Car Crash Lawyers Compassionately Guiding Residents of Albuquerque
There are numerous highways in the Albuquerque area, including the Pan-American Freeway (I-25), the Coronado Freeway (I-40), and Paseo del Norte (Hwy. 423). The accidents that occur on highways can be especially severe because they often occur at high speeds. Catastrophic injuries, such as paralysis, brain trauma, spinal cord damage, burns, and disfigurement, are not uncommon. Many people who are hurt on the highway have their lives changed forever by the crash. At the Fine Law Firm, our Albuquerque car accident attorneys represent Albuquerque residents who have been injured in car accidents caused by negligence or reckless driving on highways.
Seeking Compensation for Injuries in a Highway Accident
In New Mexico, a driver who is at fault for a highway accident usually must pay for any harm to people or property that arises from it. If you are hurt, you can seek compensation by filing a claim with your own insurance company, pursuing the at-fault driver’s insurance carrier, or filing a personal injury lawsuit. It is wise to consult an attorney immediately after an accident. Anything you say to the other driver’s insurer may be twisted and used to reduce or bar your recovery.
The minimum liability insurance coverage that a driver must carry in New Mexico is $25,000 for a single person’s injuries or death, $50,000 for a single accident, and $10,000 for property damage from a single accident. Unfortunately, many drivers purchase only the bare minimum insurance required, and some do not buy insurance at all.
In New Mexico, courts follow the doctrine of pure comparative negligence. This means that your recovery may be reduced by an amount that is equal to your percentage of fault if any. Because of this doctrine, a defendant’s insurer will be looking for any reason you are partially or fully to blame for an accident.
Suppose, for example, that you are driving on the highway, and someone is texting while driving alongside you and swerves into your lane. If you were already distracted because you also were texting, you may swerve hard to avoid the other driver and crash into the concrete median. If you sue the other driver, he or she may allege that you are partially at fault. The jury may find that your damages are $500,000 and determine that the other driver is 75% at fault and you are 25% at fault. Theoretically, you would be able up to recover $375,000 from the other driver.
If the driver whose carelessness harmed you carries only the minimum liability insurance coverage of $25,000 and has no assets, you may need to make a claim against your own uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage.
Contact an Albuquerque Attorney to Discuss a Motor Vehicle Collision Case
Highway accidents often occur at high speeds and tend to have devastating consequences. At the Fine Law Firm, our experienced Albuquerque injury lawyers can help victims in Albuquerque and the surrounding areas seek the full scope of damages available to them under the circumstances. Contact us via our online form or call us at (505) 243-4541 to schedule a free consultation. The Fine Law Firm also assists injured people in Rio Rancho and elsewhere in New Mexico.