Maine Auto Accident Attorneys

Serving the Entire State of Maine

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What should I do in case I'm involved in an auto accident?

Stop your car at once and render all possible aid to any injured people and send for an ambulance if needed. Do not move an injured person unless there is danger of another accident.

Call the police to report the auto accident, even if the accident was minor. Auto accidents involving any injuries or property damage of $1000 or more are required to be reported to the police or sheriff's department.

Stay at the scene until the police have arrived and questioned everyone involved. If you can, move your car off the road so that you do not block traffic.

If you happen to have a camera, take photographs of the scene of the accident.

Bear in mind that anything you say to others following the accident may be admissible, so when making any statements, try to be as accurate as you can. Be polite and considerate of the other driver's situation, but do not apologize or say that the accident may have been partially your fault just to make the other driver feel better.

Record the other driver's:

Name and address (make sure the name is the same as on the license)
Make, model and year of car
Driver's license number
License plate number
Insurance company name
Description of damage to vehicle

Note:

The time, date and place of the accident
The color of the traffic light at the time of the accident if that was a factor
The position and direction of travel of vehicles and pedestrians before and after the crash
Bad weather or roadway conditions
Lighting conditions at the time of the accident
If a parked car is damaged, try to find the owner. Leave a note in a place where the owner can find it containing:

Your name and address
Your driver's license number
Your license plate number
The date and time of the accident
A description of the damage

Q. What should I do after an auto accident?

If you are injured, even if it is a minor injury, seek medical attention as soon as possible. Failure to see a doctor soon after the accident may result in a claim that the injury was caused by something else other than the accident. You should also contact an experienced auto accident attorney who can advise you if you have a claim and who can take the actions necessary to preserve the claim you may have for personal injury or for damage to your car.

As soon as you can do this after the accident write down everything you can remember about the auto accident. It is important to do this as soon as possible since you might forget certain details as time goes by. A police report will typically be available about ten business days after the accident took place. Your attorney will obtain a copy of the report. Although the police report is not the final authority on how the accident happened, it is important for your attorney to try to resolve and differences which there may be between what is in the report and your description of the accident.

Q. Should I provide any statements to an insurance company?

The best course of action for you is to retain an attorney as soon as possible, then simply refer all contacts from an insurance company to the attorney. Without an attorney, however, we recommend that you provide only basic information such as names and addresses. An insurance company requesting information from you will be trying to pay as little as possible on the claim and will not be acting in your interest. The more severe the injuries and property damage resulting from an accident, the more consideration you should give to obtaining legal representation from a competent auto accident attorney as soon as possible.

Q. If my car wasn't damaged in the auto accident, is it still possible to recover for injuries I sustained in the accident?

Yes. An insurance company may attempt to draw a connection between the lack of damage to a motor vehicle and the existence of any resulting injuries, but in many auto accident cases there simply is no such correlation between damage to the car and personal injury. An experienced auto accident attorney will be able to put together a case which may result in a settlement, but sometimes a law suit may be necessary to resolve the issue.

If you have been involved in an automobile accident and have any additional questions for the experienced auto accident lawyers at Lowry & Associates, contact us today for a free initial consultation.

We treat our clients like family

1.800.999.LEGAL (5342)