Albuquerque Car Accident Lawyers

If you’re involved in a car accident in Albuquerque, it can be challenging to get the compensation you are due.

Not only do the insurance companies often try to low-ball victims but the clock is ticking from the day of your car accident: the statute of limitations for a personal injury lawsuit in New Mexico is three years.

If you miss the deadline, you will generally lose the right to any compensation.

For insurance claims, you generally need to file a claim within 24 hours of your car accident. If you leave it, the insurance company may try to deny it.

Attempting this process alone, after a car accident where you have suffered injuries, can be daunting. An experienced car accident attorney from Legal Solutions of New Mexico will help you liaise with the insurance company and manage the legal processes.

How can a personal injury lawyer help you after a car accident?

What may seem like a clear case of negligence from the “other driver” in your car accident may not be viewed that way by insurance companies.

Having worked on multiple personal injury cases involving car accidents in Albuquerque through the years, we have seen the strategies that insurance companies use to minimize payments to victims.

It’s our job as your personal injury lawyer to maximize your claim and to file a lawsuit if required.

After a serious accident, you will likely need to focus on recovering physically and mentally from your ordeal and you may be feeling stressed from mounting medical bills. We will protect your rights and simplify the process of claiming compensation for you by:

Thoroughly investigating the facts in your case:

The first step is to collect and examine all the evidence possible from your car accident and your resulting injury.

Sending letters of representation

We will inform all relevant parties that we are representing you and request they direct all correspondence through us. Most notably, this will be the insurance company representing the at-fault party but may also include creditors and other parties. Any questions directed to you can then be channelled to us.

Negotiating the maximum possible settlement – or preparing for court

The insurance company will aggressively defend its client and we will do the same for you. You are the injured party so we will demonstrate that we are prepared to go to court and will prepare your case for trial. Most claims are settled out of court as insurance companies like to avoid legal costs but our job is to be ready for a trial no matter what.

Keeping you informed

As your lawyers, we understand how important it is to keep you across the progress in your case. We will keep you updated on the status of your compensation claim or lawsuit. While you won’t need to do much to aid the legal work you may need to obtain estimates for car repairs with our assistance. Your main focus should be recovery and getting your life back to normal.

What steps should you take after a car accident in Albuquerque?

By the time you read this, you may already be recovering from your accident and wondering what you need to do next.

However, it’s worth bearing in mind the steps to take immediately after a car accident in Albuquerque.

It goes without saying that you should seek immediate medical attention. That applies whether you know you are injured or not. Get checked out by a medical professional as some injuries are slow to manifest themselves. This will at least create a medical record and may aid a future compensation claim.

Even if you do not feel hurt, you may be in shock after a car accident. If possible, take the following steps:

Call the police – you will need a police report as an official version of what happened, including what actions were taken against a negligent driver. It is important for your personal injury lawyer to have a copy of this even though it is a civil lawsuit rather than a criminal charge.
Gather any evidence you can – pictures and video from the scene of the accident can aid your case. Try to get images from various positions and angles.
Get the details of witnesses – obtain names and phone numbers so that your lawyer can follow up later.
Hire an attorney - don’t talk to anyone who contacts you from the insurance company and, instead, refer them to your personal injury lawyer.

What damages can victims recover from a car accident?

If you are injured in a car accident in Albuquerque where another party was at least partly at fault, a car accident lawyer from Legal Solutions of New Mexico will help you claim compensation for your physical, financial, and emotional losses.

Medical bills are often one of the most significant claims for serious injuries but present and future earnings losses and pain and suffering can cause life-altering changes.

The exact circumstances of your accident and its aftermath will dictate the level of compensation you are due but you may be able to claim for the following losses:

Payment of medical bills – including past, present, and future treatment, if required
Compensation for damage to property - your car, for instance
Lost earnings – if you cannot go to work or face a lower earning potential because of your injury, you should be compensated for this
Physical and emotional pain and suffering - this is more subjective and depends upon the evidence you can submit to support it
Punitive damages – the at-fault party may be penalized for negligence

Physical injuries, medical bills, and lost earnings are more straightforward to prove than emotional suffering. A skilled lawyer will ensure that you present a compelling case, calling on doctors and other professionals, if necessary.