Santa Fe Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer

Drunk driving accidents are unfortunately all too common on roadways in New Mexico and across the United States. Despite laws, ad campaigns, and other strategies to reduce drunk driving, drivers continue to get behind the wheel and drive while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. That’s why calling Santa Fe drunk driving accident lawyers is important.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a drunk driving accident in Santa Fe, you should call the experienced Santa Fe car accident attorneys at Zinda Law Group for a free consultation to explore your options. If we are not able to win your case, you will not owe us anything.

New Mexico Drunk Driving Laws

According to New Mexico law, driving while intoxicated (DWI) is defined as operating a vehicle on a public road with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 or higher. Pursuant to NMSA 66-8-102, the driver is guilty of drunk driving if the driver’s blood has a BAC of 0.08 or higher “within three hours of driving.”

A Santa Fe driver under the age of 21 may be charged with driving under the influence (DUI) if he or she drives on a public road after consuming alcohol, regardless of their BAC. 

Dram Shop Laws in New Mexico

The term “dram shop” is derived from “dram,” a former unit of measurement for alcoholic beverages. Dram shops are comparable to modern bars, clubs, or other alcohol vendors. Dram shop laws exist to hold alcohol providers accountable, ensuring the safety of those consuming alcohol. Drivers are expected to drink responsibly and not operate vehicles while intoxicated.

Licensed alcohol vendors in Santa Fe and beyond are legally obligated, pursuant to New Mexico Statutes Section 41-11-1, the New Mexico “dram shop” law, to not serve an individual any alcoholic beverages past the point of evident inebriation.

What to Do After a Drunk Driving Accident

Seek Immediate Medical Attention

If you have been involved in an accident, you should always seek immediate medical attention to treat any potential injuries as soon as possible. Even if you do not immediately appear to be injured, many injuries may not be readily apparent but may become serious or life-threatening if left undiagnosed or untreated.

You should also maintain a record of any medical treatment you receive and any medical expenses incurred, as this documentation may be critical in supporting any damages claimed in your drunk driving accident lawsuit. Common types of injuries include the following:

• Brain or head injury
• Spinal cord injury
• Broken bones
• Whiplash
• Lacerations
• Death

Contact the Police

If you are involved in an accident with a drunk driver, you should contact law enforcement immediately. The drunk driver should remain at the scene of the accident until the arrival of law enforcement.

Document the Drunk Driver’s Intoxicated State

If possible, you should use your cell phone or another device with video and audio recording capabilities to record a video of the intoxicated driver. A video can be extremely useful evidence in proving the other party’s liability. 

It is common for intoxicated drivers to deny that they were drunk or impaired during the accident to avoid criminal charges and liability. Photo and/or video evidence can often be critical to proving their inebriation and supporting your claim.

Contact a Santa Fe Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer

Drunk driving accidents may be complicated, especially without a DUI conviction or other evidence proving the other party’s intoxication at the time of the accident. If you were involved in an accident with an intoxicated driver, you should hire an experienced attorney as soon as possible to handle your case. 

Your lawyer may be able to help you seek compensation for losses and damages you suffered as a result of the accident.

Learn More: Why Hiring a Lawyer Will Help Your Case

Contact an Insurance Provider

So long as you’ve gotten an at-fault driver’s insurance information, you can file an accident claim with the insurance company protecting a negligent driver on the road. Ideally, as an accident victim, you should receive fair compensation from said provider. Unfortunately, insurance companies often want to protect themselves more than they do an at-fault driver or even you.

There’s a chance that an insurance provider may deny your drunk driving claim instead of offering you compensatory damages. Some providers might alternatively attempt to undervalue the financial compensation you deserve. What can you do in the face of this bad-faith behavior? Call the experienced car accident lawyers with Zinda Law Group.

Our law firm knows how to deal with uncooperative insurance providers after automobile accidents. We can contest any damages that an insurance claims adjuster attempts to drop from your case. If a provider attempts to deny your right to catastrophic injury damages outright, we can appeal that denial. If the need arises, we can even fight for your right to financial compensation from a provider in civil court.

Even if you get into an accident with an uninsured motorist, you can call our accident injury attorneys to discuss your right to a fair settlement. Zinda Law Group can come at your case from all angles in an effort to ease your recovery.

Filing a Personal Injury Claim After an Accident With a Drunk Driver

The Santa Fe personal injury attorneys with Zinda Law Group want to help you recover damages from both insurance companies and at-fault parties following a drunk driving accident. To secure this financial support on your behalf, our team:

• Bring together evidence of another party’s negligence
• Uses that evidence to identify a liable party
• Uses additional evidence to establish the value of fair compensation

We do all of this in the statute of limitations outlined by Ch. 37, Art. 1, Sec. 37-1-8 of the New Mexico Statutes. This statute gives you no more than three years to act on your losses.

Securing Compensation After a Drunk Driving Crash

Your right to fair compensation after a motor vehicle accident, particularly a drunk driving crash, hinges on your ability to bring forward evidence of your losses’ financial value. Fortunately, our drunk driving accident attorneys in Santa Fe are here to help. Our team relies on its extensive experience can calculate the value of your economic and non-economic losses, including the following:

• Property damage
• Lost wages
• Medical bills
• Long-term medical care
• Emotional distress
• Pain and suffering
• Mental anguish
• Wrongful death, if applicable
• Funeral expenses, if applicable

While we can’t include punitive damages in your request for fair compensation, we can elaborate on the gross negligence that contributed to your accident. If a judge recognizes the negligent party’s misconduct as particularly egregious, you may receive punitive damages in addition to the accident settlement you requested in your complaint.

Get Help from a Drunk Driving Crash Lawyer in Santa Fe Today

At Zinda Law Group, our Santa Fe drunk driving accident lawyers may help you with your personal injury lawsuit. Our Santa Fe attorneys have years of experience helping our clients pursue the maximum compensation after they or a loved one has been injured in a drunk driving auto wreck.

You will not pay anything for our legal representation unless our auto accident lawyers can win your drunk driving accident case. That’s our No Win, No Fee Guarantee.

Meetings with Santa Fe attorneys by appointment only.