New Mexico Car Accident Attorney

What Compensation Can a New Mexico Car Accident Attorney Recover?

Car accident victims may suffer from a wide range of minor to catastrophic injuries, including lacerations, broken bones, spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries (TBI), and more. Treating these injuries can take time to recover, as well as sometimes extensive treatment plans, like surgeries and physical therapy. 

In addition to treatment costs, one of the most significant costs of an injury can be the time you need to recuperate. Lost income during this time can quickly become an overwhelming stressor on top of your other bills and everyday living costs. A New Mexico car accident lawyer will look at all the expenses that the accident has caused so that they can fight for you to get a fair settlement.

Compensation for a car accident may include both economic and non-economic damages. These can include:

• Medical Expenses: Including emergency room visits, doctor and specialist appointments, surgeries, diagnostic exams and testing, prescriptions for pain and symptom management, physical and rehabilitative therapy, mileage and gas to and from appointments, and more.
• Lost Wages and Lost Benefits: In addition to lost income from missing work, you may also be eligible for compensation for possible lost benefits, such as salary increases, PTO, and bonuses. 
• Diminished Earning Potential: Your injuries may keep you from returning to the same level at your job, as you may no longer be able to perform essential job functions. If you need to take on a lesser-paying role or leave work entirely, that may be a loss that can be compensated.
• Non-Economic Damages: These include physical pain, scarring and disfigurement, emotional distress, loss of the enjoyment of life or diminished quality of life, and more. 

Car accident injuries can be life-changing, and you may have a treatment plan that will impact the rest of your life. Our law partners examine the full extent of your financial losses and how they affect your life, both now and in the future.

Why Hire a New Mexico Car Accident Lawyer for Your Case?

A New Mexico car accident lawyer can provide you with the relief of knowing that your auto accident case is being handled so you can focus on recovering from your injuries. Some aspects that a personal injury attorney may help with include the following:

• Negotiating With Insurance Companies: Insurance companies may offer you a lower settlement than you qualify to receive. A lawyer will not only negotiate with the company about the settlement offer but can also provide you guidance on whether you should take it or not.
• Filing Paperwork: Your New Mexico car accident lawyer will ensure that paperwork is filed correctly, thoroughly, and on time.
• Understanding State Laws and How They Affect Your Case: Laws surrounding personal injuries and liability can be complex. Your attorney can explain the legal jargon. 
• Keeping You Updated: When medical bills are piling up, it can be stressful not knowing when you’ll be able to pay them. Your lawyer will keep you updated on the status of your claim and answer any questions or concerns that you may have.
• Gathering Evidence: Building a strong case that proves the other driver was at fault is essential to recovering fair compensation. 

Additionally, our law firm partners work on contingency. You pay them nothing upfront. They only receive payment when you secure a settlement or court award.  

How a New Mexico Lawyer Can Build a Strong Case for Compensation

New Mexico is an at-fault state, meaning that the negligent driver who caused the motor vehicle accident is liable for covering compensation. However, you will still need to prove that they were at fault. Negligence can come in many forms, but some common forms of liability in car accidents include:

• Disobeying traffic laws or other forms of reckless driving
• Distracted driving, such as looking at a phone or eating
• Drunk driving or driving under the influence of drugs

 A New Mexico car accident attorney may prove liability in a few ways, including:

• Analyzing Evidence From the Accident Scene: Skid marks on the road, photographs of the car damage, and even traffic signs can all help paint a picture of what occurred during the accident. For example, if there was posted signage that cars must yield to oncoming traffic and the other driver did not, that can be used to help prove they disregarded traffic laws.
• Reviewing Surveillance Footage: Depending on where the accident took place, there may be various ways that video footage can come into play. Traffic cams, dashcams, and even a business security camera can all be used to prove that the accident happened the way that you’ve described it.
• Interviewing Witnesses: Eyewitnesses, such as bystanders or those in non-involved vehicles, can provide impartial accounts of the accident.
• Consulting Experts: In some cases, consulting an expert who can explain how something was likely to have occurred may be helpful. These include accident reconstruction specialists, medical professionals, and highway safety experts. 
• Reviewing Crash Reports and Medical Records: Police officers on the scene will submit a crash report that includes their observations, descriptions of the type of accident (such as a head-on collision or a side-impact collision), descriptions of evidence and injuries, witness statements, contact information, and more. Medical reports can help show the severity of an accident and substantiate the extent of your injuries.

Call The Goldwater Law Firm today. Our staff can explain more about injury lawsuits and your legal options. 

Important New Mexico Laws for Car Accident Cases

There are many reasons to begin your case immediately following an injury, including helping you recover compensation sooner and ensuring that important evidence is not lost over time. However, one of the most crucial reasons is that under New Mexico state law, you only have a set amount of time to do so. Typically, this is three years from the date of the accident for your New Mexico auto accident lawyer to file a lawsuit.

In the tragic event that a loved one dies due to a car accident, then you typically have three years from the date of their death to do so. A New Mexico wrongful death attorney can help you do so.

How Do Comparative Negligence Laws Affect Your New Mexico Car Accident Claim?

In New Mexico, fault is assigned based on the percentage of someone’s negligence during the accident (i.e., 80/20 or 70/30). For example, if someone were distracted and crashed into your car, they would be negligent. However, if they did so because you violated a traffic law, then you would both share some of the fault. 

What Should You Do After a New Mexico Car Accident?

While your lawyer will handle communicating with the insurance company and building a case for your claim, there are some actions accident victims can take after a car accident to help.

These actions are:

• Seek Medical Attention: Seeking prompt medical care is essential for developing effective treatment plans and healing your injuries. Documentation of your injuries can also be necessary for any claim you make, as it links your injuries to the accident.
• Call the Police: Police officers will help ensure everyone’s safety after the accident, as well as gather evidence and contact information. Police reports are often vital pieces of evidence for personal injury claims.
• Take Photos: If it is safe to do so, take photographs of your vehicle’s damage, the scene of the accident, and your injuries.

In addition to things you can do, there are also things that you should avoid doing after an accident. These include posting about the accident on social media, taking the blame for the accident when talking to police or insurance companies, and confronting the other driver (or drivers).