Do you know what steps to take after a motorcycle accident in New Mexico?
Motorcycle Accidents can result in significant injuries, even when they seem minor initially. It is important to take immediate action to both establish and protect your rights in the days following your accident. Doing so will help you recover faster and obtain a more fair award from the insurance company.
Working closely with a medical and legal team experienced in motorcycle accidents will help ensure you recover the settlement you deserve. Follow the steps below to learn more.
Step 1: Seek and Follow Medical Advice
Although some motorcycle accident injuries are more obvious than others, sometimes they do not manifest immediately. Whether or not you have apparent injuries, it is crucial to immediately seek an evaluation from a medical professional. You must follow all medical directives and comply with any orders or recommendations for follow-up care, treatment, or appointments to avoid jeopardizing your case.
Seeing a doctor right away will help ensure that all injuries are both diagnosed and treated in a timely fashion. Still, it will protect your claim from allegations that your injuries are unrelated to your accident.
Step 2: Gather Evidence from the Scene
Preserving the scene of your accident as soon as possible is of the utmost importance from an evidentiary standpoint. If you can, take pictures of the site of the accident, video of the traffic conditions, and recordings of the weather conditions, skid marks on the road, street signs, and any other external factors that might help establish what happened.
Similarly, capture images of your vehicle and any other property that may have been damaged before repair. An experienced attorney will help gather evidence to bring the strongest possible claim.
Step 3: Keep Receipts and Other Documents Related to Your Case
You deserve compensation that is equivalent to all of your losses related to the accident, including medical bills, a rental car, and less-obvious damages such as lost wages related to your absence from work. Keeping receipts and other documentation will be necessary to recover the full amount to which you are entitled.
When in doubt, avoid throwing it out.
Step 4: Call a New Mexico Motorcycle Attorney Immediately
Just as you need the assistance of a medical professional, obtaining legal counsel as soon as possible is crucial to protecting your legal interests and making sure you obtain the settlement you deserve.
A New Mexico motorcycle attorney experienced in both personal injury and criminal law is crucial to navigating the legal system when obtaining:
- Police reports
- Witness statements
- Forensics
- Expert testimony
- Case discovery
- Other forms of evidence
An experienced attorney will investigate the facts of your case and work with experts such as accident site survey teams, accident reconstructionists, civil engineers, and medical experts to ensure that your case is properly evaluated and prepared for litigation.
A skilled attorney will not only work diligently to establish your right to recovery, but he will zealously represent you in court proceedings to ensure that you recover every cent you deserve.
Step 5: Negotiate Compensation for Motorcycle Accident Injuries
Although every case is different, you may be entitled to significant compensation if you were involved in a motorcycle accident and the other driver was at fault.
New Mexico law allows for the recovery of:
- Present and future medical expenses relating to your injury
- Lost income due to time off work or an inability to return to work
- Damage to your motorcycle
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Other compensation as applicable
In extreme circumstances, you may even be entitled to punitive damages if the other driver had a “culpable mental state, and [his] conduct must rise to a willful, wanton, malicious, reckless, oppressive, or fraudulent level.”
Related Article: How Long Do Motorcycle Accident Injury Claims Take?
What Can a Motorcycle Accident Attorney in New Mexico Do for Me?
Are you unsure about the steps to take after a motorcycle accident in New Mexico? You are not alone in this fight. A New Mexico motorcycle accident attorney will handle your case with the personal attention and expertise you deserve.
We will also fully investigate your case and deal directly with the insurance adjusters so that you can focus on getting better. Our legal team will fully assess your claim and prepare the case for trial.
Most importantly, Grano Law Offices, P.C. will treat you with respect and keep you fully informed every step of the way.
We Can Help with a Free Case Evaluation
Motorcycle accidents are traumatic but preserving and pursuing your claim doesn’t have to be. Accident litigation is complicated and requires experience and resources to receive a fair award. Call Grano Law Offices, P.C. for a Free Case Evaluation at (505) 426-8711 or message us at the contact form below.
We do not charge you any attorneys’ fees until we win your case. Otherwise, you owe us nothing for our time and resources.
