Albuquerque Sideswipe Accidents

Albuquerque is known for having some of the nation’s most aggressive and dangerous drivers. Not surprisingly, sideswipe car accidents aren’t uncommon. Sideswipes, which occur when the two sides of vehicles traveling next to one another collide, are often the result of unsafe lane changes, refusals to let others merge into traffic, and acts of road rage. 

Albuquerque sideswipe accidents can also result from simple mistakes and acts of negligence at the wheel, too. Whether you were sideswiped by a driver suffering from road rage or one who was simply careless, you deserve to be compensated. Singleton Schreiber can help.

Our Albuquerque car accident lawyers have decades of experience standing up for crash victims and fighting to help them move forward after life-altering accidents. As award-winning civil litigators recognized for excellence in personal injury law, we’ve won billions of dollars in settlements and jury awards for our clients.

Don’t settle for less than you deserve after a sideswipe collision. Instead, force the best possible results by trusting our nationally acclaimed law firm to represent you. We offer a complimentary case evaluation. Contact our Albuquerque law office to get started now.

Who’s Liable For a Sideswipe Car Accident?

Sideswipe car accidents, which are the second most common type of collision on urban expressways like I-25 and I-40 in Albuquerque, tend to happen when a driver is aggressive or negligent. 

Ultimately, anyone who contributes to a sideswipe accident can be liable for resulting damages. So, it’s important to understand (a) why sideswipe accidents happen and (b) how to prove liability so that you can recover monetary compensation for damages like medical bills, lost wages, and emotional distress.

Most often, sideswipes accidents are caused by:

• Distracted driving practices that take a driver’s focus away from driving safely, which can lead to unsafe lane changes, failing to maintain a single lane of traffic, and merging errors
• Drug and alcohol use that impair a driver’s cognitive function and spatial reasoning
• Blind spot errors, including failing to check the vehicle’s blind spots before changing lanes
• Aggressive drivers who refuse to let another vehicle merge into traffic
• Bad weather conditions that increase the odds that a speeding motorist will hydroplane
• Drivers who fail to use their turn signals before changing lanes

Our car accident attorneys in Albuquerque will carefully investigate your sideswipe and work to understand why and how it happened. 

We’ll work closely with expert witnesses as we gather and evaluate key pieces of evidence, including:

• Video footage of the accident or moments preceding the collision
• Photographs of dents, dings, scrapes, and other damage to the vehicles
• Paint transfer on the vehicles
• Physical evidence from the scene of the accident
• Eyewitness statements
• Expert testimony from accident reconstructionists, forensics specialists, and other professionals
• Accident reports taken by the local Albuquerque Police Department
• Traffic violations
• Driver cell phone records

Evidence can be used to paint a picture of what happened, prove that you were sideswiped because another driver was negligent, and support your legal claim as we fight to get you the top-dollar financial award you deserve.

In New Mexico, liability is proportionate to fault. The more someone contributes to a sideswipe car accident, the more responsibility they’ll bear for resulting damages. Singleton Schreiber will be sure to seek compensation from anyone who played a part in causing your sideswipe accident - including other motorists, a government agency, the manufacturer of a defective vehicle or component, or an at-fault party’s insurance company.

Can I Recover Compensation If I’m Blamed For a Sideswipe Accident in New Mexico?

There might be times when more than one party’s negligence contributes to a sideswipe collision. It’s also a common strategy for insurance companies to attempt to blame victims for accidents in which they’re injured in an effort to sidestep liability or limit a financial recovery.

In New Mexico, shared fault for a sideswipe will result in a reduction of damages, so it’s important to challenge victim-blaming tactics head-on. 

Let’s say you’re driving down I-25 and decide to change lanes. However, a motorist in another lane of traffic decides to change lanes at the same time. You check your blind spot in your mirrors, but neglect to physically look into the space next to you. If you had, you might have noticed that another driver is also entering the same lane. That driver is texting, so they don’t see you either. At the end of the day, you’re assigned 25 percent of the blame for the crash. As a direct result, any settlement or jury award you receive will be limited to 75 percent of its value. 

Sideswipe Accidents Can Cause Serious Physical Injuries

While sideswipe car accidents aren’t usually the most catastrophic type of car accident, they are still capable of causing serious injury and death. Nationally, sideswipes account for roughly 2.7 percent of all car accident fatalities annually. 

Thousands of people also suffer painful and debilitating non-fatal injuries, including:

• Soft tissue injuries to the knees, elbows, shoulder, neck, and back
• Whiplash
• Crush injuries
• Concussions
• Nerve damage
• Bruising and contusions
• Bone fractures
• Spinal cord injuries
• Brain injuries

It’s common for injuries to result directly from the sideswipe collision with another vehicle or from a seatbelt or front or side airbag that deployed on impact. Either way, be sure to seek prompt medical attention at the closest emergency room to you in Albuquerque as soon as you’ve reported the sideswipe crash.

Singleton Schreiber Can Help You Seek Maximum Compensation After a Sideswipe Accident in Albuquerque, NM

If you’ve been sideswiped because another driver was reckless or negligent at the wheel, don’t hesitate to call Singleton Schreiber. You’ll have a limited time to seek compensation, and you’ll lose the ability to take legal action once the statute of limitations expires. 

Our award-winning Albuquerque personal injury lawyers can invest the resources, experience, and knowledge you’ll need to win your case and get the maximum monetary award you need to move forward with your life. We’ve won billions for our clients. Now, we’re ready to be your most fearless advocate, too.

There’s no charge for an initial case evaluation, so call our Albuquerque law office to begin today.