Santa Fe Car Accident Lawyer

Santa Fe Car Accident Attorney: Holding Negligent Drivers Accountable

Motor vehicle accidents are a leading cause of injury and death across the nation. The New Mexico Department of Transportation reports that nearly 20,000 people on average are injured in traffic crashes every year, and hundreds are killed. Many of these deaths and injuries are preventable.

A Santa Fe car accident lawyer can help you make clearer sense of your legal options in this situation and assist you in recovering compensation for your damages. Youngers Law, PA, has years of experience handling these cases, and we are ready to assist you with your car accident claim.

Negligent, inattentive and drunk drivers present dangers on the roads of New Mexico. If a car or truck driver has injured you, contact the personal injury law firm of Youngers Law. With offices in Santa Fe and a strong presence in Las Cruces, Youngers Law serves clients throughout New Mexico.

Do not accept an offer to settle without first calling the firm at 505-820-0108 or completing the contact form. You may be entitled to more compensation that more closely reflects the costs and emotional damage of the serious injuries you suffered in a truck or car crash. The firm provides free consultations for injured accident victims.

Committed to Seeking Justice

Youngers Law has a team with the skills and experience needed to help people like you seek justice.

Attorney Joleen K. Youngers has represented injury victims across New Mexico for decades. As a result, she understands how to build a strong case from the outset. She and her staff will closely examine the unique facts and circumstances of your case to maximize the amount of your recovery.

Talk to A Car Accident Attorney Who Can Represent You and Your Family

Joleen Youngers and her staff empathize with the pain that clients feel after a truck or car crash. She also recognizes that the pain goes beyond physical injury. A family is affected emotionally by the sudden event that changed their lives, particularly if the accident resulted in wrongful death or life-changing injuries. You deserve compensation for your pain and suffering, and so does your family.

How the Team at Youngers Law Can Help

Ms. Youngers and her staff handle cases involving any type of traffic accident, such as those involving:

• Passenger cars
• Trucks and other commercial vehicles
• Motorcycles and bicycles
• Pedestrians struck by cars
• Hit-and-runs
• Drunk drivers
• Work-related vehicles

If you were not treated fairly by your insurance company in the aftermath of a traffic accident, Ms. Youngers can help. She routinely handles insurance claims disputes, and she also takes cases involving uninsured motorists. She is familiar with successful strategies for overcoming these and other insurance hurdles.

Why You Should Work with An Attorney After A Car Accident

While attorney Youngers handles your case, you can attend doctor appointments and focus on your treatment and recovery. She will do all that she can to minimize your worry about your medical bills or creditor calls following the car, truck, motorcycle or bicycle crash. She will handle the heavy lifting for you while you get better. Insurance companies will contact her, not you. She will be your advocate in all aspects of your car accident case. Let her take the weight off your shoulders so that you can concentrate on healing.

Common Causes of Car Accidents in Santa Fe

The most commonly reported cause of car accidents in Santa Fe and throughout the state is driver negligence, but this is a broad term that can apply to various behaviors. Negligence defines a failure to act with reasonable care in a given situation, or a failure to meet a specific duty of care. For example, every driver has a duty of care to pay attention while driving, and distracted driving would be a breach of this duty of care.

Some of the most commonly cited forms of driver negligence in the Santa Fe area include:

• Distracted driving, such as cell phone use behind the wheel.
• Speeding, which not only increases the chance of an accident but also the severity of resulting injuries.
• Moving violations, such as failure to stop for stop signs or red lights, failure to merge correctly, or failure to yield the right-of-way.
• Mechanical negligence of a vehicle. Drivers are expected to keep their vehicles in good working order and address any mechanical issues promptly when they arise.

Your Santa Fe car accident lawyer can help you gather the evidence you will need to prove liability for your accident. While most accidents result from negligence, they may also occur because of intentional and illegal misconduct, the most common example of which is driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. In cases like these, at-fault drivers face criminal charges along with their civil liability for the damages they cause.

Gathering the evidence you will need to firmly establish fault for your accident will be challenging on your own. You may be severely injured or caring for an injured family member, and you have a limited time to secure some of the evidence you may need. Working with a seasoned attorney helps to ensure you can collect crucial evidence as quickly as possible after your accident.

Traffic camera recordings, vehicle computer data, cell phone records, and witness testimony are often crucial for proving fault in vehicle accident cases. Your attorney can help you secure this evidence and build the foundation of your case while you recover from your accident with peace of mind. She can also secure the police report from the accident, which is likely to be one of the most important pieces of evidence for your case.

Understand the Basic Steps of a New Mexico Car Accident Claim

The first step in any car accident claim is making certain that you receive the medical care you need to treat your injuries. Then, you should contact an attorney as quickly as possible so that she can protect your interests and lend their legal knowledge to the next stages of your recovery. These include:

• Gathering evidence: Some evidence, like the accident report, may be easy to obtain. However, things like security camera footage and witness statements can better be obtained by an attorney who understands the power of a subpoena.
• Determining liability: Your attorney can review the accident report to determine everyone who might be at fault for the accident. It may surprise you to find that a driver shares liability for the crash with a mechanic or even a parts manufacturer. Identifying all the parties responsible for your injuries and holding them accountable helps maximize your compensation.
• Calculating damages: It is impossible to determine the true value of your claim without legal guidance. An attorney understands how to evaluate your losses and make sure that you do not undervalue their worth.
• Negotiating settlements: Insurance companies constantly try to diminish accident claims so they can protect their bottom line. An attorney can stand between you and the insurance company to prevent you from being pressured into accepting a lowball offer.
• Trial: If the insurance company refuses to be fair, your attorney will take your case to court and fight for what you rightfully deserve. She will organize the evidence in your case to present a compelling argument for the judge and jury. Involving an attorney early means that the entire case can be crafted to prepare for this possibility from the very start.

Once you receive compensation from your car accident claim, the team at Youngers Law, PA, will help you navigate any issues related to repaying your insurance company for your medical care and taxes on your proceeds.

Recovering Compensation for Your Car Accident in Santa Fe

Every driver in the state is required to have auto insurance, and this insurance must meet minimum coverage requirements for bodily injury liability and property damage liability. When a driver causes an accident, their insurance policy will pay for the damages they caused. However, there is no guarantee that insurance will be enough to fully cover all of your damages or that dealing with an insurance company will be easy.

Insurance companies generally look for all the ways they can find to deny claims or justify the smallest settlement offers possible. They typically hope that an injured claimant will be desperate to accept whatever compensation they can, and some insurance companies even engage in bad faith tactics in their efforts to minimize claim payouts. However, an insurance company is less likely to try this if they see that a claimant is represented by legal counsel.

When insurance will not cover your damages or an at-fault driver does not have insurance, a personal injury claim becomes your optimal avenue of recovery from your accident. Success with your personal injury suit will require clear proof of liability, meaning you must accurately identify the party responsible for causing the accident and prove how they caused it. You must also show the full extent of the damages they inflicted.

Many personal injury cases are resolved outside of court through private settlement. If a defendant acknowledges their liability, they are likely to want to resolve the case as quickly as possible. However, it may be possible to secure a larger case award through litigation. Your Santa Fe car accident lawyer will help you determine the optimal method for resolving your case and securing as much compensation as possible for your damages.

Work with an Attorney Who Keeps You Informed at Every Stage

During the course of your car or truck accident case, those at Youngers Law will stay in constant contact with you regarding any new developments. You will be copied on all documents so you will know where things stand. With the advice of Ms. Youngers, you may settle your claim. You may litigate it to get a fair recovery. In the end, she wants the best resolution for you and your family.

While most car accident cases will unfold along similar procedural rules, there are numerous unpredictable complications that could arise in any given case. We take time to learn as much as we can about our client and their situation to ensure we address the unique challenges they face as they seek accountability and compensation for their losses.

FAQs

What Should You Do After a Car Accident?

The first thing you should do is get medical attention for anyone injured and call the police. When that is done, you should call a personal injury lawyer. Do NOT say that the accident was your fault. Instead, begin exchanging insurance information with the other driver and wait for your attorney to arrive. An attorney can work quickly to gather all the relevant evidence and begin collecting witness information.

What Kinds of Compensation Can a Car Accident Victim Receive?

Car accident victims can receive compensation for much of their care. While your settlement will depend on your injuries and any relevant treatment you need, in general, car accident victims are eligible for financial assistance with their medical care, long-term treatment, any relevant adaptive technology needs, and compensation for time away from work during recovery.

Should You Accept the Insurance Company’s Initial Settlement Offer?

You should never accept an insurance settlement without first speaking with an experienced personal injury lawyer. An attorney can ensure the settlement does not underestimate your medical care expenses. Keep in mind that insurance companies are in business to make money, not necessarily to pay you what you’re owed for your injuries. At Youngers Law, PA, attorney Youngers can negotiate with the insurance company to help you get the maximum available compensation.

What Happens if I Partially Caused My Car Accident in Santa Fe?

If you partially caused your car accident in Santa Fe, you could still recover compensation for your damages from the other at-fault driver, but you will receive a diminished recovery to reflect your shared fault. New Mexico upholds a pure comparative negligence statute that applies to any civil claim for damages in which the plaintiff and defendant share fault for causing the damages cited in the claim.

Your fault percentage dictates how much of your final case award you will lose as a penalty. It’s worth doing everything you can to minimize the fault percentage assigned to you and preserve as much of your case award as possible. Your Santa Fe car accident lawyer can explain what you will need to do to ensure an appropriate recovery for your damages if you bear partial fault for your accident.

Will the At-Fault Driver Go to Jail for Causing My Accident?

It is possible for the at-fault driver to go to jail for causing your accident if they did so by breaking the law. If the accident happened because of simple negligence, they will be liable for your damages but won’t face criminal penalties. If they caused the accident by driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol or otherwise broke the law, they will face criminal penalties from the state alongside your claim for civil damages.

How Much Does it Cost to Hire a Santa Fe Car Accident Lawyer?

The cost to hire a Santa Fe car accident lawyer will vary based on the lawyer’s billing policy. At Youngers Law, PA, we accept most personal injury cases on a contingency fee basis. This means we will only charge our client a fee if and when we win their case. This fee will be a percentage of the total compensation we recover for them, and we will not charge a fee if we are unable to secure compensation for them for any reason.

Contact The Firm for a Vehicle Collision Lawyer in Santa Fe, in Doña Ana County and Across New Mexico

No matter what type of car accident you’ve been in – whether it involved an uninsured driver, an underinsured motorist, a hit-and-run or a drunk driver, attorney Youngers and her team can help. For more information or to schedule a free consultation with an experienced personal injury lawyer, please contact the car accident attorney at 505-820-0108.The firm provides free consultations to people injured in car accidents.

Youngers Law accepts cases on a contingency fee basis, which means that you will owe nothing out of pocket. You will pay no attorney fees unless Ms. Youngers obtains compensation for you.