Maine Car Insurance Laws

In Maine, as in every state, car insurance is sure to play a big part in any claim brought after a traffic accident. And Maine, like most states, requires vehicle owners and drivers to maintain certain types and amounts of insurance coverage. Let's dive into the details of Maine's auto insurance rules, including the different kinds of required coverage and how they work after a car accident.

Is Maine a "No-Fault" Car Insurance State?

No. Maine follows a traditional "fault"-based system when it comes to financial responsibility for losses stemming from a car accident: including medical bills for car accident injuries, lost income, vehicle damage, and "pain and suffering."

That means, in Maine, a driver who is at fault for causing the car accident is also responsible for any resulting harm (from a practical standpoint, the at-fault driver's insurance carrier will absorb these losses, up to policy limits). And anyone who has suffered injury or property damage in a car accident can usually:

• file a third-party car insurance claim directly with the at-fault driver's insurance company
• file a personal injury lawsuit in Maine civil court against the at-fault driver, or
• bring a claim with their own insurance company, under "medical payments" coverage (for injuries) or collision coverage (for vehicle damage).

Note: This range of options isn't available after a car accident in a no-fault car insurance state, but Maine drivers don't need to worry about no-fault.

What Car Insurance Coverage Is Required In Maine?

If you own or drive a vehicle in Maine, you're required to carry three types of car insurance coverage:

• liability car insurance
• medical payments car insurance coverage, and
• uninsured motorist coverage.

Let's take a closer look at each of these types of car insurance, including who and what they cover, and the minimum required amounts of coverage under Maine law.

Maine's Minimum Requirements For Liability Car Insurance

The required minimum amounts of liability car insurance coverage in Maine are:

• $50,000 for bodily injury or death of one person in an accident caused by the owner/driver of the insured vehicle
• $100,000 for total bodily injury or death liability in an accident caused by the owner/driver of the insured vehicle, and
• $25,000 for property damage per accident caused by the owner/driver of the insured vehicle.

In Maine, a "Combined Single Limit" of $125,000 in liability insurance will also satisfy the state's requirements for this type of coverage.

What Does Liability Car Insurance Cover In Maine?

Liability coverage pays the medical bills, property damage bills, and other losses of drivers, passengers, and pedestrians who are injured or have their vehicle damaged in a car accident you cause, up to coverage limits.

You can (and in some situations should) carry higher liability limits than the minimums listed above, in case you cause a serious crash resulting in significant car accident injuries and vehicle damage. Once claims are made against your liability policy and your coverage limits are reached, you're personally on the financial hook for the rest of the uncovered losses.

Your liability coverage will kick in if any family member is driving your vehicle, or if you've given someone else permission to use it. It will likely also cover you if you get into an accident in a rental car.

Your Liability Car Insurance Never Covers Your Own Injuries or Vehicle Damage

Remember that liability coverage doesn't apply to your own injuries or vehicle damage after a car accident, in Maine or elsewhere. You'll need different (additional) coverage if you're involved in a car accident and no one else's coverage applies to your losses. For example, collision coverage (optional in Maine) can pay for repairs to (or replacement of) your damaged vehicle after a car accident, no matter the cause. Note that while collision coverage isn't required by Maine law, it might be required under the terms of a vehicle lease or financing agreement.

You may be wondering, "What about my own car accident injuries?" Great question...

Maine's Medical Payments Car Insurance Coverage Requirements

Maine requires vehicle owners and drivers to carry $2,000 in medical payments (often called "MedPay") coverage.

After a car accident, and regardless of who or what caused it, medical payments coverage will pay for your (and your passengers') accident-related medical bills. Claims can be made as the bills come in, and payment is often quicker than it might be with other kinds of car insurance.

Of course, if you only carry the minimum required MedPay coverage of $2,000, your coverage limit can be met pretty quickly. According to Maine's Bureau of Insurance, you can increase your MedPay limits to $5,000, $10,000, $25,000 or more at a relatively inexpensive additional cost.

Maine's Uninsured Motorist Coverage Requirements

In addition to liability and medical payments coverage, Maine also requires that any car insurance policy include uninsured motorist (UM) coverage, at a minimum of $50,000 per person/$100,000 per accident. "This coverage protects you and your passengers if the other driver responsible for the accident has no insurance, or if the other driver's limits are less than your UM limit," according to the state's Bureau of Insurance.

Maine requires that your UM coverage equal your liability coverage if your liability limit is higher than the state's minimum, unless you reject the higher UIM limit in writing.

What Are the Penalties For Driving Without Insurance in Maine?

According to Maine Revised Statutes Title 29-A section 1601 (2024) if you're asked by a law enforcement officer to produce proof of insurance (after a traffic stop or car accident, for example) and you don't have it, that's considered proof that you're driving without insurance, which likely constitutes an infraction punishable by:

• a fine of $100 to $500
• suspension of your driver's license
• suspension of your vehicle registration, and
• suspension of the right to apply for a driver's license or vehicle registration.

These suspensions will continue until you can provide proof of "financial responsibility" (which basically means you can show that you've purchased a car insurance policy that meets Maine's minimum coverage requirements).

These penalties could pale in comparison to the financial hit you might take if you cause a car accident and you don't have car insurance.

What's Next After a Car Accident In Maine?

If you've been involved in an accident, you might want to read more about Maine's car accident laws and your options for getting compensation for your losses, and check out these steps to take after a car accident.

If you're thinking about making an injury claim, it might make sense to talk to a lawyer. Learn more about how an attorney can help with your car accident case and how to find the right injury lawyer.