Lewiston, Maine – Auburn, Maine

Locally known as the Twin Cities, Lewiston and Auburn Maine straddle the Androscoggin River, with Lewiston on the east bank and Auburn, the county seat of Androscoggin County, on the west. Lewiston is the second most populous city in the state with nearly 37,000 residents and the larger Lewiston-Auburn area is home to over 100,000 people. The Lewiston-Auburn area was historically an industrial and manufacturing center for the state, especially in the area of textiles, though the cities have experienced a post-industrial decline in these areas. In recent years, there has been a redevelopment and revitalization movement in Lewiston and Auburn with the creation of new businesses and opportunities. Lewiston-Auburn is also home to Bates College, the Lewiston-Auburn campus of the University of Southern Maine, and a large hospital facility at Central Maine Medical Center.

Here at Peter Thompson & Associates we understand that Lewiston, Auburn, and the surrounding area experience a significant level of motor vehicle accidents. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in 2011, Androscoggin County suffered 12 traffic fatalities on its roads and highways. The area is also popular with motorcyclists and between 2006 and 2010 there were 289 motorcycle crashes in Lewiston, Auburn and the surrounding county, as reported by the Maine Department of Public Safety.

Our firm recently represented a client who was injured in his fiancée’s Lewiston apartment due to a defective stairway. Our client was descending the stairs in this apartment when the stair beneath him moved, causing him to tumble down the stairway, suffering injuries to his lower back and right shoulder. As revealed from our investigation, our client’s fiancée had previously told the property management company numerous times of this dangerous condition and the city of Lewiston Code Enforcement Division had instructed the company to repair the stair. However, the eventual repair was negligently and poorly completed, resulting in hiding the dangerous condition.

As a result of the fall, our client required extensive treatment for his back and shoulder pain. Despite conservative treatment, including physical therapy, injection therapy, and chiropractic treatment, our client’s shoulder continued to worsen. He eventually underwent arthroscopy surgery to repair his right shoulder. As in many premises liability cases, this case was complicated by the lack of police involvement, like there would be in a motor vehicle accident, the documentation of which helps prove liability. However, based on a thorough investigation of the law and circumstances applicable to our client’s fall, our attorneys were able to obtain a significant settlement from the property management company’s insurance provider. This settlement compensated our client for his past and future medical treatment, medical expenses, and extensive pain and suffering. Though a large part of our work involves car accidents, our experienced attorneys are also able to help clients, like this client, who were injured due to a dangerous condition on another’s premises. If you or a loved one has been injured in the Lewiston/Auburn area, please call today for a free consultation.