Despite all your efforts to drive safely and carefully obey traffic laws, car accidents can still happen.
If you suffer injuries and property damage after an accident, you may feel frustrated, angry, and anxious about the long road to recovery that lies ahead.
In New Mexico, you have a right to pursue compensation from the driver who caused your damages, and you may be curious about the average settlement for your car accident.
However, understanding the full value of your case requires a careful analysis of the facts that a qualified personal injury attorney can provide.
Is There an Average Settlement for Car Accidents?
As your savings dwindle and your financial stress grows, you may be eager to know the average settlement for a car accident in New Mexico.
However, an average car accident settlement does not exist. The amount you receive in a settlement will depend on the facts and circumstances unique to your accident.
Speaking with a qualified personal injury attorney about your car accident can provide you with a clearer picture of your options.
Understanding how much compensation you might be owed requires a review of the common factors impacting auto accident settlement amounts.
Understanding how much your particular case is worth can guide you during negotiations and prepare you for what to expect if your case goes to trial.
What Factors Impact a Car Accident Settlement?
An attorney will analyze several factors to determine what kind of payout an injured victim may expect in their particular case.
The impact these factors may have on auto accident settlement amounts depends on the specific circumstances of your case.
Severity of Injuries
After an accident, it’s possible to suffer injuries that require months or even years of surgeries, therapy, and rehabilitation.
Some victims never fully recover. Car accident settlements increase in value if an injured victim suffers severe and long-lasting injuries.
Financial Losses
Injured victims are entitled to recover their economic losses from the liable party. Economic losses include medical expenses, loss of future earnings, lost wages, and property damage.
Recovering from accident injuries often prevents a person from working or may result in the loss of their job.
Even after recovery, you may find it impossible to perform the job you had before your accident.
The greater your financial losses, the larger your potential car accident settlement amount can be.
Fault and Liability
Showing the other driver was at fault also impacts the likelihood of recovering larger auto accident settlement amounts.
New Mexico is a pure comparative negligence state. This means you can recover damages even if you were partially at fault for the accident.
Under pure comparative negligence, the amount of damages owed to one party is reduced by their percentage of fault.
Even if you are found to be 99% at fault, you may still recover compensation for the 1% of fault assigned to the other party.
However, proving the other driver is solely at fault would give you a better chance of being compensated for the full amount of your damages.
Additionally, if your case does not go to trial, strong evidence showing the other driver was completely at fault also positively impacts settlement discussions and negotiations.
Insurance
New Mexico law requires all drivers to obtain minimum insurance policies covering the following amounts:
- $25,000 for the bodily injury or death of one person,
- $50,000 for the bodily injury or death of two or more people, and
- $10,000 to cover property damage for any one accident.
If you suffered severe accident injuries, you might find these minimum coverage limits barely scratch the surface of your medical expenses and other damages.
If your damages far exceed the at-fault driver’s insurance coverage, you may need to pursue compensatory relief against the driver individually.
Contact Us
The attorneys at Tawney, Acosta & Chaparro P.C. proudly serve clients throughout New Mexico and Texas.
Our firm focuses on obtaining the best results for our clients.
We understand the whirl of emotions you are experiencing as you recover from your injuries and try to manage your mounting financial losses.
We know how seriously a car accident can impact your life, and we are ready to advocate for you. We are skilled negotiators and experienced litigators.
Don’t worry about fighting the insurance companies on your own.
The personal injury team at Tawney, Acosta & Chaparro P.C., has the experience, knowledge, and skill to fight on your behalf.
Contact us today to obtain a free consultation and learn more about how our firm can help you.
Daisy Chaparro
Daisy Chaparro was born and raised in El Paso, Texas. A graduate from El Dorado High School in 2008 and obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a minor in Philosophy from St. Mary’s University in 2012. Daisy then obtained her Juris Doctorate (magna cum laude) from Texas Tech University School of Law in 2015.
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