A car accident can be a frightening and traumatic experience. If you or someone you love suffered serious injuries, a traffic crash could continue to impact your lives for years to come.
Mounting medical bills on top of time missed from work could add stress to an already difficult time while you recover from your injuries.
If another party caused your collision, you may be able to pursue monetary damages with help from an experienced attorney.
Contact a Bangor car accident lawyer at Mann Law as soon as possible to learn your legal options. A successful claim could ease your life as you heal and help you hold the negligent party accountable.
Broadly speaking, auto accidents that occur on highways and/or involve head-on collisions tend to be the most severe.
Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for serious car wrecks in Bangor and throughout Maine to result in “catastrophic” injuries with permanent and debilitating effects, such as spinal cord damage, traumatic brain injuries, or internal organ trauma.
However, even being rear-ended in a parking lot or hit while turning in an intersection could cause physical harm.
Injuries like broken bones, ligament tears and strains, minor concussions, and lacerations from broken glass could also serve as grounds for litigation.
Any injury could justify a lawsuit or settlement demand if it requires professional medical care and interferes with a victim’s short-term financial security.
Medical expenses related to any injury can and should be incorporated into a comprehensive claim.
At Mann Law, our Bangor car crash attorneys could also pursue various economic and non-economic damages, including:
In a consultation, an experienced lawyer at our Bangor office could go over what losses might be compensable after a car collision.
Under Maine Revised Statutes §1605, anyone registering a passenger vehicle must have liability insurance with minimum coverage amounts of $25,000 for property damage, $50,000 for injuries to one person, and $100,000 aggregate for injuries to multiple people.
Additionally, the registered owner must have medical payments coverage of at least $2000 for the driver and passengers.
The state follows the traditional fault system for vehicle accidents, meaning that the at-fault driver pays the losses of anyone who was injured.
If the at-fault driver’s insurance coverage is insufficient to pay your losses, the at-fault driver is personally liable.
In some cases, multiple parties may share responsibility for causing an accident. However, a partially negligent person still has the right to claim damages if the accident was not primarily their fault.
A skilled Bangor car accident lawyer could review an accident to identify potentially responsible parties.
By spreading fault among several other parties, you as the injured person may bear a smaller proportion of the blame, preserving your right to claim damages.
To seek damages after a car crash, you as the claimant and your lawyer must prove that the other party failed to use reasonable care, directly resulting in the claimant’s injuries.
You as the claimant also must show that you suffered documentable losses due to the crash.
An experienced Bangor car crash attorney could help gather evidence to prove your losses stemming from a Maine car accident.
There are also several steps that you as the victim can take to protect your right to pursue compensation.
In addition to contacting police immediately after a car crash, there are many other things an injured person should do to strengthen any future personal injury claim you they may pursue.
After a car wreck, those involved should call the police. A police report offers valuable information that a legal representative could use to help establish another party’s negligence.
A Bangor car accident attorney could review a police report and other evidence to identify circumstances that might indicate one or more parties were negligent.
At Mann Law, a dedicated lawyer could review various forms of evidence to determine the liable parties in a Maine car accident case. If another driver received a citation, this could be used as evidence of negligence.
An insurance adjuster’s report could implicate mechanical failure, meaning the manufacturer might have liability.
A history of crashes at the location could suggest a safety concern that the local government should have addressed.
If one of the involved drivers was intoxicated, a legal professional could investigate whether a bar or restaurant violated the state’s dram shop laws.
First and foremost, any car accident victim in Maine physically able to do so should take photos and/or videos of the scene.
This may include documentation of the positions of the vehicles involved, the physical damage is done to each car, and the surrounding environment—stop lights or signs, traffic patterns, and obstacles like trees or buildings that might have reduced visibility.
It is also a good idea to speak with witnesses to the wreck and gather their contact information. When building a comprehensive claim, witness testimony could serve as vital evidence supporting a plaintiff’s position.
Finally, it is essential to seek professional medical care as soon as possible after a wreck, even if there are no immediately apparent injuries.
Any related medical documentation may be crucial in an ensuing car accident lawsuit as a means of defining the scope of a plaintiff’s injuries and valuating expected future losses.
Maine allows six years for a car accident victim to bring a lawsuit seeking damages.
Some people delay seeking legal help because they assume they have plenty of time. However, this could be a poor decision, particularly in cases involving government entities.
If a local government might be a defendant in a car accident case, the injured person must submit a formal notice of claim within six months of their accident and file a lawsuit within two years.
According to Maine Revised Statute §1804-A, a local government could have responsibility for a vehicle accident if:
Even if a local government might not be partially responsible, it is always easier to build a strong case when memories are fresh and physical evidence is available.
As such, it is best to consult a Bangor car accident attorney as soon as possible after a car crash.
The laws surrounding vehicle insurance and accidents are complex, making it difficult to handle a claim on your own.
Christiana Mann and the entire Mann Law team will get you the compensation you deserve while helping put the pieces of your life back together.
With over 20 years of experience, we have valuable insight into navigating the personal injury claim process, a procedure that is difficult to explore independent of a Bangor car accident lawyer.
As your Maine car accident legal representation, we also communicate with your healthcare providers to ensure bills are taken care of and that the settlement or lawsuit process is clearly understood by those involved.
A skilled Bangor car crash attorney could handle your case and fight for the compensation you deserve while you recover from your injuries.
During the claims process, insurance companies may try to suggest you’re at fault, so you’ll need Mann Law’s aggressive advocates to work on your behalf.
Mann Law consults with local car accident experts and performs thorough investigations into your personal injury claim.
We’ll determine the full impact of the car accident from injury to financial implications in order to win what you deserve.
The experience and relationships of Mann Law are invaluable. While you work on your health, our Bangor car accident lawyers take care of everything else to win your case.
We are a statewide firm with satellite offices for easy accessibility. Our lawyers are licensed in NH and MA. Contact us today to discuss your case.
