Truck Accident Laws in Maine (2026): Deadlines & Liability

A crash with a tractor-trailer or other large commercial truck in Maine is governed by two layers of law at once. Maine's own statutes set the deadline to sue, how shared fault is handled, and the auto insurance rules, while federal regulations under the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) govern how the truck and its driver are supposed to operate. This guide explains both, with citations to the Maine statutes and the federal rules so you can confirm them.

This is general legal information, not legal advice, and it does not predict any outcome in a specific case. Deadlines are strict, and the facts of each crash differ, so confirm the current law and talk to a licensed Maine attorney about your situation.

Deadline to file: Maine's statute of limitations

Maine sets an unusually long window for most civil claims. Under 14 M.R.S. 752, all civil actions must be commenced within 6 years after the cause of action accrues. A personal injury claim from a truck accident generally falls under this six-year limitation, measured from the date of the crash.

Wrongful death is different and shorter. Under 18-C M.R.S. 2-807, a wrongful death action must be brought within 3 years after the decedent's death, with a longer six-year discovery window only when the death was caused by a homicide. Because these deadlines are firm and missing one usually ends the claim, the safest course is to act well before any deadline rather than relying on the full period.

Government-owned trucks: the Maine Tort Claims Act

The six-year deadline above does not apply if the truck that hit you belonged to the State of Maine, a county, a town, a school district, or another governmental entity. Plow trucks, highway department dump trucks, public works vehicles, and municipal utility trucks are common enough in Maine crashes that this exception matters. Claims against those owners fall under the Maine Tort Claims Act, 14 M.R.S. 8101 to 8118, which imposes much shorter deadlines and a hard ceiling on recovery.

Three provisions do the work. Under 14 M.R.S. 8107, a written notice of claim must be filed within 365 days after the cause of action accrues, though the statute allows a later filing if the claimant shows good cause why notice could not reasonably have been given in that period. Under 14 M.R.S. 8110, the claim is forever barred from the courts of this State unless an action is begun within 2 years after the cause of action accrues, with a separate allowance for a claimant who was a minor when the claim accrued. Under 14 M.R.S. 8105, the award of damages, including costs, against a governmental entity or its employees may not exceed $400,000 for any and all claims arising out of a single occurrence.

Maine's wrongful death statute points to the same regime: 18-C M.R.S. 2-807(4) states that any action under that section brought against a governmental entity under Title 14, sections 8101 to 8118 is limited as provided in those sections. If there is any chance a government vehicle or employee was involved, treat the 365-day notice deadline, not the six-year statute, as the date that governs, and confirm the ownership of the truck early.

Maine's negligence rule: modified comparative fault

Maine uses a modified comparative negligence system set out in 14 M.R.S. 156. If you are partly at fault for the crash, you can still recover, but your damages are reduced to the extent the jury finds just and equitable in light of your share of the responsibility. Maine's statute directs the jury to reduce the award in dollars and not by a strict percentage.

There is a hard cutoff. Under the statute, if the claimant is found to be equally at fault, the claimant may not recover. In practical terms that means a plaintiff who is 50% or more responsible is barred entirely, while a plaintiff who is less than 50% at fault can recover a reduced amount. This is stricter than the 51% rule used in many other states, so how fault is apportioned matters a great deal in a Maine truck case.

No-fault status and Maine auto insurance

Maine is an at-fault, or tort, state. It is not a no-fault state, so there is no personal injury protection (PIP) requirement and no monetary or serious-injury threshold you must clear before suing the party who caused the crash. You can pursue the at-fault driver and the trucking company directly for your losses.

Maine requires drivers to carry minimum liability coverage of $50,000 per person and $100,000 per accident for bodily injury, plus $25,000 for property damage. Maine also requires uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage at the same 50/100 bodily injury limits, and at least $2,000 in medical payments coverage. These passenger-car minimums are modest compared with the federal coverage required of interstate trucking companies, discussed below.

Damage caps in Maine

Maine does not impose a general cap on compensatory damages in ordinary personal injury cases, so economic losses such as medical bills and lost wages, along with non-economic damages like pain and suffering, are tied to what the evidence proves rather than a statutory ceiling. Two exceptions matter in truck cases. Claims against a governmental entity are capped at $400,000 for all claims arising out of a single occurrence under 14 M.R.S. 8105, no matter how severe the injuries. Wrongful death is also treated separately: Maine's wrongful death statute, 18-C M.R.S. 2-807, places specific limits on certain categories of wrongful death damages, such as loss of comfort and punitive damages, so those figures should be confirmed for the year of the claim.

Federal trucking rules: the FMCSA framework

Large commercial trucks operating in interstate commerce must follow the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations in Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations, enforced by the FMCSA. These rules frequently supply the evidence of fault in a truck case. Key areas include:

• Hours of service (49 CFR Part 395), which generally limit a property-carrying driver to 11 hours of driving within a 14-hour on-duty window after 10 hours off duty, to combat fatigue.
• Electronic logging devices (ELDs), which most interstate drivers must use to record driving hours automatically, making it harder to falsify a logbook.
• Driver qualification and commercial driver's license (CDL) standards, plus mandatory drug-and-alcohol testing for safety-sensitive drivers.
• Vehicle inspection, repair, and maintenance requirements (49 CFR Part 396), which require carriers to keep trucks in safe operating condition.

A violation of any of these rules, such as a driver exceeding hours-of-service limits or a carrier skipping required brake maintenance, is commonly used as evidence of negligence.

Who can be liable in a Maine truck accident

Unlike a typical car crash with one other driver, a commercial truck case often involves several potentially responsible parties. These can include the truck driver, the motor carrier (both for the driver's conduct and for its own negligent hiring, training, or supervision), a broker or shipper, the company that loaded the cargo, and a manufacturer of a defective part. Because the carrier is usually a business with substantial federally required insurance, identifying every responsible party early is important.

Federal minimum insurance for trucks

Federal law requires far more coverage from interstate trucking companies than from ordinary drivers. Under 49 CFR 387.9, a for-hire carrier transporting non-hazardous general freight in interstate commerce must maintain at least $750,000 in public liability insurance. Carriers hauling oil must carry $1 million, and those transporting the most dangerous hazardous materials must carry $5 million. These minimums dwarf the $50,000 bodily injury minimum that applies to a Maine passenger car.

Preserving evidence after a truck crash

Some of the most important evidence in a truck case can disappear quickly. A truck's electronic logging device, the engine control module (often called the black box), dashcam footage, and maintenance and inspection records can be overwritten or routinely destroyed on a short schedule. Sending the carrier a written preservation, or spoliation, letter early can help keep that data from being lost.

It also helps to preserve your own evidence: the police crash report, photographs of the vehicles and scene, witness contact information, and your medical records. These materials, combined with the carrier's records, are often what establishes a federal-rule violation and links it to the crash.

How to evaluate a Maine truck accident claim

Because truck cases mix Maine tort law with federal trucking regulations and frequently involve corporate defendants and insurers, many people consult a licensed Maine personal injury attorney. Most personal injury attorneys offer a free initial consultation and work on a contingency fee, meaning they are paid a percentage of any recovery rather than upfront. No attorney can guarantee a result or a dollar amount.

If you are considering a claim, keep your medical treatment documented, save anything related to the crash, and be mindful of the deadlines above. Acting promptly protects both the legal deadline and the physical evidence that a truck case depends on.