"Who will pay for my car accident in New Mexico?"
Albuquerque car accident attorney explains available options
Car accidents in New Mexico can be very expensive. Depending on the severity of the damage to your car and your injuries, your car accident could cost you hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars.
And if you don't take decisive legal action as soon as possible after your crash, you might end up having to pay for your accident out of your own pocket - even if another driver clearly caused your crash.
New Mexico car accident lawyer Andras Szantho understands what's at stake after your accident. That's because he has worked with countless car accident victims in Albuquerque, Santa Fe and throughout the state. That's why he created this page - so accident victims like you could clearly understand the different types of compensation available.
Who will pay for your car accident?
The simple answer is the person responsible for your car accident, but the complete answer's much more complicated than that. That's because many different factors can affect who will compensate you and how much.
In general, if another driver causes your car accident, that driver's insurance company will compensate you for your crash. But you could be eligible for additional compensation for your car accident in certain circumstances.
In particular, you might have a legitimate defective motor vehicle lawsuit if the manufacturer of your car (or any car parts) knowingly manufactured defective parts that either caused the accident (for example, if your brakes failed) or caused your injuries to be more severe than they otherwise might have been (for instance, if your seatbelt did not work properly). In such cases, you may even be eligible to participate in a class-action lawsuit against the car manufacturer or parts manufacturer.
Another option - you may be able to take legal action against the auto mechanic or car dealer that installed the defective part or incorrectly installed a particular part, including brakes, tires or other essential car parts.
Types of compensation available for car accidents in New Mexico
If another driver clearly caused your crash, you may be able to obtain financial compensation for the following expenses related to your car accident:
- Property damage to car
- Emergency medical bills
- Lost wages (due to missed work)
- Future lost earnings (if you cannot return to work)
- Future accident-related medical expenses
However, in order to obtain any financial compensation for your accident, you will first need to prove that the other driver clearly caused your car accident. That's because New Mexico is a "fault" car insurance state.
What is New Mexico's "fault" car insurance law?
Like most states, New Mexico has a fault-based system used to determine who receives compensation after a car accident. That means that the insurance company for the driver who caused your accident is normally responsible for financially compensating you.
If the other driver's insurance company refuses to compensate you for your car accident - even if the other driver was clearly at fault - you have several legal options available to you in New Mexico. These include:
- File a claim with your own insurance company
- File a lawsuit against the other driver, in which his or her interests will be represented by his or her insurance company
Other legal options may also exist depending on the circumstances of your car accident. That's why it's important to talk to an attorney at the Szantho Law Firm as soon as possible.
Are New Mexico drivers required to have car insurance?
The simple answer is yes, but it's important to understand that the other driver might not have enough insurance coverage to cover the full cost of your car accident. That's because some drivers only have the minimum amount of insurance coverage.
What are New Mexico's car insurance requirements?
By law, all drivers with cars registered in New Mexico must have the following minimum amounts of auto insurance coverage:
- $10,000 for property damage for single car accidents
- $25,000 for injuries or fatalities for one person in a car accident
- $50,000 for injuries or fatalities sustained by two or more people in a car accident
In many cases, accidents can cost significantly more than those minimum requirements. A single catastrophic injury or fatality in a car accident can often add up to millions of dollars.
What if the driver who caused my car crash has no insurance?
If the driver who caused your crash is uninsured or underinsured (does not have enough insurance coverage), you may have several options available to you depending on your insurance coverage.
If you have uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage (UIM), you may be able to pursue a claim against your own insurance company. If not, our law firm can examine all the details of your car accident to determine if other options exist for obtaining the compensation you rightfully deserve.
Why you need a lawyer after your car accident
Even if the other driver clearly caused your crash, don't simply assume you will automatically be compensated for all your accident-related expenses. In most cases, most insurance companies do everything they can to reduce or deny your claim altogether.
Attorney Szantho knows how insurance companies think. That's because he has successfully fought them in case after case involving car accidents like yours. Get the results you deserve after your accident. Contact the Szantho Law Firm and demand justice. Schedule your free case evaluation right now.