Maine Injury Lawyer Blog

October 21, 2022

Semi-Truck Lands on Top of a Pick-Up Truck in Maine

In an intense, action-packed movie, there may be various scenes involving high-speed chases, vehicles flipping over, and dramatic crashes. When these types of crashes happen in the real world, it can lead to devastating outcomes and can happen for a variety of reasons. Because of the large size of semi-trucks, which have a maximum weight of 80,000 pounds in the United States, an accident involving a semi-truck can take hours to clear up. When a semi-truck rolls over after striking an object such as another car, the collision of its wheels with the object may cause a specific force on the wheels that leads to the semi-truck to rollover. When a semi-truck driver loses control of a vehicle, it may cause the wheels to skid and the vehicle to flip over. This can be due to speed, improperly loading cargo, distracted driving, or other reasons.

According to a recent news report, a crash in Poland, Maine occurred that resulted in a semi-truck landing on top of a Ford pickup truck. The Sheriff’s Office believes that the Ford pickup truck pulled out in front of an oncoming FedEx semi-truck and that the semi-truck could not avoid the crash. The semi-truck ended up rolling on top of the Ford pickup, and a third vehicle was additionally involved. Miraculously, the driver of the Ford pickup was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Negligence and Truck Rollovers in Maine

October 12, 2022

Maine Chain Reaction Accident Leaves One Dead

by Peter Thompson & Associates

Unfortunately, automobile accidents can injure not only the people directly involved but also anyone subject to the chain reaction they cause. At the end of September, a collision on the highway in Maine ended up causing a second collision three miles away. This second collision left one man dead, according to reports from the Maine Department of Public Safety.

News articles indicate that a two-vehicle crash occurred on a Saturday morning in what was initially a relatively minor incident. One driver, operating an SUV, went into the passing lane while a driver nearby moved into the right lane. Both drivers were traveling at a high rate of speed, and the SUV rear-ended the second car as it was moving into the right lane.

The drivers and passengers from this original accident suffered only minor injuries. The highway was, however, severely congested for a while after the incident occurred. Forty minutes after the rear-end collision, a BMW was rear-ended by a second car three miles away. The Maine Department of Public Safety reports that this second crash was caused by traffic slowing in the area from the initial crash a few miles down the highway.

September 30, 2022

Back-Up Accident Kills Maine Toddler

by Peter Thompson & Associates

Approximately 25% of all vehicle-related accidents can be attributed to backing up. This has contributed to over 500 deaths and 15,000 injuries each year. But less than 1% of a driver’s time behind the wheel is spent on reversing.

According to a recent article, a 2-year-old boy was involved in a tragic accident that led to his death in Naples, Maine. The boy’s father was backing out of the driveway at his residence in a pickup truck, but he unfortunately could not see the child in his way. Life-saving measures failed to revive the boy.

Accidents like these are devastating but can often be preventable. Drivers can follow safety tips to ensure back-up accidents are minimized. When drivers fail to follow tips, victims should call a personal injury attorney to discuss any potential claims. While monetary compensation cannot heal the wounds created by these tragic accidents, it can ease the logistical and financial pains that occur.

September 20, 2022

Fatigued Driver Injures Three in Maine Car Accident

by Peter Thompson & Associates

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 633 people died in drowsy-driving crashes in 2020. The NHTSA attributes diminished work-life balance because of a more technologically advanced and connected world to low sleep quality, which is a factor in many fatigued driving incidents. Although the NHTSA acknowledges that fatigued driving is a problem, determining a precise number of crashes and injuries from fatigued driving is difficult, and crash investigators cannot always directly identify an accident caused by a drowsy driver. Fatigued driving crashes are often single-driver crashes that occur when people experience dips in their circadian rhythm late at night and in the late afternoon. But NHTSA acknowledges that sleepiness can cause crashes at any time and in myriad ways, including in ways that injure other drivers, as evidenced by one recent accident.

According to a recent article, three people were injured in a crash in Fairfield, Maine. Both drivers in the two-car crash and a passenger were taken to the hospital but have since been released. A 36-year-old man drove across the center line at around 9 p.m., hitting a 68-year-old man driving a truck and his passenger. Police are still investigating the crash but say driver fatigue is a possible factor.

Alert Driving Tips

Everyone has a duty to drive safely on the roads we share. While it can be easy to be angry at fatigued drivers, there’s a good chance everyone has been in a situation where they should not have been behind the wheel at the end of a long day. Look out for your fellow drivers and stay alert with these tips from the NHTSA.

September 10, 2022

Comparative Fault in Maine Personal Injury Cases

by Peter Thompson & Associates

If you’re in an accident in Maine, whether a car accident or a slip-and-fall, you may be wondering if you’ll be saddled with the expenses required to treat your injuries, restore your property, and compensate your time away from work. Maybe you contributed in some small way to your accident, such as speeding slightly or not carefully inspecting the walkway, and you’re worried you may not be able to recover any costs at all.

To recover damages in a personal injury case, you must establish the negligence of the person you are trying to recover from. This means this person owed you a duty of care and breached that duty in a way that caused your injury, which basically establishes fault. Different states use different negligence systems that can create a confusing legal environment for personal injury litigants. Some states say that victims cannot recover any damages at all if they were at fault even in a small way in an accident. Others allow for recovery, but damages will be reduced by the percentage a jury finds you to be at fault. Others allow recovery if you are found either equally at fault or less than equally at fault. In Maine, if you are 49% or less at fault, you are allowed to recover damages in a personal injury case. This is called a modified comparative negligence system.

Modified Comparative Negligence in Maine

As stated above, Maine’s negligence rule means that you will recover as long as a jury determines you were less than 49% at fault in the accident—meaning you cannot recover if you are “equally at fault.” If you are less than 49% at fault but more than 0% at fault, your recoveries will be reduced to the extent the jury finds is “just and equitable” considering your actions and share of responsibility.

August 31, 2022

Increased Risks Associated with E-Bike Accidents

by Peter Thompson & Associates

Maine e-bike accident levels have continued to rise as e-bike usage climbs throughout the nation and the state of Maine. Nationally, the sale of e-bikes has rapidly increased, with roughly 804,000 sold in 2021, up from only about 152,000 in 2016, according to the National Bicycle Dealers Association. E-bikes are a popular vehicle option for several reasons, including convenience, costs savings on gas, and reduced environmental impact relative to cars.

Unfortunately, e-bikes pose an elevated risk relative to conventional bicycles due to the greater velocity of e-bikes. The greater power and subsequent velocity that riders receive from e-bikes places riders at increased risk of accidents, and greater harm resulting from such accidents. In fact, a 2020 study published in the peer-reviewed journal, Injury Prevention, found that riders of e-bikes are more likely to require hospitalization following accidents than riders of manual bicycles.

Recently, a news article by the New York Times detailed the tragic death of a 12-year-old female rider of an e-bike who died after the e-bike got out of control, resulting in an accident. According to the article, the accident occurred after the rider and a friend rode an e-bike to the top of a hill. They rode the e-bike down the hill when it rapidly began to pick up speed. At that point, the rider tried to engage the brakes, but the front wheel began to wobble, and she lost control, throwing both of them from the e-bike. Paramedics took her to a hospital, where she underwent several brain surgeries. She never regained consciousness. Both passengers were wearing helmets while using the e-bike. The article states that the disc brakes used for the e-bike in conjunction with a quick-release mechanism for detaching the front wheel are well-known safety hazards in the bike industry.

August 24, 2022

Maine Woman Dies in Alcohol-Fueled Collision

by Peter Thompson & Associates

On their own, speeding in excess of posted limits and driving under the influence are each deadly driving behaviors. Speeding killed 11,258 people in 2020, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a contributing factor in nearly 30 percent of all traffic fatalities. Alcohol impairment contributed to 11,654 deaths in 2020, also approximately 30 percent of all traffic crash deaths.

According to a recent article, a 32-year-old woman was struck head-on while driving at around 7:30 a.m. The woman died from her injuries despite attempts to save her life. Meanwhile, the other driver, a 32-year-old man, was treated for non-life-threatening injuries. Police say the investigation is ongoing, but they believe speed and alcohol were factors in the crash. Friends of the victim and strangers alike are mourning her passing, with the former setting up crowdfunding to help the woman’s daughters and family and the latter planting a lilac bush at the scene of the crash in her memory.

Driving Safely Around Fast and Aggressive Drivers

The NHTSA lists “disregard for others and for the law” as one of four factors involved in aggressive driving and speeding, which also include traffic, running late, and anonymity. Drivers who drink and get behind the wheel are certainly exhibiting a disregard for others before speeding even begins to enter the equation—even a blood alcohol concentration of only .02 percent contributes to loss of judgment, the decline in visual functions, and decline in the ability to multitask. If you see someone speeding, driving aggressively, or driving erratically and fear you may be dealing with a drunk or aggressive driver, the NHTSA cautions that there are steps you can take to help protect yourself and your passengers.

August 14, 2022

Four-Vehicle Chain Reaction Crash In Maine Leads to Injuries and Major EMS Response

by Peter Thompson & Associates

Chain reaction crashes occur when one initial vehicle hits another vehicle, and subsequent crashes occur. In some cases, a chain reaction crash involves the impact of one accident causing the vehicle that is rear-ended to then hit another vehicle. In other cases, multiple vehicles may be involved in a car accident because after hitting one vehicle, the at-fault driver continues to drive and collides with more than one vehicle. Whatever the case may be, dealing with multiple insurance claims, vehicle damages, and injuries, all while trying to determine and/or prove who was at-fault as the driver can be a headache. Connecting with an experienced attorney can help you as you navigate such complexities.

For example, according to a recent news report, a four-vehicle crash in Maine, leading to the closure of Route 17 for a few hours. An eastbound vehicle driven by a 31-year-old allegedly crossed over the center line, striking the side mirror of another vehicle. The 31-year-old driver’s vehicle continued in the westbound lane, striking a second vehicle before finally hitting a vehicle head-on. The 31-year-old driver was transported to a local hospital with injuries. Another passenger in a different vehicle was also transported to a local hospital. Multiple EMS agencies responded to the accident, as well as other agencies such as the Department of Environmental Protection.

Determining Fault in Multi-Vehicle Crashes

August 11, 2022

Two Pedestrians Injured in Multi-Vehicle Augusta Crash

by Peter Thompson & Associates

Crosswalks are some of the most dangerous places for pedestrians in Maine cities and towns. Even with safety infrastructure improvements like signaled and raised crosswalks, fatal accidents involving pedestrians at crosswalks are not uncommon in our state. A recent multi-vehicle accident in Augusta that left two pedestrians injured serves as a reminder of the dangers pedestrians encounter, and the importance of holding irresponsible drivers accountable when people get hurt.

According to a local news report discussing the accident, two pedestrians were crossing the street at an intersection using a crosswalk. When the light changed, the pedestrians were still partially in the intersection when a vehicle rear-ended the car that had stopped for the pedestrians. The front vehicle was pushed into the two pedestrians, resulting in injuries requiring emergency assistance and hospitalization. Although the crash remains under investigation, the article does not mention if the drivers involved were cited or charged with any criminal offense or infraction.

Maine drivers must yield the right-of-way to pedestrians in a crosswalk. If a pedestrian starts to cross the street and the light changes before they are out of the roadway, drivers must wait and continue to yield the right of way to the pedestrian. If a driver entered an intersection and injures a pedestrian who was crossing the street, that driver could be civilly or criminally responsible for the injuries, even if the traffic light signaling the driver was green at the moment of the collision.

July 31, 2022

Maine Head-On Collisions

by Peter Thompson & Associates

Head-on collisions are one of the most dangerous types of events, accounting for about 14 percent of all traffic fatalities and 27 percent of all roadway departure fatalities in the nation each year.

Factors Contributing to Head-On Collisions

The causes of motor vehicles are complex, but the characteristics of the drivers broadly play into the likelihood and severity of a head-on collision. According to a recent research study, some main factors contributing to head-on collisions involving younger drivers include inexperience, lack of skill, and risk-taking behaviors. Some typical risk-taking behaviors associated with head-on collisions include: