Find Lawyers in Albuquerque, New Mexico for Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs
Practice Area Overview
The term “personal injury” applies to a wide area of claims that arise when one party believes that his or her damages were caused by another party, resulting in a lawsuit. Examples of personal injury claims range from those involving wrongful death to defective products to motor vehicle accidents to discrimination and sexual harassment cases, as well as business torts such as breach of contract or securities fraud.
If the wrongful conduct of another party can be proved, the injured party may be entitled to monetary compensation from that party. Most plaintiffs’ personal injury lawyers represent clients on a contingency fee basis and receive compensation only when the case is resolved. This enables people who would otherwise be unable to afford a lawyer to have legal representation.
If someone thinks they have a personal injury case, it is important to consult with an experienced lawyer to explore your legal rights. Claims can, for example, be made by individuals, by a guardian, by a decedent’s estate as well as by larger groups in class action lawsuits, depending upon the nature of the case.
Key factors to consider in hiring a personal injury litigator are their willingness and ability to take the case to trial and a proven track record in obtaining settlements or winning jury trials – whether the claim is the wrongful death of a loved one or a spinal cord injury.
The plaintiff has the burden of proving their case. The more complex the case, the more essential it is to know that the legal team has the experience and resources that will give the plaintiff the greatest opportunity for success, whether the issue is handling a defective tire case or a train accident. This includes the ability to take an expert’s deposition, conduct mock trials and/or present tech-savvy evidence at trial.
What Is a Personal Injury Attorney?
A personal injury attorney provides representation to those who have been physically or emotionally injured as a result of someone else’s:
- Negligence.
- Wrong-Doing.
- Recklessness.
Many personal injury lawyers handle a wide variety of these cases; some of the top personal injury attorneys are much more specialized. When evaluating the best personal injury lawyers for their particular case, a plaintiff should discuss the harm they’ve suffered and the potential settlement. A personal injury lawyer will work to ensure the plaintiff gets their medical expenses paid as well as compensation for pain and suffering, lost wages and other issues.
Personal injury attorneys may choose to focus on one or more of the following.
Accidents and Wrongful Death
A personal injury litigation attorney is a legal professional who specializes in representing individuals who have been injured in accidents or through the negligence of others. These attorneys have experience in a wide range of practice areas, including:
- Slip and falls.
- Car accidents.
- Truck accidents.
- Wrongful death.
- Premises liability.
- Workers’ compensation.
A good personal injury attorney will be able to present the strongest version of their client’s cases, helping accident victims and other injured plaintiffs get the representation they deserve.
Specializing in representing individuals who have suffered harm or injury due to the negligence, recklessness or intentional actions of others, personal injury attorneys handle cases involving various types of injuries, including those resulting from medical malpractice or product liability.
Product Liability
In cases involving product liability, personal injury attorneys work to hold manufacturers and distributors accountable for producing and distributing defective or dangerous products that cause harm to consumers. While product liability is often a separate area of law, a personal injury attorney may represent an individual to litigate settlements based on emotional or physical injury.
Medical Malpractice
In cases of medical malpractice, personal injury attorneys help clients who have suffered injuries due to the negligence or misconduct of healthcare providers. Generally speaking, medical malpractice is its own separate legal practice area, but a personal injury lawyer may be involved if an individual has suffered physical or emotional harm as a result of medical malpractice.
Litigation Support for Personal Injury
In addition to providing legal representation, many personal injury attorneys offer litigation support services to their clients. These services may include:
- Helping them manage their medical bills and expenses.
- Negotiating with insurance companies on their behalf.
- Gathering evidence to support their case.
How Personal Injury Attorneys Operate
Personal injury attorneys also work to ensure that their clients' cases are cost-effective by conducting thorough investigations and pursuing settlements when possible. They have extensive knowledge of personal injury law and can advise clients on the best course of action to take, including the applicable statute of limitations.
Law firms specializing in personal injury law typically have experienced attorneys who can handle cases involving a wide range of injuries, including those resulting from car accidents, slip and falls and workplace accidents. They work to protect their clients' rights and obtain the compensation they deserve for their injuries and losses.
Lori is an experienced trial lawyer in New Mexico who has been fighting to obtain justice for people hurt by wrongdoers for her entire legal career. Since becoming a lawyer in 1993 she has recovered tens of millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements for clients throughout New Mexico and in other states. She has obtained settlements and jury verdicts against many healthcare corporations, hospitals and providers. While most of Lori’s clients have medical malpractice claims, she also ...
Allegra Carpenter is an all-purpose litigator. She was named 2015 Albuquerque Personal Injury Litigator of the Year, is over ten years listed in Best, recognized in SuperLawyers, and is AV Preeminent with Martindale Hubble. Allegra’s Super Power is her creativity -- which defines and spans every aspect of her practice from case selection to trial. After 22 years with an Albuquerque firm, Allegra established her own practice, Allegra-Law, where she continues her long history of amplifyin...
For 28 years, Lisa has prosecuted negligent and reckless corporations, people, insurance companies and the government in civil cases for New Mexico's working families, dedicating her career to helping and protecting victims killed or permanently harmed because of the wrongful conduct of others. Lisa is primarily a malpractice trial lawyer. She graduated from the University of New Mexico School of Law in 1993, where she was distinguished with the Tort Scholar Award for her graduating class. Fo...
F. Michael "Mike" Hart joined the firm in 1990. He has served the Albuquerque community for most of his life. A graduate of the Albuquerque Academy and Harvard University, Mike has focused his work on helping children,families and victims of negligence and abuse. He worked for the New Mexico Department of Human Services (now CYFD) for two years. He is a past president of the New Mexico Trial Lawyers Association, and has been an active member of numerous dedicated organizations, including the ...
Cherie LaCour is a trial lawyer practicing in communities across the state of New Mexico. Cherie has spent her entire legal career fighting for injured plaintiffs and considers it an honor and a privilege to help children and families obtain justice when they have been injured by wrongdoers. Cherie began her legal career, in a medical malpractice litigation firm working for clients with complex medical negligence claims. In 2006, Cherie joined her Partner, Lori Bencoe and established Bencoe &...
Kathleen (Kathy) Love, partner at New Mexico-based McGinn, Montoya, Love & Curry P.A., has practiced as an attorney for over two decades. She focuses on representing individuals against for-profit and government entities. Throughout her career as an attorney, she has tried a number of high-profile criminal and civil cases, most recently including the Torres v. APD case involving a police shooting incident. For her accomplishments, Kathy Love holds a Martindale-Hubbell AV-Preeminent rankin...
Randi McGinn is one of the best trial lawyers in the United States, having tried to verdict over 130 jury trials. Her specialty is representing David (or his spouse) against the Goliaths of this world -- insurance companies, product manufacturers, trucking companies and the government. She was the first woman president of the Inner Circle of Advocates, the 100 best plaintiffs' lawyers in the United States. In addition to being listed in Best Lawyers, she has been selected in the Lawdragon 500...
Since 2004, Bruce E. Thompson has been helping injured people and their families by holding wrongdoers accountable for violations of federal and state law and other safety standards. Practicing since 2004, Bruce handles cases involving personal injury, wrongful death, medical malpractice, construction accidents, brain injury, trucking accidents and sexual abuse in courtrooms throughout New Mexico. Bruce's entire practice is devoted to litigation. A member of the State Bar of New Mexico, the A...
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