Being involved in an accident that was caused by another’s negligence can be a jarring experience—literally and figuratively. One moment you are going about your day, perhaps driving to or from work, taking your children to school, or running errands. Then in the mere blink of an eye, another driver fails to operate their vehicle safely, a healthcare worker makes a lapse in following proper medical protocol, or a property owner neglects his or her property by failing to remedy a known hazard.
These types of accidents are all caused by the negligence of another person and in some cases can result in serious, even catastrophic injuries. When you find yourself the victim of an accident that was not your fault, you need experienced legal assistance. Insurance companies do not want to pay you what your claim is worth and often offer a quick, low settlement. Often, those who are injured—and perhaps unable to work and make a living—may accept such a settlement simply because they are financially desperate and unable to pay their mounting medical bills.
Should you find yourself in such a situation, your first call should be to an experienced Deming, NM personal injury lawyer from Harmonson Law Firm. Once Harmonson Law Firm is on your case, the insurance company will have no choice but to respect you and your injuries, and agree to paying a fair settlement. Our highly knowledgeable personal injury and medical malpractice lawyers are prepared to fight for you and your future every step of the way.
What Damages Might You Be Entitled to Receive for Your Injuries?
While your damages will depend on the circumstances surrounding your accident, including the severity of your injuries and whether those injuries have prevented you from returning to work, in general, you will be entitled to medical expenses, lost current wages, lost future wages, and pain and suffering. Pain and suffering damages include actual physical pain as well as emotional pain and trauma caused by the accident and your injuries. Medical expenses include current and future medical expenses for your ambulance ride, doctor visits, surgeries, hospitals, prescription drugs, rehabilitative therapies, and assistive devices.
If you are unable to return to work for a few weeks or months following your accident, then you are entitled to lost wages. Lost future wages come into play when your injuries are so severe that you will be unable to return to work for many months, years—or ever. Permanent impairment or disability will add another layer to your claim; we have experts who can help determine exactly what your injuries are worth from a financial perspective. Attorneys Clark Harmonson and Hadley Huchton will work hard to ensure that the insurance company does not take advantage of you. We will force the insurer to pay you a full settlement, whether through a demand letter and negotiations or, if necessary, litigation.
What Types of Personal Injury Does the Harmonson Law Firm Accept?
Auto accidents—car, truck, and bus—make up the majority of personal injury claims. Drivers on the roadways owe other drivers a duty of care. This means that every driver must follow all safety rules and laws. When a driver fails to do so, they have breached their duty of care. If this breach of duty of care results in injuries—and those injuries cause financial, physical, and emotional damage—then the driver’s insurer must pay the victim for his or her damages. Medical malpractice can also leave victims severely injured, through no fault of their own. A medical professional is required to treat patients in the same manner as another medical professional in similar circumstances and with similar training would have done. When these standards are not adhered to and patients are injured, the medical professional’s insurance must pay the victim for the damages. According to the Association of Health Care Journalists, medical errors are the third leading cause of death in the United States, following heart disease and cancer. Harmonson Law Firm can assist you with the following types of personal injuries:
- Car accidents are a major cause of personal injury claims. Drivers are distracted, overly tired, impaired, or simply not paying attention to other drivers on the roadways. As a nation of multi-taskers, we carry these habits into our daily driving, attempting to talk on the phone or text, turning around to see what the children or pets are doing in the back seat, fiddling with car controls, or eating entire meals as we zip down the road.
- Rideshare accidents can be the fault of the rideshare driver or the other driver but, from that point on, these types of accidents can be much more complex than a “typical” two-car accident. Who pays for your injuries will depend on which driver was negligent, as well as whether that driver’s insurance fully covers your injuries. Uber and Lyft both carry $1 million insurance policies but, like most big companies, they will go out of their way to avoid having to pay out settlements.
- Bus accidents, while less common than car accidents, do occur. According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, there were approximately 15,000 bus accidents in 2022. Only four of those bus accidents occurred in the state of New Mexico. While that seems like a fairly low number, the Albuquerque Journal placed New Mexico on the top 10 list for most dangerous public transportation—the second-most dangerous state for those using public transportation, with 0.44 bus fatalities per 100,000 residents and 20 rail accidents in 2022.
- Semi-truck accidents often result in severe injuries to those in the smaller passenger vehicle. A fully loaded truck weighs as much as 80,000 pounds, while the average passenger car weighs around 3,500 pounds. This is a serious size disparity and those in the smaller vehicle may have catastrophic injuries like spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, amputations, severe burns, loss of vision, or burns that cause disfigurement. Unfortunately, deaths are also common in semi-truck accidents.
- Motorcycle accidents often leave the motorcyclist severely injured. A motorcyclist who is not wearing a helmet could end up with life-altering traumatic brain injuries. However, whether the motorcyclist is wearing a helmet or not, he or she could end up with spinal cord injuries that cause paralysis, internal organ damage, burns, road rash that can lead to amputations or severe infection, fractures, and more.
- Medical malpractice claims can be difficult to prove, requiring the skill of a highly experienced medical malpractice attorney, such as Hadley Huchton or Clark Harmonson. A recent study indicates that almost 800,000 Americans suffer permanent disability or lose their lives each year to incorrect medical diagnoses. We trust our medical professionals to do what is best for our health, so when they fail to do so, it can be devastating.
- Personal injuries other than vehicle and medical malpractice claims may include:
- Catastrophic injuries, which are injuries that are not easily recovered from—or injuries from which the victim never fully recovers—and cause their life to be changed forever. A spinal cord injury, serious traumatic brain injury, severe burn, amputation, loss of vision or hearing, or severe internal injury are all considered catastrophic injuries, and the insurance company must pay accordingly.
- Wrongful death claims are essentially personal injury claims in which the victim dies from his or her injuries. In New Mexico, the personal representative of the estate, a spouse, or next of kin can bring a wrongful death claim to recover damages like funeral and burial expenses, medical expenses, lost wages, and emotional damages such as loss of consortium or loss of care and guidance.
- Premises liability claims like slip and fall accidents are the result of a property owner who fails to remedy hazards or dangers on the property, leading to an injury-causing accident.
- Dog bites are usually unexpected and can be severe, sometimes causing permanent pain and/or disfigurement. New Mexico is one of 16 states that follow the “one-bite rule,” which states that owners of a dog are protected from liability if it is the first time the dog has ever shown aggression. If you’ve been seriously injured by a dangerous dog, you must speak to a highly skilled Deming, NM personal injury lawyer from Harmonson Law Firm.
- Pedestrian accidents, like motorcycle and bicycle accidents often leave the victim badly injured, since a pedestrian has no protection—not even a helmet that might be worn by a bicyclist or motorcyclist. Pedestrians almost always have the right-of-way, so if you were struck by a car while walking, you need experienced legal representation.
- Bicycle accidents often occur when drivers fail to leave sufficient space between their vehicle and a bicyclist. Similar to motorcycle accidents, a bicyclist could end up with severe and catastrophic injuries, whether or not a helmet was worn.
- Workplace injuries usually fall under workers’ compensation. In the state of New Mexico, workers’ compensation governs workplace injuries except in very rare instances when the negligence was deliberate or malicious. Please call us to determine if your employer or some other party, like a subcontractor, is responsible for your injuries.
How to Choose the Best Deming, NM Personal Injury Lawyer for Your Needs
When choosing a Deming, NM personal injury lawyer, you want an attorney who has significant experience handling cases like yours. Some people may ask friends, family members, or co-workers for an attorney referral, while others will look online for an attorney in their area who has good client reviews and plenty of personal injury experience. Attorneys Clark Harmonson and Hadley Huchton are extremely qualified, knowledgeable, skilled, and compassionate. We will aggressively fight for your rights, your health, and your future, advocating on your behalf every step of the way.
Helping Good People Injured in Bad Accidents—How a Deming, NM Personal Injury Lawyer From the Harmonson Law Firm Can Help
When you choose an attorney from the Harmonson Law Firm, you can rest easy knowing you have experienced and reputable attorneys on your side who will never let an insurance company take advantage of you. We never hesitate to go toe-to-toe with a big insurance company that is dragging its feet or offering you far less than your claim is worth. You can expect to be treated with dignity and respect by everyone in our office as we work on your behalf for a full and fair settlement.
Whether that settlement comes after negotiations, or we end up litigating your case in court, you can expect attorneys Clark Harmonson and Hadley Huchton to always be exceptionally prepared for anything the insurance company may throw at them. Your case is in no way our “first rodeo.” While there are lots of personal injury lawyers out there, we believe that once you have spoken to an attorney at the Harmonson Law Firm, your choice will be clear.
Getting the Assistance You Need From the Harmonson Law Firm
With offices in El Paso, TX, and Las Cruces, NM, Harmonson Law Firm serves residents in the surrounding areas as well, including Deming, Silver City, Alamogordo, and Ruidoso in New Mexico. Our attorneys fully recognize what a difficult situation you are dealing with and will help you get through your accident and resulting injuries in the best way possible. With highly individualized attention, we will fight for justice on your behalf. Contact the Harmonson Law Firm today.
Clark Harmonson is licensed in New Mexico and Texas. Hadley Huchton is licensed in Texas.
