Carlsbad and the greater San Juan County is home to more than 29,000 residents and is frequented by countless others who travel into the area to enjoy the area’s natural splendors, such as the Guadalupe Mountains and Pecos River. Caving, visiting local parks, and swimming are just some of the many entertainment options in this southeastern portion of New Mexico. Another draw to the area is employment in the oil and gas industry.
New Mexico cities that offer the variety of employment and recreational activities that Carlsbad does are likely to attract families and visitors, leading to traffic congestion and motor vehicle accidents involving cars and trucks. The more people that live in an area, the more apt someone is to get hurt while undertaking their everyday responsibilities. These are only some of the many scenarios that may result in a personal injury incident that can forever change you or your loved one’s life.
Compensation You Can Recover in New Mexico Personal Injury Cases
New Mexico law allows you to recover two primary types of compensation if you successfully file a personal injury claim.
- Economic Damages: These may include medical expenses and lost wages that you have now and may incur in the future.
- Non-Monetary Losses: Another name for these is noneconomic damages. They may help cover some of the less visible repercussions of a Carlsbad personal injury accident like mental anguish, pain and suffering, and losses of enjoyment of life or consortium.
There are also punitive damages that New Mexico law allows injury victims to recover. These may be requested when a drunk driver, for example, strikes a motorist, leaving them with permanent disabilities.
Generally, parties request these damages partly to send a message of the seriousness of a defendant’s actions and to prevent them (and others) from making the same mistakes again.
Carlsbad Personal Injury Cases We Handle at Buckingham Barrera Vega Law Firm
A variety of legal matters fall into the category of personal injury cases. However, our philosophy here at Buckingham Barrera Vega Law Firm is that specializing in ones we have the adequate bandwidth to build and win is best. The focus of our New Mexico practice is, therefore, on the following types of personal injury cases:
- Car Accidents
- Truck Accidents
- Motorcycle Accidents
- Medical Malpractice
- Nursing Home Abuse
- Premises Liability
Data published by the New Mexico Department of Health outlines how personal injury incidents are the leading cause of serious injuries, sometimes resulting in death, for individuals aged one through 44.
Auto Accidents
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety statistics show that nearly 400 motorists lost their lives in auto accidents in 2000. A report published by the New Mexico Department of Transportation shows that 18.6% of all motorists involved in crashes that year suffered injuries, including serious ones such as:
- Broken limbs (like arms and legs)
- Penetrating lacerations (resulting in severed muscles or nerves and severe blood loss)
- Abdominal, skull, or chest trauma (that extended beyond lacerations)
- Spinal cord injuries resulting in paralysis
- Extensive second or third-degree burns
- Compression or crush injuries
These Carlsbad auto accidents may be attributable to various factors, such as drugged or drunk driving, driver or trucker fatigue, vehicle maintenance concerns, distractions, and motorist inexperience.
Medical Malpractice
Various scenarios may warrant an injured or ill plaintiff filing a medical malpractice lawsuit against their doctor, a surgical team member, a nurse, or a health care facility, such as a hospital. Some of these situations may include when a patient:
- Receives a wrong or delayed diagnosis
- Undergoes surgery on the wrong body part or side of their body
- Suffers significant harm during childbirth due to inadequate prenatal care
- Is prescribed a dangerous prescription drug or is administered the wrong or incorrect dose of an otherwise safe one
A situation in which a radiologist misreads imaging studies (like X-rays) or a pathologist incorrectly identifies a biopsied specimen may also warrant a plaintiff filing a Carlsbad personal injury lawsuit.
Nursing Home Abuse
Countless New Mexico residents entrust the care of their loved ones to Carlsbad nursing homes. While many of these residents go on to live happy, fulfilling lives in these assisted living facilities, others face dismal fates, including:
- Malnutrition
- Neglect
- Emotional or psychological abuse
- Financial exploitation
This poor treatment can leave these vulnerable individuals with physical injuries, mental anguish, and financial harm when their ability to recover from this abuse is at its lowest.
These individuals may be able to recover compensation by filing a personal injury lawsuit. These proceeds can then be utilized for a more respectable New Mexico residential facility and treat the aftermath of the trauma they’ve already endured.
Premises Liability
Property owners have a general obligation to keep potential dangers to a minimum to ensure no one gets hurt. Homeowners and business owners who fail to do this open themselves up to legal liability if someone gets hurt on their premises.
Situations that may warrant the filing of a premises liability case include:
- Slip and falls
- Struck-by incidents
- Dog bites
- Assaults stemming from inadequate lighting or negligent security
Plenty of other situations may fall into the premises liability category, so you should reach out to a Buckingham Barrera Vega personal injury lawyer to determine if a scenario involving a property owner’s negligence also warrants you filing a claim.
How Our Personal Injury Attorneys at Buckingham Barrera Vega Support You
Being able to prove that an injury resulted from a specific Carlsbad incident like a premises liability situation, nursing home abuse, or a motorcycle accident is critical if you want to recover compensation. A personal injury attorney here at Buckingham Barrera Vega Law Firm will have the necessary skill to make such connections necessary to pursue a New Mexico lawsuit.
Plaintiffs only have a limited amount of time, referred to as a statute of limitations, to pursue Carlsbad, NM personal injury claims or lawsuits. That time frame is three years from the date of injury. You may lose your right to pursue legal action to recover compensation for your injuries if you don’t file your personal injury case within that time frame here in New Mexico.
That being said, you must act fast if you intend to hold a negligent party liable for their actions. Your Carlsbad personal injury lawyer can build your case soon after your initial free consultation if you decide to work together. Contact us today to schedule your free consultation.
