Albuquerque Fatal Car Accident Lawyer

Fatal Car Accident Attorney in Albuquerque, NM

According to estimates by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), roughly 32,000 people are killed in fatal traffic collisions each year in the United States. Losing a loved one in a vehicle collision can be devastating, especially given the largely preventable nature of many types of car accidents. The right Albuquerque fatal car accident lawyer is crucial for holding the negligent party responsible for their carelessness.

At Berenson & Associates, PC, our compassionate Albuquerque personal injury attorney understands the considerable anguish your family must be experiencing and can provide the unshakable support you need to ensure your rights are protected during this emotional time.

Countless clients have trusted us with their most sensitive cases for the following reasons:

• Nearly two decades of proven legal experience
• Certified Auto Accident Reconstructionist (Attorney Rachel Berenson)
• One-on-one, personalized representation
• Unanimous support from past clients

Call 505-243-4400​ or schedule a confidential consultation today to review your legal options.

Compensation For Families Of Fatal Collisions

Fatal motor vehicle collisions are frequently the direct result of another party’s negligent acts behind the wheel, such as driving while intoxicated, driving while distracted, driving at unsafe speeds, or running through stop signs and red lights. In 2023, there were 402 fatal crashes in New Mexico, causing 436 fatalities, as reported by the New Mexico Department of Transportation. 91 of these fatal crashes occurred in Albuquerque, leading to 93 fatalities.

As a certified auto accident reconstructionist, our founding attorney, Rachel Berenson, can examine the circumstances surrounding your loved one’s collision and discover who is to blame. If it can be proven that your loved one’s death was indeed caused by another driver’s negligence, you may be entitled to recover a wide range of damages by filing a wrongful death claim against the responsible driver.

Eligible damages may include:

• Lost wages
• Funeral expenses
• Loss of companionship
• Emotional distress
• Final medical costs
• Punitive damages

While no amount of money could ever replace your loved one, a wrongful death settlement can help your family cope with the associated financial burden and ensure that you will not struggle to cover your necessary expenses. Furthermore, pursuing legal action can be seen as a way of honoring your loved one by ensuring that nobody else should have to suffer the same fate at the hands of those responsible.

Common Causes of Fatal Car Accidents in Albuquerque

Fatal car accident cases most often happen because of the negligence of one or more drivers on the road. Some of the most common reasons for vehicle accidents include:

• Distracted Driving: Drivers who are distracted are one of the most common causes of all types of vehicle collisions, and this can lead to a number of fatal accidents. A driver may be distracted because of a phone, a GPS, a passenger, or many other reasons.
• Fatigued Driving: Driving while tired lowers a person’s reaction speeds, and it can even lead to falling asleep at the wheel, resulting in head-on accidents. Head-on or front-to-front collisions were involved in 4.6% of all crashes, according to NMDOT, but nearly 25% of all fatal crashes.
• Speeding: Driving over the speed limit increases the damages of a vehicle collision. Although NMDOT reported that only 2.9% of all vehicle crashes were caused by excessive speeding, this was the cause of 7.2% of fatal crashes.
• Driving Impaired: Being under the influence of drugs or alcohol can make it harder for a person to make reasonable decisions, and it lowers reaction speeds behind the wheel. Being under the influence of alcohol was a contributing factor in only 2.2% of all crashes, but it also contributed to 11.6% of fatal accidents, according to 2023 data collected by NMDOT. Similarly, being under the influence of drugs was a contributing factor in 0.5% of all crashes but only 12.2% of fatal crashes.

It can take time to uncover the cause of a specific fatal motor vehicle collision. Your Albuquerque fatal car accident attorney can review information like cell phone records, the accident report, and other evidence. They can then use these to hold the person at fault for the fatal accident accountable in negotiations or the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court.

FAQs About Fatal Car Accidents

What Should You Say to a Wrongful Death Lawyer?

When discussing a claim for a wrongful death case, you should be straightforward with a lawyer and give them the information you have. This can help the lawyer give you a more accurate assessment of whether you have a valid wrongful death claim. It also gives them a better place to begin investigations.

How Hard Is It to Win a Wrongful Death Car Accident Claim?

It can be more difficult to win a wrongful death car accident claim, as the person involved in the accident cannot give their side of the story. However, when you hire a fatal car accident lawyer, they can use many other avenues to gather evidence and determine who was to blame for the accident. This can bolster the fatal car accident claim and make it more likely to succeed.

What Is the Statute of Limitations on a Wrongful Death Car Accident Case in New Mexico?

In New Mexico, a wrongful death claim has a statute of limitations of three years from the date the victim perished. Personal injury claims also have a statute of limitations of three years. If an individual dies within less than a year of the deadline, a claim can be filed by surviving family members within a year of their death. This type of case is different from a wrongful death claim.

Let Us Carry The Burden

At Berenson & Associates, our Albuquerque car accident lawyers believe that no family should have to suffer the consequences of another driver’s reckless actions on their own. With unshakable support and constant involvement throughout all stages of your case, we can help you and your family overcome this loss and assert your rights in a court of law.

We will never treat you like a number, and we will never push a “cookie cutter” strategy on you to secure the quickest resolution possible. Protecting your wellbeing is our top priority, and we are committed to treating your case with the utmost respect and professionalism that it deserves.

Get in touch with our office online today to get started.