Clovis Truck Accident Lawyers

New Mexico Trucking Crash Lawyers Serving Clients in Clovis

While Clovis, New Mexico is not a major thoroughfare for large trucks traveling cross-country routes, it is important to keep in mind that Clovis is only a short distance from I-40 where big rigs routinely transport goods across the state of New Mexico. When tractor-trailer crashes do happen in and around Clovis, they can result in devastating injuries to passenger vehicle occupants, motorcyclists, bicyclists, and pedestrians. Nobody should ever have to face the trauma of sustaining injuries themselves or losing a family member in a truck accident, yet these collisions happen more frequently than they should.

Whether you were injured in a trucking collision or need help filing a wrongful death claim after losing a loved one in a wreck, one of our experienced Clovis truck accident lawyers can get started on your case.

Facts and Figures: Clovis Truck Accidents

What do you need to know about large truck accidents in and around Clovis, New Mexico? The following are some key facts and figures from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI):

• In 2019, a total of 4,119 people were killed in trucking collisions;
• 16 percent of all people killed in truck accidents were truck drivers;
• 67 percent of fatalities were occupants of other motor vehicles;
• 15 percent of fatalities included motorcyclists, bicyclists, and pedestrians;
• Truck accident injuries and fatalities have been on the rise, and the rate of truck occupant deaths has risen by more than 50 percent in the last decade;
• More than 50 percent of large truck fatalities occur on major roads that are not interstates or freeways, while about 32 percent of deadly accidents occur on interstates and freeways;
• Approximately 15 percent of all truck accident fatalities happen on minor roads and account for more than 600 deaths annually;
• Nearly half of all large truck accidents and fatalities happen between the hours of 6 a.m. and 3 p.m., meaning that nighttime driving is not as significant a factor in trucking collisions as in other types of wrecks; and
• Unlike motor vehicle accidents more generally, a majority of large truck collisions happen on weekdays.

Damages in a Clovis Trucking Crash

If you seek compensation after a truck crash, what kind of damages can you expect to receive? Most plaintiffs in trucking accidents will seek and be eligible for compensatory damages. There are two different kinds of compensatory damages in New Mexico: Economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages compensate truck accident victims for direct financial losses they incur, such as hospital bills and treatment, as well as current and future lost wages. Non-economic damages are designed to provide compensation for more subjective losses like pain and suffering or disfigurement.

In some cases, truck accident victims may be able to seek punitive damages. Punitive damages are not designed to compensate a victim for losses, but instead are aimed at punishing the liable party for egregiously dangerous behavior that resulted in the plaintiff’s injuries. In order to seek punitive damages under New Mexico law, the plaintiff must be able to prove one or more of the following about the defendant’s behavior or actions:

• Malicious;
• Willful;
• Reckless;
• Wanton;
• Fraudulent; or
• In bad faith.

To be clear, punitive damages are not awarded in every case and in fact are somewhat rare in personal injury cases. Punitive damages are reserved for cases in which the defendant’s behavior was so harmful that it is necessary to punish that person for their behavior and to deter other people from similar behavior in the future. The New Mexico pattern jury instructions for awarding punitive damages make clear that, when it comes to determining the amount of punitive damages, the damages award “must be based on reason and justice taking into account all the circumstances, including the nature and enormity of the wrong and such aggravating and mitigating circumstances as may be shown.”

Contact a Clovis, New Mexico Truck Accident Lawyer

Truck accidents in New Mexico can be devastating. In many truck accident cases, occupants of smaller passenger vehicles suffer life-threatening and fatal injuries. When you or someone you love gets hurt in a New Mexico truck crash, you should seek advice from an experienced Clovis truck accident attorney by calling (505) 883-5000 as soon as possible. One of the New Mexico truck accident lawyers at our firm can assess your case today and can begin working with you to file a claim for financial compensation. We want to help you get the money you need and deserve. Contact Caruso Law Offices, P.C. for more information.