Your attorney’s experience and abilities will determine your ability to collect damages for the injuries you suffered. After an injury from a car crash, the attorney you choose can have a major impact on the results of your case. This is important because when you hire the right attorney, he or she will evaluate how your life has been affected in both the long and the short term. Your lawyer will work with you to develop a comprehensive plan to keep your case moving forward, and her understanding of the medicine, liability and legal issues, and insurance will be important factors in recovering damages.
by Mary Catherine Baca, Esq.
Your Trusted Legal Team After an Accident
Our attorneys at Cassidy Baca, P.C. boast years of experience representing people who have been injured as a result of negligence or misconduct. Our passion is our unparalleled dedication to compiling the most compelling case on your behalf.
We remain undeterred in our pursuit of justice against some of the largest and most prestigious insurance companies.
Contact us today for a free consultation regarding your injury or car accident.
Why Hire Cassidy Baca, P.C. For Your Albuquerque Car Accident Claim?
Your attorney’s experience and abilities will determine your ability to collect damages for the injuries you suffered. After an injury from a car crash, the attorney you choose can have a major impact on the results of your case.
Why is This Important?
The injuries you suffered as a result of a car accident can impact your life for weeks, months, and even years. When you hire the right attorney, he or she will evaluate how your life has been affected in both the long and the short term. Your lawyer will work with you to develop a comprehensive plan to keep your case moving forward, and her understanding of the medicine, liability and legal issues, and insurance will be important factors in recovering damages.
The party who caused your injuries, often represented by a motor vehicle insurance company, usually seeks to minimize, or dismiss altogether, your claims against them. Because the party who injured you will generally desire to pay as little as possible for your injuries, you may be required to file a lawsuit and ask the court to compel the other party to pay for your injuries.
At Cassidy Baca, P.C., our local and experienced Albuquerque attorneys handle all manner of wrecks, car crashes, and truck collisions from the beginning through to trial, and to collection of judgement.
- Our experienced staff is well-versed and time-tested in the New Mexico court system.
- We have the experience, skills, and resources required to a craft compelling case on your behalf.
- Our proven track record speaks for itself because we close cases against some of the largest insurance companies.
- We may advance some of the costs of your personal injury case.
- We offer a free and confidential case evaluation.
How Can an Albuquerque Car Accident Lawyer Help?
Anyone may bring a claim against the party responsible for his or her injuries without professional legal help. This is called representing yourself “pro se,” Latin for “self” or “in one’s own behalf.” When making a claim for damages, representing yourself pro se could put you at a distinct disadvantage. Hire an experienced car accident lawyer to protect your best interests and allow yourself to focus on your health, family, and recovery.
Our Legal Team Will Begin Working on Your Behalf Right Away
- We investigate the accident report, witness statements, and other evidence.
- Our network of professionals provide expert medical and scientific opinions whenever necessary.
- We talk to the insurance companies who may try to gain information from you to which they are not entitled and which may hurt your claim for damages.
- We write and file all the necessary paperwork with the appropriate court of proper jurisdiction within the statute of limitations.
- We ensure all paperwork deadlines are met on time.
- Our teams investigate all potential sources of insurance coverage to maximize your claim for compensation.
- Our review of your medical records may allow us to connect you with experts who can help ensure nothing is missed or undiagnosed, and to help you anticipate future medical needs.
- We will file a complaint against any insurance company that fails to treat you fairly
Do I Have a Case?
If you suffered an injury as a result of a car crash, truck accident, or other motor vehicle collision, you may have a claim against the party responsible for your injuries.
After an experienced attorney reviews the facts of your case, she can advise you of your legal options. The many factors your lawyer will consider include: who is at fault, the extent of the injuries, the presence and amount of available insurance coverage, and others.
Compensation You Can Recover After a Car Accident in New Mexico
In New Mexico, a person (or “party”) who is injured in a car crash or truck accident may be eligible to recover financial compensation from the party who was responsible for the injury. Generally, these expenses are referred to as “damages” and are most often paid through the at-fault party’s insurance policy instead of from the at-fault party’s pocket.
There are many different ways a person can be injured or suffer expenses as a result of an auto injury, and those are generally grouped into three (3) main categories: economic, non-economic, and punitive damages. A wrongful death claim may be brought by the families of someone who has been killed in a car accident.
Economic Damages
Economic losses are usually described as (1) wages, salaries, or other compensation lost as a result of an injury, (2) medical expenses resulting from the injury, and (3) any other expenses incurred as a result of an injury, except attorneys’ fees.
Non-Economic Damages
These types of damages are awarded for the non-economic ways car crashes and injuries affect our lives. Because these damages are non-economic, your attorney must be skilled in explaining the value of your non-economic damages, like pain and suffering and disfigurement.
How Long After an Accident Do I Have to File a Car Accident Claim?
All personal injury legal claims, including car crash and truck accident, are subject to a strict time limit, known as the “statute of limitations.” In New Mexico, this strict time limit is usually three (3) years from the date of the injury. Section 31-1-8 NMSA (1978).
Failure to file your complaint within this three-year window will very likely result in the court refusing to hear your case. In some cases, the statute of limitations is even shorter; for example, claims for damages against a government agency may have a much shorter time limit of ninety (90) days.
Always seek advice from an experienced local car accident lawyer as soon as possible to avoid violating these time limits and ensure you can preserve all your claims for damages.
Liability in Car Accident Cases
Car accidents are typically not really “accidents” because, in most cases, they were preventable and only occurred due to one or more drivers’, manufacturer’s, or government entity’s, negligence. This idea of negligence is important in assigning liability for the “accident.”
Negligence can occur through action or inaction, and is loosely defined as a failure to exercise the level of care that an ordinary person would have exercised under the same circumstances.
When you drive on the road, you have a duty to exercise safe driving so you do not endanger other people on the road. All drivers share this responsibility, as well as other responsibilities like obeying traffic laws, operating the vehicle in safe manner while not under the influence of drugs or alcohol, and refraining from using cell phones or other electronic devices while driving.
What to do After a Car Accident in Albuquerque
Your actions right now may play an important part in determining the results of your auto accident case. Take the following steps to help ensure your case is preserved.
Seek Medical Attention
Check yourself for injuries and get to safety as soon as possible.
Contact the Police
Call 9-11 right away to report your accident. Request an ambulance if you are in pain, or immediately follow-up with your doctor or an urgent care visit.
Gather Evidence and Contact Information
Take pictures, exchange information with the other driver, and cooperate with any police investigation.
Document Your Injuries
Scheduling a visit with a medical doctor right away is important.
Take a Break
Don’t post on social media, and don’t speak with an adjuster without your attorney present.
Contact a Car Accident Attorney
The experienced accident attorneys at Cassidy Baca, P.C. are ready to help you understand all of your legal options after an injury.
How is Negligence Determined in a Car Accident Claim?
Negligence generally requires proof of four primary elements in order to establish negligence in a car accident case:
- The defendant owed a legal duty to the plaintiff;
- The defendant breached that duty;
- The plaintiff suffered actual harm or injury; and,
- The defendant’s breach caused the injury.
The person, business, or government entity who caused the accident must have acted, or failed to act, in a way that directly, or proximately caused, your injuries in order for damages to be recovered.
Even if you are partially at-fault for an accident, you can still recover compensation from the other party who is also at-fault; however, the amount of compensation you are be eligible to receive may be reduced by the degree you were at fault for the accident.
What Are the Most Common Car Accident Injuries in New Mexico?
Car accidents, motor vehicle collisions, and truck wrecks are the some of the most common reasons people suffer serious injury and death in New Mexico, and the entire United States.
Common Car Injuries:
- Traumatic brain injuries;
- Spinal cord injuries;
- Back, head, and neck injuries, for example, whiplash;
- Internal injuries;
- Broken bones;
- Mental and emotional injuries, for example, PTSD;
- Scrapes, cuts; and,
- Death.
More than 3 million people are injured in motor vehicle collisions each year in the United States. When injuries go untreated, the victim’s physical, financial, and emotional health may suffer long-term harm, and may make recovery of damages more difficult.
Free Consultation with an Albuquerque Car Accident Lawyer
Our attorneys at Cassidy Baca, P.C. lead teams of experienced and skilled legal professionals who craft, file, and prosecute comprehensive claims against those responsible for injuring others.
Communities We Proudly Serve Near Albuquerque & Santa Fe, New Mexico
- Northeast Heights
- Corrales
- Los Ranchos
- North Valley
- 4th Street
- Montgomery
- Central
- Paseo del Norte
- Westside
- Taylor Ranch
- Ventana Ranch
- Bear Canyon
- Barelas
- South Valley
- Monte Vista
- International District
- Huning Castle
- Old Town
- Downtown
- Uptown
- Nob Hill
- Heights
- Rio Rancho
- Bernalillo
- Placitas
- Santa Fe
- Española
- Moriarty
- Belen
- Los Lunas
- Chimayo
- Embudo
- Taos
- Chama
- Farmington
- Gallup
- Grants
- Las Cruces
- Roswell
- Socorro
- Truth or Consequences
- Artesia
- Carrizozo
- Raton
Speak with an Experienced Severe Injury Lawyer in Albuquerque Right Away.
If you have been severely injured in an auto accident, car crash, or truck collision in Sandoval County, contact our Albuquerque Injury attorneys for a free case evaluation today.