NEW MEXICO PERSONAL INJURY LAW FIRM

An experienced personal injury lawyer brings a knowledgeable perspective to the process of negotiating with insurers and settling an injury claim. Based on years of experience handling similar claims, an attorney will have a sense of the fair value of your injury claim. Most accident victims are uncertain what their claim is worth. An attorney will analyze the facts of your case and provide guidance about whether an insurer’s settlement offer is reasonable based on the specifics of your case. If you have never dealt with a claim before, it may be difficult for you to know whether an offer is fair on your own.

The insurance company will have lawyers advising its staff during the settlement process. Having an attorney on your side and looking out for your interests evens the playing field. Insurance companies want to avoid going to court. The insurance company may agree to a higher settlement in order to avoid litigation if you have a lawyer advocating for you. If you do not have legal representation, you will be at a disadvantage in dealing with the insurance company.

You want a lawyer with years of experience handling cases similar to yours and a record of verdicts and settlements. Ask the lawyer what percentage of his or her practice involves the practice area that applies to your case. You want an established lawyer who knows the local court system and has the resources and determination to pursue your case to completion.

You want a lawyer with whom you feel comfortable communicating and sharing information. You want a lawyer who will listen to your questions and concerns and offer informative answers. You want a lawyer who will be accessible when you have questions and keep you informed of the status of your case.

You want a lawyer that has good references.

Steer clear of any attorney who promises or guarantees you a settlement or a certain outcome. No lawyer can ethically guarantee a certain result in a case.

To find an attorney, you may ask your friends, relatives, or co-workers to recommend a lawyer they have used. You can also schedule a free, no-obligation consultation with an attorney at Parnall Law to get an understanding of your legal options. The consultation will help you clarify your legal options at no charge, whether you decide to work with our law firm or not.

The most common reason to hire a personal injury lawyer is to provide representation after a car crash caused by someone else that resulted in serious injuries. The law allows people who are harmed by others’ negligence to seek compensation. That is an adversarial process. It is helpful to have an experienced injury attorney standing up for you when dealing with an insurance company representing the at-fault party. The insurance company may dismiss or delay your claim if you do not have a personal injury lawyer representing you.

Other reasons to hire a personal injury lawyer include pursuing compensation for injuries caused by unsafe conditions at someone else’s property, or protecting a loved one in a nursing home if you suspect your loved one is being subjected to neglect or abuse.

In many instances, people who need legal guidance may have questions about a troubling situation and need a personal injury attorney to investigate the matter and find answers.

Bert Parnall and the team at Parnall Law are available to answer your questions and discuss your legal needs during a free and confidential consultation. The attorneys at Parnall Law have helped thousands of accident victims obtain proper compensation and move forward with their lives.

Our personal injury attorneys handle cases on a contingency fee basis. We understand that if you have been seriously injured and out of work, you may be experiencing financial stress. It’s difficult for most people, particularly those who are injured and unable to work, to come up with money to hire an attorney. Recognizing this situation, our attorneys at Parnall Law Firm handle cases on a contingency fee basis with no upfront costs for the client.

If we agree to handle your case, you will be presented with a written fee agreement showing the fee you can expect to be charged if we are successful. We do not charge anything to start work on your case. We only get paid an attorney’s fee if we win your case and obtain compensation for you. Then we receive a portion of the award to cover our legal fee and expenses. The fee is a percentage of the amount recovered through an insurance settlement or jury award.

It’s difficult to generalize about what a case will cost. The fact is that every personal injury case has factors that affect the length of time it will take to resolve and the cost. Every case is unique in some respects. Our attorneys at Parnall Law Firm are available to review the details of your accident and discuss your legal options. Contact Parnall Law Firm for a free consultation.

There are a number of different costs associated with a personal injury case. They include:

Attorney’s Fee — Most people would be unable to afford to retain an experienced personal injury attorney on an hourly basis to pursue an injury claim. The attorneys at Parnall Law Firm handle personal injury cases on a contingency fee basis. A contingency fee arrangement allows accident victims to retain experienced legal representation without having to pay for an attorney out of pocket. Personal injury attorneys typically take roughly a third of any amount obtained in a settlement or jury award as payment of the attorney fee. The percentage may vary depending on the stage at which the case is concluded. The exact percentages and terms are spelled out in a written fee agreement that is reviewed and signed by the client and the attorney to avoid any misunderstandings at the conclusion of a case.

Court Filing Fees — Courts in New Mexico charge a filing fee to file a civil lawsuit, including a processing fee to serve a lawsuit and a fee for a jury trial. These expenses are advanced by the attorney, and then subtracted from the amount of settlement or court award.

Administrative Expenses — There are a number of miscellaneous expenses typically incurred, such as hiring a court report to take a deposition, making copies of transcripts, getting copies of medical records, and gathering other documents.

Expert Witness Fees — The cost of hiring expert witnesses can be a major expense in a personal injury lawsuit. To build a strong case, your attorney may need to hire physicians as medical experts to testify about your injuries and medical treatment and traffic accident reconstructionists, and product safety engineers to analyze how your car accident occurred.

The costs of court filing fees, conducting depositions, hiring expert witnesses, and paying for any travel expenses are typically paid upfront by the law firm, and then deducted from the final settlement or jury award.

If you are seriously injured in an Albuquerque car accident due to another driver’s carelessness or negligence and have sizable medical bills, you need to consult with an experienced personal injury attorney.

Parnall Law will review your case at no charge and explain your legal options. If we handle your case, we will take the case on a contingency fee basis. You will not owe a legal fee unless we obtain money for you.

We will collect evidence and present a demand letter to the insurance company representing the at-fault driver. If the insurance company responds favorably and your car accident case is settled out of court for $70,000, for example, then the expenses are deducted. Let’s say the case involves $10,000 in expenses. That leaves a balance of $60,000. The attorney’s fee would be a third of the remaining amount or $20,000. You would receive a check for $40,000.

Many injury claims are resolved without going to trial. Our attorneys at Parnall Law Firm are skilled negotiators and will try to negotiate a fair settlement with the insurance company and avoid the expense and uncertainty of a trial. However, if the insurance company refuses to agree to a reasonable settlement, it may be necessary to go to court to seek justice.

Taking your case to court typically involves more expenses than settling the case out of court.

Gathering evidence and preparing for a trial will incur certain kinds of expenses including court filing fees, the cost of depositions, investigation costs, administrative costs, hiring expert witnesses, travel expenses for expert witnesses, and preparing trial exhibits. These expenses can be significant in a complex personal injury case.

Parnall Law Firm will advance the cost of the expenses. The expense will then be subtracted from the final settlement or jury award at the end of the case.