Accident Settlement Calculator

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Maine Car Accident Settlement Calculator

In Maine, you generally have 6 years to file an injury lawsuit, you recover nothing at 50% fault or more, and drivers must carry at least $50,000/$100,000 in injury liability. Enter your numbers below to see what a Maine claim may be worth and what you would actually take home.

1

Your accident

How serious is the injury?
2

Your costs so far

That's all you need for a first estimate. Rough numbers are fine.

Optional: make the estimate more accurate fault, insurance, lawyer fee
3

Fault and future costs

4

Insurance

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What comes out of it

Maine rules in 30 seconds

If you were partly at faultYou get nothing if you are 50% or more at fault
Details & exceptions

Maine uses modified comparative negligence: an injured person who is partly at fault can still recover, but if the jury finds them equally at fault (50 percent) or more, they recover nothing. Unlike most states, Maine does not require a strict percentage reduction. The jury first finds total damages as if the claimant were not at fault, then reduces them 'by dollars and cents, and not by percentage,' to the extent it considers 'just and equitable' given the claimant's share of responsibility. A calculator's proportional reduction only approximates what a Maine jury would do.

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Deadline to file a lawsuit6 years from the accident
Details & exceptions

14 M.R.S. 752: 'All civil actions shall be commenced within 6 years after the cause of action accrues,' except as otherwise specially provided. This general 6-year period covers both negligence-based bodily injury and property damage claims from a car accident. Wrongful death: 3 years after the decedent's death (6 years from discovery if the death was caused by a homicide) under 18-C M.R.S. 2-807(2). PL 2023, c. 390 raised this from 2 years, effective Oct. 25, 2023. Claims against governmental entities and employees (Maine Tort Claims Act): written notice of claim within 365 days after the claim accrues (14 M.R.S. 8107(1)), and suit within 2 years after accrual (14 M.R.S. 8110). For a minor, the 2 years run from age 18.

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Other driver's minimum insurance$50,000 per person, $100,000 per accident
Details & exceptions

Property damage minimum: $25,000. 29-A M.R.S. 1605(1)(C): at least $25,000 for property damage, $50,000 for injury to or death of one person, $100,000 for one accident injuring or killing more than one person, $2,000 medical payments (under 1605-A), and $500 for towing and storage charges (under 1605-B). The Maine Bureau of Insurance's 'Insurance Required by Law' page gives the same 50/100/25 minimums and says a $125,000 combined single limit also satisfies them. It also lists the $2,000 per person medical payments coverage and UM coverage of at least 50/100. Recent changes: PL 2023, c. 395 added the $500 towing and storage coverage (29-A M.R.S. 1605-B) for policies issued or renewed on or after July 1, 2024. It did not change the liability limits. PL 2007, c. 213 (effective Sept. 20, 2007) raised medical payments to $2,000. The current statute text (2026) still shows 50/100/25.

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Who pays your medical billsThe at-fault driver's insuranceSee all no-fault states →
Cap on pain and sufferingNo cap for typical car accident claims
Details & exceptions

No general cap for typical car accident injury claims. No general cap on noneconomic damages in personal injury cases against private defendants. Narrow exceptions: (1) Wrongful death: under 18-C M.R.S. 2-807(2), damages for loss of comfort, society and companionship (including related emotional distress) may not exceed $1,000,000 adjusted for inflation, and punitive damages may not exceed $500,000. PL 2023, c. 390 (effective Oct. 25, 2023) raised these from $750,000 and $250,000. Under 18-C M.R.S. 1-108, the $1,000,000 is adjusted each year by CPI-U against a 2023 base, for decedents dying after 2023. This applies only to death claims, not to injured survivors, so it is not modeled. (2) Governmental entities: 14 M.R.S. 8105 caps damages at $400,000 for all claims arising from a single occurrence and bars punitive damages.

Uninsured motorist coverageRequired
Details & exceptions

24-A M.R.S. 2902(1): every auto liability policy must cover insureds who are legally entitled to recover from owners or operators of uninsured, underinsured or hit-and-run vehicles for bodily injury, including death. Under 2902(2), UM/UIM limits for private passenger policies must equal the policy's bodily injury liability limits unless the purchaser rejects that amount in writing on the insurer's form. Coverage can never go below the statutory minimum (50/100). An 'underinsured motor vehicle' is one whose liability limits are less than the injured party's UM limits. Maine also requires $2,000 per person medical payments coverage (29-A M.R.S. 1605(1)(C)(4)), which pays regardless of fault but is not PIP and does not limit tort rights.

Worked example: a typical Maine car accident claim

Another driver turned left into you at an intersection in Maine: $15,000 in medical bills, $5,000 in lost wages and a moderate injury that healed in a few months. The insurer says you were 20% at fault for speeding slightly, the other driver has a $100,000 policy, and your lawyer takes 33%.

  1. Economic damages$20,000Medical bills + expected future treatment + lost wages.
  2. Pain and suffering$20,000 – $40,000Multiplier method: economic damages × 2–3 for a moderate injury, minus the economic part itself.
  3. Total claim value$40,000 – $60,000Economic + pain and suffering.
  4. After your share of fault$32,000 – $48,000Maine uses modified comparative negligence (50% bar): you recover nothing if you are 50% or more at fault; otherwise recovery is reduced by your 20%.
  5. Limited by available insurance$32,000 – $48,000At-fault policy limit $100,000 + your UM/UIM $0.
  6. Estimated take-home$20,440 – $31,160Minus attorney fee (33%), case costs and medical liens.

You would take home about $25,800 ($20,440 – $31,160), after the 33% fee and $1,000 in case costs.

Typical figures (midpoint of a moderate injury multiplier), no medical liens. Run your own numbersor see the same crash in every state.

How much time do you have to file?

General personal injury deadline only. It can be shorter for claims against a city, county or state agency (often a written notice within months), and longer for minors. Check with a lawyer before relying on it.

Deadline traps in Maine

The 6-year lawsuit deadline is not the only clock. These are the ones people miss:

Crash with a government vehicle or on a public road365 days

Under the Maine Tort Claims Act, file a written notice of claim within 365 days: with the state agency involved and the Attorney General for State claims, or with the town, city or county for local claims. The lawsuit itself must be filed within 2 years.

14 M.R.S. 8107, Notice of claim (Maine Legislature)14 M.R.S. 8110, Limitation of actions (Maine Legislature)

If the injured person is a child

For a child, the 6-year clock starts at age 18, so the child usually has until age 24 to sue. Claims against a government entity must be filed within 2 years after turning 18.

14 M.R.S. 853, Minority and other disabilities (Maine Legislature)14 M.R.S. 8110, Limitation of actions (Maine Legislature)

How fast a Maine insurer must respond

Maine's unfair claims law has no fixed acknowledgment or decision deadline: insurers must act 'with reasonable promptness' and affirm or deny 'within a reasonable time.' Policy benefits are due within 30 days of proof of loss, which mainly protects policyholders.

24-A M.R.S. 2164-D, Unfair claims settlement practices (Maine Legislature)24-A M.R.S. 2436, Time limit for payment of claims (Maine Legislature)

If an insurer misses these deadlines, you can file a complaint with the state insurance department. Compare all states:insurance claim deadlines by state.

Next steps after a Maine crash

Frequently asked questions

What is a typical car accident settlement in Maine?
It depends on the bills, the injury and fault. Worked example: with $15,000 in medical bills, $5,000 in lost wages and a moderate injury, 20% of the fault, a Maine claim against the other driver is worth about $40,000, and the injured person takes home about $25,800 after a 33% attorney fee and costs. At 51% fault, the same claim pays nothing in Maine.
Is Maine an at-fault or no-fault state for car accidents?
Maine's car insurance system: At-fault (tort).
Is there a cap on pain and suffering in Maine car accident cases?
No general cap for typical car accident injury claims. No general cap on noneconomic damages in personal injury cases against private defendants. Narrow exceptions: (1) Wrongful death: under 18-C M.R.S. 2-807(2), damages for loss of comfort, society and companionship (including related emotional distress) may not exceed $1,000,000 adjusted for inflation, and punitive damages may not exceed $500,000. PL 2023, c. 390 (effective Oct. 25, 2023) raised these from $750,000 and $250,000. Under 18-C M.R.S. 1-108, the $1,000,000 is adjusted each year by CPI-U against a 2023 base, for decedents dying after 2023. This applies only to death claims, not to injured survivors, so it is not modeled. (2) Governmental entities: 14 M.R.S. 8105 caps damages at $400,000 for all claims arising from a single occurrence and bars punitive damages.
What happens if I was partly at fault for an accident in Maine?
Maine follows modified comparative negligence with a 50% bar: you recover nothing if you are 50% or more at fault, and otherwise your recovery is reduced by your percentage of fault.
How long do I have to file a car accident lawsuit in Maine?
Generally 6 years for personal injury and 6 years for property damage. 14 M.R.S. 752: 'All civil actions shall be commenced within 6 years after the cause of action accrues,' except as otherwise specially provided. This general 6-year period covers both negligence-based bodily injury and property damage claims from a car accident. Wrongful death: 3 years after the decedent's death (6 years from discovery if the death was caused by a homicide) under 18-C M.R.S. 2-807(2). PL 2023, c. 390 raised this from 2 years, effective Oct. 25, 2023. Claims against governmental entities and employees (Maine Tort Claims Act): written notice of claim within 365 days after the claim accrues (14 M.R.S. 8107(1)), and suit within 2 years after accrual (14 M.R.S. 8110). For a minor, the 2 years run from age 18.
What is the minimum car insurance in Maine?
$50,000 per person and $100,000 per accident for bodily injury, and $25,000 for property damage. 29-A M.R.S. 1605(1)(C): at least $25,000 for property damage, $50,000 for injury to or death of one person, $100,000 for one accident injuring or killing more than one person, $2,000 medical payments (under 1605-A), and $500 for towing and storage charges (under 1605-B). The Maine Bureau of Insurance's 'Insurance Required by Law' page gives the same 50/100/25 minimums and says a $125,000 combined single limit also satisfies them. It also lists the $2,000 per person medical payments coverage and UM coverage of at least 50/100. Recent changes: PL 2023, c. 395 added the $500 towing and storage coverage (29-A M.R.S. 1605-B) for policies issued or renewed on or after July 1, 2024. It did not change the liability limits. PL 2007, c. 213 (effective Sept. 20, 2007) raised medical payments to $2,000. The current statute text (2026) still shows 50/100/25.
What is the deadline to file a claim against the government in Maine?
365 days. Under the Maine Tort Claims Act, file a written notice of claim within 365 days: with the state agency involved and the Attorney General for State claims, or with the town, city or county for local claims. The lawsuit itself must be filed within 2 years.
How long does an insurance company have to respond to a claim in Maine?
Maine's unfair claims law has no fixed acknowledgment or decision deadline: insurers must act 'with reasonable promptness' and affirm or deny 'within a reasonable time.' Policy benefits are due within 30 days of proof of loss, which mainly protects policyholders.

Related

Official sources