Nothing is more upsetting than being hurt in a car accident that never should have happened in the first place. When a drunk driver gets behind the wheel and causes a crash, our Albuquerque DUI accident attorneys will do everything we can to hold them accountable.
With a combined 55 years of experience behind us, a personal injury lawyer in Albuquerque, NM is a leading voice for accident victims. Negligent and careless drivers should have to pay for the harm they’ve caused.
If you’ve been injured by a driver under the influence of alcohol or drugs, your top priority is getting better. Curiel & Runion Personal Injury Lawyers’s priority is to get you the justice you deserve. Contact us today to schedule a free assessment of your case or call (505) 594-3621 and learn more about your legal rights and options.
Curiel & Runion Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help You Pursue Compensation for Injuries Caused By a DUI Accident in Albuquerque, NM
A drunk driver behind the wheel of a car is like a loaded gun. If you’ve been injured by the recklessness of an impaired driver, one of the most important decisions you’ll have to make is hiring the right attorney. Our Albuquerque personal injury lawyers will work tirelessly to make you whole again.
When Curiel & Runion Personal Injury Lawyers is in your corner, you’re getting attorneys who have a 98% rate of success and have delivered more than $30 million in life-changing compensation to our clients.
An Albuquerque car accident attorney from Curiel & Runion Personal Injury Lawyers owe this success to meticulously preparing each case by:
- Conducting a comprehensive and independent investigation into the crash
- Gathering critical evidence such as police reports, witness statements, and video
- Working with your medical team so we can understand your injuries and their financial cost
- Handling all aspects of the settlement negotiation process to ensure the insurance company isn’t taking advantage of you
It’s important to have an experienced personal injury attorney advocating for you. Insurance companies are far more concerned about their financial health than they are about your physical well-being.
Talk to Curiel & Runion Personal Injury Lawyers if you’ve been injured in a DUI accident in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Find out how we’ll protect you against insurance companies who refuse to negotiate in good faith.
How Do I Get Compensated for Injuries I Sustained in an Albuquerque, NM DUI Accident?
According to statistics, in 2022, there were 467 car accident-related deaths in New Mexico, and nearly a quarter of those deaths involved drivers under the influence. It should go without saying, but driving while drunk or high can easily lead to tragedy.
Because New Mexico is an “at fault” car accident state, if you’re injured in an Albuquerque DUI accident, you must seek compensation from the person who caused the crash. This means you must show that the drunk driver’s negligence caused your injuries.
In a negligence case, you normally have to prove the following elements to establish that another driver is liable for your injuries:
- They owed you a duty of care to operate their vehicle in a safe or reasonable manner
- They breached that duty by engaging in unreasonable or unsafe conduct
- This breach of duty was the actual and proximate cause of your injuries
- You suffered damages as a result
As in all states, it’s unlawful to operate a vehicle if a driver has a blood alcohol level of .08 or more. Because this law is designed to protect people from getting injured by drunk drivers, the drunk driver could be negligent per se—or “negligence in itself.” This means that you’d only have to prove that the driver violated the drunk driving law instead of proving a breach of duty of care.
What if My Own Conduct Contributed to the Albuquerque Car Accident?
In some accidents, more than one person’s negligence could be responsible for causing the crash, even in DUI cases. If you were injured by another driver who was under the influence, but your own conduct was also a contributing factor, you may still be able to recover compensation.
Under New Mexico’s pure comparative negligence law, your damages will be reduced according to the percentage of your fault. For example, if you were distracted by your cell phone when a drunk driver hit you, a court could determine you were 25% responsible for the accident. If your total damages equal $100,000, your award will be reduced to $75,000.
Insurance companies can and do use this law to their advantage. They may try to limit or deny your claim by arguing that your own carelessness mostly or entirely contributed to the accident. Curiel & Runion Personal Injury Lawyers is familiar with this tactic, so we’ll make sure they don’t wrongfully try to pin the blame on you when the facts are on your side.
Schedule a Free Initial Consultation With an Experienced Albuquerque DUI Accident Lawyer
Drivers under the influence of alcohol or drugs put their fellow travelers in harm’s way. They can inflict devastating physical and emotional injuries on their victims.
If your life has been upended in an Albuquerque DUI accident, Curiel & Runion Personal Injury Lawyers can help you piece it back together by demanding that you get full and fair compensation for your injuries. We’ll stand up to the insurance company if they refuse to negotiate a settlement in good faith, and if they don’t budge, we’ll take your case to court.
You have rights, and we’ll work hard to assert them for you. Call our Albuquerque car accident lawyers today to get a free case evaluation. We’ll listen to your story, answer your questions, and get right to work on investigating your claim.