Anyone who owns or operates a vehicle in Maine must carry at least the minimum amounts of insurance required by law, and proof of this insurance must be presented in order to register your vehicle(s). The minimum required limits are a starting point; these amounts may not adequately protect you. You should consider what amount you will need to protect your assets from claims that may exceed these minimum amounts.
Liability
Liability insurance covers bodily injury and property damage to others as a result of a crash for which you are responsible. The minimum required limits are $50,000 per person/$100,000 per accident for bodily injury, and $25,000 for property damage. A Combined Single Limit of $125,000 will also satisfy the minimum limit requirement. A serious injury or even lesser injuries involving more than one passenger can quickly exhaust these limits. In addition, many vehicles on the road today are worth more than $25,000. You should therefore think carefully about whether coverage at the minimum limits will adequately protect your assets if you cause a vehicle crash.
Medical Payments
The law also requires a minimum of $2,000 per person in medical payments coverage; this covers medical expenses incurred by you and your passengers. Limits of $5,000, $10,000, $25,000 and even higher are available at a relatively inexpensive additional cost.
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM)
The law requires uninsured/underinsured 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. Maine law requires your UM limit to equal your liability limit if it is higher than the minimum, unless you reject in writing the higher limit for UM.