New Mexico Highway Truck Accident Attorney

Proudly serving injured motorists throughout New Mexico

You see them everywhere on Interstates 25 and 40 – large commercial trucks. Since these two highways intersect in Albuquerque, many statewide and out-of-state long-haul truck drivers pass through the city while making deliveries or heading across the country. But crashes can happen anywhere, at any time.

When truck accidents occur, they are often devastating since they happen at high speeds. Additionally, a large commercial truck (which can be called a semi, 18-wheeler, or tractor-trailer) can weigh as much as 80,000 lbs. The damage they cause can be devastating to car drivers, and often times, multiple parties are affected.

When this happens, it’s important for injury victims and their families to take steps right away to protect their rights and fully understand their legal options. Otherwise, you might not get the money you rightfully deserve. New Mexico highway truck accident lawyer Andras Szantho knows what’s at stake. That’s why he wants to help.

Our legal team knows how to investigate highway accidents and find the evidence you need to build a strong legal claim. Whether it’s reviewing your official accident report or demanding access to evidence trucking companies have about your crash, we leave no stone unturned in pursuit of the truth.

Common highway truck accidents

Highway truck accidents often involve:

• Rear-end collisions: Traffic jams happen often on highways. This increases the likelihood of a rear-end collision, especially if a truck driver is speeding, driving distracted, or driving while tired.
• Truck rollovers: Mechanical defects such as tire blowouts, loose wheels, or brake failure are common causes of truck rollovers. Speed can also be a factor when a driver swerves quickly or approaches a curve. These accidents may not always affect other road users, but when they do, they can be catastrophic.
• Lane-departure accidents: Just like truck rollovers, lane-departure accidents can be caused by tire blowouts, loose wheels, or brake failure. They also occur when truck drivers carelessly switch lanes or fail to detect nearby cars in their blind spots.
• Jackknife accidents: These accidents occur when the tractor trailer of a truck swings out and forms the shape of an L. Jackknife accidents are caused by truck drivers who turn their steering wheels too abruptly, either to avoid hitting another vehicle or to overcorrect their steering. Lightly loaded trailers and slippery road conditions can be contributing factors.
• Underride accidents: Just like rear-end collisions, underride accidents usually happen when traffic comes to an abrupt stop. If a large truck isn’t equipped with an underride guard, smaller cars can get crushed underneath. Underride accidents often result in severe and fatal injuries.

Truck accidents can be complicated, especially if there are multiple vehicles and parties involved. That’s why you need a lawyer who knows how to build strong cases that get results.

An experienced highway truck accident attorney can help

If you or a loved one was injured in a truck accident on a New Mexico highway, you’re not just up against another driver and his or her insurance company. Trucking companies have a lot of money and carry high insurance premiums. That’s because large commercial trucks pose a liability to their companies and insurers.

The insurance company may offer you a small settlement. But as your medical expenses pile up, and you’re unable to work and collect a paycheck, that settlement offer will only cover a fraction of your losses. Once you accept a settlement, there is no turning back. You may find yourself paying for your recovery out of your own pocket for years to come.

That’s why you need an experienced truck accident attorney on your side who knows how to take on the truck companies and their insurers. Attorney Andras Szantho can investigate your highway truck accident and find out where negligence occurred.

• Was the truck driver distracted at the time of the crash?
• Was alcohol or drugs a factor in the crash?
• Did the trucking company properly maintain the truck?
• Was the trucker speeding or driving recklessly?
• Did the driver have an adequate level of training and experience?

Any evidence found from the crash scene, witness statements, and the police report can be used to help you build a solid claim. The truck’s Event Data Recorder (EDR), also known as its black box, might also include important information about your highway accident, including how fast the truck was going at the time of your crash and when the driver last took a legally mandated rest break.

But you often need to act fast to get access to this evidence. Trucking companies can legally destroy EDR data and Hours of Service (HOS) logs after a few months. And once that information is gone, you might have a hard time proving the truck driver was at fault.

Don’t miss out on your opportunity for justice. To learn how we can help you, contact us at the Szantho Law Firm today to schedule a free case evaluation with a highway truck accident lawyer you can trust – attorney Andras Szantho.