Caribou is a small city located in Aroostook County in Maine. The first settlers came to the land that makes up Caribou in the late 1830s. Europeans arrived in increasing numbers around 1843 with a number of settlers emigrating from Sweden. Caribou became a large potato-shipping hub and the two largest crops planted in the county are potato and broccoli. Aroostook is the largest East Coast broccoli grower. Although Caribou is rural, the Caribou Performing Arts Center draws acts and shows from all over the country. If you are hurt in a car accident in Maine, the experienced Caribou car accident attorneys can help you recover compensation for your injuries.
Rear End Collisions in MaineTo recover for negligence in Maine, a plaintiff must show (1) defendant's duty, (2) breach of the duty, (3) actual and proximate causation, and (4) actual damages. In most rear-end collisions the driver who is struck is stopped at an intersection—at a red light or a stop sign—and the driver who hits his car is at fault. More often than not, the driver of the car that strikes a stopped car is distracted—perhaps because she is adjusting audio settings, looking at a GPS device, texting, applying makeup, or simply not paying attention.
However, sometimes a driver that hits another car has been nudged forward into the rear bumper by another distracted driver. Or in another scenario, the driver in the striking car applies the brakes, but due to a manufacturing defect they fail to work. In such cases, causation may be more ambiguous. A plaintiff can name multiple parties as defendants in a lawsuit in order to make sure he covers his bases in the event that multiple people are at fault. The jury will determine the percentage of each party's fault. 14 M.R.S.A. §156 codifies the doctrine of joint and several liability that applies in Maine. This doctrine permits any one defendant to be liable for the full amount of compensation due to an injured plaintiff even if the defendant is only partially at fault. This doctrine is significant if some of the parties at fault are insolvent or lacking in insurance.
If low speeds are involved in a car accident, there may be fewer outwards signs of damage and injury. However, if you are rear-ended, you should not discount the possibility of injuries more serious than mild whiplash. Often, the full extent of your injuries will not be clear until a few months or up to a year have passed. Once negligence is proven, a jury can award you past, present, and future medical expenses; out-of-pocket expenses; lost wages; pain and suffering; loss of consortium and more.
Contact a Skilled Personal Injury AttorneyAfter a car accident, you may experience stress and anxiety with regard to paying your medical bills or the loss of pay during periods when you cannot work. An experienced Caribou car accident lawyer can investigate the circumstances of your accident to make sure you obtain any and all the damages to which you are entitled. If you retain our firm, we will build your case carefully to make sure we bring in all responsible parties and seek all damages. Contact Peter Thompson & Associates at 1.800.804.2004 or via our online form for a free consultation.