Albuquerque Truck Accident Lawyer

Large trucking accidents often involve complex litigation against powerful industry players. At Zinda Law Group, our Albuquerque truck accident lawyers have decades of combined experience protecting victims’ rights and pursuing maximum compensation in crashes caused by negligence.

Navigating the legal process alone can be overwhelming. Our Albuquerque personal injury lawyers work to relieve that stress and obtain every dollar you rightly deserve against all liable parties – including trucking companies, cargo companies, part manufacturers, and their insurers.

If you’ve suffered a loss due to an accident in Albuquerque, our lawyers have the experience, resources, and dedication to protect your rights. Contact us today for a free consultation about your potential case.

How Can a Truck Accident Lawyer Help Me?

Our lawyers at Zinda Law Group can take on the legal details and insurance claims process on your behalf to ensure your claim is handled efficiently and your rights are protected. Here are a few key reasons why it’s important to have an experienced truck accident lawyer helping with an injury claim:

• Trucking companies have large legal teams. After an accident, insurance companies for big carriers will deploy teams of adjusters and lawyers to minimize payouts. To protect your claim for compensation, you need equal firepower on your side.
• It’s a complex legal process. Trucking regulations, commercial vehicle codes, and liability statutes can get complicated. An experienced commercial trucking accident lawyer knows how to navigate this legal terrain to its fullest advantage.
• Compensation for your long-term injuries. An attorney can recognize issues that require future medical care and argue the full scope of injuries instead of letting the carrier underpay.
• Evidence must be properly preserved. An experienced lawyer knows how to obtain important data like video footage, inspection reports, EDR data, and driver records. It’s critical to ensure proper gathering and handling of evidence to ensure admissibility in court. Further, an attorney can send a spoilage letter and deploy investigators to help ensure no evidence is tampered with or destroyed.
• Settlement negotiation is crucial. Insurance adjusters are masters at getting people to settle cheaply. But a good truck accident attorney has the skills and resources to negotiate and will fight hard for full and fair compensation.
• Litigation may be required. If the carrier won’t pay, our attorneys have the courtroom skills to present your case aggressively before a judge or jury.

Without experienced legal counsel, it’s easy for people to be taken advantage of in high-stakes truck accident cases. Our truck accident lawyers in Albuquerque, NM fight for your rights and maximum recovery.

What Damages Are Available in a Personal Injury Claim Following a Truck Accident?

Here are some of the key types of damages that may be available to truck accident victims in a personal injury claim:

• Medical costs – Past and future expenses for doctors, hospital bills, surgeries, medications, rehabilitation, therapies, equipment, etc.
• Lost wages – Cost of missed work and lost pay if unable to work due to accident-related injuries.
• Pain and suffering – Compensation for physical and emotional pain from injuries, disfigurement, impaired lifestyle.
• Disability/disfigurement – Covers the loss of enjoyment of life’s activities from permanent functional limitations or scarring.
• Property damage – Reimbursement for damaged vehicles, homes, or personal belongings.
• Wrongful death – Funeral, medical/wage losses for the family if the accident resulted in a fatality.
• Future medical needs – Costs for any ongoing treatment, aids, prescriptions, or home health required long-term.

An experienced truck accident attorney will document all injury-related impacts thoroughly and use medical experts to maximize recoverable damages.

Commercial Truck Accidents Are Often Caused by Acts of Negligence

Commercial truck accidents can happen for a number of reasons. For instance, the driver may be inexperienced, improperly trained, or may fail to implement state or federal safety standards.

If you were injured in an accident and believe the truck driver might be at fault, contact an experienced Albuquerque personal injury attorney today to help investigate your case.

Driver Fatigue

Driving while fatigued has effects similar to drunk driving, but carriers often pressure drivers to exceed hours limits to meet delivery demands.

Mechanical Issues

Proper vehicle inspection and maintenance are critical given the large size/weight of trucks. However, some carriers try to cut corners on costs, leading to equipment failures. Additionally, part makers may be responsible for defective tires, steering mechanisms, brakes, or other malfunctioning truck parts.

Overloading

Overburdening trucks can lead to poor braking or loss of control if the load shifts in transit. Cargo loaders may be liable for injuries if cargo loading was done improperly.

Inadequate Training

With high employee turnover, new drivers may not get fully prepared for hazards. Some carriers cut corners or provide inadequate training to save on costs.

Driver Inexperience

Another common cause of truck accidents is driver inexperience. Inexperienced drivers of massive vehicles could lead to injury or death of others on the road. Trucking companies may be held liable for not vetting their drivers properly.

Drunk Driving or Impaired Driving

Drivers abusing substances on the road are a recipe for disaster. But substance abuse is unfortunately common and pre-employment screening/testing isn’t foolproof.

By cutting corners on safety to save money or meet quotas, negligent carriers often endanger the public in pursuit of profits. Your Albuquerque truck accident lawyer can build you a strong liability case to hold all negligent parties accountable for preventable accidents.

Different Types of Truck Accidents

Due to their vast size and weight, accidents involving these vehicles have a greater potential to cause substantial property damage, injury, or even death, to others on the road. There are a number of ways in which a truck accident may occur.

Here are some of the most common types of semi-truck accidents:

• Rear-end collisions – Occur when a truck rear-ends another vehicle due to insufficient following distance, driver distraction/fatigue, or faulty brakes.
• Sideswipes – Happen when a truck sideswipes another vehicle while passing or changing lanes, usually due to driver inattention or failure to check blind spots.
• Head-on collisions – Result from a truck veering into oncoming traffic, perhaps from speeding, fatigue, inexperience, or vehicle malfunction.
• Roll-overs – Occur when a truck tips over, often due to dangerous cargo loading/distribution, loss of control on turns/grades, or mechanical issues.
• Jackknifing – When the trailer breaks loose from the tractor, frequently from hard braking or swerving at high speeds.
• Left turn crossing collisions – A common error when a truck driver fails to yield while turning left in front of oncoming vehicles.
• Multi-vehicle pileups – Heavier trucks involved in initial impacts often trigger damaging, high-speed chain reaction collisions.
• Pedestrian/bicyclist strikes – Usually due to improper lane changes, turns, or blind spots that drivers should have compensated for.

Knowing the typical accident configurations helps determine potential causes of liability in a given truck crash case.

Statute of Limitations for Filing a Truck Accident Lawsuit in Albuquerque

In New Mexico, the personal injury statute of limitations for filing a lawsuit to recover damages is three years. If you fail to file your lawsuit within this time frame, you will likely be out of options for recovering compensation.

Hiring an experienced truck accident attorney in Albuquerque, NM is the best way to ensure you don’t miss your chance to file. Your lawyer can review the details of your case to determine the exact filing deadline that applies and ensure that all paperwork is prepared and submitted well in advance.

Common Injuries Associated With Semi-Truck Accidents

Commercial vehicle accidents may cause severe injuries due to their overall speed and size. Victims of these accidents may suffer devastating injuries, and debilitating mental anguish, and may deal with the consequences of injuries for the rest of their lives.

Our Albuquerque truck accident attorneys are very familiar with these injuries and understand the impact they can have on your ability to function and enjoy your daily life.

We fight to ensure you recover full and fair compensation to cover the full scope of damages associated with your injuries, medical care, and pain and suffering.

Examples of common injuries associated with truck accidents may include:

• Neck injuries – Chronic neck pain, limited range of motion, headaches.
• Back injuries such as herniated/bulging discs – Long-term back pain, restriction of physical activities.
• Head injuries such as concussions – Cognitive/memory issues, changes in behavior/personality.
• Broken bones – Prolonged healing time, potential lasting deformities, reduced mobility.
• Spinal cord injuries – Partial or full paralysis, loss of bodily functions, high medical costs for care.
• Traumatic brain injuries – TBIs can result in life-changing cognitive/executive dysfunction, and loss of income potential.
• Burn injuries – Extensive scarring, disfigurement issues, constant pain from the healing process.
• Amputations – Loss of limbs leads to long-term disability and healthcare costs for prosthetics and physical therapy.
• Internal injuries – Organ damage requiring intensive medical treatments and lifelong care.
• Psychological trauma – PTSD, depression, anxiety, and emotional distress from severe and life-altering injuries.

These types of serious, debilitating injuries can prevent people from returning to work and drastically reduce their quality of life. Accident victims require ongoing compensation to cover mounting medical bills, therapies, aids, and lost wages over time. 

To ensure you have the financial resources necessary to cover your medical expenses and other losses, you can work with an experienced truck accident lawyer in Albuquerque, NM.

What if My Loved One Died in a Trucking Accident?

If a loved one experienced fatal injuries, it’s an incredibly difficult time. On top of grieving, there are often financial hardships and legal matters to consider. Some key things include:

• Seek legal counsel immediately. The statute of limitations to file a wrongful death claim is usually 3 years, but that time frame can vary.  The sooner you seek help from our firm, the sooner our Albuquerque wrongful death lawyers can begin building your claim.
• An attorney will request records. We gather police reports, autopsy reports, truck/driver records, witness statements, and any other evidence regarding how the crash happened.
• A wrongful death lawsuit seeks damages. Compensation in these cases aim to account for things like lost financial support, funeral costs, and losses like companionship that surviving family members now lack.
• Your attorney will build a liability case. We investigate vehicle/driver safety histories, work schedules, road/weather conditions, and more to determine if negligence caused the death.

If strong evidence of wrongdoing exists, litigation may be pursued. You have a legal right to pursue these claims. While no amount of money eases the grief, it provides closure and ensures your loved one’s death wasn’t without consequence or compensation.

Prioritizing your well-being during this time, an experienced truck accident lawyer in Albuquerque can manage all the complicated legal tasks involved in wrongful death suits and allow you and your family the time you need to heal.

Contact Us Today if You Have Been Involved in a Truck Accident in Albuquerque

We have offices across New Mexico and can help get you the compensation you deserve. If you have suffered an injury due to a commercial truck accident, contact our Albuquerque truck accident lawyers at Zinda Law Group today.

We are here to fight for your rights, pursue compensation from all responsible parties, and guide you through the entire legal process.

Reach out to us today to discuss your potential case and to schedule a free case evaluation. You do not pay us anything unless we win your case. That is our “No Win, No Fee Guarantee.”