Espanola Personal Injury Lawyer

Espanola Personal Injury Attorney

The phrase “personal injury” can encompass any incident where a party’s actions harm another party. A personal injury claim is a legal mechanism through which the injured party can ensure accountability for the party who injured them and secure compensation. If you think you have grounds to file such a claim, it is imperative that you connect with an experienced Espanola personal injury lawyer as quickly as possible.

Egolf + Ferlic + Martinez + Harwood, LLC, can provide the legal counsel you need for your impending personal injury case in the Espanola area. Our firm always takes a client-focused approach to every case we accept, addressing each client’s individual needs and concerns so they can feel more confident about their impending legal proceedings. We can help you make clearer sense of your case and guide you to a positive outcome.

Building Your Personal Injury Claim in Espanola

The foundation of a personal injury claim is harm caused by another party’s actions. The victim must have suffered some type of actual harm, such as physical injury, economic loss, emotional distress, or a combination of multiple damages, to have grounds for a claim. Success with their claim will require proof that another party directly caused their claimed damages through an act of negligence or from an illegal act.

When it comes to proving negligence in a personal injury case, the injured plaintiff will need to accurately identify the defendant who injured them, prove that they held a duty of care that they breached in the situation, and demonstrate the scope of the resulting damages. When a personal injury results from any illegal misconduct, the party at fault is likely to face criminal charges alongside the civil suit filed by the victim.

When it is time for you to seek an experienced personal injury lawyer to work on your case, it is vital to choose an attorney with proven experience with cases similar to yours. The attorneys at Egolf + Ferlic + Martinez + Harwood, LLC, have an extensive record of successful cases, including:

• Claims for vehicle accidents. Motorcycle accidents, car accidents, and truck crashes are the leading reasons for personal injuries in the Espanola area and throughout the state each year. Recovering from a vehicle accident requires demonstrating fault for the accident, and then an injured driver may file a claim for compensation against a responsible driver’s insurance policy, followed by a claim for their personal injuries if their insurance won’t cover all their damages.
• Medical malpractice. A personal injury that results from a medical professional’s negligence can form the foundation of a medical malpractice suit. This is a special type of personal injury claim, and the state enforces special procedural rules for these cases. If you believe you have grounds for a medical malpractice suit, it is important to select an attorney with proven experience handling this type of claim.
• Slip and fall claims. If you slipped and fell, injuring yourself, it could form the basis for a personal injury suit under the state’s premises liability laws if the fall was on another’s property. Success with this type of claim requires proving the victim was legally present on the property when they suffered an injury because of the property owner’s failure to maintain reasonably safe premises.
• Wrongful death claims. A wrongful death claim is a type of personal injury suit that pertains to a fatal injury. If you have lost a loved one due to an act of negligence or illegal misconduct, you can file a wrongful death suit against the party at fault. This type of claim focuses on the losses sustained by the victim’s surviving family.

Building your personal injury claim in Espanola will require gathering evidence to prove exactly how your injury occurred and proving who caused the injury. An experienced Espanola personal injury lawyer can quickly assess the details of their client’s case and determine what type of evidence they will need to prove fault for their damages.

Recovering From Your Personal Injury in Espanola

The goals of a personal injury claim in Espanola include proving liability for your damages and recovering compensation for those damages. A personal injury suit intends to make the plaintiff as whole as possible after they have been injured by another party’s actions. The injured plaintiff can claim compensation for any losses caused by the defendant, whether economic or non-economic in nature.

Economic damages are the financial losses the plaintiff suffered from the incident. These generally include losses that can be proven with the appropriate documentation showing they resulted solely from the defendant’s behavior and not from any other cause. Economic damages you may recover from your personal injury claim include:

• Property losses. These may include damage to your vehicle, your home, or the loss of any personal belongings resulting from the defendant’s behavior.
• Medical bills. Most claims for personal injuries are for injuries to the body. The defendant will be responsible for all the medical care you require to heal if the defendant physically harmed you. This includes medical expenses, both now and in the future, if you require ongoing care for a serious injury.
• Lost income. If you cannot work due to your injury, the person or party responsible for injuring you is responsible for any income you cannot earn during this period. This also includes lost future income if you are unable to work again in the future due to your injuries. Your personal injury lawyer can help assess these projected losses.

Non-economic damages are more subjective and include the intangible losses you suffered because of your personal injury. Physical pain, emotional distress, trauma, and diminished enjoyment of life are the most commonly cited non-economic damages listed under the umbrella term of “pain and suffering” in a personal injury case. Depending on the serious nature of the harm you suffered, it could form the bulk of your total case award.

Additional forms of recompense to augment your recovery are also possible in certain situations. For example, if, while breaking the law, the defendant caused your injury, they may be required to pay punitive damages and/or restitution. Your personal injury lawyer can help you assess the full range of damages you might recover from a successful personal injury claim.

FAQs

How Much Compensation Can I Claim for a Personal Injury in Espanola?

The total compensation you could claim for a personal injury in Espanola will depend on the scope of your damages and whether you suffered any long-term or permanent harm from the incident. New Mexico’s personal injury laws enable an injured plaintiff to seek full repayment of any direct financial losses along with pain and suffering compensation. An personal injury lawyer can help their client maximize their recovery as fully as state law allows.

If I Was Partly at Fault for My Personal Injury, Can I Still Claim Compensation?

You can still claim compensation if you were partially at fault for your personal injury, but only to a certain extent. Your percentage of fault will be the percentage you lose from your case award to reflect your shared liability under the pure comparative negligence statute. For example, 20% fault in a $100,000 claim would mean losing $20,000, while 50% fault would mean losing $50,000. Your attorney can help you minimize your fault percentage.

How Is Pain and Suffering Calculated in a Personal Injury Claim?

Pain and suffering in a personal injury claim can be calculated in various ways. State law limits compensation for pain and suffering only for medical malpractice. In all other cases, plaintiffs may claim whatever they believe to be reasonable to reflect the serious nature of their experiences. Pain and suffering may be calculated using the plaintiff’s total economic damages as a benchmark, or their attorney may seek an amount that reflects their recovery time.

Why Do I Need to Hire an Espanola Personal Injury Lawyer?

You need to hire an personal injury lawyer to have the greatest chance of success with your personal injury claim. Even if fault for your damages seems perfectly apparent and you have some grasp of the total damages you could claim, you could encounter legal complications that you will not know how to resolve on your own. Having the right attorney on your side will dramatically improve your chances of winning your case and maximizing your compensation.

When Should I Hire an Espanola Personal Injury Lawyer?

You should hire an personal injury lawyer as soon as possible after any personal injury. The more time your legal team has to gather evidence and resolve the procedural requirements of your case, the more likely you will be to succeed with your case. Additionally, seeking legal counsel as quickly as possible after a personal injury helps to ensure that the evidence you obtain will be as reliable as possible.

The attorneys at Egolf + Ferlic + Martinez + Harwood, LLC, have years of personal injury experience that we are ready to leverage for you and your case. The sooner you connect with our team, the sooner we can start investigating your claim and helping you recover. Contact us today to set up a free meeting with a trustworthy Espanola personal injury lawyer about your case and learn how our firm can assist with your recovery efforts.