New Mexico Car Accident Injury Lawyer
Claims can be complicated. Get an Albuquerque car accident attorney who gets results
Being injured in a bad New Mexico car accident caused by another driver can be a traumatic experience. In an instant, you or a loved one can sustain a serious injury that requires extensive medical care and leaves you unable to do many of the things you love.
Worst of all, you might have a hard time getting the money you rightfully deserve for medical treatment, replacement income and other accident-related expenses. This is especially true if your car accident injury claim adds up to a lot of money. The insurance company knows that the average car accident injury settlement can be worth tens of thousands of dollars to hundreds of thousands of dollars depending on injury severity. In such cases, the at-fault driver’s insurance company will often do everything they can reduce or deny your claim.
Our dedicated legal team at Szantho Law Firm in New Mexico can fight for your rights every step of the way. Albuquerque car accident injury attorney Andras Szantho has the knowledge and the experience you need to take on the at-fault driver’s insurance company and anyone else that stands in your way after your accident. A former New Mexico prosecutor and longtime state resident, attorney Szantho knows how to investigate accidents and find the evidence you need to win your case.
We will not rest until you get the car accident injury settlement you deserve for your injury. Whether it’s carefully reviewing your accident report, traffic camera footage or tracking down witnesses, or consulting with accident reconstruction experts, we go the extra mile in pursuit of the maximum financial compensation you deserve. We can be your warriors for justice.
What are common car accident injuries?
Car accident injuries can cover a wide range. Some of the most common – and most serious – injuries sustained in accidents caused by other drivers include:
- Head injuries, concussions, and traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
- Neck injuries, whiplash
- Back injuries, spinal cord injuries
- Arm and leg injuries
- Internal injuries
- Soft tissue injuries
Whatever type of injury you or a loved one sustained, make sure you get the proper medical care right away. If that means going straight to an emergency room after your accident, you should do so. You should also schedule a follow-up appointment with your doctor. Many accident injuries take several days to develop, including concussions and whiplash.
Your next step should be to consult with a New Mexico car accident injury lawyer. Many car accident injury claims turn out to be complicated legal cases. An experienced lawyer familiar with these types of cases in your area can explain your options and get right to work on your injury claim.
How much is my injury claim worth?
There’s no set dollar amount when it comes to car accident injury claims. Sometimes, your claim might be worth a few thousand dollars. Other times, you might be eligible to receive significantly more. The bottom line is you should be fairly compensated for all your injury-related expenses.
Some people only consider short-term expenses, like vehicle repairs and emergency medical care immediately after an accident. That’s just the beginning. You deserve to be paid for all your injury-related expenses, even if they occur several years after your accident. Expenses may include follow-up surgery, physical therapy for chronic pain and future income if you cannot return to work due to a permanent disability.
Insurance companies know what’s at stake. That’s why many want to settle injury claims soon after an accident – before the full extent of your accident claim has been determined. As a result, many insurance companies make lowball settlement offers that don’t even come close to covering all your past, present and future injury-related expenses. An experienced lawyer can demand the full compensation you deserve and negotiate with insurance companies on your behalf or fight for you in court.
What are my legal options?
You often have several options available to you after an accident caused by another driver. First, it’s important to understand that New Mexico has a fault-based insurance system. That means the at-fault driver’s insurance company is often responsible for paying for all your accident-related expenses. As a result, you often have three options available to you for obtaining the money you deserve for your accident:
- Accept a settlement offer from the at-fault driver’s insurance company
- Ask for more money and negotiate a better settlement
- File a lawsuit or take other legal action, especially if the at-fault driver’s insurance company refuses to negotiate, rejects your injury claim or acts in bad faith
In each case, an experienced attorney can help you demand the compensation you deserve to deal with your injury. Andras Szantho thrives on such challenging cases. As your attorney, he can develop a comprehensive legal strategy designed to obtain maximum financial compensation. Whether it’s at the negotiating table or in the courtroom, you can count on our law firm to vigorously fight for your rights.
Head injuries, concussions and traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
Head injuries are among the most common and most serious accident injuries. Injuries to the brain are especially common and are often referred to as traumatic brain injuries (TBIs). One of the most common – and most misunderstood TBIs – are concussions, which are caused by a blow to the head, or the skull being violently shaken. Concussions might seem like mild traumatic brain injuries (MTBIs), but they can be very serious and can cause intense pain, frequent headaches, memory loss and other serious consequences.
Whatever type of head injury you sustained, seek immediate medical treatment. Ask doctors to run the necessary tests to determine what type of head injury you sustained, including administering an MRI, X-Ray or computerized tomography (CT) scan if necessary. If not treated promptly, many head injuries can have serious and, life-long medical consequences.
Injuries to the neck are especially common in car accidents. One of the most common neck injuries is whiplash, a specific type of injury to the neck muscles and nerves caused by the violent forward and backward motion of the neck in an accident. Whiplash injuries are especially common in rear-end accidents and can cause severe neck pain, chronic headaches and other medical issues.
Other types of neck injuries sustained in car accidents include damage to the discs in the neck, along with strained neck muscles, reduced range of motion in the neck, muscle spasms and other neck injuries. Seek immediate medical attention if you experience chronic neck pain, frequent headaches, dizziness or other symptoms after your crash. Medical issues could be a warning sign of a serious neck injury.
Back injuries, spinal cord injuries
Serious back injuries are common in car accidents. This is due to the force of two vehicles crashing into each other. Back injuries can range from chronic back pain after an accident to a herniated disc, crushed vertebrae, compression fracture or a ruptured disc.
One of the most serious back injuries sustained in an accident is a spinal cord injury. Depending on the severity and the location of the injury, you or a loved one might not be able to move certain parts of the body temporarily or ever again. Types of paralysis include paraplegia (when someone is paralyzed below the waist and cannot move their legs) and quadriplegia or tetraplegia (when someone is paralyzed below the neck and cannot move their arms and legs).
Whatever type of back injury you sustained, make sure you have a medical professional examine you right away. Many back injuries can be serious and potentially life threatening. That’s why it’s important to pay attention to the warning signs of a serious back injury, which include intense back pain, loss of range of motion, poor balance and difficulty walking.
Injuries to the arms and legs can cover a wide range. Broken bones in the legs, arms, hands and feet are especially common. So are knee injuries. This is because the driver or passenger in the front seat of the car might injure their knee by hitting the dashboard or another part of the vehicle.
Amputation of all or part of the arm or leg may also be necessary if someone sustains a severe injury. The bottom line is you should seek immediate medical treatment if you have severe pain in any part of your arm or leg after your accident.
Organ damage – particularly injuries to the lungs, liver, spleen or pancreas – often occur as a result of a serious car accident. Internal bleeding is also common and can be life-threatening if not treated in a timely manner.
Seek immediate medical treatment if you experience abdominal pain, dizziness, trouble breathing or other serious symptoms. Don’t wait until the next day to see a doctor. If not treated promptly in an emergency room or another medical facility, an internal injury sustained by you or a loved one could have serious or fatal consequences.
Damage to soft tissues like muscles, tendons, and ligaments is common after a car accident. Soft tissue damage can cause agonizing pain that takes a long time to heal. If left untreated, these injuries can develop into chronic pain. Injury symptoms often include soreness, inflammation, discoloration (bruising), and limited range of motion.
Many soft tissue injuries heal with rest and physical therapy. Others are more severe, and healing may require surgery to remove scar tissue or reconstruct damaged parts. Common soft tissue car accident injuries include torn rotator cuff, frozen shoulder, ligament tears, and damage to the connective tissues in the knee, shoulder, elbow, wrist, and ankle joints.
Demand justice after your accident. Contact our law firm.
Don’t underestimate the seriousness or the complexity of your car accident injury. Seek immediate medical attention. Then talk to us. Our dedicated legal team at Szantho Law Firm has the courage and the commitment you need to tackle your tough legal case. When you have New Mexico car accident attorney Szantho on your side, you can dictate what happens next. Instead of insurance companies calling the shots, you can demand the money you need and make sure your injury gets the attention you deserve.
Learn more about how our law firm can help you. Contact us and schedule your free case evaluation about your car accident injury right now. Our law firm has two offices conveniently located in Albuquerque and Santa Fe, New Mexico. If you can’t come to us, we can come to you – whether it’s in your hospital room or your home. We’re ready to fight for you.