Were you or a loved one injured in an accident in New Mexico? Was someone else’s carelessness to blame for the accident? If so, the New Mexico personal injury lawyers from Curiel & Runion Personal Injury Lawyers want to help protect your rights. We can help fight for compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, pain, suffering, and more.
Our skilled attorneys have over 55 years of combined legal experience. Since 2011, our dedicated legal team has recovered over $30 million for our deserving clients.
If you were injured in a car accident, slip and fall, or other personal injury incident in NM, contact us today at (505) 594-3621 for a free case consultation.
How Our New Mexico Personal Injury Attorneys Can Help If You’re Injured in an Accident
Personal injury incidents can be devastating. They can result in serious injuries that significantly affect your life, prevent you from working, and cause severe pain and suffering. They can also disrupt your relationships with loved ones.
The New Mexico personal injury lawyers at Curiel & Runion Personal Injury Lawyers can handle your legal claim so you can focus on your health.
Our team can:
- Investigate the accident, identify all factors that contributed to it, and determine all parties who are legally responsible for it
- Gather evidence to establish liability and your damages, including medical records, accident reports, photos or videos of the accident, physical evidence, electronic records, and more
- Review all insurance policies that provide coverage for your losses
- Handle your claim paperwork, manage case deadlines, and represent you in insurance claims
- Determine the full value of your losses and negotiate for fair compensation
Contact our New Mexico law firm today for a free case review to learn more about your legal rights and options.
How Common Are Accidents in New Mexico?
According to the New Mexico Department of Transportation, 40,769 traffic crashes occurred on public roadways in New Mexico in 2021. These crashes resulted in the death of 483 people and 17,971 injuries. Crash fatality rates in New Mexico have been higher than the national average in the last five years.
The New Mexico Department of Health reports there were 1,700 unintentional deaths in New Mexico in 2021. Accidents were the third leading cause of death, after heart disease and cancer.
What Causes Accidents and Injuries in New Mexico?
According to the New Mexico Department of Transportation, leading causes of motor vehicle accidents include:
- Driver inattention
- Drug impairment
- Alcohol impairment
- Failing to yield the right of way
- Distracted driving
- Speeding
- Following too closely
- Improper lane changes
- Improper turns
- Disregarding traffic signals
- Not stopping at stop signs
- Running red lights
Common causes of truck accidents include:
- Fatigue
- Impaired driving
- Distracted driving
- Poor vehicle maintenance
- Improper cargo loading
- Poor driver training
Premises liability accidents may be due to factors such as:
- Slippery floors
- Inadequate security
- Potholes
- Torn carpeting or flooring
- Insufficient lighting
- Broken or missing tiles
- Broken or missing steps or handrails
- Cluttered aisleways
Most NM accidents result from someone’s negligent conduct, which can include actions and omissions.
Personal Injury Cases We Handle in New Mexico
At Curiel & Runion Personal Injury Lawyers, we have over five decades of combined legal experience, equipping us to capably handle all of the following types of cases:
Motor Vehicle Accidents
Our firm handles all types of motor vehicle accident cases, including those involving the following:
- Car accidents
- Truck accidents
- Bus accidents
- Uber or Lyft accidents
- Motorcycle accidents
- Electric scooter accidents
- Recreational vehicle accidents
- Boating accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
- Bicycle accidents
Our lawyers can thoroughly investigate your crash and determine who is responsible for it.
Defective Products
Those who design, manufacture, distribute, market, or sell products have a responsibility to consumers to only deal with reasonably safe products. If they do not, they could face claims based on negligent design, manufacture, or marketing.
Medical Malpractice
Healthcare providers have a duty to provide treatment in a manner that meets or exceeds the standard of care.
Healthcare providers who breach this duty of care could face medical malpractice claims, including:
- Doctors
- Nurses
- Anesthesiologists
- Dentists
- Hospitals
- Medical clinics
- Pharmacists
Our experienced legal team can work with experts to determine how your healthcare provider breached the duty of care.
Premises Liability Accidents
Premises liability refers to the area of the law that holds property owners responsible for injuries that occur on their property, which may be due to factors such as:
- Slips and falls
- Construction accidents
- Negligent security claims
- Dog bites
- Swimming pool injuries
Our lawyers can investigate your accident and determine who is responsible for it.
Wrongful Death
New Mexico’s wrongful death law allows the surviving family to recover compensation if their loved one dies under circumstances that would otherwise give them a right to file a personal injury claim had they lived.
What Are Common Personal Injuries?
Every person is unique, so personal injury accidents can impact them in different ways.
Some of the more common types of personal injuries include:
- Traumatic brain injuries, including concussions
- Head injuries
- Facial injuries
- Dental trauma
- Spinal cord injuries
- Chest injuries
- Scrapes, cuts, and bruises
- Soft tissue injuries
- Whiplash
- Dislocated or fractured bones
- Nerve damage
Some personal injuries result in emotional injuries instead of physical ones. You can seek compensation if you suffered injuries such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, or anxiety.
What Compensation Can I Recover in a New Mexico Personal Injury Claim?
If you were injured in an accident caused by someone else’s negligence, you can pursue compensation for the economic and non-economic damages you sustained.
Economic damages are the losses you experienced that can be quantified and demonstrated with objective evidence, such as:
- Medical bills that show how much you were charged for medical treatment
- Pay stubs that indicate the amount of wages and benefits you lost because of your injuries
- Repair estimates to replace your damaged vehicle
- Expert witness testimony regarding the amount of your decreased earning capacity
- Receipts for any out-of-pocket expenses you incurred
Non-economic damages are the losses you experience that cannot be easily quantified, such as:
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Mental anguish
- Diminished quality of life
- Physical disfigurement
- Permanent scarring
- Loss of consortium
Our team can identify all of the damages for which you may be entitled compensation under New Mexico law.
How Do I Prove Negligence in a New Mexico Personal Injury Case?
In a personal injury case, you (the victim) will have the burden of proof.
You may need compelling evidence to establish negligence, such as:
- Accident or police reports
- Photos or videos of the accident
- Witness statements
- Cell phone records
- Electronic records
- Maintenance records
- Medical records
- Documentation of damage to vehicles or personal property
- Reports from accident reconstruction experts
An experienced personal injury lawyer in New Mexico can identify the evidence that can help support your case.
What Is My New Mexico Personal Injury Case Worth?
Every personal injury case is different, so it is impossible to predict with 100% certainty how much one particular claim may be worth.
Some factors that can affect the value of your claim include the following:
- The nature and severity of your injuries
- Whether any of the injuries are permanent in nature
- The damages you sustained
- The available insurance coverage
- The defendant’s conduct
- Whether you contributed to the accident
- The overall impact the accident had on your life
- Your age, health, and earning capacity
- Who the defendant is
- Whether your injuries impacted your relationship with others
- The strength of the evidence
Our New Mexico personal injury attorneys can provide a personalized evaluation of your case to determine how much your claim is worth. After carefully reviewing your case and evidence, an experienced injury lawyer can give you a better idea about the potential value of your claim.
How Does New Mexico’s Pure Comparative Negligence Law Impact My Right To Compensation?
New Mexico is one of a handful of states that uses a pure comparative negligence system. Under this system, an injured victim can still pursue damages if they contributed to the accident that injured them, even if they were 99% at fault. However, their compensation is reduced by their degree of fault.
For example, you might be found 10% at fault for an accident, while the defendant might be found 90% at fault. If you suffered damages of $100,000, your damages would be reduced by $10,000, or 10% of the total damages.
What Is the Time Limit To File a Personal Injury Lawsuit in New Mexico?
New Mexico has laws that limit the amount of time you have to file a lawsuit after an accident, called the statute of limitations. Under New Mexico’s statute of limitations, you generally have three years from the date of the accident to file your lawsuit.
If you wait longer than three years to take legal action, you can be barred from seeking relief through the courts.
Arrange a Free Consultation With an Experienced New Mexico Personal Injury Lawyer
At Curiel & Runion Personal Injury Lawyers, we understand that you did not plan on being injured. You should not have to shoulder the financial burden caused by someone else’s negligence. Our personal injury attorneys in New Mexico are here to help you through the claims process to pursue the compensation you deserve.
We provide a free, no-obligation case review to all new clients. Call us today to learn more.