Texting While Driving Car Accidents in Albuquerque

Texting while driving car accidents in Albuquerque can cause serious injury to other drivers and passengers involved in the collision. These injuries can leave you with costly medical care, time away from work, and other losses. An injury lawsuit may be an option for you to recover compensation for your losses. Our experienced and local car accident attorneys could assist you or a loved one in this process by filing a claim in court and advocating for your interests in settlement discussions or a trial.

Texting While Driving Laws

Texting while driving in Albuquerque is a form of distracted driving that increases a driver’s risk of a car accident by reducing reaction times and general road awareness. New Mexico Statute § 66-7-374 prohibits drivers from viewing a text message and from manually typing on a cell phone or a similar communication device. Signs of texting while driving may include erratic braking and acceleration patterns, a disregard for traffic signs or lights, and swerving into other traffic lanes unexpectedly. Even uses of a cell phone that may not explicitly violate the law against texting while driving could still establish liability for injury in a related car accident. For example, talking on the phone and other hands-free uses can still create a distraction and cause a collision.

Liability for Injury from a Texting While Driving Car Crash

Albuquerque car accidents that result in personal injury because of texting while driving may make that driver liable for damages under state negligence laws. Fault arising from texting while driving may be more subtle in some cases compared to others. For example, texting while driving that results in a T-bone collision because a driver runs a red light will more directly show distraction compared to a fender bender in a parking lot. An experienced lawyer can take steps to collect evidence of texting while driving by requesting cell phone records or other relevant data.

Compensation that may be available in a texting while driving car accident case includes the following damages:

  • Medical care costs
  • Lost wages and earnings from missed work
  • Accrued pain and suffering
  • Property damage

The amount of damages in a case will depend on how serious an injury is and how it impacts a person’s life going forward. Additionally, if an injured person has any joint fault for the car accident, a reduction to their compensation may apply under New Mexico’s comparative fault rule. The reduction is based on the jury’s determined percentage of fault the injured plaintiff has for the car accident.

Meet with an Albuquerque Attorney Today to Discuss a Texting While Driving Car Accident Claim

Texting while driving car accidents in Albuquerque can be serious, if not deadly. These types of accidents often receive comparisons to having the same effect as driving under the influence because of the impairment texting while driving places on a driver. Get help understanding potential rights to compensation after an accident and meet with one of our experienced lawyers about filing a claim. We are dedicated to protecting our community when the wrongful acts of others cause them harm. Schedule a free case review today.