Personal Injury Advocate
← All states

Maine injury rights, deadlines, and help

If you were hurt in Maine, you probably have one big question: how long do I have to act, and what should I do first? Here is the surprising part: Maine's main lawsuit deadline is 6 years, one of the longest in the country. But do not relax yet. The clocks that trip people up in Maine are the short ones hiding underneath, for work injuries and government claims. This page explains them in plain words, with links to the official laws so you can check every number yourself.

The deadlines that matter in Maine

Medical claims have different, shorter deadlines. Minors and some other people may get extra time. Laws change, so treat these as starting points, not legal advice for your exact case.

What to do first

  1. Get medical care now. Your health comes first, and the medical record it creates also protects your claim.
  2. Report the injury in writing. Work injury: tell your employer in writing today, even though the law allows 60 days. Crash: call the police and get the report number. Fall or dog bite: tell the property owner or dog owner and keep proof you did.
  3. Save everything. Photos of the scene and your injuries, names of witnesses, receipts, and every letter or text about the incident.
  4. Do not let the 6-year rule slow you down. Evidence disappears in weeks, not years. Witnesses move, cameras record over footage, and the short work and government clocks may already be running on your case.
  5. Do not sign anything from an insurance company yet. A release signed early can end your claim forever, even for injuries no one has found yet. The story below shows how fast that can go wrong.
Not sure which deadline applies to you? Tell us what happened at /start/. It is free, and we will help you sort it out.

Common situations in Maine

Hurt at work

Maine workers' compensation (the no-fault system that pays for work injuries) uses the 60-day report rule for recent injuries, and the formal petition has its own 2-year clock. If you were hurt years ago and your employer paid benefits, you may still have time, because the clock extends to 6 years from the most recent payment. Report in writing the same day anyway, and keep a copy.

Hurt on the road

Car, motorcycle, bike, and pedestrian injuries generally fall under the 6-year lawsuit deadline, or 2 years with a 365-day notice if a government vehicle or road agency is involved. Maine's fault rule is unusual: if the jury finds you equally at fault or more at fault than the other side, you recover nothing, and when you were partly at fault, the jury reduces your damages by what it "thinks just and equitable" rather than a fixed percentage. Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 14, sec. 156. Official text This gives juries wide room, which makes strong evidence about the other side's fault even more important.

Hurt on someone's property, or by a dog

Slip and fall cases follow the 6-year clock, or the 2-year government clock with its 365-day notice if you fell on public property. For dog attacks, the location matters: if the dog hurt you away from the owner's property, the owner is liable even without any past sign of danger, and your own fault reduces damages only if it was greater than the owner's. On the owner's property, you generally must show carelessness. Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 7, sec. 3961. Official text

A story worth knowing

In 2021, 18-year-old Rayza Dominguez was rear-ended in Frisco, Texas. Just hours after the crash, the other driver's insurance company called her. The rep offered $1,000 on the spot and told her, "if you don't take this now, I can't guarantee you that we'll offer you this much in the future." She said yes over the phone, with no lawyer and no idea what her damages really were. Under the law that applied, that spoken yes was a binding settlement. She then learned repairs alone would cost almost $2,400, and she needed chiropractic care for her injuries. She could not go back for more money. Texas Lawmakers Look To Stop 'Swoop And Settle' Insurance Tactic, CBS Texas

Notice the timing: the deadline was never the problem. She had years to act, just like you may in Maine. The pressure came in the first hours, from a stranger with a script. The system rewards insurers who move fast against people who have no one in their corner, and that is exactly why having an advocate helps.

What we can help with

We are not a law firm and we do not charge injured people anything. We are your advocate. Here is what that looks like:

Our help is always free to you. We never take money from injured people.

Tell us what happened

If you or someone you love was hurt in Maine, you do not have to figure this out alone. Share your story at /start/ and we will point you in the right direction. No pressure, no cost.

Sources

Last reviewed: 2026-08-16

This is general information, not legal advice. Deadlines can change or vary with the facts. A licensed attorney can confirm the rule for your situation.