Albuquerque Personal Injury Lawyer

Albuquerque Personal Injury Attorney

A personal injury case can be stressful, confusing, and overwhelming. The attorneys at Egolf + Ferlic + Martinez + Harwood can help.  Our compassionate team of experienced personal injuries lawyers provides representation for those who have been injured or killed by the negligence of others.  If you are dealing with a personal injury or wrongful death and wish to seek compensation, reach out to an Albuquerque personal injury lawyer today.

We believe that those injured or killed by others deserve compensation.  We believe that pursing personal injury or wrongful death actions makes our community safer.  We recognize that you are likely looking for an attorney because you have suffered a devastating loss.

When someone’s careless actions lead to you experiencing an injury, you can seek compensation for any damages you’ve suffered since your injury or death of a loved one. Under New Mexico state law, you will have three years to start filing a claim for personal injury or wrongful death and seek compensatory damages. While there are some exceptions to the rule, most claims may not be considered once the three-year time frame has lapsed. A personal injury attorney can help you prepare your case before the statute of limitations passes.

Common Forms of Personal Injury Cases in New Mexico

Several types of personal injury claims are often filed in Albuquerque, NM. If you are unfamiliar with personal injury law and don’t know how to pursue a claim, it may be good for you to consult with an experienced personal injury lawyer and learn what your options are. Here are some of the more common forms of personal injury claims that occur in New Mexico:

• Car Accidents: Car accidents are fairly common in every state in the country, including New Mexico. Car accidents can range from minor inconveniences to catastrophic disasters, and every case is different because every accident is different. All sorts of injuries can happen in a car accident. You may want to retain the services of a skilled personal injury lawyer who can help you determine how you want to pursue a claim.
• Truck Accidents: Truck accidents can be especially devastating due to the sheer size and power of a commercial truck. When a truck is in an accident, it can become a hazard to every driver on the road and can result in severe injuries for nearly everyone involved. An experienced personal injury lawyer can assist you in building a case. Your injuries may be quite serious, and you deserve appropriate compensation.
• Motorcycle Accidents: Motorcycle accidents can often result in catastrophic injuries due to the lack of protection that many motorcyclists have while they are riding. While New Mexico state law requires that anybody riding a motorcycle under the age of 18 must wear a helmet while doing so, a helmet can only provide so much protection. If you are hit by a larger vehicle, you could sustain serious injuries that could affect your quality of life going forward.
• Slip and Fall Accidents: One of the most common forms of personal injury cases that occurs on a daily basis is a slip and fall accident. A bad slip and the subsequent fall can cause terrible injuries, such as broken bones, sprained muscles, spinal cord injuries, and traumatic brain injuries. More so, they can happen anywhere. If they happen in a public setting and are the result of someone’s negligent behavior, you may have a case.
• Medical Malpractice: Medical malpractice cases arise when a medical professional breaches a duty of care through negligent, reckless, or unlawful behavior that results in harm to a patient or that patient’s death. Malpractice cases can be difficult to prove, and they often involve a long legal battle with no guarantees. Still, when a trusted medical professional engages in immoral conduct, it is important that you hold them accountable.
• Wrongful Death: Wrongful death cases are a form of personal injury case that happens when someone is killed due to another person’s negligent behavior. The victim’s family can then pursue compensatory damages against the liable party. The emotional burden of knowing your loved one’s death was preventable can be overwhelming. An experienced lawyer can take control of your case while you focus on grieving.

Important Qualities in a Personal Injury Lawyer

When you are looking for someone to handle your personal injury case, you are going to want to find someone you feel is a good complement to you. More so, you may want to find someone who prioritizes qualities that you value. Some of the most important qualities to look for in a prospective personal injury lawyer include:

• Experience: One of the most important traits that you may want in your personal injury lawyer is experience. If possible, try to hire a lawyer who has been through cases like yours in the past and knows the most effective strategies for handling them. A seasoned attorney can help minimize any surprises and keep you aware of the most likely outcomes throughout your case.There’s no real substitute for actual experience, especially when it comes to personal injury cases. You’ll want a lawyer who has been through similar situations and can offer you advice on how to move forward.
• Impressive Track Record: This quality goes hand in hand with experience. A lawyer who has genuine experience with cases like yours should also have a proven track record of success with those cases. You’ll want to find someone who has proven success not just when it comes to settlements but also when it comes to litigation. Consider asking prospective lawyers for some examples of similar cases in which they ended up winning.
• Thorough Investigative Skills: When you hire a personal injury lawyer, they will likely want to conduct their own independent, thorough investigation into your case to determine the facts for themselves. Instead of just building their investigation off of the police report you provided, a skilled lawyer brings their own resources to the case and forms their own opinions and judgments about you and your case.Throughout your lawyer’s investigation, they may uncover new evidence that was missed the first time. That evidence might help strengthen your case.
• Negotiation Skills: Every lawyer should be a skilled negotiator. Negotiation is such an important part of most legal cases, particularly in personal injury cases. Your lawyer’s ultimate goal is to help you reach a settlement number that you feel is appropriate for what you have been through. That can, unfortunately, be easier said than done. Your lawyer will need strong negotiation skills to participate in the back-and-forth that results in an appropriate number.Your lawyer will likely be dealing with the insurance company of the party who is considered liable for your injuries. Insurance companies typically seek to pay you as little as they possibly can. Without a strong negotiator on your side, you may be pressured into accepting a small number that you don’t want. Remember, you never have to accept any number you feel is disrespectful or unacceptable.
• Communication Skills: Effective communication skills are paramount to a good lawyer. After all, a lawyer spends a significant amount of time in their career speaking to clients, judges, juries, expert witnesses, and opposing counsel. Good communication skills are a must. A good lawyer must be willing to give you bad news when it must be said. They must always be honest with you about your chances and how the case is going.Additionally, a good lawyer must also be a good listener. They’re going to learn everything they need to know about the case from you. They won’t be able to learn if they aren’t listening to you. By listening intently to your story and why you are seeking compensation, they may be able to analyze and understand your case.
• Litigation Skills: While a significant number of personal injury cases are settled out of court, there is always the chance that your case might be the exception. Because of this possibility, hire a lawyer with litigation experience. There’s a good chance your case won’t see the inside of a courtroom, but if it does, you want a lawyer with the skills to effectively communicate your story.  don’t want a lawyer who is caught off guard and nervous.A skilled lawyer is a composed mediator and a determined litigator. Civil litigation can be costly and time-consuming. An experienced litigator can help you settle things in the courtroom quickly and effectively.
• Compassion: If you are dealing with a personal injury, you may be dealing with a lot of mixed emotions. It is vital that you hire a lawyer who understands and cares about your case. Recovering from trauma is not easy. Not only do you have serious injuries, but you may be dealing with serious internal distress that’s hurting your emotional and mental health. A good lawyer can focus on controlling your case and give you the time you need to heal.
• Transparency: If your case is not going well, you need to be told that. If your claim is not viable in the slightest, you need to be told that before things go too far. Transparency is an important quality in a lawyer because it shows that they genuinely care about the outcome of your case and they want you to be well-informed of your chances.
• Dedication: A good lawyer provides the same level of dedication, determination, and loyalty to every one of their clients. Your lawyer should be willing to do just about anything within their scope to ensure you succeed in your case. They should be available to discuss the case and walk you through the various legal processes that will be involved.
• Resources: A skilled lawyer may have developed an impressive network of resources over the course of a long career. These resources may include private detectives, expert medical witnesses, paralegals, and more. Your lawyer may be willing to put these resources to work for you and your case.

Common Personal Injuries in New Mexico

There are many different kinds of injuries that can occur when you suffer a bad accident. Some are more common than others and can result in compensatory damages if you have a strong enough case to make a claim of negligence. Some of the more common kinds of personal injuries that occur in New Mexico are:

• Broken Bones: A bad accident, such as a slip and fall or a car accident, can result in broken bones. While these injuries are not always going to be life-threatening or result in permanent disfigurement, they can still be considerably painful and result in trauma. Recovery could last a while, depending on how broken the bone is and whether or not it is set correctly. Seeking damages from the party liable for your break can help alleviate medical bills.
• Back Injuries: Back injuries are fairly common when it comes to slip and fall accidents. Depending on the severity, a back injury can impact your daily life and cause you to have to adjust to a new normal, possibly for the rest of your life. Seeking compensatory damages from the party responsible for injuring your back can help you deal with potentially long-term medical expenses going forward.
• Traumatic Brain Injuries: Traumatic brain injuries, or TBIs, can happen whenever the brain is put through some form of trauma, such as a violent concussion, a gunshot, or some other form of penetrating wound. A severe brain injury can permanently affect every aspect of your life and may cause you to need consistent medical care for the remainder of your life. After an accident, be sure to be examined by a doctor to see if you suffered any brain trauma.
• Spinal Cord Injuries: An injury to the spinal cord can cause permanent damage to your body and lead to many other detrimental health issues later in life. The spinal cord is responsible for sending messages to and from the brain. If it is injured, it can disrupt this system and result in full or partial paralysis, especially if it is severed. A severed spinal cord cannot heal; it’s a permanent wound.
• Severe Burns: Few injuries in life can be as horribly painful as a severe burn. Higher-degree burns can result in skin grafts, reconstructive surgery, permanent scarring, disfigurement, and long-term health problems. The deeper the burn, the worse the effect will be on your body, particularly if the wound is a third or fourth-degree burn. In these cases, the burn is so bad that it also affects the muscle and/or bone beneath the skin.

FAQs

What Is the Statute of Limitations for Personal Injury Claims in New Mexico?

The statute of limitations for a personal injury claim in New Mexico is three years. You will have three years from the date of the initial injury to start building a case, seek out a lawyer, and file a personal injury claim for compensatory damages. While there are some exceptions to the rule, there is a good chance that if you fail to file your claim within the three-year window, your case will be dismissed, and your opportunity to seek damages will have passed.

How Much Is My Personal Injury Case Worth?

It is difficult to determine exactly how much your personal injury case is worth. Every personal injury case is different and carries with it different circumstances unique to each individual case. Just because a case similar to yours is worth a lot doesn’t mean that your case will result in the same amount when it comes time to settle. When determining the value of your case, your lawyer must consider the severity of your injuries, the details of your accident, and other important factors.

Can I Seek Punitive Damages in My Case?

Yes, you can seek punitive damages in your personal injury case, but only if your case meets certain requirements for punitive damages to be taken into consideration. Punitive damages are only awarded as a way to punish the defendant for their terrible conduct or willful negligence. So, in order for punitive damages to be considered for your case, you must demonstrate that the defendant has acted in such a malicious way that they must be punished for it.

Can I Pursue a Personal Injury Case if the Fault Was Partially Mine?

Yes, you can still pursue a personal injury case even if you were partially at fault. New Mexico is a “comparative negligence” state, which means that whatever percentage you are found to be at fault by, your total compensation package is decreased by that percentage. Even if you are found to be overwhelmingly at fault, you may still seek compensation for the amount that you were not responsible for.

Reach Out to an Experienced Personal Injury Lawyer Today

It can be overwhelming to handle a personal injury case on your own, which is why it is recommended that you seek out an experienced personal injury lawyer to handle the finer details of your case. The legal team at Egolf + Ferlic + Martinez + Harwood, LLC, can help you by developing your case, gathering evidence that proves negligence, and representing your interests against the at-fault parties. Reach out to schedule a consultation with a valued team member today.