Many people who call New Mexico home live within the city limits of Albuquerque. Put simply, that means there are more cars on the roads in and around the Duke City than in most other areas of the state—and unfortunately, that means there are more auto accidents here than in other areas of the state.
If you have been hurt in a traffic collision that was not your fault, you may have multiple options for seeking financial restitution that a capable personal injury attorney can help you take advantage of. If you want to get the best result possible from your unique claim, you should seek help from an Albuquerque car accident lawyer with experience fighting—and winning—cases just like yours.
Car accidents often generate an immense impact and tend to be quite dangerous. While every car accident has its own specific set of circumstances, most fall into one of several basic categories.
Rear-end accidents are as common as they are dangerous. Rear-end collisions are often caused by distraction, excess speed, or both on the part of the rear driver.
T-bone accidents happen almost exclusively in intersections and at spots where motorists enter traffic from driveways, parking lots, and other outlets. These accidents involve one motorist barreling into the side of another and forming the shape of a T in the process. The sides of the vehicles we drive lack the safety buffer afforded by the crumple zones in the front and back, which makes T-bone accidents that much more dangerous.
Sideswipe accidents involve one driver swiping against another, and they are generally caused by unsafe lane changes, inattention, or inadequate control. These accidents have the potential to knock victims out of their lanes, which increases the chances that pileups will occur.
Head-on accidents are among the deadliest crashes on our roadways. They tend to occur when the at-fault driver heads the wrong way onto the road ahead or passes when it’s unsafe to do so. Serious impairment or extreme aggression often plays a role.
It is difficult to imagine a more dangerous or terrifying car accident than a rollover. A rollover is often the result of overcorrecting in response to a prior driving error or in response to another driver affording no safe options.
The most common causes of car accidents are the various forms of driver negligence. These include all the following:
In some cases, fault can also lie with the car manufacturer, such as when a defective part is the underlying cause of the accident. Finally, the involved municipality can also be held legally liable for accidents caused by poorly maintained or otherwise dangerous roadways. When the government is involved, however, an additional layer of legal complication applies. Our Albuquerque attorneys could work to determine whose negligence is responsible for the car collision.
The covered physical, financial, and emotional losses you suffer in a car accident are called legal damages, and they can be immense. These damages are addressed in terms of basic categories of loss that include the following:
It is important to accurately calculate the full spectrum of losses you experience in support of your complete recovery. Your trusted car accident lawyer in Albuquerque will take the steps necessary to help ensure that this happens.
The car accident that leaves you injured will be unique to you, but everyone in your difficult position is well advised to take the following important steps:
New Mexico takes a fault-based approach to car accident litigation, which means people injured in a wreck are not required by law to seek recovery through an insurance claim before proceeding to a civil lawsuit over the incident. While it is often prudent to file a claim against an at-fault driver’s liability insurance policy in order to recover for things like short-term medical bills and car repair costs, these policies rarely account for all the losses a traumatic traffic collision can cause. Per state law, insurance should provide at least $25,000 of coverage for one person’s injuries, $50,000 for all injuries, and $10,000 for all property damage from a single crash.
In order to recover for economic losses not covered by insurance, as well as non-economic forms of harm, like physical pain and emotional suffering, it may be necessary to file a personal injury lawsuit against the person most directly responsible for causing the wreck in question. A seasoned Albuquerque auto accident attorney could help collect and effectively present evidence to demonstrate how a specific reckless or careless act behind the wheel was the main cause of an otherwise preventable crash.
Legal counsel can also provide vital assistance with fighting accusations that an injured person was partially at fault for causing their own accident. Failing to contest this kind of claim made by the driver being sued could lead to a court assigning an injured person a percentage of fault for their own injuries and then reducing the total compensation available by that same percentage.
A car crash lawyer in Albuquerque could help construct and file the strongest civil claim as quickly as possible after the crash in question. Otherwise, the three-year filing deadline set by New Mexico Statutes § 37-1-8 might expire before the legal process begins, leaving the injured person with no means of getting civil compensation for that particular injury.
Auto accidents are one of the most common causes of personal injuries not just in New Mexico but all over the United States. Unfortunately, the fact that incidents like this happen so often does not make it any easier to take effective legal action, especially if you try to do so entirely on your own.
Working closely with a skilled Albuquerque car accident lawyer improves your chances of getting a favorable result from your claim and obtaining every cent of the restitution you deserve. Call today to learn more.
