A personal injury can change your life in more ways than you would have imagined. Dealing with mounting medical bills, lost income, pain, trauma, and a long road to recovery can consume your time and resources. When someone else’s careless or reckless conduct put you in this situation, you have the law on your side to help you regain physical, emotional, and financial security.
At Buckingham Barrera Vega Law Firm, we are the Albuquerque personal injury lawyers who care. Across decades of experience fighting for the rights of New Mexico’s citizens, we have seen how difficult it is for victims of personal injury to put their lives back together by themselves. That’s why our personal injury attorneys go the extra mile to make sure your worries become our concern.
The legal process of recovering what was taken from you should not be an added burden during an already challenging time. We handle the legal matters with expertise and skill, giving you the opportunity to focus on what is truly important.
To schedule a free consultation with an experienced personal injury attorney from Buckingham Barrera Vega Law Firm, call or fill out our online contact form. There is never a fee or obligation to discuss your personal injury case with a member of our Albuquerque, NM legal team.
Do I Need a Personal Injury Lawyer?
Simply put, hiring a personal injury lawyer is the best way to secure the financial help you need to cover medical bills and other expenses related to your injury. In many situations, it’s nearly impossible for an injured victim to recover compensation without legal representation.
Although an insurance company exists to protect policyholders in times of difficulty, you may find that the insurance company is your biggest obstacle to obtaining compensation. It’s a known fact that an insurance company is a for-profit business. Their driving motivation is to make and save money—which often means giving you less than full and fair compensation.
Filing a personal injury claim can be a complicated process, even for personal injury attorneys with years of experience. If you decide to take on the process alone, know that you will likely receive a lower financial award than if you partnered with an attorney. You will also need to complete every step of the legal process correctly and within the applicable statutes of limitations.
When you hire an Albuquerque personal injury lawyer from Buckingham Barrera Vega to advocate for you, you have an experienced professional in your corner who will:
- File all documents and insurance claims correctly and within mandatory deadlines
- Understand federal, local, and New Mexico law as it applies to your case
- Analyze your insurance coverage and that of the at-fault party
- Determine liability and hold the appropriate party accountable
- Research, gather, and submit the evidence necessary to prove your claim
- Hire medical professionals who can attest to the extent and cause of your injuries
- Communicate with the insurance company for you
- Calculate the compensation you should be awarded for current and future losses
- Skillfully handle settlement negotiations on your behalf
- Not get paid until you recover compensation
Get Help From Albuquerque’s Top Personal Injury Lawyers
We at Buckingham Barrera Vega Law Firm have a reputation for getting results in Albuquerque and throughout the state of New Mexico. We have won millions for victims of car accidents, truck accidents, workplace injuries, and other serious injuries caused by careless or reckless conduct. Learn more about our case results on our website or during your free consultation at our law office.
When the insurance company knows you are represented by Buckingham Barrera Vega Law Firm, they take notice. From the moment we take your case to the day you receive your settlement amount, we handle every step of the legal process with seriousness, compassion, and attention to the individual nature of your Albuquerque personal injury case.
What Causes Personal Injuries in Albuquerque, NM?
There are certainly situations in which people are injured by pure accident or through their own careless actions. But these are not the personal injury matters we litigate at Buckingham Barrera Vega Law Firm. Personal injury law is a specific area of civil law that helps victims seek justice and recover compensation after an injury caused by someone else’s negligence, recklessness, or wrongdoing.
The cause of personal injury can vary depending on the type of accident. When it comes to determining liability, an action—or a failure to take action when needed—can be seen as the cause of the preventable accident.
The following examples can give you a good idea of the types of personal injury claims our legal team helps clients in Albuquerque, NM file:
- Car accidents caused by speeding, distracted, or intoxicated drivers
- Truck accidents resulting from overloading or other federal trucking violations
- Motorcycle accidents in which riders are injured by reckless drivers
- Brain injuries or birth injuries suffered through medical malpractice
- Oil field injuries caused by poor management or faulty machinery
- Workplace injuries resulting from negligence
- Premises liability cases in which a person suffers a slip and fall, dog bite, or other serious accident
The most severe personal injury accidents may result in fatality. If an individual is killed in a preventable accident that would have resulted in personal injury had the deceased survived, it is considered wrongful death. Wrongful death claims exist to help grieving families achieve justice and recover the financial losses of medical treatment, funeral and burial costs, and the income that can no longer support the family.
If a serious accident took the life of your loved one, an Albuquerque personal injury lawyer from our firm can offer legal representation.
Albuquerque Personal Injury Cases We Handle
It’s likely the situation that caused your injuries falls into one of our legal practice areas. We represent clients in the following areas of personal injury law:
- Car accidents
- Drunk driving accidents
- Distracted driving accidents
- Truck accidents
- Rollover accidents
- Delivery vehicle accidents
- Jackknife truck accidents
- Overloaded truck accidents
- Motorcycle accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
- Bicycle accidents
- Premises liability
- Slip and fall accidents
- Dog bites
- Product liability
- Medical malpractice
- Birth injuries
- Surgical errors
- Gallbladder malpractice
- Nursing home abuse
- Brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Wrongful death
- Work injuries
- Oil field accidents
- Mass tort lawsuits
If your unique situation is not listed above, don’t hesitate to reach out to our law office with questions. We have expertise in a wide range of complex personal injury matters in New Mexico. An Albuquerque personal injury attorney from our firm will be able to either represent you in your case, or recommend a qualified local attorney who can.
The Most Common Injuries in a Personal Injury Accident
Injuries in a personal injury case can vary in type and severity. Depending on the circumstances of the accident, a victim may suffer recoverable injuries or wrongful death.
Many of the injuries in personal injury claims are what are considered catastrophic injuries. Catastrophic injuries are those that significantly impact the rest of a person’s life—such as a spinal cord injury that causes paralysis or a brain injury that results in cognitive impairment. A catastrophic injury can also lead to wrongful death in the days or weeks following the accident.
Some of the most common serious injuries our personal injury attorneys help clients seek compensation for include:
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Broken bones and fractures
- Spinal cord injuries (including paralysis)
- Soft tissue damage
- Burns
- Cuts and lacerations
- Repetitive motion injuries
- Exposure to chemicals, toxins, or carcinogens
- Amputation or loss of limb
- Disfigurement and permanent scarring
The medical expenses associated with these severe injuries add up quickly. For many people, they last a lifetime. This makes recovering compensation through a personal injury claim even more important. No injured victim of another party’s negligence should be forced to make a choice between putting food on the table or treating their injuries.
But serious injuries don’t just mean physical pain. Our personal injury lawyers know that injury claims should include the emotional and psychological injuries that are every bit as real as the physical ones.
In many personal injury cases, it is not uncommon to find that victims experience:
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Fear of vehicle travel (after car accidents or other motor vehicle accidents)
- Emotional suffering
While dealing with your severe injuries and emotional suffering, you are also facing substantial financial setbacks. On top of medical expenses and other bills, your income may be reduced or lost altogether. After an incident like a car accident, for example, your financial security may be shaken for years to come.
Through an insurance claim or personal injury lawsuit, we help our clients overcome the weighty financial challenges they are suddenly facing.
Compensation for Victims of Personal Injury in Albuquerque
In New Mexico, personal injury claims afford injured parties the opportunity to seek damages from the party deemed to be at fault for the accident and injuries. Damages can generally be categorized into two types: compensatory damages and punitive damages.
Compensatory damages are intended to compensate the injured party for their losses. These can be further divided into economic damages and noneconomic damages.
Economic Damages
The calculable bills related to the injury are referred to as economic damages. Your medical expenses and property damage are good examples of economic damages. After your accident, you may visit a doctor or fix your vehicle, and receive a bill for those expenses. Your personal injury lawyer will add those bills to the total amount of compensation you should be owed.
Other economic damages include:
- Inability to work and earn wages and benefits
- Diminished future earning capacity
- Medical bills, hospitalization, physical therapy costs, and other injury-related expenses
- Cost of fixing or repairing a vehicle
- Transportation or rental car costs
- Child care, pet sitting, food delivery, and other daily expenditures
- Other forms of property damage causing financial loss to you
Noneconomic Damages
Because noneconomic damages don’t come with an exact number, they are harder to calculate. An experienced personal injury lawyer will need to look into all the ways you have been affected by the injury to determine a reasonable number to represent your noneconomic losses.
For example, your medical bills after a brain injury will be evident. But the amount you lost through pain and suffering, missed family events, and the inability to work, drive a car, or participate in a favorite hobby is less tangible.
Noneconomic damages your personal injury lawyers will look into may include:
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional anguish
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Inability to take part in activities, hobbies, exercise, and important life events
- Disability or disfigurement
- Loss of consortium or companionship (in wrongful death cases)
Punitive Damages
As opposed to compensatory damages (which compensate the victim), punitive damages punish the wrongdoer. Punitive damages are rare in Albuquerque personal injury claims. Only in situations in which the defendant’s actions are particularly egregious and harmful will a New Mexico court decide that punitive damages may be applied.
Punitive damages are sometimes seen in car accident cases involving a drunk driver. In other cases, punitive damages may be used to punish a corporation that causes widespread harm. For example, if an oil company fails to protect employees from chemical exposure and multiple oil field injuries result, the company may be liable for punitive damages in a civil case.
How Much Is My Albuquerque Personal Injury Claim Worth?
Taking all of these factors into consideration—including the severity of your injuries, the amount of economic loss you incurred, how your life was altered by the injury, and whether punitive damages apply—your Albuquerque personal injury lawyer will calculate the value of your claim.
It is impossible for a personal injury attorney to give you an exact number without knowing the specific details of your case. One of the purposes of your free consultation is to discuss those details. This will give your personal injury lawyer a chance to ask questions to better understand your situation. After gathering the information needed to calculate compensation, your legal advocate can provide a better idea of what your New Mexico personal injury claim is worth.
Regardless of the value of your claim, it is likely that the insurance company will try to offer you less than you deserve. One of the reasons it’s so important to work with a personal injury attorney is to make sure you don’t accept an unreasonably low offer. Many people who are not trained legal professionals don’t realize how severely an insurance company has undervalued their claim until it’s too late.
How To File Personal Injury Claims in New Mexico
No two personal injury cases are the same. But there is a general chain of events you can anticipate when you begin the process of filing your New Mexico personal injury claim.
You’ll first meet with your Albuquerque personal injury lawyer to determine if you have a valid case. Once you and your lawyer decide to move forward with your claim, the at-fault party and their insurance company will be notified. If a settlement can be reached, the case will come to a conclusion, and you will be awarded your financial settlement. If the liable party and their insurance company refuse to settle on a fair amount, you and your attorney can file a personal injury lawsuit in order to reach an official verdict from a judge or jury.
Our Albuquerque personal injury lawyers will be with you every step of the way to ensure a positive outcome—which includes receiving full and fair compensation. You may be eligible for a monetary award that covers your medical bills, lost wages, cost of future care, future lost wages, property damage, pain and suffering, and other damages.
Of course, there are many other steps within the timeline of a personal injury case. One of the most important tasks your legal representative will need to complete is providing evidence to support your claim to compensation.
How Your Albuquerque Personal Injury Lawyers Will Prove Your Right to Compensation
There is much more to a personal injury claim than simply stating your damages. The insurance company will demand a wide range of proof before they accept that the events unfolded as you claim they did.
Let’s look at an example. Because car accidents are one of the most common types of injury cases, we can use the example of a car accident to demonstrate the kind of evidence your lawyer will need to gather.
After your car accident, your personal injury attorney will seek out every available resource that can prove the other party’s liability and your resulting damages. This evidence may be found in the form of:
- Police reports
- Photos of the accident scene
- Your medical records
- Video footage from cell phones, surveillance cameras, or dashcams
- Eyewitness accounts
- Expert witness testimony (from medical experts or traffic reconstructionists)
- Your journal of the injury and healing process
- Cell phone records from the other driver
- GPS information
- Damage to vehicles and surrounding property
What Happens if I Am Partially at Fault?
Our clients sometimes bring concerns to us about whether they can receive compensation if they were partially at fault for the accident. In New Mexico, you can rest assured that you are still eligible for financial recovery, even if you hold partial responsibility.
New Mexico adheres to a pure comparative negligence system. This means that you are eligible for compensation even if you are partly responsible (up to 99% at fault) for the injury. The percentage of fault you carry is the percentage your compensation will be reduced.
For example, you may be 10% at fault for a slip and fall accident, while the property owner is 90% responsible. If you file a personal injury claim against the negligent property owner and are entitled to a $50,000 settlement, this amount will be reduced by 10% ($5,000), leaving you with a total of $45,000 in compensation.
New Mexico’s recognition that more than one party can be at fault for an accident is a double-edged sword when it comes to your personal injury claim. To your benefit, you can still obtain the monetary award you need, even if your actions contributed in some way to the injury.
On the other hand, the at-fault party’s insurance company will undoubtedly use the concept of comparative fault in an attempt to get you to settle for less than you deserve. If the insurer can prove that you were more at fault than you were, your settlement can be reduced dramatically. New Mexico injury victims need the protection of an experienced Albuquerque personal injury attorney to ensure their claim is not unfairly devalued.
How Much Will It Cost to File a New Mexico Personal Injury Claim?
We know that another expense is the last thing you need after a personal injury. The time you need a lawyer most is the time you have the least amount of funding to put toward legal fees. That’s why we don’t accept any money until we win your case for you.
Buckingham Barrera Vega Law Firm takes most cases on a contingency fee basis. We begin with a free consultation to see if our law firm is the right fit for your case. We work to build a strong attorney-client relationship with every client we serve, so you know you can trust us in every matter. When our legal team takes on your civil lawsuit, we don’t expect to receive payment until you obtain proper compensation.
What Is a Contingency Fee System and How Does It Work?
A contingency fee system is a way to pay a lawyer for legal services without using a fixed hourly fee model. Under this arrangement, your lawyer is paid a percentage of your monetary award only when your case is settled.
This way, you and your attorney are both motivated to achieve the same goal. You don’t have to worry about upfront fees, and your lawyer is encouraged to reach a case outcome as efficiently and successfully as possible. We find that a contingency fee arrangement works well for most of the cases we handle. We are confident in our ability to win cases, get maximum compensation, and give our clients the most advantageous case outcomes possible.
What Can a Buckingham Barrera Vega Personal Injury Attorney Do for Me?
We take pride in the way the Albuquerque personal injury lawyers at Buckingham Barrera Vega change our clients’ lives, and our city as a whole, for the better.
To each client, we guarantee:
- Clear communication and updates from beginning to end
- A full explanation of all legal options available in your situation
- Honesty and openness about the merits and disadvantages of your case
- Reachability whenever you have questions or need help
- Honest and ethical treatment of every matter
- A clear timeline for when you can expect tasks to be completed
- Respect for you, your family, and your personal matters
- Dignity, sensitivity, and confidentiality
- Compassionate emotional support
- Our most persistent efforts to get you what you are entitled to receive
Hire the Albuquerque Personal Injury Attorneys You Can Trust
Buckingham Barrera Vega Law Firm has extensive experience successfully representing personal injury victims. If a negligent person or entity could have acted differently to prevent what happened to you, we can fight to hold them accountable for your losses.
We understand how overwhelming it may seem to take on a legal claim when you’re trying to focus on recovering. But it’s important to remember that you have a right to seek compensation for your injuries and losses. When you have the means to take care of those expenses, you’ll only be expediting your recovery process.
Every claim is different, so getting in touch with our Albuquerque personal injury lawyers as soon as possible after an accident is crucial. The sooner we can start investigating your claim and gathering the evidence needed to support it, the better your chances are of receiving full and fair compensation. Contact us today to schedule your free consultation.
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2125 Wyoming Blvd NE Suite 100,
Albuquerque, NM 87112
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