Rio Rancho Car Accident Attorney

Rio Rancho is a great place to live, but not always a great place to drive. Located between Albuquerque and Santa Fe, New Mexico, the small town sees a lot of traffic and plenty of car accidents. The four-mile stretch from Westside Boulevard NW to Northern Boulevard NE is considered very dangerous. It has seen multiple deaths and many serious injuries over the years. 

Law enforcement officers and other traffic experts have attributed the accidents to commercial trucks and visitors to the town. Another reason may be that Rio Rancho has grown quite a bit over the years. The streets were never designed to accommodate the number of people who live here now.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a Rio Rancho, New Mexico car accident, you will need a professional personal injury attorney to make sure you get the compensation you need to get better. 

1-800-Injured is a Lawyer & Medical Directory that connects injured people with personal injury lawyers. We also have a database of doctors that specialize in injury accidents. When you visit 1-800-injured you have one less thing to worry about after an accident.

Types of Car Accident Injuries 

There are several different types of injuries that are common after an accident. 

Whiplash

Whiplash is an injury to the neck caused by a rapid jerking back and forth. People who have whiplash may experience a stiff neck or have difficulty moving their heads from left to right. 

In most cases, whiplash will go away after a few weeks. However, it can be serious and may require physical therapy.

Broken Ribs

Wearing a seat belt can save your life. Accident statistics show over and over again that people who wear seat belts have a much better chance of surviving an accident than those who don’t. However, when you are in an accident, you may be forced against your seatbelt and break a few ribs. Broken ribs heal by themselves in about six weeks. It is very important to have some type of pain relief if you have broken a rib. If you do not control your pain, you can cause respiratory problems which can lead to pneumonia.

Broken Limbs 

Broken arms and legs are not uncommon after a car accident, especially if the person has been thrown from the car. A person may break a wrist or fracture their elbow when an airbag deploys.

The amount of treatment needed will depend upon the severity of the break. In some cases, a person may simply have a hairline fracture that will heal on its own. In other cases, they may need a cast to hold the bone in place until it heals. In cases of severe fracture, surgery will be necessary. 

People who have broken limbs often require physical therapy. Physical therapy involves doing various exercises to regain function and it can be very painful.

Head Injuries

People off and suffer head injuries after an accident. There are five basic types of head injuries. They are: 

Contusion: A contusion is a minor injury that is caused by a blow to the head. A person with a contusion can suffer blurred vision, nausea, and headaches.  A brain contusion is quite a bit more serious than a regular contusion. A brain contusion is essentially a bruise that is on the brain. Although it normally goes away by itself It can lead to blood clotting. The worst thing about a brain contusion is that the symptoms are no different than a regular contusion.

Cerebral Hypoxia: Cerebral Hypoxia is an acquired brain injury. It does not come from a blow to the head but it is often the result of a serious car accident. When a person is in a car accident or suffers from a traumatic event, they may not get enough oxygen to the brain. It often happens when people experience severe blood loss after an accident. A person who suffers a heart attack may experience this condition as well. In very serious cases, a person with Cerebral Hypoxia will need to be on life support. It is often treated with anti-seizure medications as well.

Skull Fracture: A skull fracture happens when a person hits their head very hard. The part of the head that was hit will swell up and the person will bleed from their ears. A victim may be kept in the hospital for as long as 48 hours for observation. They will be given medication and told to rest.

Brain Penetration: When an object penetrates a person’s brain It is almost always fatal. In some cases, the person may be left simply brain dead. Doctors may try cranioplasty which is a surgery that is performed to repair broken bones in the skull. However, the surgery is risky and expensive.

Coup-Contrecoup

This type of head injury takes place when a person’s brain is knocked backward and forwards in their skull during an accident. A person with this condition may be knocked unconscious. Afterward, they may suffer memory loss, dizziness, and a sensitivity to light.

What to Do After a Car Accident in Rio Rancho, New Mexico

When you have a car accident, you may experience extreme pain. You may panic and you may go into shock. As challenging as it sounds, it is important to stay calm and collect as much evidence as you can at the scene. This will enable you to provide an insurance company with all the information they need to decide on your auto injury claim.

New Mexico is a fault state when it comes to automobile insurance. This means that the person who caused the accident is responsible for its associated bills. It is also a pure comparative fault state. This means that each person pays for the portion of the accident that they caused.

Try to get the names and telephone numbers of any witnesses that may have seen the accident. Exchange insurance information with the other driver, and try to take pictures of the cars.

Document Your Expenses

You are likely to have many expenses after a car accident. You will have to go to multiple doctor’s appointments and you may even need surgery. You will probably need physical therapy as well. Save all of your medical bills. You should also save receipts from any medications that you take.

Get your employer to write you a letter stating how much time you miss from work. If you are self-employed, you can document this yourself. Write a letter and back it up with the previous year’s tax returns.

People who are injured in accidents occasionally need help around the house. They may not be able to drive. If you need home health care or cleaning assistance, be sure to document that as well.

Rio Rancho Car Accident Attorney

If another person caused your car accident or if they are partially responsible for it, you will file an insurance claim with their insurance company. The insurance company will ask you to send in your documentation and then they will assign the case to an insurance adjuster. The insurance adjuster will investigate the case and decide if they will approve the claim. If they approve it, they will offer you a car accident compensation settlement.

The insurance company is unlikely to offer you all of the money that your injuries are worth. Insurance companies are businesses like any other and they want to keep their money in-house. Hence, it is extremely important to consult with an attorney and find out if they think you can get more money.

If they believe you deserve a better settlement, you can hire them to represent you. They will contact the insurance company and negotiate with them on your behalf. A seasoned attorney will argue aggressively for you to get a fair settlement. The attorney will almost always be able to get you a better settlement than the one the insurance company originally offered you. Personal injury cases rarely go to court, but if they do, a Rio Rancho auto accident attorney can assist you with a lawsuit.

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