Maine 18-Wheeler Accident Lawyers: Protecting Your Rights After a Commercial Truck Crash
When an 80,000-pound truck slams into your vehicle on a Maine highway, your life changes in an instant. The morning commute through Portland, the drive to Bangor for work, or the trip along I-95 to visit family suddenly becomes a nightmare of medical bills, lost wages, and crushing uncertainty. At Attorney911, we understand the devastation commercial truck accidents cause—not just physically, but emotionally and financially. We’ve spent over 25 years fighting for Maine families who’ve been shattered by negligent trucking companies, and we’re here to fight for you too.
Why Maine’s Highways Are Particularly Dangerous for Commercial Truck Crashes
Maine’s unique geography and climate create specific hazards that make 18-wheeler accidents more dangerous here than in many other states. Our firm knows these roads because we’ve represented victims from Kittery to Presque Isle, understanding the specific dangers Maine drivers face every winter.
The Weather Factor: When Ice Meets 80,000 Pounds
Maine winters are brutal, and truck drivers who don’t respect Mother Nature pay the price—with innocent motorists paying an even higher one. Black ice on the Maine Turnpike, sudden snow squalls on Route 1, and freezing fog on coastal highways create conditions where even experienced truckers lose control. An 18-wheeler traveling at 65 mph needs nearly two football fields to stop on dry pavement. On ice? That distance doubles or triples.
We’ve seen too many jackknife accidents on I-95 during sudden nor’easters, rollovers on Route 201 when drivers take curves too fast for conditions, and catastrophic pile-ups on the interstate during whiteout conditions. These aren’t just accidents—they’re often the result of drivers violating Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulations under 49 CFR § 392.3, which prohibits operating a commercial vehicle when weather or fatigue impairs safe driving.
Logging Trucks and Rural Road Dangers
Maine’s paper and timber industry keeps our rural economy alive, but it also keeps our rural highways dangerous. Logging trucks hauling heavy loads on narrow state routes like SR 6 and SR 15 create unique hazards. These trucks often travel on roads not designed for 80,000-pound vehicles, with sharp turns, limited visibility, and few places for passenger vehicles to safely pass. When a logging truck’s cargo shifts or a driver falls asleep during the long haul from the North Woods to the mills, the results are devastating.
The Physics of Destruction: Why Truck Accidents Cause Catastrophic Injuries
There’s nothing fair about a collision between a passenger vehicle and an 18-wheeler. Your sedan weighs roughly 4,000 pounds. A fully loaded tractor-trailer can weigh 80,000 pounds—that’s twenty times heavier. When physics meets Maine’s highways, the math is simple but brutal: the smaller vehicle always loses.
The force of impact in these collisions often causes traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord damage, amputations, and severe burns. At Attorney911, our managing partner Ralph Manginello has seen the aftermath of these crashes for over two decades. He understands that a “minor” truck accident doesn’t exist. Even low-speed collisions with commercial vehicles can cause herniated discs that require surgery, concussions that lead to long-term cognitive issues, or internal bleeding that doesn’t show symptoms for hours.
We’ve recovered multi-million dollar settlements for Maine truck accident victims because we understand the lifetime costs of these injuries. Our firm secured over $5 million for a traumatic brain injury victim struck by falling equipment, and $3.8 million for a client who suffered a partial leg amputation after a crash. These numbers aren’t random—they reflect the real cost of medical care, lost earning capacity, and the human suffering these accidents cause.
Types of 18-Wheeler Accidents We Handle in Maine
Every truck accident is unique, but certain crash patterns repeat on Maine’s highways. Understanding how these accidents happen—and who’s responsible—is crucial to building a winning case.
Jackknife Accidents: The Signature Winter Crash
A jackknife occurs when a truck’s trailer swings perpendicular to the cab, creating a massive obstruction that sweeps across multiple lanes. In Maine, jackknives often happen when drivers brake suddenly on black ice or when empty trailers (common during potato harvest season) lose traction. Under 49 CFR § 393.48, trucking companies must maintain proper brake systems. When they fail to inspect or repair brakes before sending trucks onto Maine’s icy highways, they create deadly hazards.
These accidents are particularly dangerous on I-295 during sudden winter storms or on the winding sections of I-95 north of Bangor. The swinging trailer often triggers multi-vehicle pileups, and our firm has represented victims who’ve suffered crushed vehicles, traumatic brain injuries, and fatalities in these crashes.
Underride Collisions: The Deadliest Impact
Few accidents are as horrifying as underride crashes, where a passenger vehicle slides underneath a trailer, often resulting in decapitation or fatal head trauma. Maine’s rural highways, with their limited lighting and winding curves, see these accidents when trucks stop suddenly or when trailers lack proper rear guards.
Federal regulations under 49 CFR § 393.86 require rear impact guards on trailers, but many older trucks or poorly maintained vehicles lack adequate protection. Side underride guards aren’t federally required yet, but that doesn’t excuse trucking companies from negligence. When a wide turn on Route 1 in Kennebunkport or a sudden stop on the Maine Turnpike results in an underride collision, we fight to hold every liable party accountable.
Tire Blowouts and Loss of Control
Maine’s temperature extremes—freezing winters and hot summers—take a toll on truck tires. When a steer tire blows at highway speed, the driver often loses control immediately. We’ve handled cases where tire debris (“road gators”) from blowouts on I-95 caused secondary accidents, and where complete loss of control led to rollovers on the interstate.
Federal regulations under 49 CFR § 393.75 require minimum tread depths and proper tire maintenance, yet many trucking companies push tires beyond safe limits to save money. When inadequate tire maintenance causes a blowout that injures our Maine clients, we subpoena maintenance records to prove the violation.
Rear-End Collisions: Stopping Distance Disasters
An 18-wheeler needs 40% more stopping distance than a passenger vehicle. When truck drivers follow too closely on Maine’s congested sections of I-95 during Portland rush hour, or when they’re distracted by cell phones (violating 49 CFR § 392.82), the results are catastrophic rear-end collisions. We’ve represented victims of these crashes who’ve suffered whiplash, spinal cord injuries, and wrongful death when trucks failed to stop in time.
Wide Turn and “Squeeze Play” Accidents
Portland’s tight streets, Bangor’s intersections, and the narrow lanes of Maine’s historic downtowns create perfect conditions for wide turn accidents. Truck drivers swinging left before making a right turn often trap passenger vehicles in the “squeeze play,” crushing them against curbs or other vehicles. These accidents frequently result from inadequate driver training or failure to check blind spots—violations of 49 CFR § 392.11 and § 393.80 requiring proper mirror adjustment and safe lane changes.
Cargo Spills and Hazardous Materials Incidents
Maine’s ports handle everything from petroleum to paper products. When improperly secured cargo shifts during transit on I-95 or spills onto roadways, it creates chaos. We’ve handled cases involving overweight loads that caused brake failure on mountain grades, and shifting cargo that led to rollovers on sharp curves. Federal rules under 49 CFR § 393.100-136 establish strict cargo securement standards requiring proper tiedowns and weight distribution—standards too often ignored by companies prioritizing speed over safety.
Who Can Be Held Liable in a Maine Truck Accident?
Here’s what many Maine accident victims don’t realize: truck accidents aren’t like car accidents. Multiple parties may share responsibility, and finding all of them is crucial to maximizing your recovery. While the average car accident might involve one other driver, commercial truck crashes often involve a web of companies and individuals.
The Truck Driver
Obviously, the person behind the wheel may be liable for speeding, distracted driving, fatigue, or impairment. But individual drivers often lack sufficient insurance to cover catastrophic injuries. That’s why we look deeper.
The Trucking Company (Motor Carrier)
Under Maine law and the legal doctrine of respondeat superior, trucking companies are responsible for their drivers’ negligence. But they can also be directly liable for:
- Negligent hiring: Failing to check if a driver had previous accidents or a suspended license
- Negligent training: Sending drivers onto Maine’s icy roads without proper winter training
- Negligent supervision: Ignoring hours-of-service violations or known safety issues
- Negligent maintenance: Failing to repair brakes, tires, or lighting systems
Our associate attorney, Lupe Peña, spent years working for insurance companies defending trucking firms. Now he uses that insider knowledge against them. He knows exactly how trucking companies cut corners on maintenance to save money, and he knows how to prove it in court. When Lupe reviews a case, he looks for the driver qualification files companies are required to maintain under 49 CFR § 391.51—files that often reveal a pattern of hiring unqualified drivers or ignoring safety violations.
Cargo Owners and Loading Companies
Maine’s paper mills, potato farms, and fishing ports generate massive freight traffic. When a load shifts because it wasn’t properly secured, or when a trailer is overloaded beyond safe weight limits, the cargo owner or third-party loading company may be liable. Federal regulations require cargo securement systems to withstand specific force factors—0.8g forward deceleration and 0.5g lateral force—but too often, these rules are ignored.
Truck and Parts Manufacturers
Defective brakes, faulty tires, or malfunctioning steering systems can cause accidents even when the driver does everything right. We investigate whether the truck or its components were defectively designed or manufactured, holding manufacturers accountable under product liability theories.
Maintenance Companies
Third-party mechanics who perform negligent repairs—or who certify unsafe vehicles as roadworthy—can be liable when their work causes accidents. We subpoena maintenance records to show deferred repairs or missed inspections.
Freight Brokers
Companies that arrange transportation but don’t own the trucks may be liable for negligently selecting carriers with poor safety records. If a broker chose the cheapest carrier without checking their safety rating, they may share responsibility for your injuries.
Government Entities
When poor road design, inadequate signage, or lack of guardrails contributes to a crash on Maine’s state highways or local roads, government agencies may be liable. While sovereign immunity limits these claims, experienced attorneys know how to navigate the notice requirements and shorter deadlines involved.
Critical Evidence: Why You Must Act Within 48 Hours
Maine may give you six years to file a personal injury lawsuit—the longest statute of limitations in the country—but waiting even a week can destroy your case. Trucking companies and their insurers deploy rapid-response teams to accident scenes within hours. Their goal? Protect their interests, not yours.
The Evidence That Disappears
Black Box Data (ECM/EDR): Commercial trucks record crucial data including speed, brake application, throttle position, and hours of operation. This data can be overwritten within 30 days—or immediately if the truck is put back in service.
Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs): Since December 2017, federal law requires ELDs that track driver hours. These devices prove whether the driver violated hours-of-service regulations under 49 CFR Part 395—whether they drove beyond the 11-hour limit or skipped required breaks. But trucking companies only need to retain these records for six months, and they can be deleted if we don’t act fast.
Dashcam Footage: Many trucks have cameras recording the road and sometimes the driver. This footage often gets deleted within days unless we send a spoliation letter immediately.
Driver Qualification Files: These files contain the driver’s employment history, medical certifications, drug test results, and training records. They often reveal patterns of negligence—like hiring a driver with a history of DUIs or allowing someone to drive with an expired medical certificate.
The Spoliation Letter: Your Legal Shield
Within 24 hours of taking your case, we send formal spoliation letters to the trucking company, their insurer, and any other liable parties. These letters put them on legal notice that they must preserve all evidence related to the crash. If they destroy evidence after receiving our letter, courts can impose sanctions, instruct juries to assume the destroyed evidence was unfavorable, or even award punitive damages.
As client Chad Harris told us after we handled his case, “You are NOT a pest to them and you are NOT just some client… You are FAMILY to them.” We treat your case with the urgency it deserves because we know what’s at stake.
Catastrophic Injuries and Their Lifetime Costs
Maine truck accident victims often face injuries that require millions in lifetime care. We’ve helped families navigate the aftermath of:
Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI)
The violent forces in truck crashes often cause the brain to impact the skull, resulting in concussions, contusions, or diffuse axonal injuries. Moderate to severe TBI cases settlements range from $1.5 million to $9.8 million or more, reflecting the lifetime of cognitive therapy, lost earning capacity, and care required.
Spinal Cord Injuries and Paralysis
When an 18-wheeler crushes a passenger vehicle, spinal cord damage can result in paraplegia or quadriplegia. These cases often command settlements between $4.7 million and $25.8 million to cover wheelchairs, home modifications, and 24/7 attendant care.
Amputations
Crush injuries from truck accidents sometimes require surgical amputation. We’ve secured between $1.9 million and $8.6 million for amputation victims, ensuring they can afford advanced prosthetics and rehabilitation.
Severe Burns
Fuel tank ruptures and hazmat spills cause disfiguring burns requiring multiple skin grafts and reconstructive surgeries. The physical and psychological trauma lasts a lifetime.
Wrongful Death
When a truck accident takes a loved one, Maine law allows recovery for lost income, loss of companionship, funeral expenses, and mental anguish. We’ve recovered between $1.9 million and $9.5 million for families who’ve lost loved ones to negligent trucking companies.
Insurance Coverage: Why Trucking Cases Are Different
Unlike car accidents where insurance might cover $50,000 or $100,000, commercial trucking companies carry massive insurance policies. Federal law requires:
- $750,000 minimum for general freight
- $1,000,000 for oil and equipment transport
- $5,000,000 for hazardous materials
Many carriers carry $1-5 million or more in coverage. But accessing these funds requires knowing how trucking insurance works—a complexity many personal injury attorneys lack the experience to handle.
Insurance companies aren’t your friends. They’re for-profit businesses that make money by paying you less than you deserve. As client Donald Wilcox discovered when he came to us after another firm rejected his case: “One company said they would not accept my case. Then I got a call from Manginello… I got a call to come pick up this handsome check.”
Our firm includes Lupe Peña, who used to work for insurance companies defending trucking firms. He knows their playbook—their tricks, their stall tactics, their lowball offers. Now he uses that insider knowledge to fight for you, ensuring you get every dollar you’re owed. As Glenda Walker said about her experience with us, “They fought for me to get every dime I deserved.”
Immediate Steps to Take After a Maine Truck Accident
If you’ve been involved in an 18-wheeler crash in Maine, here’s what you need to do immediately:
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Call 911 and seek immediate medical attention—even if you feel fine. Adrenaline masks serious injuries, and internal bleeding or traumatic brain injuries may not show symptoms for hours.
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Document everything—Take photos of the truck, its license plate, the DOT number on the door, all vehicle damage, road conditions, and your injuries. Maine’s weather can change quickly, so photograph ice, snow, or poor visibility immediately.
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Gather information—Get the driver’s name, CDL number, trucking company information, and witness contact details. Ask responding officers for the accident report number.
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Do NOT give recorded statements to the trucking company’s insurance adjuster. They’ll use your words against you.
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Call Attorney911 at 1-888-ATTY-911 immediately. Remember, you pay nothing unless we win—no upfront costs, no hidden fees. We work on contingency (33.33% pre-trial, 40% if we go to trial), so our interests are aligned with yours.
Maine Law: Understanding Your Rights
Maine’s legal framework for truck accidents differs from other states in important ways:
Statute of Limitations
Maine gives you six years from the date of injury to file a personal injury lawsuit—the longest timeframe in the United States. Wrongful death claims, however, must be filed within two years. While these deadlines seem generous, waiting destroys evidence. We recommend contacting an attorney within days, not years.
Comparative Negligence
Maine follows a “modified comparative negligence” rule with a 50% bar. This means you can recover damages if you’re 49% or less at fault, but your recovery is reduced by your percentage of fault. If you’re found 20% responsible, you recover 80% of your damages. But if you’re 50% or more at fault, you recover nothing. This makes evidence preservation and aggressive legal representation crucial.
Damage Caps
Unlike some states, Maine imposes no caps on compensatory damages in truck accident cases. This means you can recover the full amount of your medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. Punitive damages may also be available if the trucking company acted with gross negligence or reckless disregard for safety—such as knowingly keeping an unsafe driver on the road or falsifying maintenance records.
Frequently Asked Questions About Maine Truck Accidents
How long will my Maine truck accident case take?
Simple cases with clear liability might resolve in 6-12 months. Complex cases involving catastrophic injuries or multiple defendants can take 18-36 months. We prepare every case as if it’s going to trial, which often prompts fair settlement offers faster.
Will my case go to trial?
Most trucking cases settle before trial, but we prepare every case for the courtroom. Insurance companies know which law firms are willing to go to trial—and they offer better settlements to those firms. With 25+ years of experience and federal court admission (Southern District of Texas), Ralph Manginello has the credentials to take your case all the way if necessary.
What if I was partially at fault?
Under Maine law, you can recover as long as you’re less than 50% at fault. Don’t let the trucking company convince you the accident was your fault without speaking to us first. We investigate thoroughly, using ECM data and accident reconstruction to prove what really happened.
How much is my case worth?
It depends on the severity of your injuries, your medical expenses, lost income, and the degree of negligence involved. Trucking accidents typically settle for higher amounts than car accidents because of the greater insurance coverage available. We’ve recovered millions for Maine and Texas families because we know how to maximize every category of damage.
Do I need a lawyer if the insurance company already offered a settlement?
Absolutely. Initial offers are typically 40-60% below what your case is actually worth. Once you accept, you can’t go back for more money if your injuries worsen. As one client, Angel Walle, told us: “They solved in a couple of months what others did nothing about in two years.”
Hablamos Español. For Maine residents who speak Spanish as their primary language, Lupe Peña provides direct representation without interpreters. Call 1-888-ATTY-911 to speak with Lupe directly.
Why Choose Attorney911 for Your Maine Truck Accident Case?
When Ralph Manginello founded Attorney911 in 2001, he built a firm dedicated to treating clients like family, not file numbers. Our 4.9-star rating from over 251 Google reviews reflects this commitment. We’re not a billboard factory juggling hundreds of cases per attorney. When you hire us, you get direct access to attorneys who know your name and care about your outcome.
Our credentials matter:
- 25+ years of experience handling complex trucking litigation
- Federal court admission for cases requiring interstate commerce expertise
- Multi-million dollar results in brain injury, amputation, and wrongful death cases
- Former insurance defense attorney on staff (Lupe Peña) who knows the opposition’s tactics
- Three offices to serve you (Houston, Austin, and Beaumont), with capability to handle Maine cases through our network and federal jurisdiction
- 24/7 availability at 1-888-ATTY-911 because accidents don’t happen on business hours
We’ve taken on Fortune 500 companies like BP in the Texas City Refinery litigation, and we’ve helped families just like yours recover after trucking companies destroyed their lives. Whether your accident happened on the icy stretches of I-95, the winding roads of Aroostook County during potato harvest, or the busy corridors of Portland, we have the experience to help.
The Clock Is Ticking: Call Today
Black box data can be overwritten in 30 days. Witness memories fade. Skid marks wash away. Every hour you wait, the trucking company is building its defense while critical evidence disappears.
If you or a loved one suffered injuries in a Maine 18-wheeler accident, don’t wait. Call 1-888-288-9911 (1-888-ATTY-911) for a free consultation. We’ll send preservation letters immediately to lock down the evidence that will prove your case.
You pay nothing unless we win. No upfront costs. No hidden fees. Just aggressive, experienced representation from a team that treats you like family.
Maine families deserve justice when negligent trucking companies put profits over safety. Let Attorney911 fight for every dime you deserve. Call 1-888-ATTY-911 now.
