Wiscasset, Maine

Wiscasset is the county seat of Lincoln County, Maine. Although its population is relatively small at about 3,732, it is a noted tourist destination with beautiful architecture. If you are a resident or tourist who is injured by a car accident in Wiscasset, it is critical to secure legal representation. After the accident, an insurer may contact you to offer a small sum of money in exchange for settling the case. Before you agree, you should consult an attorney who can evaluate whether it is a fair settlement.

When you pay premiums for liability car insurance, you assume you are paying to cover the risk of accidentally hurting someone and getting sued. Lawsuits are very expensive and yet necessary to ensure compensation in the event of accidents. However, if you are making a claim against any insurance company—including your own—you should be aware that insurance adjusters are looking for ways to save the insurance company money. They will try to find ways in which the claim is not covered. If you are making a claim against the at-fault party's insurance company, an adjuster will look for ways in which you were at fault.

Maine is a modified comparative negligence state. This means that you cannot recover if you are 50 percent or more responsible for your injuries. You can recover if you are 10 percent, 20 percent, or even 49 percent responsible for your injuries, but the jury must reduce the damages to an amount that seems fair.

These rules are crucial to know before a case reaches trial. Right after an accident, an insurance adjuster may ask to record an interview with you about what happened, or an adjuster may simply ask you friendly-sounding questions about what gave rise to the accident. You should know that admissions against your interest might be used to limit what the insurance company offers you in settlement or what the jury awards you. You should not apologize to the other driver claiming responsibility or agree with the adjuster that you were partly to blame just to be polite. What would be a courteous way to act in other situations can have an adverse impact on your case. This is especially true in Maine, where you can be fully barred from recovering for your injuries if the insurance defense attorney builds a good case that you were responsible for the accident.

Accordingly, if you are hurt in a Wiscasset car crash it is important to retain the best attorney you can before talking to the other side. You should be careful to look for a personal injury 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 an initial consultation at no cost to you.