It’s important to explore your legal options if you’ve recently been injured in an aviation accident in Albuquerque, New Mexico. As a victim, you may have the opportunity to demand compensation from a negligent pilot, an airline, or another liable party. The experienced Albuquerque aviation accident lawyers at Curiel & Runion Personal Injury Lawyers are here to help you maximize your financial recovery.
Since 2011, victims of devastating airplane accidents have trusted Curiel & Runion Personal Injury Lawyers to help them get their lives back on track. We’re award-winning New Mexico litigators with over 55 years of combined experience. We’re known for taking on powerful companies and winning big for our clients. With a 98 percent success rate, we’ve won more than $50 million in damages on their behalf.
Contact our law office in Albuquerque, NM, by calling (505) 594-3621 to discover how we can help you get the compensation you deserve after an aviation accident. Your initial case evaluation is free.
How Curiel & Runion Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help After an Airplane Accident in Albuquerque, NM
It can be difficult to understand exactly why and how an accident involving an airplane, helicopter, or another type of aircraft happens. The only way to get to the bottom of what happened is by conducting a thorough investigation, obtaining and evaluating evidence, and consulting experts in aviation and other specialties.
That’s why Curiel & Runion Personal Injury Lawyers should be your first call for help after an aviation accident. Our law firm has the resources, skills, and knowledge of state and federal law needed to not only build a successful airplane accident case but maximize your financial recovery.
When you choose our Albuquerque personal injury lawyers to represent you, we will:
- Help you navigate this difficult time and handle all aspects of your aviation accident case on your behalf
- Represent you during conversations with the defense and their insurance company
- Gather black box data, video footage, flight logs, photographs, medical records, witness statements, and other key pieces of evidence throughout discovery
- Collaborate with expert witnesses and specialists as we build your case
- Force the defense to engage in meaningful settlement negotiations as we seek a top-dollar recovery on your behalf
- Argue your aviation accident lawsuit at trial in Bernalillo County if necessary
Don’t stress about the cost of hiring an attorney when you ask for our help. Our law firm advocates for aviation accident victims in Albuquerque on a contingency fee basis. You pay nothing unless we win compensation for you.
Ready to get started? Contact our Albuquerque personal injury attorneys to set up a time for your free, no-obligation case assessment now.
New Mexico Airplane Accident Statistics
Aviation accidents are a fairly common occurrence, but most don’t involve commercial airliners. In fact, just 20 commercial airplane accidents were reported nationwide in 2022.
The vast majority of accidents involve civil aircraft – such as private jets, charter planes, puddle jumpers, and helicopters. In 2022, the United States saw a total of 1,277 civil aviation accidents.
220 of these accidents were fatal, resulting in 358 deaths.
16 of these civil aviation accidents – including two of the fatal crashes – happened in the state of New Mexico. In total, five people were killed in New Mexico aviation accidents in 2022.
When Do Most Airplane Accidents Happen?
More than half of all aviation accidents occur while the pilot attempts to land an aircraft. In fact, landing errors have accounted for 53 percent of all aviation accidents since 2005.
Roughly 16 percent of aviation accidents occur during an aircraft’s takeoff or final approach, 6.1 percent while the aircraft climbs to altitude, and 4.7 percent while cruising.
Just over 3 percent of aviation accidents occur while the aircraft is taxiing on the runway.
What Causes Most Aviation Accidents?
Statistically speaking, about two-thirds of all aviation accidents are caused by pilot error. Mechanical errors and bad weather are blamed for most of the remaining aircraft accidents that happen each year.
Specifically, some of the most commonly reported causes include:
- Pilot inattention
- Controlled flight into terrain
- Miscommunication with air traffic control
- Failing to maintain proper fuel levels
- Failing to maintain a proper speed and altitude while flying
- Aircraft defects
- Runway defects
- Misreading flight instruments and equipment
- Failing to address mechanical issues
Accidents involving airplanes and helicopters can be complex. Our aviation accident attorneys in Albuquerque will launch an independent investigation into your case and review the results of any inquiries conducted by the government or airline. We’ll dig deep to establish the cause and then, using that information, build a compelling legal claim to help you demand financial accountability from those at fault.
Who Could Be Liable For an Airplane Accident in Albuquerque?
In New Mexico, anyone who is directly or indirectly responsible for contributing to an aviation accident can be responsible for resulting damages.
Liability could extend to a:
- Pilot
- Private aircraft owner
- Commercial airline
- Airport
- Air traffic controller
- Aircraft crew member
- Aircraft passenger
Negligence is the most common cause of airplane accidents in Albuquerque and across the state of New Mexico. If our law firm determines that someone’s careless actions caused or contributed to your aviation accident, we will not stop until they’re held fully accountable for the harm and suffering you’ve endured.
Aviation Accidents Can Cause Devastating Injuries
At Curiel & Runion Personal Injury Lawyers, our Albuquerque airplane accident lawyers are here to help you seek damages for all of your crash-related injuries, including:
- Burn injuries
- Nerve damage
- Crushing injuries
- Chest injuries
- Eye injuries
- Broken bones
- Amputation injuries
- Degloving injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Concussion injuries
- Whiplash injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Quadriplegia injuries
- Neck injuries
- Back injuries
- Catastrophic injuries
- Wrongful death
Don’t underestimate just how much of an impact an injury might have on your life. Even minor trauma can turn your world upside down. Get prompt medical care and document your trauma. Then, call our law office in Albuquerque to discuss your legal rights and options. Members of our team are always standing by to help.
What Types of Damages Can I Get After an Airplane Accident in Albuquerque, NM?
Whether you’ve been injured in an accident involving a commercial airliner or a private jet, you may have the right to seek compensatory damages through insurance or a personal injury lawsuit.
Compensatory damages include two distinct types of awards: economic and non-economic.
Economic damages are designed to help you handle the sudden and unexpected monetary consequences of your airplane accident, which can include:
- Present medical expenses related to hospitalization, medication, surgery, and medical devices
- Future medical bills related to outpatient care, rehabilitation, and follow-up treatment
- Diminished earning capacity
- Lost wages
- Out-of-pocket expenses
- Nursing assistance
Non-economic damages are designed to help you cope with trauma and changes in your life that are more difficult to value, such as:
- Emotional distress
- Reduced quality of life
- Chronic physical pain
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Disfigurement
- Scarring
- Disability
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of companionship
- Embarrassment
In addition to compensatory awards, punitive damages can be awarded in a limited number of aviation accident cases. For this to happen, a case must go to trial, and a jury must be compelled to believe that the defendant’s actions were intentional or grossly negligent.
The airline, pilot, and insurance company will fight your claim for damages from the start. They’ll search for a way to blame you. They’ll downplay your injuries and trauma. They’ll try to manipulate you during a time of great stress. Our airplane accident attorneys in Albuquerque won’t let them control the situation.
We’ll invest the resources needed to bring in top experts to consult on your case. With their help, we’ll gather proof of your losses and the ways in which the airplane accident has turned your world upside-down.
When it’s time to sit down and negotiate a settlement, we’ll force important conversations about your losses and trauma. If the defense won’t budge and offer a fair settlement, they’ll have to prepare to take on our award-winning New Mexico trial attorneys in court.
Does New Mexico Have a Statute of Limitations for Aviation Accident Lawsuits?
Whether you’ve been injured or lost a close family member in a fatal plane crash in Albuquerque, you’ll have three years to formally pursue compensation for your losses.
The three-year statute of limitations has few exceptions. If you miss the filing deadline, you’ll give up the right to demand accountability from a negligent pilot, airline, or airport.
Schedule a Free Consultation With an Experienced Albuquerque Aviation Accident Lawyer
Don’t hesitate to call the top-rated legal team at Curiel & Runion Personal Injury Lawyers after an aviation accident in Albuquerque, NM. You may have the opportunity to seek financial justice for your medical bills, loss of income, and suffering. Our Albuquerque aviation accident lawyers want to help you maximize your recovery.
Together, our award-winning litigators have over 55 years of experience taking on tough cases and winning big results. We’ve led our clients to $50 million (and counting) in damages. Today, we’re here to fight for you, too.
We offer a free case evaluation. Call our Albuquerque law office to set up a time to speak with our team today.