HomeLaws by stateMaine
Maine car accident laws
Is Maine a no-fault state? No. Maine is an at-fault state: the driver who caused the crash, through their liability insurance, pays for the injuries and damage.
Maine gives you six years to file a personal injury lawsuit (Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 14, § 752).
The legal minimum liability coverage in Maine is $50,000 per injured person, $100,000 per crash and $25,000 for property (50/100/25).
If you were partly at fault, the jury reduces your damages by your share of responsibility, but you cannot recover anything if you are found equally at fault (50%); statute text does not address a claimant found more at fault than the defendant.
Quoted from Maine statutes and official pages, checked October 2, 2026 · not legal advice
The rules in one table
| Rule | Maine | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Deadline to sue for an injury | Six years after the cause of action accrues | Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 14, § 752 |
| Deadline for vehicle damage | Six years after the cause of action accrues | Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 14, § 752 |
| Deadline for a wrongful death claim | Three years after the decedent's death (six years from discovery if the death was caused by a homicide) | Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 18-C, § 2-807(2) |
| Claims against a government body | A written notice of claim against a governmental entity must be filed within 365 days after the claim accrues (later only if the claimant shows good cause). | Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 14, § 8107(1) (Maine Tort Claims Act) |
| Insurance system | at-fault | Triple-I, Background on: No-fault auto insurance |
| If you were partly at fault | modified comparative (50% bar). If you were partly at fault, the jury reduces your damages by your share of responsibility, but you cannot recover anything if you are found equally at fault (50%); statute text does not address a claimant found more at fault than the defendant. | Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 14, § 156 |
| Minimum liability coverage | $50,000 per person / $100,000 per crash / $25,000 property | Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 29-A, § 1605(1)(C) |
| Dog bites | mixed. A dog owner or keeper is strictly liable when the dog injures someone who is not on the owner's premises; if the victim was on the owner's premises, the victim must show the owner's negligence (subsection 1). | Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 7, § 3961(2) |
Deadlines can be shorter or longer for minors, for injuries found later, and for claims against a government. A lawyer licensed in Maine can tell you the date that applies to you.
Next steps after a Maine crash
How to get a Maine crash report (Search is free; $10.00 per report ordered (non-refundable $10.00 for a manual search)).
Check your deadline and a rough claim range
A filing date and a rough value range for Maine. Both take under a minute.
Questions
How long do you have to sue after a car accident in Maine?
Six years for an injury claim (Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 14, § 752) and six years for vehicle damage. Shorter notice rules can apply to claims against a government.
Is Maine a no-fault state?
No. Maine is an at-fault state: the driver who caused the crash, through their liability insurance, pays for the injuries and damage.
Can I recover if I was partly at fault in Maine?
Maine follows modified comparative (50% bar). If you were partly at fault, the jury reduces your damages by your share of responsibility, but you cannot recover anything if you are found equally at fault (50%); statute text does not address a claimant found more at fault than the defendant.
What is the minimum car insurance in Maine?
The legal minimum liability coverage in Maine is $50,000 per injured person, $100,000 per crash and $25,000 for property (50/100/25).
Sources
- Deadline to sue for an injury (Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 14, § 752): legislature.maine.gov/statutes/14/title14sec752.html
§752. Six years All civil actions shall be commenced within 6 years after the cause of action accrues and not afterwards, except actions on a judgment or decree of any court of record of the United States, or of any state, or of a justice of the peace in this State, and except as otherwise specially provided.
- Deadline for vehicle damage (Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 14, § 752): legislature.maine.gov/statutes/14/title14sec752.html
§752. Six years All civil actions shall be commenced within 6 years after the cause of action accrues and not afterwards, except actions on a judgment or decree of any court of record of the United States, or of any state, or of a justice of the peace in this State, and except as otherwise specially provided.
- Deadline for a wrongful death claim (Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 18-C, § 2-807(2)): legislature.maine.gov/statutes/18-C/title18-Csec2-807.html
An action under this section must be commenced within 3 years after the decedent's death
- Claims against a government body (Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 14, § 8107(1) (Maine Tort Claims Act)): legislature.maine.gov/statutes/14/title14sec8107.html
1. Notice requirements for filing. Within 365 days after any claim or cause of action permitted by this chapter accrues, or at a later time within the limits of section 8110 , when a claimant shows good cause why notice could not have reasonably been filed within the 365-day limit, a claimant or a claimant's personal representative or attorney shall file a written notice containing:
- Insurance system (Triple-I, Background on: No-fault auto insurance): www.iii.org/article/background-on-no-fault-auto-insurance
Twelve states and Puerto Rico have no-fault auto insurance laws. Florida, Michigan, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania have verbal thresholds. The other seven states—Hawaii, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Dakota and Utah—use a monetary threshold. Three states have a "choice" no-fault law. In New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Kentucky, motorists may reject the lawsuit threshold and retain the right to sue for any auto-related injury.
- If you were partly at fault (Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 14, § 156): legislature.maine.gov/statutes/14/title14sec156.html
§156. Comparative negligence When any person suffers death or damage as a result partly of that person's own fault and partly of the fault of any other person or persons, a claim in respect of that death or damage may not be defeated by reason of the fault of the person suffering the damage, but the damages recoverable in respect thereof must be reduced to such extent as the jury thinks just and equitable having regard to the claimant's share in the responsibility for the damage. [...] If such claimant is found by the jury to be equally at fault, the claimant may not recover.
- Minimum liability coverage (Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 29-A, § 1605(1)(C)): legislature.maine.gov/statutes/29-A/title29-Asec1605.html
C. Be in the amount or limit of at least: (1) For damage to property, $25,000; (2) For injury to or death of any one person, $50,000; (3) For one accident resulting in injury to or death of more than one person, $100,000; (4) For medical payments pursuant to section 1605‑A , $2,000; and (5) For towing and storage charges pursuant to section 1605‑B , $500.
- Dog bites (Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 7, § 3961(2)): legislature.maine.gov/statutes/7/title7sec3961.html
2. Injuries by dog. Notwithstanding subsection 1 , when a dog injures a person who is not on the owner's or keeper's premises at the time of the injury, the owner or keeper of the dog is liable in a civil action to the person injured for the amount of the damages.
Read October 2, 2026. Laws and fees change; the linked page is the authority.