage to your car
  • Loss of freedom from pain and suffering
  • Loss of the enjoyment of life and family
  • Emotional trauma
  • Catastrophic injury such as but not limited to broken bones and fractures, neck injuries, and spinal cord injuries

 

Because a high-speed collision claim usually begins with insurance negotiations, you should choose an attorney like Christiana Mann, who has years of experience on both sides of these cases. 

    What Are Punitive Damages Available in Maine?

    Punitive damages are meant to punish the wrongdoer, not to compensate you for your injuries. Although punitive damages are rare, they may be available after a high-speed crash.

    However, in order to pursue punitive damages, your attorney must show the defendant acted maliciously, either targeting you out of hatred or knowing such egregious conduct would cause significant harm. 

    If you can prove, for instance, that the defendant purposely aimed the speeding car at you because of road rage or that the defendant drove drunk and at an excessive speed on a busy side road, you may have a case for punitive damages. 

    There is no camp on punitive damages in Maine, although the U.S. Supreme Court has expressed that punitive damages may be unconstitutional if they exceed nine times the compensatory damages.

    Most insurance policies will pay compensatory damages but not punitive damages, leaving you to figure out if the malicious driver has enough assets to pay. Our Bangor attorneys could further discuss whether punitive damages may be available in your high-speed collision case. 

    Call a Bangor, Maine High-Speed Collision Attorney for Support

    Call 207-700-0900. The healing process after a high-speed car crash can be long and arduous. At Mann Law, we are here to help you put the pieces of your life back together and support you throughout your journey.

    We can guide you on whether to settle with the at-fault driver’s insurance company, file a lawsuit, or ask for punitive damages. 

    Christiana Mann and the rest of the Mann Law legal team have over 50 cumulative  years of experience working with insurance companies and adjusters on behalf of injured victims.

    Our attorneys are not only seasoned negotiators and litigators, but we understand what you are going through and will treat you with the compassion and respect you deserve. Contact us today to learn what we can do for you.