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★ Maine · back & spine

Back & spine settlements
in Maine.

By 9 min read

A spine injury at work in Maine can support a claim against the maker or installer of the equipment involved. A mechanic whose neck disc herniated after a garage door hit him tried that route and lost at trial.

Facts that decide a back & spine claim in Maine

Suing an equipment installerA worker may bring a product liability or negligence claim against the company that installed equipment at the workplace; the jury decides whether the installer was at fault.Burns v. Architectural Doors and Windows (Me. 2011)
Deadline to sueSix years: “All civil actions shall be commenced within 6 years after the cause of action accrues,” one of the longest general deadlines in the country.14 M.R.S. § 752
Fault ruleDamages are reduced by the claimant’s share of responsibility, and “if such claimant is found by the jury to be equally at fault, the claimant may not recover.”14 M.R.S. § 156
Seat belt useNot admissible in a civil trial.29-A M.R.S. § 2081, in the MyClaimWorth seat belt chart
★ band · US federal frame
$80,000 to $400,000+
Back injury (severe, surgery)
Reported decisions; statutory cap states constrain the upper end

The US band is the starting point. Maine's fault rule and any applicable cap then adjust the figure.

united states · sister site
Your back & spine claim in Maine. See the number for your own case.

The range above is a starting point. FairSettlement gives you a free estimate for your own back & spine case in about two minutes, no cost and no obligation.

Check my case
★ ME · reported back & spine outcomes

What Maine courts have awarded.

Real Maine decisions and verdicts, each linked to the court record or official report.

  • Burns v. Architectural Doors and Windows
    Maine Supreme Judicial Court · 2011
    Defense verdict affirmed

    Burns was a mechanic at a Bangor truck shop. Walking into the garage for a tool, he was struck on the head by a closing overhead door and knocked to the ground. Over the next weeks he developed neck and shoulder pain from a herniated disc in his neck, had surgery, and missed eleven weeks of work. He sued the door installer, but the jury found it not liable, and the Court affirmed.

★ ME · back & spine · in practice

What changes the number here.

What actually moves a back & spine settlement in Maine.

  1. 1

    Delayed symptoms are common with disc injuries. Burns did not notice significant injury at first; pain developed over days and weeks. Early records that tie the symptoms to the event matter.

  2. 2

    Product and installer claims need proof of a defect or negligent work. In Burns the jury was not persuaded the installer caused the door to close on him.

  3. 3

    With six years to sue, there is time to investigate, but evidence such as the door and its settings should be preserved at once.

  4. 4

    Lost time from work is part of the proof. Burns missed eleven weeks after neck surgery, and records of that absence support the economic side of a spine claim.

  5. 5

    Workers’ compensation covers the employer’s side. A claim against an outside installer or manufacturer is the route to pain and suffering, which compensation does not pay.

★ ME · statute of limitations
6 years for personal injury, longest in the US

14 M.R.S. § 752

★ ME · fault rule
Modified comparative, 50% bar

Modified comparative, recovery barred at 50% claimant fault.

★ ME · caps

What caps recovery.

Statutory caps that may bear on a back & spine settlement in Maine.

★ back & spine severity tiers · US frame

How the band stratifies.

The state-by-state tort law · jury verdict reporters · statutory caps stratifies back & spine into the tiers below. Maine courts apply the same tier structure, adjusted for state-specific factors.

Severity tierBandBasis
Back injury (moderate, no surgery)$30,000 to $100,000Reported decisions plus settlement aggregates
Back injury (severe, surgery)$80,000 to $400,000+Reported decisions; statutory cap states constrain the upper end
★ back & spine · same region & fault regime

Compare to like jurisdictions.

How Maine's fault rule and limitation period compare to jurisdictions in the same US region and to those running the same fault rule for back & spine claims.

JurisdictionFault ruleLimitationBack & spine page
Maine · you are hereModified comparative, 50% bar6 years for personal injury, longest in the US—
MarylandPure contributory negligence3 years from date of injuryMD · back & spine →
MassachusettsModified comparative, 51% bar3 years from date of injuryMA · back & spine →
New HampshireModified comparative, 51% bar3 years from date of injuryNH · back & spine →
New JerseyModified comparative, 51% bar2 years from date of injuryNJ · back & spine →
New YorkPure comparative negligence3 years for personal injury; 2 years 6 months for medical malpracticeNY · back & spine →
PennsylvaniaModified comparative, 51% bar2 years from date of injuryPA · back & spine →
NebraskaModified comparative, 50% bar4 years for personal injury; 2 years for medical malpracticeNE · back & spine →
North DakotaModified comparative, 50% bar6 years for personal injury; 2 years for medical malpracticeND · back & spine →
TennesseeModified comparative, 50% bar1 year from date of injury, among the shortest in the USTN · back & spine →
UtahModified comparative, 50% bar4 years for personal injury; 2 years for medical malpracticeUT · back & spine →
MichiganModified comparative, 51% bar3 years from date of injuryMI · back & spine →
MinnesotaModified comparative, 51% bar6 years for personal injury (uncommonly long); 4 years for medical malpracticeMN · back & spine →
★ ME · back & spine · frequently asked

Common questions.

Each answer is independently coherent and references the relevant statute or authority document.

Sources

Checked 2026-09-28. Every figure on this page comes from one of these documents.

★ all of ME
Maine overview

Fault rule, statute, caps, and key facts for Maine as a whole.

★ federal frame
Back & spine in United States

Back & spine band structure and severity tiers at the US level.

★ all 15 countries
Back & spine · everywhere

Cross-jurisdiction comparison of back & spine bands.

★ editorial note

Figures on this page are starting points: the US band adjusted for Maine's statutory framework. They are not quotes for any specific case. For representation, consult an attorney admitted in Maine. See /methodology, /sources, and /disclaimer.