Car Accident Attorney in Maine with Over 25,000 Victories

No. Under Maine Title 29-A §2081, the failure of an adult to wear a seatbelt is not admissible as evidence of comparative negligence in a civil trial. Your Maine car accident lawyer can still recover full damages on your behalf even if you weren’t buckled in.

Maine follows the “Made Whole” rule. This means your insurance company generally cannot claim a portion of your settlement to pay themselves back for medical bills they covered (subrogation) until you have been fully compensated for all your losses, including pain and suffering.

Your car accident attorney will use Maine’s “Long-Arm Statute” to maintain jurisdiction over out-of-state drivers. We serve process through the Maine Secretary of State to ensure they are held accountable in a Maine courtroom, not their home state.

Yes. While Maine has vast unorganized territories and private roads, the Maine Motor Vehicle Code and standard negligence laws still apply. Our car accident lawyers at Joe Bornstein have decades of experience dealing with the unique insurance complexities of Maine’s rural “North Woods” regions.

Yes. Under Maine’s modified comparative negligence rule, you can recover compensation as long as your fault is less than 50%. If you are 25% responsible, your total recovery will be reduced by 25%. However, if you are 50% or more at fault, Maine law prohibits any recovery from the other party.

If your accident involved a government-owned vehicle, such as a postal truck, city bus, snowplow, or emergency vehicle, the rules for your recovery have changed.

Historically, Maine law strictly limited your total compensation to $400,000. However, as of 2026, the Maine Tort Claims Act recovery limit has been updated (via LD 1347) to a maximum of $1,250,000 per occurrence. This significant increase allows our firm to pursue a much higher level of justice for those injured by state or municipal negligence.

However, while the money limit has increased, the deadlines have not. You still must file a formal “Notice of Claim” within 365 days of the accident, or you may lose your right to recover entirely.

Once a settlement is reached and the release forms are signed, you can generally expect your funds to be disbursed within four to six weeks. Insurance companies typically process and mail the check to your Maine car accident lawyer’s office within 30 days. Because we operate on a contingency fee basis, the check is first deposited into a secure trust account. From there, your attorney will fast-track the final steps: deducting legal fees, reimbursing your health insurance or medical providers for any outstanding liens, and then issuing your final payment via check or direct deposit.