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Albuquerque Medical Malpractice Lawyer

Were you or a loved one harmed because a doctor made a mistake in Albuquerque, NM? You may be entitled to recover compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and your pain and suffering. An experienced Albuquerque medical malpractice lawyer at Curiel & Runion Personal Injury Lawyers can help you navigate New Mexico’s complex medical malpractice laws.

Our lawyers have over 55 years of combined experience handling complex legal issues. We have helped our injured clients recover over $30 million in settlements and verdicts.

If you’re suffering because of a medical error, contact our law offices in Albuquerque, New Mexico to schedule a free consultation today at (505) 594-3621.

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Why Should I Trust Curiel & Runion Personal Injury Lawyers to Handle My Albuquerque Medical Malpractice Claim?

Our Albuquerque personal injury lawyers opened our practice back in 2011 with one goal in mind: helping injured parties get justice. Since that time, we’ve achieved a 98% success rate when it comes to recovering fair compensation for our injured clients. We’re well-prepared to put our experience to work for you.

When you choose our Albuquerque medical malpractice team at Curiel & Runion Personal Injury Lawyers, you’ll have a lawyer who will:

Provide personal attention and sound legal guidance
Conduct a thorough investigation into the harm you have suffered
Gather and evaluate evidence to build your case
Hire respected medical experts to help establish the level of care you should have received
Calculate the fair value of your personal injury case
Negotiate with the defendants, insurance companies, and their defense lawyers
Fight to protect your rights in court if necessary to win fair compensation

Our personal injury attorneys in Albuquerque, NM work on a contingency fee basis. That means we don’t charge attorneys’ fees unless we win compensation in your case.

There’s no risk in learning more about our legal practice and how we can help with your case. Call to schedule your free initial consultation today.

What is Medical Malpractice?

Medical malpractice is when a doctor or healthcare provider fails to provide the level of care that a reasonable, trained medical professional would have provided under the circumstances. When a doctor deviates from the medical standard of care, they can be held liable for damages.

Medical malpractice can happen at any stage when you’re receiving medical care. Doctors, nurses, and specialists can all be held liable when they make a mistake that should never happen.

At Curiel & Runion Personal Injury Lawyers, we handle all types of medical malpractice claims, including those involving:

Emergency room errors
Hospital negligence
Surgical errors
Anesthesia errors
Birth injuries
Medication errors
Defective medical devices
Hospital-acquired infections
Failure to diagnose cancer and other diseases
Nursing negligence
OBGYN negligence
Pharmaceutical errors
Radiology errors

As the victim, you have the burden of proving that your healthcare professional made a mistake that amounts to medical malpractice. That can be a tough burden. It’s important to have an experienced attorney by your side. If you were a victim, contact our law firm in Albuquerque to learn more about your legal rights and options today.

How Much is My Albuquerque Medical Malpractice Claim Worth?

Like any personal injury claim, it’s important to know how much your case is worth before you accept any settlement offer. However, medical malpractice is one of the most complex areas of law. That can make it particularly difficult to put a dollar value on the harm you have suffered.

Generally speaking, your case value will be based on:

The nature of the harm you have suffered
The cost of your medical treatment
Your need for ongoing future medical treatment and care
Whether you will suffer any permanent or long-term harm because of the mistake
Your lost income and loss of earning capacity
The nature of the healthcare provider’s mistake
The emotional and physical suffering you have endured

Our medical malpractice lawyers in Albuquerque have handled cases like yours before. We’ll do everything possible to help you get a fair deal. Just give us a call to schedule your free consultation today.

What Types of Damages Can Victims of Medical Errors in Albuquerque Recover?

Under New Mexico medical malpractice laws, you can seek compensation for economic and non-economic damages.

Economic damages compensate you for all of the financial costs you incur because of the medical error.

Examples of the types of economic damages you may have suffered include:

Medical expenses incurred because of the mistake
Lost wages
Lost earning potential
Nursing care
Medications and medical devices
Rehabilitation and specialized therapies

Medical mistakes can also cause significant losses that do not directly impact your finances. Those losses are called non-economic damages.

Examples of common non-economic damages that your lawyer will seek include:

Pain and suffering
Emotional distress and mental anguish
Anxiety
PTSD
Depression
Diminished quality of life
Physical disfigurement and scarring
Damage to personal relationships
Loss of consortium

Note that New Mexico law caps the amount of damages a victim can recover by filing a medical malpractice lawsuit. The cap varies depending on when the injury occurred and whether the defendant is owned and controlled by a hospital. In 2023, the damage cap when the defendant is owned and controlled by a hospital is $4,500,000. If the defendant is not owned and controlled by a hospital, the cap is $750,000.

However, the cap does not apply to medical expenses. You’re entitled to recover the full amount of your medical expenses regardless of whether they exceed the cap.

Our Albuquerque Medical Malpractice Attorneys Will Fight to Recover Compensation for All of Your Injuries

Medical errors have severe consequences for patients. Some of those consequences can cause long-term harm and force major life changes. If you were a victim, you deserve to be compensated for all the harm you have suffered.

At Curiel & Runion Personal Injury Lawyers, we often represent victims of medical negligence who have suffered:

Worsened underlying conditions
The pain and suffering of more extensive and invasive medical procedures
A reduced life expectancy
Loss of mobility
Organ damage
Hospital-acquired infections
Bed sores
Severe physical pain
Severe depression and anxiety
Brain damage
Birth injuries
Stroke
Wrongful death of a loved one

Don’t hesitate to reach out for legal advice if you were harmed because of a doctor’s mistake. Our team is here to help in any way we can.

What Causes Most Medical Errors in Albuquerque, New Mexico?

Medical mistakes happen for all different reasons. Like any car accident, they typically occur because someone was careless.

Some of the most common causes of medical mistakes in Albuquerque include:

Understaffing and overworked physicians and medical professionals
Fatigued hospital employees
Failure to diagnose a disease
Misdiagnosis
Underqualified healthcare professionals
Outdated knowledge and technology
Failure to order the correct diagnostic tests
Misinterpreting lab results
Failure to recognize the patient’s symptoms
Failure to take the patient’s full history
Failure to properly monitor the patient before, during, and after a medical procedure
Failure to provide proper post-operative instructions
Defective medical equipment and medical devices
Operating on the wrong body part
Mistaken patient identities
Failure to refer a patient to a specialist when appropriate
Physician bias
Undertreatment and overtreatment
Adverse drug interactions

Many injured patients don’t know exactly why they were harmed. You sought treatment expecting to get better–and instead, things got much worse. Our lawyers will conduct a full investigation and review your medical records to find out why that harm occurred. Just give us a call to schedule a free case review today.

Am I Required to Prove I Was a Victim of Medical Negligence in New Mexico?

There are a few elements that all victims of negligence must prove, including:

The defendant owed you a legal duty of care
The medical standard of care that applied in your case
The defendant breached their duty by failing to adhere to the standard of care
The damages you suffered

The “medical standard of care” is the level of care that a reasonable doctor would have provided, and is based on:

The medical condition or injury involved
Your general health, age, and life expectancy
Your medical history
The medical provider’s identity and level of training

Our lawyers will engage medical expert witnesses when we’re working to establish the standard of care in your case. We’ll also gather evidence to prove what happened to harm you.

Before you can file a medical malpractice lawsuit, however, you must first file an application for review with the New Mexico medical malpractice commission. The commission is essentially composed of independent medical providers who will review your case and determine whether you have a valid medical malpractice claim.

What is the Statute of Limitations in New Mexico Medical Malpractice Cases?

The statute of limitations in most New Mexico medical malpractice cases is three years. You must file your lawsuit within three years of the date the medical error occurred to recover compensation for your losses.

Contact an Experienced Albuquerque Medical Malpractice Lawyer for a Free Consultation Today

Do you have questions about your legal right to compensation after a medical error? Contact Curiel & Runion Personal Injury Lawyers to schedule a free case evaluation with an experienced Albuquerque medical malpractice lawyer. We’ll do everything possible to help you recover the maximum compensation you deserve.