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Car accidents happen in New Mexico all the time, and they can be incredibly stressful. Not only can they leave you with physical injuries, but they also subject you to difficult conversations with insurance companies. However, if you were in a New Mexico car accident due to the negligent actions of another driver, you may be able to seek compensation for your injuries.
Don’t ever feel like you need to fight your battle alone. Zinda Law Group’s New Mexico car accident lawyers stand ready to help you through these challenging times. If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident, call Zinda Law Group for a free consultation with one of our 5-star reviewed New Mexico car accident attorneys.
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Send Request NowCOMMON CAUSES OF CAR ACCIDENTS IN NEW MEXICO
One recent study found that there were 46,786 traffic crashes reported on public roadways in New Mexico. These crashes injured 19,790 people and killed 392 individuals according to the New Mexico Department of Transportation. While many factors can contribute to a crash, some of the most common causes of car accidents in New Mexico include the following:
Speeding
When drivers speed, they have less time to react. This means that a speeding car will hit crash victims with a higher impact and can cause more severe injuries. Speeding was a contributing factor in over 817 car crash injuries.
Impaired Driving
Impaired driving may result in weaving across lanes, quickly accelerating or decelerating, swerving, tailgating, or driving without headlights at night. On average, a person was injured or killed in an alcohol-involved crash every 6 hours in New Mexico.
Distracted Driving
It only takes a few seconds for drivers to respond to a text on their phone, but those few seconds can be fatal for crash victims. If a driver’s eyes are on a phone, then they’re not focused on the road or the cars around them. Distracted driving was the leading cause of car crashes in New Mexico and injured 2,926 people.
Failing to Yield
This same study shows that 2,506 people were injured in crashes because a driver failed to yield. When drivers fail to look twice, slow down, or respect the right-of-way, intersections and turns can seriously injure drivers.
Our Awards
AWARDED TO JOHN C. (JACK) ZINDA BY THE NATIONAL TRIAL LAWYERS ASSOCIATION (2016-2020)
AWARDED TO JOHN C. (JACK) ZINDA (2009, 2011-2012, 2014-2021), JOE CAPUTO (2019-2021), BURGESS WILLIAMS (2019-2020), & NEIL SOLOMON (2020-2021)
AWARDED TO JACK ZINDA (2016-2020), JOE CAPUTO (2016 – 2020) & BURGESS WILLIAMS (2016-2017)
LIFETIME MEMBERS JOHN C. (JACK) ZINDA & JOE CAPUTO
COMMON INJURIES FROM AUTO ACCIDENTS
Car accidents can range from minor fender-benders to high-speed collisions. As a result, there is a range of injuries that can occur. Some of the most common types of injuries from car accidents include:
Head Injuries
Head injuries can range in severity from minor injuries, like whiplash and concussions, to serious internal brain and skull damage. It is important to seek medical attention as soon as possible if you believe you have a head injury, as untreated injuries can lead to serious long-term detrimental effects.
Read More: Brain Bleed Injury Lawyers
Scrapes, Cuts, and Bruises
The second your car hits another object, the items inside your car can go flying and become projectiles that injure you and your passengers. This could include items such as cell phones, mugs, kids’ toys, purses, books, or any loose item in your car. If a windshield breaks, the glass from the windows can cause deep cuts and lacerations and require stitches or more serious medical attention. Seatbelts can also cause severe bruising.
Broken Bones
The force generated by car collisions is enough to cause serious bone breaks. Drivers may be especially susceptible to broken ribs from the impact of the steering wheel. Broken arms and legs can also occur in serious car accidents.
CASE RESULTS
WHAT SHOULD I DO AFTER A CAR ACCIDENT?
After leaving the scene of the accident, you may still feel shaken and overwhelmed about what to do next. The below steps outline what you should do in the days and weeks following your accident.
Monitor Your Health
If you do not receive medical treatment at the scene of the accident, visit your doctor as soon as possible to determine if you need medical treatment. After you leave the hospital or doctor’s office, be sure to watch for any additional signs or symptoms that occur in the days following the accident. Don’t ignore any signs or symptoms because you can experience the effects of a car accident several days after it happens.
Document The Damage From The Accident
Right after an accident is it easy to feel overwhelmed. You may have been too injured or shaken to take photos of the damage at the scene of an accident. As soon as possible, be sure to take photos of the damage to your car and any injuries you sustained in the accident.
Obtain the Police Report
If a police officer responded to your accident, he or she will have filled out an accident report. If you were not given a copy at the scene of the accident, call the police department to ask for a copy of the accident report or how to access this report once it becomes available.
Notify Your Car Insurance Company
After you’ve been in a car accident, your insurance company needs to be notified. In minor cases without any injuries, you can call your insurance company and notify them yourself. However, if any party is injured, it is best to call an experienced car accident lawyer first for a few reasons.
Document Your Expenses
A car accident can be expensive. Hospital costs, missed work, and automobile repairs can quickly add up. But you shouldn’t have to pay if the accident is not your fault. It’s important that you keep track of all receipts and paperwork related to your accident. This could include:
- Hospital and doctor bills
- Insurance coverage and payments
- Physical therapy
- Chiropractor bills
- Dental bills
- Documented time taken off from work due to any injuries
- Receipts for the repair or replacement of your car
- Receipts for a rental car while yours is being repaired
WHY YOU SHOULD IMMEDIATELY CALL ZINDA LAW GROUP
1. You may not be ready to give a recorded statement to the insurance company
After a car accident, you may still be upset, confused, and traumatized. When an insurance agent speaks with you, they may ask to record the call, hoping to find evidence that an accident was your fault. These recordings can be used in court to hurt your chances of recovering money from the other party. It is always best to have an attorney speak on your behalf when dealing with insurance companies.
2. You may not know the extent of your injuries
The effects of a car accident can be long-lasting and may not appear right away. What may have first seemed like a minor headache can turn into chronic migraines. The ongoing medical treatment that serious injuries, like brain and spinal cord trauma, can be unpredictable and expensive. You won’t know what the future holds immediately after your accident.
3. You may be pressured to settle
Insurance companies want to pay you as little as possible. They may offer you a settlement, or an amount of money that they’ve evaluated the damage to be. However, this may not be the actual value of your case and may be insufficient to cover your expenses, especially with a serious and ongoing injury. Call an experienced attorney to fight for you and help you seek a fair car accident settlement.
YOU MAY BE ENTITLED TO COMPENSATION
If you were in a car accident caused by another driver, you may be entitled to seek compensation for your injuries. For example, if you were sitting at a red light and were rear-ended, the other driver may be at fault. Of course, the amount of compensation you can receive depends on two main factors: the severity of your injuries and the fault of each person involved.
For instance, if you only suffered minor injuries that did not require any hospitalization, then the amount of compensation you seek may be less than if you suffered very severe injuries. Importantly, New Mexico is a pure comparative negligence state. This means that each party may be assigned a percentage of fault, and the compensation you pursue is reduced according to this percentage. For example, if an accident is determined to be 10% your fault, then the maximum compensation you may be able to seek could be reduced by 10%.
COMMON CAR ACCIDENT TYPES THAT WE HANDLE
- Rear-end collisions
- Single Car Accidents
- Vehicle Rollovers
- Side-Impact Collision
- Head-on Collision
- Sideswipe Collisions
- Distracted Driving Accidents
- Uninsured Motorist Accidents
- Bicycle Accidents
- Electric Scooter Accidents
- Pedestrian Accidents
- Truck Accidents
- Amazon Delivery Truck Accidents
- Door Dash Accidents
- New Mexico Department of Transportation Accidents
- North Central RTD Accidents
- And More
HOW TO FILE A CLAIM FOR A CAR ACCIDENT
After an accident, you may be at a bit of a loss as to how to go about seeking compensation for your injuries. The following list includes some of the basic steps that anyone who has been injured in an accident should take.
1. Speak with a Car Accident Attorney
Whatever your potential path to compensation ends up looking like, it should begin with speaking to an attorney. An experienced New Mexico car accident attorney may be able to advise you on the value of your case, as well as crafting an effective strategy to seek maximum compensation.
2. Investigations
Once you have chosen an attorney to work with, they may be able to begin the process of researching and investigating the particular facts of your case. This will include things like analyzing any photo or video evidence that might be available, obtaining police reports, and speaking with any witnesses who were present at the scene.
3. Negotiate a Settlement
The vast majority of claims will settle far before they make it to the courtroom, which is why this step is extremely important. At this stage, your attorney may be able to frame your claim in the best light possible—minimizing any potential weak points while emphasizing the stronger aspects of your situation.
Read More: What to Do Immediately After a New Mexico Car Accident
WHY HIRE ZINDA LAW GROUP?
The New Mexico car accident attorneys at Zinda Law Group have helped thousands of clients seek the compensation that they deserve. This experience will help them help you seek the maximum compensation for your injuries as well. Here are a few other things that Zinda Law Group apart from other firms:
1. Large Firm Resources
With offices across the Southwest, the attorneys at Zinda Law Group have access to a vast array of different resources to seek maximum compensation for clients. This includes access to accident reconstruction experts, who may be able to help create compelling visuals that demonstrate that the other party in your accident was the at-fault party.
2. Small Firm Attention
At Zinda Law Group, we are careful not to take on too many cases so that each of our clients receives the attention that they deserve. Your attorney, while having access to large firm resources, will have the time to dig into your claim, as well as the localized expertise to create a compelling case.
3. Experience with Car Insurance Companies
With most car accidents, there will be insurance companies involved. Insurance companies want to pay out as little as possible, and this can often come at the expense of compensation that you may deserve. Having an experienced lawyer with you may prevent being taken advantage of by these insurance companies.
Read More: Most Important New Mexico Car Insurance Laws
GET HELP FROM OUR NEW MEXICO CAR ACCIDENT LAWYERS
The New Mexico car accident lawyers at Zinda Law Group are standing by to assist you and will do everything in their power to make the process as easy as possible for you while fighting hard to seek maximum compensation in your case. In addition, we believe that accident victims shouldn’t have to worry about being able to afford legal representation, which is why we use a no-win no-fee policy—you don’t pay us anything if we don’t win your case.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident, call Zinda Law Group at (800) 863-5312 for a free consultation with a New Mexico car accident attorney.
We’ve Served Car Accident Clients In These New Mexico Locations
- Santa Fe Car Accident Lawyers
- Albuquerque Car Accident Lawyers
- Las Cruces Car Accident Lawyers
- Carlsbad
- Roswell Car Accident Lawyers
- Alamogordo Personal Injury Lawyers
- Deming Personal Injury Lawyers
- Los Alamos Personal Injury Lawyers
- Rio Rancho Personal Injury Lawyers
- Taos Personal Injury Lawyers
