Skowhegan, Maine

Skowhegan is the county seat of Somerset County, Maine, and has a population of 8,589. Every summer it hosts a state fair. With several notable landmarks, Skowhegan was the site of an HBO movie based on Richard Russo's novel Empire Falls. The median age of Skowhegan residents is 42 years old. If you get into a car accident in Skowhegan, you may be able to bring a negligence action against the responsible parties with the help of a skilled trial attorney.

A car accident can not only ruin your day, but it can also have long-lasting effects if you are seriously injured. You may have trouble enjoying the same activities that you once did, need a new line of work, and experience pain and suffering. You also may have a number of medical bills that cause you stress or cut into your savings. If you are 50 percent or more at fault, you cannot recover for your injuries. However, if someone else was more responsible than you are, you can recover a broad range of economic and noneconomic compensatory damages. These include medical bills, out-of-pocket expenses, pain and suffering, and the cost of household services you are unable to perform due to injuries.

Medical bills can be substantial after a car crash. You can recover for both past bills and future bills. If you need a back operation that you haven’t had yet, for example, you can recover for the amount of the future surgery.

Certain injuries are permanent, such as disfigurement in a fiery crash or an SUV rollover accident. You can recover for the mental suffering that accompanies awareness of that disfigurement. For example, you might feel embarrassed and humiliated if you lose an eye or a hand due to somebody else's negligence.

Another tangible loss in serious injury cases consists of the benefits of married life. Your injuries may be so catastrophic that you become depressed and no longer as affectionate with your spouse, or you may lose the ability to have sex. In such cases, your uninjured spouse can make a claim for loss of consortium. The value of this loss depends in part on how long each of you is expected to live, how stable and loving the marriage was, and the extent to which you have been deprived of ordinary aspects of a marriage.

Similarly, a car accident may leave you with a diminished capacity to enjoy life or specific activities in your pre-accident life. This "loss of enjoyment" is usually an item of general damages, meaning there is no precise way to place a monetary value on it. Some states treat it as a form of pain and suffering, while others treat it as a distinct kind of damage in an accident or injury case.

If you are hurt in a Skowhegan car crash, it is important to retain an attorney who can think through all your options, has a strong trial reputation that can be leveraged against insurers, and communicates clearly and compassionately with you. Peter Thompson & Associates provides excellent legal representation in the event of a motor vehicle accident. Contact us at 1.800.804.2004 or via our online form for a free consultation.