Serious injuries after a motorcycle accident in Maine or anywhere else are sadly all too common. Road rash, broken bones, burns, facial fractures or disfigurement are frequently seen because there is no protective surround on a motorcycle, the way there is in a car. More serious injuries include internal bleeding, spinal cord injuries, paralysis or traumatic brain injuries. Regardless of how serious you believe your injuries to be, you should either go to the ER or see a doctor as soon as possible after the crash. An experienced Maine motorcycle accident attorney can advocate on your behalf to see that you obtain just compensation for your serious injuries.
Spinal Injuries in MaineEvery year about 300,000 Americans suffer brain injuries that are severe enough to require they be hospitalized. About 56,000 people die in the United States every year due to these injuries. You should never ignore pain in your neck or back after a motorcycle accident. Contrary to popular belief, brain or spine injuries can happen even if you are wearing a helmet. On the more minor, but still painful side of back and neck injuries are herniated discs. More serious injuries include spinal stenosis, which is a narrowing of the spinal canal that can squeeze or irritate the nerves. Spinal stenosis may reveal itself gradually and worsen over a longer period of time triggering pain, weakness or numbness in the legs. Spine injuries sometimes cause permanent disability or paralysis below the area of the injury. When somebody is paralyzed in most of their body, the condition is either quadriplegia or tetraplegia, whereas paraplegia affects only the lower half of the body.
What Damages Are Recoverable in Maine?If you are in a motorcycle crash in Maine and suffer serious injuries, you may be feeling a tumult of emotions: anger, sadness, fear and more. Among other things, you (and your family) may be anxious about paying medical bills or needing care for the rest of your life. Maine follows a modified comparative fault rule. This rule means you cannot receive damages if you were 50 percent or more at fault in an accident. However, if you can show that another person or people were 51% or more a fault in your accident, you may be able to recover damages from them.
The person or people at fault for injuring you may be required to pay for your past and future medical expenses, the time you lose at work, your motorcycle or any other property that was damaged, the cost of hiring someone to do your household chores during the period when you can't do them (estimated through your lifetime, if you suffer a catastrophic injury), permanent disfigurement, loss of enjoyment, emotional distress and the adverse impact on your spouse, and any change in your future earning ability.
Retain a Trustworthy Maine Motorcycle Accident AttorneyIf you believe you were seriously injured, or your loved one died as a result of negligence, recklessness or a defective motorcycle, you should retain a trustworthy Maine motorcycle injury attorney to help obtain compensation for your losses. We work with a skilled investigator with significant experience in accident reconstruction. We can figure out what caused the motorcycle accident and join all responsible parties to your wrongful death or injury lawsuit. Contact Peter Thompson & Associates at 1.800.804.2004 or via our online form.