The New Mexico city of Hobbs has a population of 38,475 people and sits approximately four miles west of the Texas border. Despite its size and location, it sees its fair share of traffic, from tourists flocking to town for various festivals and others coming to work in the area’s oil and gas industry, progressively leading to higher accident rates.
In recent years, new construction and improvement projects have gotten underway along some of the busiest stretches of roadways like Highways 18 and 62 in Hobbs. While these projects were initiated to curb accident rates, they have contributed to an uptick in crashes, as often occurs with changes in traffic patterns in road construction zones.
Let’s delve a bit deeper into the types of motor vehicle accidents that most commonly occur in Hobbs in Eastern New Mexico and what you should do if you have the misfortune of becoming entangled in one.
Types of Accidents That Occur in Hobbs
As you might imagine, certain accidents are more common in rural areas like Hobbs, where there is an abundance of two-lane highways, low or no shoulders, and fewer law enforcement officers to patrol for reckless driving behaviors. This is why motor vehicle accidents such as the following are more common in this part of Eastern New Mexico than others:
Head-On Collisions
These car crashes occur when two vehicles traveling in different directions collide into the front end of each other’s automobiles. Research shows that inequities in sizes of vehicles (like a semi-truck versus a car) and speed can make for particularly catastrophic crashes, resulting in serious injuries or a motorist’s wrongful death.
Rollover Accidents
Collisions like these can either be caused by another motorist or can result from a driver’s own operation of their car. Another vehicle operator may tap another motorist’s rear bumper if they’re tailgating them or sideswipe their car while passing them, causing the driver to lose control of their vehicle. The force may lead the vehicle to flip over. A motorist who is forced to stop their vehicle quickly for a road hazard, for example, may also experience a rollover.
Single Car Crashes
Rural roadways like the ones in Hobbs are notorious for being winding and having low shoulders or none at all. They also often sharply drop off into wooded areas. Motorists traveling too quickly for road conditions that have wildlife or who must navigate around pedestrians run the risk of becoming entangled in single-vehicle accidents.
Chain-Reaction Crashes or Multi-Car Collisions
One crash, whether a rear-end accident or a single-car one, often leads to other collisions. It’s not uncommon for motorists to be distracted by their phones, drive too fast for conditions, or not notice a vehicle stopped in front of them. All of these factors can not only cause the initial collision, but also pileups if other motorists aren’t paying as close attention as they should.
T-Bone Crashes
One unique aspect of Eastern New Mexico border cities like Hobbs is that they often lack an abundance of traffic signals. This often leaves motorists taking risks when crossing through intersections at two or four-way stops and pulling out from their driveways or a place of business into a busy two-lane highway. In the case of the latter, it’s particularly dangerous for motorists to pull out into an active lane of traffic if they’re doing so near a blind curve. Accidents often result in situations like these and leave behind debilitating injuries or a vehicle occupant prematurely dead.
Injuries That Can Result From Accidents in Hobbs
Car accidents can result in various injuries, ranging from minor to more debilitating ones and even death. The hormone adrenaline starts pumping in full force following an accident, so it’s not always immediately obvious that an individual has suffered injuries in a crash. This is why it’s critical that you seek medical attention right after any collision to ensure everything is okay.
Of the injuries individuals suffer in crashes, the most common are soft tissue ones like strains and sprains, which may result in whiplash, for example, or bruises and contusions. Cuts or lacerations are also quite common. Most of these injuries are recoverable in time.
Some injuries that also result from car accidents that may leave behind lasting impairments or permanent injury include:
- Broken bones
- Internal organ damage
- Spinal cord injuries, including paralysis
- Head or brain injuries
While most people think of a car accident’s physical implications on a victim’s life, collisions can also affect an individual’s mental health. Post-traumatic stress disorder is a debilitating condition that can adversely impact a person’s ability to live as enjoyable of a life as they once did and affect their ability to work.
How a Hobbs Car Accident Lawyer Can Help You
Hobbs car accidents often leave individuals not only with the inconvenience of not having a vehicle accessible to them, but also with debilitating injuries that are costly and time-consuming to treat. A preventable accident can limit your time with your family or your ability to do the things you want, affects how you feel, and may even impact your employment situation, causing you to work fewer hours or learn a new trade.
While no money will likely help you return to living the life you once did, it can ensure that you receive the best possible care for your accident-related injuries, and that you have access to the funds necessary to pay for your basic necessities. Plus, recovering compensation post-crash is one of the only ways our New Mexico legal system allows you to hold negligent motorists accountable for their recklessness or oversight.
Reach out to one of our Buckingham Barrera Vega Law Firm attorneys to schedule a free consultation to learn more about your rights to pursue compensation in your Hobbs car accident case.
